Pengu

Player Information
Username: Pengu
Player Name: Defense Only
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 16
Position: D
Height: 80 in.
Weight: 250 lbs.
Birthplace: Canada

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Outside of Arena of Ondrey Nepela in Bratislava
GM John Frostbeard steps up to the podium:

"Welcome to the home of Bratislava Watchmen, the team that we all love and support! It has been a blast playing for you, the amazing fans and the city that loves hockey as much as any in the world! We have been working hard on finding the right, fan favourite mascots, goal songs and more but now we are here to announce something even more special. We are here to announce the leadership group that will lead our Bratislava team on and off the ice! It is exciting, isn't it? For that I want to say huge thanks to every player who selected their captains and chose for themselves who will lead them! Now, without further ado, we have two captain assistants to announce. Both have made an impact and have created an everlasting thread of trust in the locker room."

Firstly, the A will be worn by Her Majesty's favourite, backbone of our defence and loyal Watchmen - Tony Adams! @fonziGG
Secondly, the A will be worn by a true American, patriot and an excellent leader - Donny Carter! @TheNeonShaman
And finally, the captain of S80 Bratislava Watchmen is someone who knows a little bit of Slovak, understands the culture, people and the vision that Watchmen have placed as their main guiding force - Jakub Brozik @Viper

Congratulations and we will see you all on the ice!

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

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

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

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

1. Honestly, all of them just because I don't really know anyone in the league anymore
2. Pretty darn well! Will try to up my TPE gainage
3. When I got a power rangers toy that transformed into a zord
4. I want to travel again! The plan is a tour of Asia!
5. I have no idea who we piling out hate on
6. Just @ me with press conferences and stuff to do. I'm pretty bad lol

1. Self mandated grooming and a full body cleanse with a diet of the most organic ginger legally available
2. Got to cheer them on. Then we have an excuse! Well we lost to the Champions, ya know?
3. Be defense. Defense hard.
4. The ones suggested are cool. Maybe somewhere in Asia in the future.
5. Eh never liked them and I'm Canadian.
6. More than satisfactory.

Alright, sorry for the late reply but would love to join #KingsoftheWorld! If you'll have me!

Player Information
Username: Pengu
Player Name: Dookie Headtop
Recruited From: SisterLeague
Age: 18
Position: D
Height: 80 in.
Weight: 250 lbs.
Birthplace: Australia

Player Page
@VHLM GM

no one asked me, guess i don't have as many worshippers as you

Welcome to the third edition of VSN’s S73 Weekly recap (Games 236-354).  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!
Talents Behind the Trophies | Under 250 | Ringless: S49 Quebec City Meute | VSN Australia | S73 Future Watch: EU
 
Recap
Week 3 saw goalies struggle massively, with only 3 shutouts recorded the entire week, scorers are seeing their point totals inflate. We have numerous players on pace to break 100 points, and as we pass the midway point of the season, goalies are finding it tough. The playoff race is heating up in both conferences, and while the teams outside looking in have some work to do, the gap is definitely manageable and a win streak could shake things up immensely. The trade deadline is coming up very quickly and things could be shaken up at the drop of a hat, things have been quiet this season and I expect the trade talks to start heating up very shortly.
 
3-Stars
 
First Star
Lewis Dawson (MAL) - 9 G, 20 A, 29 P
Second Star
Raymond Bernard (MOS) - 0.920 SV%, 2.36 GAA, 1 Shutout
Third Star
Hulk Hogan (SEA) - 7 G, 19 A, 26 P
 
Power Rankings
Featured on this week’s graphic we have Erik Summers of the Helsinki Titans, Ambrose Stark who plays for the Seattle Bears, and Grekkark Gyrfalcon, Malmo Nighthawks goaltender.

@Pengu with the solid template that is just oh so sweet
 
Week 3 was a week of dominating performances by our number 1 ranked team, the Helsinki Titans. Helsinki climbs up 4 spots from last week and posted an amazing 13-2 record this week, including an 11 game winning streak. Both Zamboni Driver and Samuel Ross were great in net for the Titans, helping them gain a 4 point cushion for the number 1 spot in the VHL standings. Our #2 team this week is the Seattle Bears. Seattle falls one spot from last week but still posted a solid 10-4-1 record this week behind a great week by Hulk Hogan. Seattle is tied with New York for the first seed in the North American Conference with 61 points on the season.
 
The number 3 team this week is the Malmo Nighthawks. Malmo was one of this week’s biggest jumpers as they didn’t appear on our week 2 rankings. They were led by Lewis Dawson, who recorded 29 points in 15 games and leading Malmo to a 10-5-0 record through the week. Not too far behind them in 4th is the Moscow Menace, led by an amazing week from their goaltender, Raymond Bernard. Bernard posted a 0.920 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average in 13 starts this week, going 9-4 and recording a shutout along the way. He’s a big part of the recent surge for the Menace.
 
Finishing in 5th this week are the New York Americans. New York went 8-4-3 this week and actually took a fall in the standings, moving from sole possession of the first place in the NA Conference into a tie with the Seattle Bears. New York will have to pick up their game if they want to contend for that top spot. Right behind them in 6th are the defending Continental Cup Champions in the Riga Reign, who went 8-5-2 this week. Goaltender Greg Eagles had another great week, winning 8 of his 13 starts and posting a 0.910 save percentage and 3.13 goals-against average. Riga is another team that may have to pick up their game to contend, especially with the EU conference standings being so close this year.
 
The 7th ranked team this week is the D.C. Dragons. The Dragons fought and clawed their way to an 8-6 finish this week. Rookie Groovy Dood has been having a solid campaign with a surging D.C. squad and he will be a big part of their push for a playoff spot. The last team on our rankings is the Calgary Wranglers, who continue to fall in our rankings, falling 1 spot from last week. Calgary finished the week with an 8-6-1 record. Not the worst numbers, but with the expectations of this Calgary team, they have to pick up their play if they want a shot at a higher seeding and possible Continental Cup glory.
 
 
Notable Games
 
Game 244 - Warsaw Predators vs London United
Our first game of the week was between two brand new teams to the league, and wow did they ever put on a show in this one. The scoring was opened by Warsaw just under 3 minutes into the game, and it was Alex Bridges who unleashed a slapshot from the point to capitalize on an early power play. London didn’t let the early goal get to them, as they regrouped quickly and prevented any more goals. About halfway through the 1st period, James Rose, who is having a fine rookie season, stepped up with 2 very quick goals just 41 seconds apart and just like that London had a lead. They took that lead into the 2nd period, and this is where the game started to open up. Damien Wolfe decided that he could do one better than Rose and he scored 2 goals of his own, but this time just 26 seconds apart, and again the lead had changed this time in favour of the Warsaw Predators. The goals in this one were coming in pairs, and they were coming quickly at that. London replied with another couple of goals to take back the lead by Guy Lesieur and The Terrible Trivium, and again these were less than a minute apart with just 33 seconds separating them. Taking advantage of a power play, Hunter Hearst Helmsley scored a nice goal to tie the game back up, but London struck back shortly after through Chico Smeb to once again take the lead. The 3rd period wasn’t as eventful as the 2nd but London finally got more than a 1 goal lead and it was Guy Lesieur getting his 2nd of the game to increase the lead. In the final minute of the game with the goalie pulled, Damien Wolfe scored a clutch goal to notch a hat trick and set up a thrilling end to the game, but it was London who managed to hold on for a 6-5 victory in this absolutely amazing game.
 
Game 326 - New York Americans vs Helsinki Titans
This inter-conference game between the top teams in the league proved to be one of the best matchups of the week. The two teams did not disappoint and things were off to a quick start with Owen Nolan notching the opener just 1:46 into the game. Helsinki answered that with 2 goals of their own, with one from Spencer Elsby on the power play, and one from Daldo. However, just 6 seconds after taking the lead, the New York Americans had tied the game right back up with Owen Nolan burying his 2nd of the game. Still, in the 1st period, the Americans started taking it to Helsinki and scored another goal, this time from Julius Freeman and then adding a 4th goal from Hugh Jass to end the 1st period. The rest of the game was mostly Helsinki trying to chip away at that 2 goal deficit that they found themselves in, and midway through the 2nd period, they got their lifeline from Erik Summers who finished a great passing play with a quick shot that fooled the goalie. Helsinki kept up the good play through to the 3rd period where they just needed 1 more goal to tie it up. With less than 8 minutes to play in the 3rd, Erik Draven unleashed a rocket one-timer past the New York netminder and tied the game at 4 apiece. The game ended up needing a shootout to decide the winner, and after Valtteri Vaakanainen scored in round 4 with a nice deke, the rookie goaltender Zamboni Driver came up with a big save to secure the comeback win for Helsinki.
 
Game 329 - HC Davos vs Malmo Nighthawks
Our final matchup of the week is between these European Conference rivals that left everything out on the ice in this particular game. The game started off slowly, with both teams feeling each other out before Lewis Dawson opened the scoring halfway through the 1st period. Davos was eager to get back on level terms though, and just 3 minutes into the 2nd frame they had their equalizer from David OQuinn. The Nighthawks took exception to that go-ahead goal and came back shortly after with a goal from Marshall James Frostbeard and just like that their lead was restored. The wheels then fell off the wagon for Malmo and Davos scored 4 unanswered goals with 2 each from SS Hornet and Jerry Garcia. The game had been turned on its head and Davos took a 5-2 lead into the 2nd intermission. Malmo’s coach must’ve had some very inspirational words for his team, because they stormed out of the gates in the 3rd period and had scored 2 goals within 36 seconds, from Dawson and Frostbeard once again. Finally, up stepped the top rookie scorer this season, Chris Hylands, who tied the game up with just over 7 minutes to play. He then popped up again with 1:06 left on the clock and buried the game-winner with a one-timer from Condor Adrienne. A great comeback victory for Malmo and a phenomenal game to end our games of the week on.  
 
