Da_Berr

Review: Love How Angular this is, the multiple directions of the renders really adds to the complexity of the graphic. Playing within team colors get harder when your team is monochromatic like the wolves which means that texture play usually helps My one real criticism is that i had to click the link to see this beauty. wish it was just showing up on the forum
 
9/I0 good job @Da_Berr

Title explains it all. I don't think there's a single one of us here who's going to look back on 2020 and think "good times" overall. Life sucked for all of us, and that's something I can relate to--I was in my worst-ever mental state early on this year and had my entire social life destroyed right when I was just starting to build one in college. Summer plans were destroyed and I went through a fall semester in which I had next to nothing to do with anyone in real life and felt worthless and unloved more often than I'd like to admit. I'm sure just about everyone here can relate to this on some level, some to an even greater extent than I can.
 
But what's good? I find that it's nice whenever I'm feeling that life is slapping me in the face to think about what's good in my life and what I've been blessed with. Of course, I could go with the usual general things, I'm actually doing pretty well for myself in terms of school and personal development (even though I don't feel like it), I've got a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, I have a job that I've kept through this whole situation. That by itself is more than a lot of people can say and I'm lucky to be able to say it. 
 
I wrote this up looking forward to hearing from the rest of you and reading your responses--and I am looking forward to it! But when I posed this question to myself halfway through writing this, I realized...I've got no clear answer myself. So I guess here's a short list of things I've done or been gifted with this year that I'm happy about.
 
Bought a Netflix subscription and have kept myself busy enough catching up on everything I've been missing for years Got very into golf, somehow even managed to convince a friend with no interest in sports that it was fun too Improved my guitar playing and wrote the best piece of music I've ever written Got a hell of a lot better with photo editing (thanks, sim leagues?) Finally found out that I do enjoy what I'm studying because I finally took enough classes to be able to judge it fairly--learned a lot as well! After the aforementioned poor mental state in the spring/early summer, I'm in a much better place now and genuinely consider myself happy with who I am  
I guess that's about it because everything else was either too general or too cheesy or too weird or too whatever. But what's good that's happened in your lives in 2020? I feel like we could all use a dose of positivity. 

VHL REVERSE RETRO, PART ONE: EUROPEAN CONFERENCE


The VHL doesn’t have much of a history with jerseys.  As is the case with many sim leagues, teams don’t have official uniform designs due to the sim’s text-based nature.  The closest we get to “seeing” our players or teams is in forum signatures, player cards, or the images selected for media spots.  Occasionally you’ll see some more graphically-inclined GMs post “official” jersey designs, or creative members posting their own ideas for what VHL jerseys would look like.
 
As someone who holds an interest in jersey design, I’ve always thought about trying my hand at some kind of VHL jersey design but never really went through with it.  But recently, I was inspired to give it a try.  With the NHL’s Reverse Retro promotion recently happening in real life, I figured that would be a good launching pad to work from considering the VHL’s long and storied history.  So I’ve decided to make reverse retro jerseys for most of the league’s teams.  Most?  Yes, most.  Unfortunately for the purposes of this project, there is a decent number of teams in the VHL that have not been around for nearly as long as the others.  As a result, six teams will be excluded from this series (three in each conference) - Chicago, DC, London, Los Angeles, Prague, and Warsaw.  I may attempt some different kind of designs for these teams later, but for a Reverse Retro project there just isn’t enough to work from.
 
For this project, I also want to define “reverse retro”.  The NHL described their promotion as “throwback jerseys with modern twists” and that’s pretty similar to what I want to do here.  Of course, the lack of historical uniform designs in the VHL means I can’t necessarily make throwback jerseys - there aren’t really any old jerseys to throw back to.  Instead, I’m going to make jerseys inspired by VHL history in some way, but with a twist that would make them fit into what I would imagine each team’s current jersey set would be (they are still alternate jerseys).  Most of them are based on my interpretation of what the teams likely would’ve been wearing in the past, while others are a combination of multiple influences from the past.
 
Before I get into the designs, I’d also like to give a shoutout to two people:
@Sonnet, for both his “VHL Jersey Initiative” series of media spots as well as the incredibly useful SVG versions of the current VHL logos.
@Flames1Fan, for his recent jersey designs - in particular, the Stockholm Vikings jerseys which were my inspiration for this series.
 
Now, let’s get into the designs!
 
HC DAVOS DYNAMO

While Davos hasn’t necessarily had much recent success, they are still one of the league’s most historic franchises ever since they moved to Davos in Season 11.  The team went on to win multiple cups in each of the next three decades: two in the 10s, three in the 20s, three in the 30s.  The iconic and unique purple and black color scheme has stayed unchanged since the beginning - so naturally this jersey had to stick with it.  The logo on the front, designed by @Koradek, was put in place back in the early 20s when the league was starting to focus on having original logos for each team.  Five cups were won wearing that logo before it was changed to the current one.  On the shoulder is the original Davos logo, which I know is stolen but I just don’t know where from.
 
For the sake of media spots and signatures, members would often use the Los Angeles Kings as a base for the Dynamo.  As a result, I imagine the Dynamo jerseys probably would’ve been very similar around that time, with the team mainly wearing black during that era.  Which is why I’ve made this jersey purple, in order to fit the “reverse retro” theme of adding a twist to a throwback.
 
The jerseys are black down the shoulders and arms, in order to create a nice balance of black and purple.  The Avs-inspired mountain stripe on the hem comes from the mountains that have always been in the team’s logo - a reference to the Swiss Alps.  The design also incorporates the silver from the old logos in order to both differentiate this jersey from the team’s current identity and to match the logos used.  The gradient I’ve used on the back numbers is meant to represent a metallic silver fabric - think the gold worn by Vegas in the NHL.
 
The name and number are in reference to Anton Brekker @DGFX., a hall of fame forward who spent seven seasons in Davos, where he won three cups and was captain of the back-to-back championship teams in Seasons 24 and 25.
 
HELSINKI TITANS

Helsinki is another one of the league’s most historic teams, having been in the Finnish capital since Season 1 and being known as the Titans since Season 2.  So like Davos, there aren’t going to be many drastic changes in color or logo here.  In fact, if you didn’t look too closely at this design you’d probably think I’ve just used the same logo as their current one.  This is actually the team’s older logo, designed by Koradek (sensing a theme here?).  It was used by the team from the 20s to the 50s - a period during which the team found a large amount of success and was home to many well-known, successful members.  
 
Like with Davos, I’ve designed this jersey to try and differentiate it from the team’s current identity.  Unlike with Davos, I’ve actually got uniforms to work with here.  Based on Sonnet’s media spot from just over a year ago, the team’s normal uniforms would be a lighter blue, with navy and silver as the accent colors.  So to complement that, the reverse retro jersey is navy, with the cream from the old logo used as an accent.  The stripes on the arms and waist come from the crest of the helmet in the logo and are used to add a little bit of uniqueness to what is a fairly traditional jersey.
 
The name and number are in reference to Ethan Osborne @STZ, who was selected first overall by the Titans in Season 30 before spending six of his seven VHL seasons in Helsinki during the team’s #caphell era, captaining the team to a Continental Cup in Season 34.
 
MALMO NIGHTHAWKS

Surprise!  Despite being a part of the VHL for less than ten seasons and having the same logo for the whole time, the Malmo Nighthawks still have some history to work with - even if it isn’t technically their history.  As a country, Sweden has been represented in the VHL in the past.  The most notable of these representatives is the infamous Vasteras Iron Eagles (a.k.a. Vasteras IK), a team beloved by some and hated by others, and also used as the main inspiration for this reverse retro design.
 
I’ve also got home and away uniforms to work from, again thanks to Sonnet.  In this case, I’ve tried to keep a relatively similar design so it isn’t completely out of place stylistically, but as you can tell the colors have been changed dramatically. The blue and green Nighthawks logo has been recolored to match the Iron Eagles, whose logo is featured on the shoulders.  While Vasteras likely would’ve worn black (the Penguins and Bruins were both common choices for representatives), this jersey is yellow both to fit the theme of this series and for the sake of uniqueness.  You might notice one more aspect, though - red accents have been added on the sleeves, waist, and shoulders in a tribute to another Swedish VHL team.  The Stockholm Vikings, who moved from Vasteras in Season 41, kept the yellow and black but added red to their color scheme before being contracted from the VHL during the “dark ages” of the 50s.
 
The name and number are in reference to Scotty Campbell @scotty, quite possibly the best player to ever play in the VHL.  While Campbell only played for Vasteras for three seasons, he was captain for the team’s historic Season 1 Continental Cup win and found great success with the team.
 
MOSCOW MENACE

Red, you ask?  Yes, red.  I promise I have a reason for this.  Moscow is in a similar boat to Malmo, with a decent amount of history from other teams to work with despite having been in the league for only a short period of time.  It’s not nearly as much as our previous team, however.  Russia’s under-representation in the VHL was a topic of conversation for a long time until the Menace joined as an expansion team in Season 65.  The Avangard Havoc, despite their name, played in Omsk as the league’s first Russian team, and after the Havoc moved to Davos the country wouldn’t have a representative until the Moscow Red Wolves joined the VHLM in Season 37.  
 
Other than being the only two teams to play in Russia, the Havoc and Red Wolves have another common thread: their color schemes.  Both teams wore red, black, and silver, which is the color scheme for this jersey.  I’ve tried to take more of an influence from the Red Wolves in this case, however, as they played in the same city as the Menace.  Unfortunately, there was a jersey design made by the team’s original GM but the image has been lost so I was unable to use it for inspiration.  Instead, I’ve tried to imagine something like what a Red Wolves jersey would have looked like, except with a Menace logo.  The number font and style is influenced by the wordmark that was a part of @boubabi's design, while the striping is just me trying to come up with something unique that would fit the team.
 