Events of the Week
 
Fights
Game 236 - BRAWL! This game between London and Vancouver was feisty right from the get-go. Each team came out and made a statement by hitting early and hitting often. This would eventually erupt into a line brawl that saw Jungkok ejected for instigating. The original fight was between Balentine Kidd and Gregg Stallion, which had punches landed by both but Kidd was able to dispatch the rookie. Jungkok then took it upon himself to fight with Koda Adok which didn’t have a clear winner, unfortunately for Jungkok who was ejected for picking the fight. Meanwhile, Jeff Downey and β-LDN RW1 ended up in a scrap of their own which Downey easily won without much effort.  
Game 266 - BRAWL! At the end of this close game between Toronto and Moscow, a huge fight broke out after frustrations boiled over for the Legion players. We had Gabriel Gutzwiler and Vin Calia who put on a great show, trading punches and eventually having to be broken up by the refs. There was β-TOR D2 who picked a fight with Ryo Yamazuki II which was another interesting fight with punches connecting from both players and β-TOR D2 was ejected after the fight for instigating. The last players to fight were β-TOR LW2 and Vladimir Pavlov which also had no clear winner after the refs quickly put an end to that fight so as to not let things get too out of hand. That fight also resulted in an ejection, but for Pavlov, so both teams were short 1 player by the end of that soiree.  
Game 288 - Jay Jones fights twice Newcomer to the league, Jay Jones had something to prove in this game, considering he fought 2 Vancouver players in the 3rd period. Just 23 seconds into the 3rd, hoping to light a fire underneath his teammates, Jones and Jeff Downey dropped the gloves and started filling each other in. Multiple punches were hit by each player but it was Jay Jones who stood tall at the end. Then, after not being happy with his team’s response, he went out and got into another fight, this time against Andrew Su. Jones came out swinging in this one again, perhaps catching Su off guard, and it was only a couple of punches before Su had hit the ice.  
Game 307 - Helmsley fights twice Hunter Hearst Helmsley took on two different Calgary players in this blowout loss. First, it was Kris Rice who threw fisticuffs with HHH, and he actually ended up taking the win over Helmsley. Both players landed some good blows but Rice landed some clean hits for the win. Hunter then made it his mission to get back at Calgary and he ended up coaxing RJ Jubis into a fight that ultimately ended in a draw. The refs took issue with the 2nd fight and ended up giving him game misconduct for instigating.  
Hat-Tricks
 
Game 244 - Damien Wolfe Warsaw Predators forward, Damien Wolfe, scored a hat trick for his team in this game against London. He gave his team the lead early in the 2nd period with 2 quick goals scored only 26 seconds apart, but the Predators weren’t able to hold on. Wolfe got his team within 1 goal with his 3rd of the night late in the final period, but they ultimately came up short.  
Game 249 - Robin Winter Last season’s 2nd overall pick, Robin Winter scored a wonderful 1st-period hat trick in this game against the Wolves. He helped his team take a commanding lead early on in the game and Davos never looked back in this one, eventually winning the game by a score of 5-3.  
Game 264 - ACL TEAR
He may have announced his retirement at the start of the season, but ACL TEAR is still kicking in the VHL. He scored the 1st goal of the game, and then in the 2nd period, he helped spark a comeback with 2 goals that set the stage for a great overtime win for the Calgary Wranglers.
 
Game 268 - Gabriel Gutzwiler
This game saw a rare hat trick from a defenceman! Toronto had an amazing 3rd-period performance with 4 goals that propelled them to a 5-1 win, and Gabriel Gutzwiler put his name on the scoresheet 3 times. He scored what ended up being the game-winner, and another 2 goals late in the period to get the hat trick.
 
Game 275 - Guy Lesieur
After being traded only a few games before, Guy Lesieur made a near-instant impact with a hat trick against the Malmo Nighthawks. This game was all tied up heading into the 3rd before Lesieur took things into his own hands and scored a natural hat trick that helped the Dragons secure a 6-3 victory.
 
Game 282 - Andrew Su
Andrew Su scored a goal in each period as the Vancouver Wolves stormed to victory over the London United. He opened the scoring late in the 3rd and Vancouver kept their foot on the gas the entire game en route to a dominant 6-1 victory.
 
Game 284 - Hunter Hearst Helmsley
This battle between expansion teams was highlighted by Hunter Hearst Helmsley scoring all 3 of Warsaw’s goals and carrying them to a win. The game was tied 2-2 when HHH notched a power-play marker early in the 3rd period that ended up being the game-winner.
 
Game 287 - Ambrose Stark
Another hat trick from a retiring player, but this time it’s Ambrose Stark. This back and forth contest was close for most of the game, but a goal in all 3 periods from the veteran Stark ensured that Seattle was able to go home with a win.
 
Game 304 - RJ Jubis
Wranglers forward RJ Jubis continues his fine performance this season with his 2nd hat trick of the year. This is his first of 2 hat tricks this week and this one against LA was just what Calgary needed. He helped the Wranglers gain a crucial lead in the first and they used that momentum to dominate the game and take the win. He would complete the hat trick late in the 3rd with the team’s final goal.
 
Game 307 - RJ Jubis
Jubis’ 2nd hat trick of the week was nearly identical to his first, which is pretty crazy if you ask me, but he actually did one better and had 4 goals in this game. He once again scored 2 goals in the first which helped set the tone for Calgary, and at the end of the game, he scored the team’s final goal again which also sealed his hat trick. He did have a goal in between those in the 2nd period as Calgary added to their lead, but it was nearly a carbon copy of his hat trick in the game before. Jubis has 3 hat tricks this year and that is good enough for 2nd in the league.
 
Game 313 - Chad Magnum
Another natural hat trick this week, but this time by Chad Magnum of the Toronto Legion. Magnum came out firing on all cylinders in this contest and scored 3 unanswered goals all by himself, with 2 of them coming just 12 seconds apart. A fine performance indeed from the Toronto forward, who nearly provided all of the offence for Toronto in this one.
 
Game 325 - Balentine Kidd
This back and forth game between London and Vancouver can be highlighted by Balentine Kidd scoring a hat trick that was crucial to securing a win for the London United. He scored a goal that tied up the game in the 1st period, and that gave London some momentum which they capitalized on. Kidd also had the game-winner midway through the 3rd period.
 
Game 334 - Chris Hylands
In this comeback victory for the Malmo Nighthawks, Chris Hylands played the role of hero. Early in the game, Malmo found themselves trailing by 2 goals, but Hylands was able to cut that lead to just 1. He did the same again early in the 3rd period on the power play after LA had restored their 2 goal lead in the 2nd frame. He then popped up in overtime and scored the game-winner off a nice feed from Lewis Dawson.
 
Game 336 - Mat Tocco
Vancouver scored 4 goals in the opening period of this game against Riga, and Mat Tocco had 2 of those. The early flurry was pretty much all that the Wolves needed to secure the victory, but Tocco wanted some personal glory as well. He managed to complete his hat trick in the 2nd period as the Wolves strolled to a pretty easy 5-2 victory.
 
Shutouts
 
Game 266 - Moscow Menace vs. Toronto Legion Earning his first shutout of the season in this stellar performance against Toronto, Raymond Bernard stopped all 42 shots that the Legion sent his way. He was busy all throughout the game, and when you play as well as he did, your team always has a chance of winning and Moscow did just that by a score of 2-0.  
Game 267 - New York Americans vs. London United Another shutout this week from red hot netminder A Red Guy. This is his 3rd of the season, and his solid performance continues as the New York Americans look to hold on to that top seed in the North American Conference. It wasn’t quite as miraculous of a performance as last week, having only 25 saves to make, but a strong outing nonetheless that his team will be thanking him for.  
Game 345 - Helsinki Titans vs. Warsaw Predators Samuel Ross also earns his first shutout of the season this week, this one being against the Warsaw Predators. It was a solid game from Ross as he pushed aside all 28 shots that Warsaw managed. The veteran goaltender was traded last season from Davos where he played his entire career and is having a solid year on the 1st placed Helsinki Titans.  
Rookie Spotlight
Groovy Dood

Thank you @Zetterberg for the wonderful banner
 
Being the first overall pick can put a lot of pressure on a player, especially if the team has expectations immediately after the selection. For Groovy Dood of the D.C. Dragons, this continues to be the case. D.C. jumped up 1 spot in the draft lottery, from 2nd to 1st to select Dood first overall. Despite not being the best player in the class, D.C. needed a forward and went in for Dood.
 
Dood, who made the jump to the VHL surprisingly early, has put up solid numbers so far in his rookie season. So far in 44 games, Dood has scored 8 goals to go along with 11 assists, not the best numbers but with D.C. being a fringe playoff contender this year, his output has been solid. Dood has also made his game more physical, recording 64 hits within those 44 games. 
 
We’ve seen him grow so far this year and it will be fun to see what kind of player the coaches in D.C. will mould him into. Dood has a lot of potential, not just as a two-way forward. His defensive abilities so far in the VHL have been impressive, helping D.C. keep pucks out of their net by stripping the puck from opponents in the defensive zone. While the pressure of being the top pick is a lot, Dood has done a good job handling the pressure and it will be interesting to see where he is in a few seasons.
 