The name is in reference to Sandro Clegane @JardyB10, a hall of fame goaltender who played for the Red Wolves in the VHLM where he won a Devereux Trophy (top goalie) and a Rift Trophy (playoff MVP).  The number, 45, is a reference to the season when the Red Wolves won the Founder’s Cup.
 
RIGA REIGN

Riga is one of the teams that has stuck with their current logo the longest - another Koradek design from the 20s, but this time one that has lasted to the present.  As a result, one has to dig back a bit further in order to pick a throwback logo for this jersey.  While I remember the team having a short-lived dragon head logo, the only other logo that the team used for a significant amount of time and found success with was unfortunately stolen from the ECHL’s Ontario Reign (who have since become the Kings’ AHL affiliate).  This was the team’s original logo after they moved from Stockholm to Riga in Season 9, and was also the logo worn when the franchise won its first ever cup in Season 10.  
 
Given that the Reign were the only team in the VHL to use orange until Warsaw joined, I imagine that Riga’s home jersey is probably orange.  So I’ve decided to choose navy as the main color for this uniform, and have relegated orange to third on the hierarchy of colors behind white.  The font for the numbers is inspired by the wordmark on the Ontario Reign’s main logo from that era, because if the logo is stolen I might as well use what I can to make things look more consistent.  I’ve also recolored Riga’s current logo to match the Ontario one and put it on the shoulders to make the jersey look more complete.
 
The name and number are in reference to Layken Heidt (Slobodzian_18), a hall of fame forward who spent all eight of his seasons with the franchise, including the team’s first season in Riga.  He was captain of the team for their first Continental Cup win and also featured in four European Conference-winning teams.

Thanks for checking out this article!   The North American teams’ jerseys will follow once I’ve finished claiming this article (and once I’ve finished making the jerseys).  Additionally, if people are interested I do have a possible idea for the six other teams that won’t be a part of the reverse retro series.
 
~2,041 words, good for four weeks
 

Wooooo Su is now the points leader! In season 71. Looking back on it, it has been a long ride from where I started. When I first made my player as a first-gen, I had no idea what VHL was or how it worked. Truthfully, I had come on the site a week prior by searching for sports sims and immediately left due to not knowing anything. Fortunately, I decided to come back, and I don't regret it one bit. There were definite highs and lows for myself and the VHL as a whole during this time, but to this day I can say that VHL is an amazing experience.
 
First starting out in the league was super confusing for me since I've never done something like this in the past. Thankfully the community was super helpful and got me on my feet. I still remember being signed to MIS after the season had already ended, thinking I would be playing in some games the next day. The LR of MIS was great, with everyone being incredibly kind in it, and I was super happy that I was subsequently drafted by MIS in the VHLM draft. Both Berocka and DoktorFunk (former GM, AGM) were a huge help in getting me started and actually interested in the league itself. I also remember some great teammates that made the LR tons of fun, such as bacon, JBrew42, LastOneUp, joeg, who are all unfortunately inactive now. Being traded to OTT which was DoktorFunk's new team, halfway through the season and winning the cup with them was also a great experience. Spyro who was AGM for the Lynx was also super welcoming and a great presence in the LR.
 
Then came the VHL draft. I remember the hype building up to the draft, and the hope that I would be picked in the first round like all the mock drafts said I would. But, due to my "intentional tanking," I slipped into the second round and was picked by VAN. Today I have to say that slipping to VAN was one of the best things to happen to me. Not only was Spyro on the team, but both Beaviss and the other players on the team were super welcoming. Unfortunately, most of the younger guys that I played with in my rookie season also went IA. Thankfully since then I've gotten some great teammates on the ice and in the LR. My rookie season was rough, to say the least, with a measly 17 points, it was looking like I would be a bust, and I didn't have high expectations for the future. In S73, the expansion draft came, and I was lucky enough to be signed as Warsaw's AGM by Muff. Preparing for the draft was tiring but very rewarding, as now I get to see the team and players flourish. For the one and a half seasons I was AGM there, I had a blast. Thankfully this time around most of the players are still active. dlamb, KaleebtheMighty, Hooperorama, and everyone else keep doing what you're doing. Unfortunately due to school I got too busy and had to resign from being AGM there, Muff sorry for not being able to fulfill my duties well in the later parts of my stint. From S73 and onwards my player must've started doping since he's been on a tear. One of the most satisfying things in VHL has to be seeing your player improve and tear up the league as time goes on. Winning the cup with VAN last season was also a great memory, and as time goes on I hope to make many more memories with VHL.
 
 

Wooooo Su is now the points leader! In season 71. Looking back on it, it has been a long ride from where I started. When I first made my player as a first-gen, I had no idea what VHL was or how it worked. Truthfully, I had come on the site a week prior by searching for sports sims and immediately left due to not knowing anything. Fortunately, I decided to come back, and I don't regret it one bit. There were definite highs and lows for myself and the VHL as a whole during this time, but to this day I can say that VHL is an amazing experience.
 
First starting out in the league was super confusing for me since I've never done something like this in the past. Thankfully the community was super helpful and got me on my feet. I still remember being signed to MIS after the season had already ended, thinking I would be playing in some games the next day. The LR of MIS was great, with everyone being incredibly kind in it, and I was super happy that I was subsequently drafted by MIS in the VHLM draft. Both Berocka and DoktorFunk (former GM, AGM) were a huge help in getting me started and actually interested in the league itself. I also remember some great teammates that made the LR tons of fun, such as bacon, JBrew42, LastOneUp, joeg, who are all unfortunately inactive now. Being traded to OTT which was DoktorFunk's new team, halfway through the season and winning the cup with them was also a great experience. Spyro who was AGM for the Lynx was also super welcoming and a great presence in the LR.
 
Then came the VHL draft. I remember the hype building up to the draft, and the hope that I would be picked in the first round like all the mock drafts said I would. But, due to my "intentional tanking," I slipped into the second round and was picked by VAN. Today I have to say that slipping to VAN was one of the best things to happen to me. Not only was Spyro on the team, but both Beaviss and the other players on the team were super welcoming. Unfortunately, most of the younger guys that I played with in my rookie season also went IA. Thankfully since then I've gotten some great teammates on the ice and in the LR. My rookie season was rough, to say the least, with a measly 17 points, it was looking like I would be a bust, and I didn't have high expectations for the future. In S73, the expansion draft came, and I was lucky enough to be signed as Warsaw's AGM by Muff. Preparing for the draft was tiring but very rewarding, as now I get to see the team and players flourish. For the one and a half seasons I was AGM there, I had a blast. Thankfully this time around most of the players are still active. dlamb, KaleebtheMighty, Hooperorama, and everyone else keep doing what you're doing. Unfortunately due to school I got too busy and had to resign from being AGM there, Muff sorry for not being able to fulfill my duties well in the later parts of my stint. From S73 and onwards my player must've started doping since he's been on a tear. One of the most satisfying things in VHL has to be seeing your player improve and tear up the league as time goes on. Winning the cup with VAN last season was also a great memory, and as time goes on I hope to make many more memories with VHL.
 
 

With most S72 players entering their 4th or 3rd year in the VHL, I think it's about time to review each draft pick (at least in the first round) and determine how they have been doing so far. Today it's time for picks 7-12.
 
7. Jungkok
Jungkok is probably one of the best 2-way forwards that was picked in S72. Despite struggling for the first 2 seasons of his career in VAN, after being traded to MAL, he finally started showing his potential. With his aggressive physical play and balanced offensive capability, any team would welcome a talent like Jungkok. With a great last season in S74, with 69 points and over 300 HITS, he has an immense impact anywhere on the ice.
 
8. Viktor Alexei Kamenov
Viktor Alexei Kamenov as 8th OA felt like a reach on draft day. Despite having as much potential as any other prospect picked in the first round, his overall talent on draft day was a bit lower than any other first-rounder and possibly a few second-rounders. Despite a few decent seasons with over 40 points and 140 SB, his performance for a first-rounder could leave more to be desired. He for sure can't be called a bust, or even a bad player, but is currently looking like a 2nd line defenceman will be his ceiling.
 
9. Lucas Brandt
Lucas Brandt was one of the highest touted centers in his draft class and for good reason. In his rookie and sophomore seasons, he had over 60 points in each, almost reaching 70. Showing immense offensive talent, he had the potential to be one of the top scorers in the VHL in the future. It's a shame that he seemed to hit a wall in terms of development at the start of S74. Despite not improving his skills for a few seasons now, he still remains a solid offensive piece and one of the best second-line centers in the league.
 
10. Valtteri Vaakanainen
It's interesting to see that the second-best prospect on the draft day went all the way to 10 OA, due to the GM player draft rule. Definitely the biggest steal on draft day, Valtteri Vaakanainen has had an outstanding career so far. Despite having a terrible rookie season (who didn't in S72) with only 28 points, he quickly improved. So far in the previous 2 seasons, he has had over a PPG, with 74 points and 73 points respectively. He was also a huge factor in the HSK playoff run in both S73 and S74. So far he has had a great career and compared to the S72 draft class, has one of the highest potentials to win a few individual awards and make the HOF.
 