 

Pengu of the Riga Reign reporting in with nothing but frustration and awe at the game. The guilty ridden forward looks at his performance and shakes his head. "Why do I take so many shots?!" exclaimed Pengu, "And why do none of them make it in?!"
 
Bewildered, confused, and lost little penguin Pengu is unsure why he can't support the Reign like they did when they won the cup last season. It's been nothing but heartache. I want to help my team, and I'm unsure why I can't get into the zone! I create, I defend, and when I think it's time to make a shot... I miss.
 
Obviously, no player wants to go through this and Pengu is still relatively finding his flippers. The only thing this young'un can do is just wait. Time will heal all wounds. Time will get Pengu the experience he needs at his new role. Patience is key and Pengu will learn this... in time.

Welcome to the second edition of VSN’s S73 Weekly recap (Games 127-235).  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!
 S73 Season Preview | VHL Awards | VHLM Awards
 
Recap
In the second week of S73, games began to pick up the pace. Almost every game was faster and more physical than the first week. Goalies were very good this week, recording 8 shutouts across the second week, up one from 7 shutouts last week. Hat Tricks took a slight fall, dropping from 19  last week to 17 this week. Not a steep fall, but the goaltenders are beginning to settle in this season. We saw our first brawl of the year earlier this week. Numerous fights occurred and the physical play rose in intensity as the teams began to settle in and push for those top spots.
 
3-Stars
 
First Star
Rayz Funk (SEA) - 1.92 GAA, 0.940 SV%, 2 Shutouts
Second Star
Benny Graves (DCD) - 10 G, 18 A, 37 Hits
Third Star
Luciano Valentino (DCD) - 4 G, 19 A, 36 Shots Blocked
 
Power Rankings
Featured on this week’s graphic are Scott Greene of the Seattle Bears, Joakim Bruden from HC Davos and Alex Letang playing for the Moscow Menace.

Shoutout to @Pengu for the sig!
 
Another week in the books and we have a huge shake-up at the top of our power rankings. Last week’s top team the New York Americans have completely fallen out of the rankings after struggling, and we have some brand new teams that have earned a spot in our Top 8 after some stellar play. Coming in at #1, and rightfully so, we have the Seattle Bears. The Bears went on an absolute tear this week, with a 10-2-2 record after some magnificent performances from star netminder Rayz Funk. They are currently hot on the heels of their conference rivals, the New York Americans, and are now just 2 points shy of the top seed. Our #2 ranking goes to none other than HC Davos who continue their great start to the season and are currently holding the top spot in the European Conference. A great 10-4-0 record this week has ensured that they lock down their place in the VHL standings, and gain 3 spots in our Power Rankings.
 
 Next up, a newcomer to the rankings this week, we have the Moscow Menace. This young team put together a solid week of performances and relied heavily on their star rookies, Alex Letang and Lucas Brandt, and they now find themselves holding a playoff spot after a not so great start to the season. At #4, we have another newcomer to the rankings and that is the D.C. Dragons. The Dragons had a horrible start to the season, with only 5 wins in their first 16 games, but they have stormed back this week and added themselves to the playoff mix. This week’s 1st Star, Benny Graves, was the standout performer, racking up an impressive 28 points in 14 games. They are currently on the outside of the playoff picture right now, but are keeping touch with the teams around them and will be looking to carry on from there.
 
 The Helsinki Titans are the first fallers of this week, dropping from #2 down to #5. That’s not to say they had a bad week, 8 wins from 14 is no easy task, but the performance of the teams above them were just that good. They are only 2 points behind the conference leaders, Davos, and if they continue winning games at the rate they are, we’re gonna have an extremely interesting race for 1st. Another faller this week is the Riga Reign, who are perhaps the victim of playing one less game than everybody else, but nonetheless couldn’t quite keep up the same level of play like last week. The European Conference is extremely tight this season, with just 10 points separating 1st and 6th. The defending champs find themselves right in the middle of it and will no doubt be looking at a run for 1st, rather than a battle to make the playoffs.
 
 Our 2nd biggest faller of the week, going from #3 all the way down to #7 is the Calgary Wranglers. They just about evenly split their 14 games, going 7-6-1, but after a 10-5-1 start, last year’s finalists will probably be disappointed. They have fallen 4 points back of Seattle, but are keeping pace and will be hoping to find their groove again and push for that top spot. The 8th and final spot is held by the first expansion team to feature in this season’s Power Rankings, the Los Angeles Stars! It’s basically a two-man showdown in Hollywood this season. Sigard Gunnar and Tyler Barabash Jr are absolutely tearing it up, and are #1 and #2 in the league for scoring, respectively. Will they be able to pull the Stars to a shock playoff appearance? They are only 3 points out as of now, and who knows, crazier things have happened. That wraps up this week’s Power Rankings. An amazing week all around, and a few surprises as is often the case. Join us next week to see who will take our top spot.
 
Notable Games
 
Game 131 - Riga Reign vs New York Americans
In this marquee matchup between the defending champions and the hottest club in the VHL, the results did not disappoint. It didn’t take long for the Americans to get started as just 16 seconds in, Owen Nolan would open the scoring on the power-play. New York would add to their lead midway through the first as Jerry Wang would score on a breakaway to make it 2-0. It would remain 2-0 through the first period, leading us to period number two. Both teams came out firing in this period, as Riga outshot New York 22-14 in the second period. We would see our first goal of the second halfway through as Hugh Jass would get one of the power-play to make it 3-0. Micheal Gary Scott would make it 4-0 with just 1:18 to go in the middle frame. The third period was the story of one man, A Red Guy. He stopped 24 shots in the third and 63 shots across the entire game to record a shutout. Bjorn Scoringsonn would tack on one more halfway through the third to conclude the game, which ends in a 5-0 win for New York.
 
Game 160 - Calgary Wranglers vs Malmo Nighthawks 
This was the game this week that had everything in it. Malmo has just come off of a good performance last week and hoped to continue this streak against Calgary, who began surging at the end of last week. Calgary came out getting the puck on net, as they outshot Malmo 20-8 in the opening frame. However, Malmo would strike first on a goal from Ray Sheilds to make it 1-0. Calgary wasn’t happy about this goal and just 17 seconds later, Mickey Dickson would drop the gloves with Kris Rice. Rice would end up winning this fight with some right-hand punches and Dickson would be ejected from the game. The fight win brought some energy to that Calgary bench and just 8 minutes after the fight, Calgary would tie it up off of an even-strength goal from ACL TEAR. We would end the first period with a 1-1 tie. Malmo was very undisciplined in the second frame, taking 3 penalties to Calgary’s 0. Calgary would make them pay and on the power-play, Mikko Lahtinen would feed a one-timer to RJ Jubis to put Calgary on top 2-1. It would stay like this heading into the 3rd period. Malmo was really pushing in that third and about midway through, we saw that emotion start to boil over with some undisciplined penalties. One thing leads to another and at the 14:22 mark of the 3rd, we saw our first line brawl of the season. ACL TEAR and Chris Hylands duked it out first, but there was no true winner as the fight ended in a draw. Second to drop the gloves were Willie Dredge and Zyrok12, but they also ended in a draw. The final fight and probably the most interesting one was Latrell Mitchell and Ray Sheilds. This fight also ended in a draw but the energy on both benches was flowing after that. After all the penalties were sorted out, Malmo would have two minutes for a 4 on 3 power-play and after that 2 minutes of a 5 on 4 power play. They didn’t waste their chance as late in the 5 on 4, Tyler Walker gave Lewis Dawson a pass on a tee and he makes no mistake to tie the game up 2-2 with just 2:22 to go in the 3rd. The rest of the third would be quiet and we would head to overtime. Overtime was an absolute thriller, as both teams would go up and down the ice. Both teams hit posts and crossbars multiple times, but the score would remain 2-2 as the game needed a shootout to decide the winner. Malmo would shoot first, sending Lewis Dawson. Dawson would make a great backhand to forehand move, but he would be stopped by Jacques LaFontaine. Mikko Lahtinen would be the first shooter for the Wranglers and he made no mistake. He walked in and slapped and absolutely bullet top cheese to put Calgary up 1-0 in the shootout. Condor Adrienne would be up next to shoot for the Nighthawks. He made a fantastic move to get the puck through the five-hole of LaFontaine, but the puck would amazingly stop on the goal line to keep Calgary’s lead. RJ Jubis could end the game on Calgary’s second shot. Jubis walked in, pulled the puck between his legs and then pulled off the one-handed tuck to seal a 3-2 shootout victory for the Calgary Wranglers.
 