11. Alex Letang
Alex Letang was one of the best defensemen that way drafted in S72. Despite not having huge goal-scoring potential, he has been a consistent quarterback in MOS offence. In his rookie season, he showed this quarterbacking potential with 53 points and 40 assists. He followed that up, by consistently improving and had 79 points and 62 assists in S74. Despite not being a physical defenceman, Alex Letang also is a solid contributor in the defensive zone, with over 100 SB in each season he's played in the VHL.
 
12. Timothy Brown
Ending the first round we have the pick of Timothy Brown. He has been a solid player for a SEA so far and has definitely surpassed some players that were picked in front of them. With 44 points and over 200 hits in his rookie season, Brown has been consistently improving since then. Having a solid balance of both offensive and defensive skill, he is a welcome addition to any forward line. This current season, he looks like he'll be looking to break out.

As some may know, I quit smoking cigarettes just over a month again and have from time to time shared my app’s progress in my locker room as it’s either requested me to show people for helpful tools/tasks or because it does help a little bit in curbing the habit/addiction. A while into it I made that “Good News” post about my girlfriend being confirmed cancer free and also letting the rest of the league know that along with that bright light, I’ve also taken up the challenge of bettering myself and conquering the mountain that many know to be “quitting smoking”.
 
Tonight, I found it cool to go on my phone and see a message from a fellow member that wanted to share a helpful message that they seen my post and have also quit smoking a few weeks ago. It made me proud of them. Maybe even a little bit because they were a newer member to the league and the Bears! I don’t think I had any impact on this, but a similar message popped in my head that many have echoed on here that it’s cool all the positivity going on, but also just how awesome this community and it’s members are. Kindness spreads faster than Covid. 
 
I mostly wanted to write this post up to help others (maybe myself too), have a place to chat or have resources or share stories about their successes (and maybe even failures). I know showing my progress to others, whether on here or in real life, offers up a great sense of pride and encouragement to continue a battle that often can be frustrating, exhausting and a pain in the damn ass. 
 
A few other things that have helped me are:
 
- I have this app. Smoke Free it’s called for IOS. It tracks cravings, has a helpful bit if you need resources, have questions or are struggling. It also offers up tools and daily tasks to help you progress. I do some of these but what’s most significant for me is the money saved counter and the “Time Smoke Free” counter. Visually seeing my progress really helps me get through it. 
 
- Have a goal. Have a few if you want. My main ones moving forward and since the beginning have financial (1) and health (2). It’s fucked up probably that it’s backwards and health should be (1), but it’s a close race. I just really want to save money for whatever the hell I want - up to AND including my vacation property in the mountains. Again, that app mentioned above really does help with this .
 
- Mental strength. You may be tough like buff Beav, but your mind is just as powerful - most likely more. The cravings can be tough as hell. I’ve had numerous moments and even portions of days where it’s in your mind at the start of quitting. Maybe a shit sleep, habitual things like driving, eating, boredom, sex, coffee, alcohol, being around those who smoke, socializing (not in today’s world lol!) or whatever. Maybe you’re having a shit day at work or just got bad news etc.. it happens and they’re (cravings) dry grass waiting for a match to drop.. but all fires can be put out! For me, weeks 1-2 were a decent struggle but once you hit that 3 weeks plateau .. it gets easier.. I’ve found it’s been a little tougher the last few days but that’s only because I think I’ve got focused in my head just how hard it’s going to be.. I had and have the thought of “I’ve quit for 36 days.. which is amazing.. but that’s only 36 days of the rest of my life” and the small accomplishment than stood beside a massive oncoming wave ready to crash into my progress lol.. 
 
One day at a time as my girlfriend reminds me. 
 
- Something that has helped me and could probably tie into the last one.. they become less frequent... your inner voice becomes louder than the cravings and they pass just as fast as they came.. in fact, I’ve had good luck with telling this thing to fuck off and be the louder one (I know some here probably aren’t surprised lmao).. they hit your mind and you either find a distraction, let them pass or I often find myself telling my mind “no. I’m not gonna smoke. I don’t like the health effects I’ve been having, don’t want to feel shamed and want to continue saving money”. So far, during this battle, I’m undefeated. I will continue to be. 36 days and counting, one at a time. 

- Good support. It’s helped me huge. Not so much to quench cravings but mostly just to feel encouragement and proud of myself. It’s a nice reminder as to why you’re doing it and feeling a sense of happiness and being proud always helps fuel motivation.
 
 
Stay strong friends. It’s hard as shit but you can do it. If anyone needs someone to talk to or anything, I’m always a message away. Stay healthy, happy and safe. Best of luck  
 
 
 

So the question posed is, "Who should win league MVP?" and to answer that we're going to have to look at many different things. And I want to clarify before I start this article, that this is merely speculation, and is in no way going to be exactly how the winner is going to be picked. It's merely my own opinion of who should be league MVP. Okay, now that we got that disclaimer out of the way, lets start by outlining what I think are the requirements to win. First we'll have to look at a players point total, and then we'll have to look at other stats like +/- and penalty minutes. We should also take a look at how valuable that individual was to their team, and in a separate category we'll see how valuable they've been to the league and community as a whole. And while many people fit these criteria, we do have some front runners to look at, and we'll look at who I think are most likely to win. 
 