Game 206 - Chicago Phoenix vs Calgary Wranglers 
Another one of the week’s interesting matchups involved the Calgary Wranglers. This time, facing the expansion Chicago Phoenix. The first couple minutes of the first were back and forth down the ice and Chicago’s persistence would pay off as they would draw a holding call on General Zod at the 5:03 mark. On the ensuing power-play, Milos Slavik would rip a perfect wrister above Calgary’s backup. No chance on that play, 1-0 Chicago early. However, it didn’t take long for Calgary to respond and just 6 minutes later, RJ Jubis would bury his 16th of the season to tie the game up. Calgary would keep coming and just 2:57 later, Jubis would net his second of the period to make it 2-1. As the first period was winding down, Willie Dredge would find the back of the net to expand the lead to 3-1 Calgary. It would stay 3-1 heading into the intermission. Calgary came out in the second with great defensive sticks which gave them more puck possession and they would make it count as around 12 minutes in, Jubis would complete the hat trick to put Calgary up by 3. Chicago wouldn’t stop though and just 41 seconds later, Squirrely dan would rip one into the back of the net to cut the Calgary lead to 4-2. Chicago was getting undisciplined near the end of the second and it would cost them. Milos Slavik would take a hooking penalty and on that power-play, Willie Dredge would pot his second of the game on a booming slapshot from the point to expand the lead to 5-2. The second period would come to a quiet end with a 5-2 Calgary lead. Calgary would come out flying early in the 3rd and just 3:18 into the final frame, Willie Dredge would pot his hat trick goal, making it 2 Calgary hat tricks in this game and a 6-2 lead. Calgary absolutely dominated the rest of the 3rd, outshooting Chicago 19-5 in the final frame. The game would end with a 6-2 Calgary win.
 
Events of the Week
 
Fights
 
Game 130 - Mikko Aaltonen vs Jet Jaguar Aaltonen and Jaguar would drop the gloves midway through the second period in a game between D.C. and Davos. Jaguar would get some good right hands in but Aaltonen would stand his ground and even push back. The linesmen eventually would break these two up and the fight would end in a draw.   
Game 148 - Thomas Landry II vs Randy Marsh Trying to set a tone for the last two minutes after a late Prague goal gave them the lead, Randy Marsh would challenge Thomas Landry II. Landry would come out aiming for the face and Marsh would be leaking a little bit after the fight, but Marsh would hit Landry in the jaw, enough to stun him for a minute. As he went in to try and get another hit, Landry would block the punch and the linemen would eventually come in to pull the two combatants apart, with the fight ending in a draw.
 
Game 155 - Luciano Valentino vs SS Hornet The second fight in a game between D.C. and Davos this week, Luciano Valentino would drop the gloves with SS Hornet. Hornet would do a good job with some blocks and punches, but Valentino would get some solid right hands in. I think the linesmen broke this fight up too soon and I thought there was going to be a winner here, but it ends in a draw.  
Game 160 - BRAWL!  Emotions began to boil over in a highly contested game between Calgary and Malmo. There were 3 fights at the 14:22 mark of the 3rd period. We saw ACL TEAR and Chris Hylands fight to a draw, Willie Dredge and Zyrok12 fight to a draw and lastly Latrell Mitchell and Ray Sheilds fight to a draw. I wanted to see someone win a fight, but the linesmen did a good job breaking the fights up before it got out of hand.  
Game 169 - Hiroshi Okada vs Andrew Su  Okada and Su would drop the gloves in the first period in a game between Helsinki and Vancouver. Okada would land some right hands and Su just didn’t have enough power. Okada would end up winning the fight. Helsinki would ride that energy to win the game after that.   
Game 221 - Scott Greene vs Jay Jones Greene and Jones would drop the mitts just 17 seconds into the third period. Both players would dish out punches and blocks but no one had the upper hand and eventually, the linesmen would separate the two combatants.  
Game 223 - Brock Louth vs Richard Penisson Our last fight of week two takes us to Vancouver to see Brock Louth fight Richard Penisson. Louth did a great job evading the punches from Penisson and when Louth saw an opening, he hit Penisson right in the jaw and down to the mat he went. Louth won this fight, and they had to take Penisson off for some repairs but he was okay.
 
 
Hat-Tricks
 
Game 133 - Kefka Palazzo Our first hat trick of the week would come from Kefka Palazzo, who potted 3 goals against the Los Angeles Stars. All 3 of his goals were even-strength tallies. Unfortunately, LA would win the game 4-3. It doesn’t take away the hat trick from Palazzo, who certainly had a night to remember.  
Game 136 - Willie Dredge Willie Dredge would record a hat trick against the Malmo Nighthawks. His first two goals came within the first 2:05 of the game and his 3rd goal would come with 41 seconds remaining in the second period. An impressive performance for Dredge.  
Game 140 - Scott Greene Continuing on the theme of a great week for Seattle, Scott Greene would record a hat trick, scoring 3 goals in a 4-0 beatdown of the expansion LA Stars. This is sure to be a confidence booster for Greene.  
Game 142 - Dagmar Halvova In an absolutely dominating performance by the Prague Phantoms, Dagmar Halvova would record a hat trick. He potted 3 goals to go along with an assist in a 7-1 win for the Phantoms against their conference rival, the London United.  
Game 144 - Lucas Brandt In a statement win for the Moscow Menace, Lucas Brandt would record a hat trick. He scored the first goal in the second period which ended up being the game-winner and tacked on 2 at the end of the third to seal a 5-1 statement win over the red-hot HC Davos Dynamo.  
Game 149 - Mat Tocco Mat Tocco would score all 3 goals in a gutsy win for the Vancouver Wolves. They would end up beating the D.C. Dragons 3-0. Tocco would score in all 3 periods of the game and this performance is certainly a confidence booster for him.   
Game 150 - Sigard Gunnar Sigard Gunnar would continue a streak of dominate games for him, recording a hat trick during a 5-2 win over the Chicago Phoenix. He certainly has been a catalyst for the Stars so far this season.  
Game 151 - Henrik Zoiderberg Another hat trick for the Moscow Menace this week. This time, it would be Henrik Zoiderberg getting the hats. He scored 3 goals in an interesting 5-3 win over the London United. He has been playing very good this season.  
Game 167 - Lewis Dawson Yet another hat trick recorded against the London United. This time, coming from rookie Lewis Dawson and the Malmo Nighthawks. Dawson recorded the hat trick to go along with 1 assist in a 5-2 win for the Nighthawks.  
Game 193 - Jungkok Jungkok would record a hat trick for the Vancouver Wolves. He had 3 goals to go along with 3 hits in a 5-3 win over the Moscow Menace.  
Game 206 - RJ Jubis and Willie Dredge When is the last time you saw 2 hat tricks in one game, let alone 2 hat tricks for a pair of teammates? Both RJ Jubis and Willie Dredge would record 3 goals each in a dominate 6-2 win for the Calgary Wranglers over the Chicago Phoenix.  
Game 207 - Dagmar Halvova Dagmar Halvova would record his second hat trick of the week. This time, against the Seattle Bears. The hat trick would not be enough though, as the Phantoms would fall 4-3 to Seattle.  
Game 213 - Sigard Gunnar In a high scoring game that had 7 first period goals between the two teams, Sigard Gunnar would record his second hat trick of the week. He scored 2 in the first and 1 in the second in an impressive 6-3 win for the Los Angeles Stars.  
Game 216 - Lewis Dawson Lewis Dawson would also record his second hat trick of the week. He would pot all 3 goals for the Nighthawks, including the OT winner in a key 3-2 overtime victory for Malmo over the Prague Phantoms.  
Game 228 - Groovy Dood D.C. Dragons rookie Groovy Dood would record his first career hat trick. This would come during a team-building 7-1 win for the Dragons over the Chicago Phoenix. Certainly a confidence booster for Dood and the Dragons who have had a slow start to the season.  
Game 232 - Gary Tarantino Our last hat trick of the week comes from Gary Tarantino of the Prague Phantoms. He had 3 goals including the game-winner in a wild 6-4 victory for the Phantoms over the Moscow Menace.  
Shutouts
 
Game 129 - Helsinki Titans vs Chicago Phoenix This week’s first shutout is earned by Jean Pierre Camus. He stopped 23 shots against a very hot Helsinki Titans team to earn a win for the Phoenix and his first VHL shutout. Chicago ended up winning by a final score of 3-0. This has to be a building block for Chicago who has been off to a terrible start so far this season.  
Game 131 - Riga Reign vs New York Americans Arguably the best goaltending performance of the entire season, the tremendous play of A Red Guy continued as he recorded his 2nd shutout this season. The score won’t tell the entire story with this one. New York beat Riga by a score of 5-0, but the shots were 63-34 in favour of Riga. Red Guy made 63 saves to preserve the win and the shutout for the Americans.   
Game 140 - Seattle Bears vs Los Angeles Stars Another shutout for the Seattle Bears, coming from Rayz Funk. In a dominating performance from the Bears, Funk made 20 saves to help Seattle beat Los Angeles 4-0. Not exactly a performance for the ages, but it is a good little confidence booster for Seattle.  
Game 149 - D.C. Dragons vs Vancouver Wolves In a matchup between two of the top picks in last year’s draft, Jimmy Spyro stole the show. He would record his 2nd shutout of the season. He would stop all 23 shots from the D.C. Dragons to record a shutout and steal 2 points for the Wolves.  
Game 173 - Moscow Menace vs London United In a battle between close rivals in the European Conference, Thorvald Gunnarsson would record his first shutout of the season. He would make 26 saves including 15 in the 3rd period to preserve a 3-0 shutout win for Moscow.  
Game 183 - HC Davos Dynamo vs Malmo Nighthawks In a close game between the two surprising teams of the European Conference, Joakim Bruden would record his first career shutout. He shut down the early surge from the Malmo Nighthawks, making 20 saves including 13 of those coming in the first period.  
Game 184 - Toronto Legion vs Vancouver Wolves In a clash between Canadian rivals, Jaxx Hextall would record his 3rd shutout of the season, tied for the league lead in that department. He stopped 37 out of 37 against the Wolves, including a 3rd-period surge from Vancouver in which he stopped 15 shots.  
Game 218 - Seattle Bears vs Calgary Wranglers The last shutout this week was earned by Rayz Funk. This would be his 3rd shutout of the season, against a weakened but still effective Calgary Wranglers team. Funk would stop 21 shots across the entire game to preserve a win for Seattle.  
Rookie Spotlight
Lucas Brandt

Thanks @Zetterberg for the sig!
 
Lucas Brandt has already made quite the splash in his short time in the VHL. He first joined the league as a free agent, signing for the Halifax 21st where he enjoyed an incredible rookie season with 87 points in 72 games, with 41 of them being goals. He quickly established himself as an elite prospect with amazing scoring ability. His sophomore season was even better if you can believe it. He was drafted 4th overall by the Saskatoon Wild after some turbulence leading up to the draft, before which he was an almost guaranteed 1st overall pick. Brandt used that as fuel for his fire as he went on and racked up an incredible 133 points, with 57 goals and 76 assists, while also helping lead his team to a Founder’s Cup. I can’t think of a better way to cap off your minor’s career than that.
 
Brandt was selected 9th overall by the Moscow Menace in Season 72. Looking back at the draft he was selected quite a few spots ahead of his projected position, when asked if he feels any pressure to perform because of that, he said, “Both yes and no. I don't think TPE means everything in the major league drafts, so I think where I was selected was fine. However, I do have a chip on my shoulder to always go out on the ice every night and prove that I deserve to be a top 10 pick.” It’s pretty obvious that Brandt will be a star for Moscow for years to come, and with that attitude, they have unearthed an absolute gem.
 
His rookie season started off a bit slower than he would have liked, but after finding his feet, he has stormed up the rookie scoring race and finds himself just 2 points back of his Moscow teammate, Alex Letang. “I started off a little slow, but I guess that's normal when you transition to the big leagues. I've finally found my groove with my great teammates in Moscow and I'm having a blast. I would love to try and keep up a point per game pace, but I'm not sure that's likely. Either way, I'm pretty happy with my results thus far.” There’s been some talk as of late as to who has the best prospect pool in the VHL, and you will see the Moscow Menace pop up in those discussions, and rightfully so. They have amassed a highly talented crop of young stars, and things are looking up for the Russian club. “It's incredibly exciting. I love seeing our prospect pool grow especially since a lot of them were drafted in the same draft as me. Spartan (Alex Letang) and I will hopefully be competing for rookie of the year. The locker room is even more revitalized with the new group of us.” 
 
The sky certainly seems to be the limit for this current generation of Moscow stars. However, Brandt is keeping his expectations reasonable. While playoffs may very well be in the picture this season, a cup run isn’t really on his mind, “I'd always like to think we're a dark horse when we are still developing our talent/prospects. The unfortunate reality is that there are teams just much more established than us and our window isn't quite here yet.” Brandt isn’t getting too far ahead of himself and is taking things one step at a time. As this Moscow team continues to develop they will most certainly be a favourite, but for now, Lucas is taking everything he can from each game and will continue to jump from strength to strength.
 
One of those strengths may be his giant duck fighting ability. Now, I know what you’re thinking, this sounds absolutely insane, but hear me out. We presented Brandt with two hypothetical choices, he had to choose between fighting 1 horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses. After quite some time weighing up the options, and even going as far as to write down a pro’s and con’s list for each, he elected to go for 1 horse-sized duck. “Definitely a horse-sized duck. Ducks aren't really aggressive so I think I could escape pretty easily as it tries to waddle towards me.” He actually went with the strategy of not fighting the horse-sized duck at all and just walking away, which to be fair, we never told him he couldn’t. We were outsmarted this week, but we won’t let that happen again. 
 
This concludes our rookie spotlight on the wonderful, Lucas Brandt! Just another great prospect from the Season 72 draft class. He has already established himself as one of the top players of the class and will undoubtedly have his eyes set on some silverware in the very near future. If you haven’t already gotten used to hearing his name, you better get on it. He is a star in the making and it’s only a matter of time before he earns the spotlight of the rest of the league.
 
 

Really appreciate being the rookie spotlight!!! Thank you! great article.

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.
 
 
 

Pengu is a champion level forward. He may not have been in the starting line with a lot of minutes, but every time he got on the ice he performed. The clutch factor was real as he'd come in for a crucial part of the game and helped Riga find their way to the top!
 
Super happy at Riga, he now is on the starting line as a winger. Pengu hasn't found his groundings yet with few goals to his name this season but he isn't worried. Pengu's new training regime will take a different direction from defense and play making into individual ability and skill, as well as scoring.
 
Only time will tell if Pengu can actually rise up to the occasion or he'll just be a dud, but my bet's going to be on him being absolutely amazing. Or at least, a valiant effort. You never know in the world of VHL!

@Pengu is an artist deserving of thanks and praise.
 
#20 - #16
 
The VHL and VHLM seasons officially drop the puck today, but we're already in mid-season form with the Top 25, as we make our way down to #16 today. Three previously unranked players joined the ranks of the Top 25 yesterday, and as mentioned yesterday, two more players will earn that distinction today. That means that five out of the ten total players on our list by the end of this article will be brand new, signifying a changing of the guard in the VHL. Perhaps next season we'll see even more newcomers, but for now, let's focus on our Season 73 list, beginning with a defenseman returning to his original home for his last season...
 
20. D - Charlie Paddywagon
Season 72: 23
 
Next on the list, our first player that cracks the top 20, is Charlie Paddywagon who plays defence for HC Davos. Paddywagon rejoins Davos on the back of 4 successful seasons with the Calgary Wranglers and is now back at the club where he began his VHL career. The puck-moving defenceman had 63 points in 72 games last season, with 54 of those being assists. On the back of his best offensive season, he returns to Davos where he aims to be a veteran presence of a young group looking to make the jump to the next level. He should still be defensively solid as ever, and I actually don’t see his physical ability falling off very much so he will definitely be hoping to end his career with a bang and be looking to hoist a cup with Davos. As a veteran, Charlie has the experience necessary to be a guiding light for an inexperienced group of players, and he will be looking to pass that off on to the next generation. He will lay everything out on the ice for his team, as evidenced by his 122 blocked shots last season, and is not afraid to throw the body as well, with 118 hits accredited to him last year. He is a great example of a player and exactly the veteran presence that you want on your team, regardless of what the makeup is. Hopefully, for Paddywagon, this translates to postseason success as he chases the ever-elusive Continental Cup. 
- hylands
 
19. C - Mikko Lahtinen
Season 72: Unranked
 
Mikko Lahtinen enjoyed a tremendous breakout season in S72, shattering his career highs in just about every category imaginable. This would bring him a well-deserved Dustin Funk Trophy, awarded to the league’s most improved player. Lahtinen had dominated the VHLM in S69 with his offensive acumen which was simply a step above the competition. Following a Founder’s Cup victory, it would take the young Finn some time to adjust to the elevated game speed of the VHL. Putting up two straight mediocre seasons in Calgary, Lahtinen needed a spark to get his career back on track to superstardom. That is exactly what S72 brought for him. If he can build upon the monumental season he had for himself last season, a perennial Kevin Brooks candidate looks like a very possible outcome.
- Patrik Tallinder
 
18. RW - Acyd Burn
Season 72: 16
 
Acyd Burn has had one of the most confusing careers in the league. How many players out there drop their point totals in half from their second season to their fifth, going from 80 points down to 40? He’s become something of a journeyman of late, going from Seattle in S70 to Malmo and then Riga in S71 to Davos and then New York in S72. He’s played for 5 teams in 3 seasons, which admittedly is probably part of the reason his numbers have been so inconsistent year upon year, with too little time to really adjust to a team and build chemistry. With a bit of a rebound season in S72, his 6th season, he finds himself solidly in the top 25 list with 68 points. Hopefully, he’ll find a little stability with New York and be able to finish out his career there. 
- diamond_ace
 
17. LW - RJ Jubis
Season 72: Unranked
 
Another player who previously went unranked, RJ Jubis has shot up our lists with an explosion in offensive production. This past season, he seemed close to doubling his prior career-best in points, going from 55 to 93. Forming new partnerships with his Wranglers roster, his assists more than doubled, going from 25 to 55. Furthermore, his +/- shot up from 8 to 43. Clearly, Jubis benefitted from an improved Calgary roster, but how much of that was due to the roster improving, and how much of it was due to Jubis himself taking a huge leap in performance? Jubis and the Wranglers fell short of their end goal, losing in the Continental Cup Finals, but if Jubis continues his trajectory, there is no reason this still-young squad will fail to compete again. From being an up and coming member of the squad just a few seasons ago, Jubis now sits at the helm of the team as the top player by TPE and their go-to man. He has a deadly shot, but his playmaking skills are equally proficient, as evidenced by his fantastic assist numbers last season, finishing 4th amongst forwards in assists. He is a physical presence and is not afraid to lay down the hits, having hit over 100 times in each of his past 3 seasons. The only question is; can he keep up these performances? All signs point to yes, but there is always the worry of a slump right after such a career-best performance. We at VSN don’t think so, which is why we have him ranked 17th overall. 
- Hatter
 
16. D - Micheal Gary Scott
Season 72: 14
 
His second season both at defenseman and with the New York Americans in the books, your spell check's least favourite player rebounded nicely in Season 72 despite a slight drop in the rankings. Although Micheal Gary Scott will likely never touch his goal-scoring numbers as a centre, with two seasons topping 30 goals, MGS recorded 50 assists for the first time in his career in Season 72. He also finished with 13 goals for the second straight season to record 64 points in all in the year. By focusing more on positioning as opposed to checking, his penalty minutes took a major hit, and he blocked a career-high 148 shots. Although his +/- dropped to -11, Scott seems to have settled into his new position, and with New York finally seeming to move past their notorious streak of bad luck, MGS could be in line to wrap up his career in style. 
- Doomsday
 
Calgary's Mikko Lahtinen and RJ Jubis, the two big driving forces behind the stellar season of the Wranglers, are our new players on the Top 25 this season. Charlie Paddywagon jumped up a couple spots, while Acyd Burn and Micheal Gary Scott dropped a few spots. On our next edition, we'll once again have two unranked players making the Top 25, but as players returning to the list. Who could they be? Well, we'll find out tomorrow, stay tuned!
 