     Stats wise we have a few people we should look at, remember stats aren't objective, they only reflect numbers, not the reason for those numbers. First I want to start off with out front runner, John Merrick @Steve. Drafted 5th overall in season 73, John is only in his 2nd season and has put up 107 points this season, 19 points more than last season, and only one point more than second place in points. He put up 45 goals and 62 assists this season with a +/- of +10, 17 less than his rookie season, however his +/- is reflective of his team being in a rebuilding stage. Second place in my opinion isn't a league point leader, unless you count the rookie point leaders. @Rhynex Entertainmentput up 89 points this season with the New York Americans, with 35 goals and 54 assists. Rhynex has put up a +/- of -13, which again is not reflective of his play, but of his team being a rebuilding team as well. I include Rhynex in this MVP discussion because he was not only nearly a 90 point scorer this season, he was also the point leader on his team as a rookie, meaning he was invaluable to his team this season as a rookie. Rhynex deserves a mention at the very least. 
 
     I'm going to look at players who I have judged to be valuable to the league/community as a whole now, and we have another familiar face, Rhynex Entertainment. A solid 13 TPE earner a week, who's contributed multiple articles and reviews, and contributed much happiness to the community as a whole. I think Rhynex is a solid pick as a potential MVP winner. However other players deserve credit here as well, to go over a few; Gary Rush @G_Rush, Jimmy Spyro @DarkSpyro, Jacques Lafontaine @SlapshotDragon, Leo Strauss @gregreg, Andrew Su @Da_Berr and many more. I couldn't mention everybody here because there's just so many players who deserve recognition for what they potentially mean to their team. 
 
     So what's my verdict? Who do I think should win MVP? Ultimately I think it's between John Merrick, and Rhynex Entertainment. That's why I took so much time speaking about them and their individual stats. Do I think that Rhynex is going to win it? No I don't think he will since he's not the league point winner, and he's not a superstar yet outside of New York and Las Vegas. However he's ultimately who I would choose if I was in charge of this. But since I'm NOT in charge of picking the winner, I'll tell you who I think will win. So who is that? geez I gave two options and expended one of them. The obvious choice for league MVP, is John Merrick. He pulled ahead as point leader in the regular season, and he pulled ahead as a leader in the Legion locker room.
 
     So who do you all think is going to win? Tell me in the comments, I'll be more than happy to discuss it with you all. I'd also like to take a minute to thank the entire Toronto Legion team and staff. You all have been amazing this season, and I'm glad to say that I play in this fine city of Toronto. And I hope to be a superstar not only on the ice, but also in the locker room. @Peacethank you for coaching this amazing team this year, and even though we didn't make the wildcard spot we'll be back next season to win the cup, we have some good young players coming in to make this already amazing team even better this season. I'd also like to thank all my friends in the league for encouraging me this season, and reminding me why I play in this league. Thank you all for reading my annoying articles and media spots. Anyways I'm gonna start drafting some paperwork for my next VHL.com article coming later today. So you all stay warm, but also stay Icey. Seacrest out.

So I claimed my free week from the holiday donation drive this week and I have no real reason to be writing this...but I guess rewards from said event are stacking up and I'm incredibly bad at organizing things (see: literally every Town of Salem game where I screw something up), so I'm going to write up a little blurb here so I can claim one of those doubles weeks instead of forgetting it exists. 
 
This will probably come across as a big wall of self-pity, or asking for attention or positive reassurance, but I want to get out there that I'm not looking for anything like that. It's just the end of another disappointing season and I think it's about time I put some honest feelings out there rather than alternatively acting like a) nothing about this bothers me and b) I hate everything about my life because of it, depending on the day or the situation. 
 
Since the title of this article put things in a certain order, let's stick with that order. Here's what I hate about the situation I'm in currently.
 
 
STHS. Every GM hates STHS. I even think (against the popular narrative) that it's a legitimately good sim engine in terms of providing a reasonable amount of parity while keeping games and stats--in general--realistic. But this season in particular was an absolute emotional rollercoaster for anyone following the sims. We started off decent (I think after a short time, we were 3rd in the league or something?) and then played like absolute garbage, dropping down below Riga at one point and getting flamed by an (actually pretty fair) article by Hedge. Not long after, I make a line change and the team takes off--over a stretch of 20-25 games or so, we were the best team in the EU. And that's not even a subjective statement, we had the best record. Obviously, going off on a ridiculous tear like that gives me no reason to change the lines, right? WRONG! Between one sim and another, Simon decides that it's time to play like hot garbage again and we go something like 1-8-1 with the same lines that would have put us on top of the EU had we maintained the same pace it was giving us for a solid third of the season. Long story short, that tanks us out of the playoffs, and here we are.
 