Players Mentioned: @DMaximus, @Beketov, @Acydburn, @Jubis, @Motzaburger

Special thanks to @Pengu for being a creative mastermind!
 
#25 - #21
 
It's been an eventful off-season for the VHL, with four brand new teams entering the fold. But with the expansion draft and VHL Entry Draft over, training camps have opened once again. A new season is just around the corner and the Riga Reign are ready to defend their status as VHL Champions, which means it's time once again for another staple of the VHL off-season: the VSN's Top 25! With eight different members of VSN contributing towards ranking the Top 25 this season (@FrostBeard, @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, @Patrik Tallinder, @Hylands, @rjfryman, @Matt_O, and @Berocka) and featuring write-ups from Doomsday, hylands, @Mr_Hatter, Patrik Tallinder and @diamond_ace, VSN's annual ranking of the Top 25 players in the VHL is here! As the league waits for the new season to begin, we'll count down from #25 all the way to #1, in the course of segments of five players. So, let's get started with #25, a member of the aforementioned VHL Champions...
 
25. LW - Patrik Tallinder
Season 72: Unranked
 
The list begins with not only a new entrant into the Top 25 but also a new entrant into the ranks of Continental Cup winners. With a career-high 63 points, Patrik Tallinder helped the Riga Reign to a quick, lopsided playoff run en route to the cup. This was a career year for Tallinder in most stats, with more goals than ever before, tied for the same assist total as last season, more shots, more shot blocks, more power-play goals, and fewer minutes spent in the penalty box. The one exception is his hit count has gone down season upon season - early in his career, he showed flashes of a physical game, but as his career has gone on he’s dropped that in favour of a higher scoring game. Given that trajectory, and on a team such as Riga, Tallinder could be poised to break out even more in the upcoming season since Riga should yet again be a top team, and Tallinder is in his prime.
 - diamond_ace
 
24. D - Cinnamon Block
Season 72: 21
 
S69’s first overall pick finds herself falling a bit in the rankings this year, but not by any fault of her own. Block followed up a fantastic breakout season in S71 with an even better S72 season. Despite a small drop in goal scoring, the Prague defender put up a notable 56 more hits, as well as 39 more shots blocked. Early on in her career, her game seemed to cater more towards defence. However, after her rookie season, she saw her defensive numbers dip a bit while her offence progressed. In S72, Cinnamon Block really started to see a nice balance between elite-level offensive and defensive play with the aforementioned stats. As soon as this season, we could be looking at a Labatte candidate because of just how little weaknesses she shows in her game nowadays. There’s no right answer to the question of whether offence or defence wins championships, so why not cover both bases with a defender like Block.
- Patrik Tallinder
 
23. D - Roque Davis
Season 72: Unranked
 
Entering into our preseason Top 25 rankings for the first time, we have the young Davos defenseman, Roque Davis. Davis has already achieved more than many players, and with only two seasons under his belt, he has a lot of time left to make his mark on the league. Following a fantastic performance in the VHLM with San Diego that saw him earning top defensemen while leading the league in assists and points, Davis had big expectations in his first season in the VHL. Playing on a Davos team that finished bottom of the league, Davis found himself as the key playmaker for the team as a rookie, and he failed to disappoint. Finishing with 69 points, he was tied for 3rd out of defensemen, but his astounding 25 goals lead the league out of defensemen and netted him not only the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy for top rookie but also the Alexander Valiq Trophy for top offensive defenseman. This past season, with a much-improved team alongside him, Davis shifted away from the role of goal-scorer and focused more on his playmaking, earning 14 more assists at the cost of 10 fewer goals. His 73 points, while not enough to earn him silverware in a season with star-studded defensive performances, showcases his solid output, as he remained in the top 25 for points. With the majority of his career ahead of him, we can’t wait to see what Davis does next!
- Hatter
 
22. C - Benny Graves
Season 72: Unranked
 
Now entering his fifth season, D.C. Dragons lifer Benny Graves, drafted second overall in Season 69 (nice), makes his debut on the VSN Top 25 after posting career-highs across the board in Season 72. Although he's been a remarkably consistent talent so far in his career, scoring 28 goals two seasons in a row in Seasons 70 and 71, he broke through with 37 goals in Season 72. Finishing with 74 points, Graves averaged over a point per game in what was a tremendously disappointing season for the Dragons. With a versatile skill set, Graves is a player that's simply dangerous anywhere on the ice. He's a threat to score, he's not afraid to hit, he's a wizard in the faceoff circle and became a major weapon on the power play with 12 man-advantage goals. If D.C. can figure out how to bust out of the rut they're in, Benny Graves could be a household name by the end of the season.
- Doomsday
 
21. RW - Owen Nolan
Season 72: 24
 
Jumping up a few spots from last year, on the back of a very good season with the New York Americans, we have the Irish winger, Owen Nolan. Nolan scored 40 goals and had 42 assists last season, for 82 points in 72 games. He upped his point production by nearly 10 points as the Americans benefited from some midseason acquisitions. The winger is quite versatile as a forward, boasting above-average face-off skills which allow him to be utilized both on the wing and at the centre. He has an incredible eye for goal and is seemingly able to score from anywhere on the ice. His shooting skill is nearly matched by his puck handling, which is what probably allows him to be so successful in the offensive zone, as he makes it seem like child’s play when he is at his best. Nolan is also a very responsible and reliable player in the defensive zone. His phenomenal skating ability comes in to play here; he is great on the backcheck and has all-around great hockey IQ. On an Americans team that is poised for another cup run, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nolan build on last season and have his numbers go up even further and potentially be among the top forwards for scoring come the end of the season. 
- hylands
 
Featuring three players brand new to the Top 25, the next generation is beginning to make their presence felt in the VHL! However, we're not done revealing players new to the Top 25! Along with three mainstays to this list, two brand new players will be joining the ranks of the VHL's Top 25 on the next segment! Stay tuned for #20 to #16 on our next article!
 
Players Mentioned: @Patrik Tallinder, @omgitshim, @Josh, @STZ, @studentized

Proud to be a Riga Bench Mobster!

Awarded to the player deemed to be the top rookie in the VHL, the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy commemorates the crème de la crème of the up and coming VHL stars. 
 
This award is always hard to give out, as it is so difficult for young players to adapt to the fast-paced, challenging nature of the VHL, and there are always so many great options to choose from.
 
Even though both Zyrok12 and Pengu were able to challenge the champion, this amazing centre player from Davos proved to be the real deal, another Top Rookie award to a player on their team. 
 
 
Congratulations to this year’s Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy winner, brilliant showing from such a promising young talent, SS Hornet!
Congratulations @McWolf!
 
Next up: The David Knight Trophy for Top General Manager…

The S72 Season was a great one, which ended with the Riga Reign winning the Continental Cup. Now that the season is over, it’s time to hand out some awards. Let’s take a look at how each award race could pan out.
 
Make sure to check out other series VSN has to offer, such as our weekly reviews, award trackers, podcasts, and upcoming offseason coverage
VSN Radio | Weekly Review | S73 Draft Coverage | Under 250 | Expansion Draft Coverage
 
 
Mike Szatkowski Trophy
This award goes to the player during the regular season who had the most points in the league. This award has already been decided, and Condor Adrienne’s dominant season earns its first of likely many awards. He had 100 points and was the only player to finish in the triple digits. Jet Jaguar came close with 97 but ultimately fell short of Adrienne.
 
Alexander Beketov Trophy
With 70 assists this year, Lincoln Tate and Berocka Sundqvist will share the Alexander Beketov Trophy for most assists. This is the second year in a row that the Beketov Trophy was shared, but just the fifth time in VHL history. 
 
Kevin Brooks Trophy
Julius Freeman’s 45 goals were enough to win him his second consecutive Brooks Trophy and third overall to his career. If Freeman has a big year in his final season, he will give himself a good shot at making it into the Hall of Fame.
 
Christian Stolzchweiger Trophy
The VHL Rookie of the Year race this year was rather tame and lacked any high point scorers. No one cracked 50 points, but SS Hornet, the 1st overall pick of the S72 draft, came the closest with 47. On the surface, it seems like he would be the favourite, but there definitely is a debate to be made. Pengu is another good candidate, as he had 43 points, just four fewer than Hornet. Zyrok12 is another player that could get some attention, as his 37 points for a rookie defenseman is pretty solid. He also had 75 hits and 122 blocked shots, pretty solid defensive numbers for a rookie. Other players such as Vladimir Shaposhnikov and Gary Neal could enter the discussion, but it seems like this year’s race is only about points.
Nominees: Pengu, Zyrok12, SS Hornet
Favourite: SS Hornet
 
Dustin Funk Trophy
The Dustin Funk Trophy goes to the player that is most improved from the previous season. The number of good candidates from this year is extraordinary. Condor Adrienne, the league's point leader, scored in the 50s for points in the previous couple seasons, before exploding with 100 points this year. He also increased his blocked shots total by 70, which led the league. Mikko Lahtinen also makes a strong case, as his point-scoring went from 29 to 84, and Lahtinen went from 13 goals in his first two seasons to 41 this year. Lewis Dawson of the Nighthawks makes a very strong case as well, as he went from 32 points to 93. He also nearly doubled his hit total from the previous year, from 46 to 88. You also have RJ Jubis and Berocka Sundqvist, who both went from having point totals in the 50s to the 90s this year, with 93 and 92 points respectively. This season put up many great candidates for the Funk, and it’s a shame only one of them will be able to win. It's very difficult to pick a favourite.
Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Mikko Lahtinen, Lewis Dawson
Favourite: Mikko Lahtinen
 
Scott Boulet Trophy
The Boulet Trophy goes to the best two way forward, and the most important stats for this award are blocked shots and hits. The league leader in hits this season was Phil Marleau, with 404. He had 75 more hits than second-place Keven Foreskin, who also is worth taking a look at for the Boulet. Other players that also had high hit totals to complement their high point totals, such as Julius Freeman and Jet Jaguar, who ranked fifth and tenth in the league for hits respectively. Every year this is a pretty tightly contested award, and this year isn’t much different.
Nominees: Phil Marleau, Keven Foreskin, Julius Freeman
Favourite: Phil Marleau
 
Alexander Valiq Trophy
This award goes to the best offensive defenseman. This year, many defensemen put up very high point totals. Last year, the top defenseman had 73 points. This year, the top five defensemen all had 73 or more points, including an incredible 100 points from Condor Adrienne. Berocka Sundqvists 92 points and Lincoln Tates 86 points would be enough to be the favourite for this award in most other years, but unfortunately for them Adrienne’s 100 points this year makes it very unlikely for either Sundqvist or Tate to win the Valiq.
Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Berocka Sundqvist, Lincoln Tate
Favourite: Condor Adrienne
 
Jake Wylde Trophy
The Wylde goes to the best defensive defenseman in the league, but unfortunately, great defence is a hard thing to grasp with just numbers. For any defenseman that hoped they could win an award over Condor Adrienne, this is the award that they would have to do it with. Unfortunately for them, Adrienne is one of, if not the top contender for this award as well. His 188 blocked shots are 30 more than second place, and he also finished second in hits for a defenseman, just one behind Lance Flowers. Flowers had 255 hits and 154 blocked shots. His 154 blocked shots are only one behind second place, and his 255 hits are the most out of all defenseman. Cinnamon Block is also a contender for this award, with 222 hits and 154 blocked shots. If voter fatigue comes into play, Lance Flowers or Cinnamon Block can take this award, but Adrienne is still the likely favourite.
Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Lance Flowers, Cinnamon Block
Favourite: Condor Adrienne
 
Sterling Labatte Trophy
This trophy goes to the leagues top defenseman, and it’s pretty obvious who this trophy will go too. Berocka Sundqvist and Lincoln Tate had great seasons, but Condor Adrienne was simply too good this year. He is the clear favourite to win this award.
Nominees: Lincoln Tate, Condor Adrienne, Berocka Sundqvist
Favourite: Condor Adrienne
 
Greg Clegane Trophy
This is another statistical award, and it goes to the goalie with the lowest GAA. The league lowest GAA belongs to Clayton Park, but he doesn’t fit the requirements for games played, as he has only played nine and it’s required to play at least 20. That means Jacques Lafontaine will win the Clegane, as his 2.31 GAA was the best in the league out of goalies that played 20+ games.
 
Aidan Shaw Trophy
This award goes to the league’s top goaltender. Jacques Lafontaine is probably the favourite, as he has the lowest GAA and was tied for the highest save percentage out of all starting goalies, as well as the most wins. However, Raymond Bernard of the Menace could give Lafontaine a run for his money, as his .924 save percentage was the same as Lafontaines, and his 2.47 GAA wasn’t far behind Lafontaine either. He also led the league in shutouts with four. Michael Johnson also can make a case, as his .922 save percentage was just barely behind both Lafontaine and Bernard. He also had a GAA of 2.55, which was third amongst starters. These three were the top three goaltenders this year, and it’s tough to pick a favourite.
Nominees: Raymond Bernard, Michael Johnson, Jacques Lafontaine
Favourite: Jacques Lafontaine
 
Daisuke Kanou Trophy
The Riga Reign won the Continental Cup in dominating fashion this year, going 12-1 in the playoffs. While the contributions of Lincoln Tate, Apollo Hackett, and Kyl Oferson played a big part in their success, no player was more important to the Reign than goaltender Greg Eagles. His .936 save percentage and 2.03 GAA were instrumental in taking down the Victory Cup-winning Wranglers. Calgary averaged 3.4 goals per game during the regular seasons, but only 2 goals per game in the finals. Greg Eagles will most likely continue the streak of goalies winning the Kanou with his stellar postseason run.
Nominees: Apollo Hackett, Lincoln Tate, Greg Eagles
Favourite: Greg Eagles
 
Scotty Campbell Trophy
The final award on our list goes to the league's most valuable player. This year we saw some really big names traded midseason, which is a huge damper on their chances to win the Campbell. The most notable player to be traded was Jet Jaguar. His 97 points were very impressive, but being traded to Davos midseason seriously hurt his chances at the Campbell. Condor Adrienne is definitely worth looking at simply because of his point production. The biggest drawback is that Malmo finished in the last place, which could pretty much destroy his case for MVP. Julius Freeman of the Americans has a good case, with 87 points. The only problem is that his teammate Owen Nolan had 82 points, not far behind Freeman. Regardless, Freeman’s elite two-way game and high point total, as well as New Yorks success, could be enough to get him some serious consideration. Scott Greene of Seattle could also get a look, with 93 points, although his two-way game took a huge drop off. Seattle also has plenty of other players with similar point totals which hurts his chances. RJ Jubis or Jacques Lafontaine of the Wranglers could be in the conversation too, as Jubis had 93 points and led his team, while LaFontaine led the league in GAA and save percentage, the two most important goaltending stats. Lincoln Tate of the Reign also deserves a shot, as his 86 points lead the team and he remains one of the leagues top defenseman. It is a really tough award to pick a favourite for. If the voters are willing to turn a blind eye to Malmo’s team success, then Adrienne will most likely win this award. But if they do pay attention to team success, then this award is clouded with uncertainty.
Nominees: Condor Adrienne, Julius Freeman, Lincoln Tate
Favourite: Julius Freeman
 
Thank you for tuning in for the S72 Awards Preview. Good luck to all those that are in the running!
 
 

Thanks for all the love!

Welcome to an extra edition of this season’s VHL Weekly Review series. This will be a playoffs review where we will break down each series along with some key talking points throughout. 
     
    Also, don’t forget to check our other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
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This season’s playoffs were truly awesome. The North American conference provided some extremely exciting action, with two game sevens needed to determine who would represent the conference in the Continental Cup Finals. On the other hand, in the European Conference we had one dominant team that steamrolled their way to the Finals, and eventually the Championship in one of the most dominant playoff performances by a VHL team ever.
 
North American Conference

 
Calgary Wranglers (1) vs. Toronto Legion (4)
Starting off with the best team in the regular season, the Calgary Wranglers, who were up against a team that somewhat limped to the playoffs in the Toronto Legion, many expected a huge blowout without much competition at all. When Calgary took the first two games, it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that they were going to take the series. Toronto used the next two games at home to even out the series and turn it into a best of 3. A quick change of fortune for the Legion and all of a sudden there are doubts over Calgary’s ability. The final games of the series had both teams trading wins with the eventual winners being the Calgary Wranglers. After games 1 & 2 went in Calgary’s favour, it was great to see Toronto keep fighting and extend the series to the maximum number of games.
 
Game of the series: Game 4, Calgary Wranglers  (4) @ Toronto Legion (5)
This 4th game of the series did a great job of showing off the talents of both of these teams. Calgary jumped out of the gates, scoring just 1:15 into the game with a goal from Kris Rice. Toronto responded extremely well, with 3 goals of their own in the same period. Opening the scoring for Toronto was one of their upcoming prospects, Vladimir Shaposhnikov. To end the period on a strong note with just 50 seconds to go, Anthony Matthews scored to push Toronto’s lead to two. Calgary then stood strong after their lacklustre 1st period and began to chip away at Toronto’s lead. First, it was Sigard Gunnar, who scored his first of the playoffs near the end of the 2nd, and then he struck again early in the 3rd to tie the game up. The drama was not done here, because Calgary then took the lead off of another quick goal from Tyler Barabash Jr. and they looked poised to take a 3-1 series lead back to Calgary. Toronto’s never say die attitude was on full display after going behind though, and while Calgary enjoyed the bulk of the play for the period, it was Toronto who managed to tie the game up through Chad Magnum and force overtime. Not much time was needed in Overtime as the Legion were sent to the power play early on, and it was none other than the trade deadline day acquisition of Fredrik Elmebeck who sent home a wicked point shot to tie the series up. This was a phenomenal back and forth game in what turned out to be an incredible playoff series as well. 
Series MVP: Kris Rice (CAL) - 6 G, 4 A, 10 P
 
Seattle Bears (2) vs. New York Americans (3)
This series turned out to be the opposite of the Calgary vs Toronto series, where one team seemed to completely dominate right from the start. Only needing 5 games, the New York Americans easily dispatched the Seattle Bears by a series score of 4-1. They took the first 3 games of the series before Seattle was able to stave off the sweep, but that’s all the Bears managed to muster up in this one. On paper, this series was poised to be an even contest but the star power of the Americans was simply too much to handle. Although all the games in this series were pretty close contests, the playoff performance of Seattle left much to be desired after such a strong regular season where they fought for the top spot in the conference the entire way.
 