Inexperience leading to mistakes. I was hired as someone who would supposedly turn Davos around, and sure I have in terms of the team community, but quite obviously I haven't been able to win. There is so much I would have done differently if we were back in S70, and simply not knowing what to do probably cost us a good deal on the way up from last place. I'm very likely still dealing with the consequences of that, and though I'm learning more every season, I (weirdly enough) wish I had more time to learn what running a team was about on the big level before I made the move up.
 
Being trashed CONSTANTLY. Let me be clear. I am NOT saying nobody is allowed to say anything negative about Davos. I am NOT saying that it isn't okay to meme about us. I can take the heat. I just don't see any other team being made fun of nearly as much. Hell, there were more underwhelming teams than Davos this season--if the argument is that we're not doing as well as we should, okay, fair, but what about teams like Prague who arguably had a better roster on paper, did worse, and who I haven't seen being made fun of even once? Again, I DO NOT CARE as far as me being made fun of is concerned. I'm very much for freedom of speech and freedom of opinion and anyone can say anything they want about us. I just...don't fully understand it and I feel that it's the tiniest bit unfair as it's giving us a general negative association around the league which might end up negatively influencing (particularly newer) members' perceptions of Davos, make us a team nobody wants to play for, hurt our chances in free agency, even influence some other teams to try to take advantage of me in trades (which I hope I'm not stupid enough to not recognize). The very last thing I want is to draft someone who's immediately disappointed that they're playing for the team they've heard so much bad about, and I feel like that day is coming at some point.
 
Again, PLEASE don't take any of this as entitled and please don't think that I'm trying to tell people what to say. I simply promised my sincere opinion at the start of this article and now I'm giving it.
 
 
But Gustav, what's good about the GM life? You said you like it, after all...
 
 
I genuinely DO believe that I'm a respected member of the league in general. Obviously, the first bit can come across as "everyone hates me", but deep down I know that's not true. Hell, probably a good chunk of why I get made fun of so much is that I'm seen as someone who people are comfortable with roasting. And I see that as a good thing and I think that (for the most part) it's really just an expression of community at heart. This is why I said I don't need positive reassurance from this article--I know you guys (in general) think I'm a decent person who tries and all that good stuff, and I personally have always felt supported and liked as a GM despite the circumstances.
 
*rubs hands together and talks about power and control* ...half-jokingly. I wouldn't say that I'm in it for the power and I'm realistic enough to recognize that (with apologies to the blues) being in control of an Internet forum isn't the loftiest of goals in life. If there's one thing I like about being, well, sort of, in a position of power, it's that I'm in more of a position to help people. It's much more fun than it seems to help someone on your team understand their build or direct them to some resources or get the press conference up for them so they can improve more this week than if you hadn't--it's not just being important for the community, it's legitimately making someone else, a real person somewhere in the world, happier for a moment, and that's worth it. And, sure, anyone can help, but as a GM my help is directly sought out fairly often, and I probably get more chances to help people than someone who isn't in my position.
 
Being proud of the team for sticking it out. If you've played for Davos for any significant length of time with me as your GM, if you've re-signed with me, if you've done anything of that sort, you haven't been rewarded for it. But it's one of the greatest things I've seen here that the sims can slap us in the face every morning, that we can be awful and unexpectedly miss the playoffs, that we can be the butt of all the league's jokes, and still have players who genuinely enjoy being a part of our team's environment and want to be back for next season. I can't say enough about this and it's the most important thing on the good list by far. Even when we're being laughed at, those people can go to hell, we're Davos and we're proud of it--and though I'd love a cup more than anything, I'd put our team's heart and soul up against any other's, even now.
 
 
So yeah, that's that. Going to claim the doubles week from this and likely make that it for this one as I'm putting off the research on something else as we speak. Let me know what you think about this one, whether criticism is warranted or not (it probably is), how much you agree with, and all that good stuff.
 
Dear lord, I misspelled "stuff" and my computer tried to autocorrect it to "Tsujimoto"...I'm out.

We’ll just have to return the favour from last season and make sure they don’t get there then.

I really enjoied this article, I think you made a great work whit each bio of each player, I am now waiting for the end of the S72 draft so you can talk about the S73 draft, as I was in it and i'm curius to know where I ended, by the way if I give you a ten out of a ten, can you put me in first position for the S73 draft? 
jokes a part, you really made a great job, this gets a solid 9 out of a 10.

I almost missed this article, I saw 3/4 and had to go looking for this one lol. It's crazy to think how deep our class was. I liked your summary for each player, it doesn't drag on like many research articles tend to do. I would've liked to see a picture or graphic of some kind in the article but it's not a big deal. 9/10 article.