Game of the series: Game 1, Seattle Bears (3) @ New York Americans (4)
Both teams were eager to get the playoffs underway in this matchup. A great game that looked like it could be a blowout at one point in favour of the Americans. Richard Penisson opened the scoring in this one near the end of the 1st, it was one of 4 goals scored on the power play in this game. Then in the 2nd, we had Kevin Foreskin and Julius Freeman pick up markers of their own to open up the Americans’ lead to 3 goals. It wasn’t until shortly after Foreskin added a second tally that Seattle would wake up and take the game into their own hands. Going on a magnificent rally, the Bears scored 3 goals in 3 minutes from Berocka Sundqvist, Ambrose Stark, and Uhtred and would have New York on their heels for the rest of the game. Some outstanding goaltending by A Red Guy was on display though, and he managed to hold off the offensive barrage and help New York get off to a 1-0 series lead. He was not named in the 3 stars of the game, but he performed excellently when called upon and almost single-handedly carried New York to the win in this one.
Series MVP: Kevin Foreskin (NYA) - 4 G, 5 A, 20 Hits
 
Calgary Wranglers (1) vs. New York Americans (3)
This series was arguably the best of the playoffs. Two extremely talented teams that were hungry for a cup. This series went the full 7 games and there was only 1 game that was determined by more than a 2 goal margin. To say these teams were evenly matched, would be an understatement. These two teams spent the entire series trading wins and eventually it was Calgary who would come out on top. We had it all on display throughout the entire series and it was a shame both teams could not make it to the final. Calgary had the last laugh, and won it in dramatic fashion to boot, in the pivotal game 7.
 
Game of the series: Game 7, New York Americans (2) @ Calgary Wranglers (3)
The final and deciding game between these teams was the perfect summary of how the entire series went. Calgary was off to a hot start, eager to close the series out in front of home fans and jumped to a 2-0 lead after the first period. We had Sigard Gunnar scoring just 1:37 into the game and RJ Jubis added some insurance with a nice goal just 3 minutes later. New York did not let the early setback get them down, because they came back in the 2nd with 2 goals of their own. Owen Nolan and Soren Jensen scored only 10 seconds apart and turned this game on its head in the blink of an eye. New York was all over Calgary at this point, but star netminder Jacques Lafontaine stood tall throughout the rest of the period and all the way through the 3rd before the man with the hot stick, Sigard Gunnar, hit New York with a dagger shot with only 30 seconds left in the game. A heartbreaking end to the game for New York, but what a series this was, and somebody had to lose in the end. 
Series MVP: Sigard Gunnar (CAL) - 7 G, 3 A, 44 Shots
 
European Conference
 
Riga Reign (1) vs. HC Davos (4)
The number one seeded Riga Reign started their playoff campaign against 4th placed HC Davos. There wasn’t much of a fight put up by Davos here, and Riga easily swept the series. Many people expected more from Davos in this series, especially after acquiring two great players leading up to the playoffs. Perhaps the team was shaken up just a bit much and the chemistry wasn’t able to develop in time. Either way, you have to applaud Riga for such a dominant performance and being able to stifle such a talented offence. Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board for HC Davos. 
 
Game of the series: Game 3, Riga Reign (2) @ HC Davos (1)
In this game we had a battle of the goaltenders, the shots were 44-40 in favour of Davos, and it took up until the 3rd period before anybody could solve either goalie. The first period we actually had a fight break out between Fernando Jokinen and Pengu with Jokinen coming up the victor in that one. A power play each as well for the teams, but nobody could put one past Greg Eagles or Samuel Ross. The 2nd period was more of the same, penalties for both teams but nobody was able to find any answers to solve the goalies. Finally, after 41 minutes without a goal, Riga were able to capitalize on one of their power plays and found a goal through Lincoln Tate, his first of the playoffs. Davos was also finally able to put one past Eagles shortly thereafter with a goal from ACL TEAR. However, with 10 minutes left in the game, maybe fuelled by his earlier fight loss, Pengu played the role of hero and potted the game-winner, helping Riga to gain a 3-0 chokehold on the series.
Series MVP: Apollo Hackett (RIG) - 0 G, 7 A, 7 SB
 
Helsinki Titans (2) vs. Moscow Menace (3)
The other quarter-final provided a little more competition compared to the other series. It was Moscow who managed to pull off somewhat of an upset and knock off the higher-seeded Helsinki Titans. The teams traded wins in Helsinki, but Moscow used their turn on home ice to full effect and held a 3-1 lead heading back to Helsinki. The Titans were able to extend the series one more game but fell to the Menace eventually in the 6th game. This series was actually very close, and the first 4 games all ended by the score of 3-2, which is crazy on its own. Helsinki will feel hard done by, but they put up an incredible fight and should be proud of their performance.
 
Game of the series: Game 2, Moscow Menace (3) @ Helsinki Titans (2)
This back and forth contest had Helsinki take the lead twice, but Moscow was able to tie it up each time and eventually find a winner in the Overtime period. Kyle Andersen started things off for Helsinki midway through the 1st period and they looked to be taking a lead into the 2nd before Derek Eriksson tied it up with only 14 seconds left on the clock. You could almost see the team breathe a collective sigh of relief when they lit the lamp. The 2nd period had Erik Draven score a lone goal for Helsinki on the power play and they were able to hold on to this lead heading into the final frame. The Titans looked poised to take this game before we had deja vu from Eriksson, who scored this time with 42 seconds to play in the game and forced overtime. There wasn’t much to talk about in this overtime as Moscow managed to score just 1:08 in and tie the series at 1-1. Jacob Perry was the saviour for the Menace, but we can’t forget about the performance of Raymond Bernard who was stellar, just as he was all season.
Series MVP: Raymond Bernard (MOS) - .939 SV%, 2.17 GAA
 
Riga Reign (1) vs. Moscow Menace (3)
Our conference final on the European side saw complete domination by Riga over Moscow. Once again managing to sweep their series, Riga was on a complete tear and quickly became the favourites to win the Cup. The games themselves were pretty close mostly, but Riga was simply just too strong to handle. They seemed to have the answers to everything Moscow threw at them and they actually never trailed in a game the entire series. Truly a complete performance by Riga here and much deserving of a berth in the finals.
 
Game of the series: Game 1, Moscow Menace (2) @ Riga Reign (3)
The opening game of the Conference Final was a great game that was close right to the end. Too bad it wasn’t a sign of things to come in regards to the entire series. It took until about halfway through the 1st period before Will Clarke opened up the scoring for Riga, and shortly after that, Kyl Oferson added on to the lead with a goal of his own. The second period had a few penalties given out, but both goalies and penalty kills stood strong and the score stayed the same heading to the 3rd. Riga then looked to be cruising to victory after Guy Sasakamoose scored on the power play, taking the lead to 3. There was late drama to be had here as Moscow came in for a 3rd-period rally and scored a power-play goal of their own through Henrik Zoiderberg and followed that up with a shorthanded goal from Nate Telker which set the game up for a frantic ending. Moscow pulled their goalie for the final moments of the game but they weren’t able to tie the game up and the Reign took the series opener at home. 
Series MVP: Pengu (RIG) - 3 G, 5 A, +4
 
Continental Cup Finals
 
Calgary Wranglers (1) vs. Riga Reign (1)
What a matchup this was poised to be. We had the two top teams from their respective conferences ready to battle it out on the biggest stage to prove who was the best. What we expected, and what we got, however, were two totally different things. Riga continued on their path of destruction and dispatched Calgary by a series score of 4-1. Nothing on this planet seemed to be able to stop Riga and they were firing on all cylinders at just the right time. These teams were separated by 19 points at the end of the regular season, with Calgary on top having earned the best record in the league over the regular season. Calgary actually handed Riga their first loss of the playoffs in game 1, but Riga took that energy from the loss and won the next 4 games en route to winning the Continental Cup.
 
Game of the series: Game 5, Riga Reign (4) @ Calgary Wranglers (3)
The final game of the playoffs was the best contest of this series. Not just because Riga won the Continental Cup, but because it was actually a great game. Calgary jumped out to a quick lead after a power-play goal from Edwin THE Encarnacion and things were looking good. However, Riga had something to say about that and scored three 1st period goals, two from Ryan Busser and one from Pengu. Calgary didn’t let those goals phase them and it was just 3:00 into the 2nd period before Calgary would start chipping away at the Riga lead, Sigard Gunnar popped up once again with a goal at just the right time. The 3rd period looked to be going exactly to Riga’s plan before Gunnar once again came up with a clutch goal, this time with 1:02 to play and sent the game to Overtime. Shots were nearly even heading into the Overtime period and it was back and forth the entire time before Kyl Oferson scored the cup clinching goal with assists from Apollo Hackett and Will Clarke. What an exciting end to the playoffs, and Season 72 as a whole.
Series MVP: Greg Eagles (RIG) -  .941 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 1 SO 
 
With that, we wrap up VSN’s VHL Weekly Review for Season 72. Please join us next season where we will continue coverage of all the latest happenings in the league.
 
 

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