With most S72 players entering their 4th or 3rd year in the VHL, I think it's about time to review each draft pick (at least in the first round) and determine how they have been doing so far. Today it's time for picks 7-12.
 
7. Jungkok
Jungkok is probably one of the best 2-way forwards that was picked in S72. Despite struggling for the first 2 seasons of his career in VAN, after being traded to MAL, he finally started showing his potential. With his aggressive physical play and balanced offensive capability, any team would welcome a talent like Jungkok. With a great last season in S74, with 69 points and over 300 HITS, he has an immense impact anywhere on the ice.
 
8. Viktor Alexei Kamenov
Viktor Alexei Kamenov as 8th OA felt like a reach on draft day. Despite having as much potential as any other prospect picked in the first round, his overall talent on draft day was a bit lower than any other first-rounder and possibly a few second-rounders. Despite a few decent seasons with over 40 points and 140 SB, his performance for a first-rounder could leave more to be desired. He for sure can't be called a bust, or even a bad player, but is currently looking like a 2nd line defenceman will be his ceiling.
 
9. Lucas Brandt
Lucas Brandt was one of the highest touted centers in his draft class and for good reason. In his rookie and sophomore seasons, he had over 60 points in each, almost reaching 70. Showing immense offensive talent, he had the potential to be one of the top scorers in the VHL in the future. It's a shame that he seemed to hit a wall in terms of development at the start of S74. Despite not improving his skills for a few seasons now, he still remains a solid offensive piece and one of the best second-line centers in the league.
 
10. Valtteri Vaakanainen
It's interesting to see that the second-best prospect on the draft day went all the way to 10 OA, due to the GM player draft rule. Definitely the biggest steal on draft day, Valtteri Vaakanainen has had an outstanding career so far. Despite having a terrible rookie season (who didn't in S72) with only 28 points, he quickly improved. So far in the previous 2 seasons, he has had over a PPG, with 74 points and 73 points respectively. He was also a huge factor in the HSK playoff run in both S73 and S74. So far he has had a great career and compared to the S72 draft class, has one of the highest potentials to win a few individual awards and make the HOF.
 
11. Alex Letang
Alex Letang was one of the best defensemen that way drafted in S72. Despite not having huge goal-scoring potential, he has been a consistent quarterback in MOS offence. In his rookie season, he showed this quarterbacking potential with 53 points and 40 assists. He followed that up, by consistently improving and had 79 points and 62 assists in S74. Despite not being a physical defenceman, Alex Letang also is a solid contributor in the defensive zone, with over 100 SB in each season he's played in the VHL.
 
12. Timothy Brown
Ending the first round we have the pick of Timothy Brown. He has been a solid player for a SEA so far and has definitely surpassed some players that were picked in front of them. With 44 points and over 200 hits in his rookie season, Brown has been consistently improving since then. Having a solid balance of both offensive and defensive skill, he is a welcome addition to any forward line. This current season, he looks like he'll be looking to break out.

With most S72 players entering their 4th or 3rd year in the VHL, I think it's about time to review each draft pick (at least in the first round) and determine how they have been doing so far. Today it's time for picks 13-16.
 
13. Andrew Su
Coming into the VHL draft, Andrew Su was predicted to go as high as 7th OA but somehow ended up sliding to the second round. So far in the young center's career, he has shown to the teams that passed on him in the first round, that they messed up. Despite having an absurdly bad rookie season with only 19 points, he quickly bounced back in the following seasons. Notching over a PPG in his sophomore season and then getting 100 points in S74 (as well as being a main piece of VANs cup run), Su has shown consistent improvement in his abilities. Being an offensively focused player, he has broken 40 goals twice in his career and 100 points twice as well. He could very well be a HOFer in the future.
 
14. Chris Hylands
Chris Hylands has had a mighty impressive career so far in the VHL. Honestly, it's hard to find any faults in his well-rounded game, especially since he decided to stay another season in the minors to polish his skills. MAL with this pick got a steal. Posting an impressive 34 G, 42 A in his rookie season, Hylands started his VHL career by turning some heads at his performance. He showed that it wasn't just a one-off year, by improving at a rapid pace. In his sophomore season, he reached 95 points, with splits of 46 G and 49 A. This season, despite not improving on his already stellar offence, he has worked on his physicality and 2-way play, notching 174 HITs so far. He so far seems to have the potential to be another HOFer from S72 or at least one of the best players in the draft.
 
15. Gregg Stallion
Gregg Stallion has so far been a quieter player from S72. He has shown impressive consistency so far by notching 51 and 56 points in his first two seasons. Despite the unassuming point totals, from his first to his second season, Stallion improved greatly on all fronts. This can most clearly be seen with his 16 points in 19 games in VANs S74 cup run. This season, Stallion seems to have finally broken past the wall that was holding him back in the past with 76 points, 42 A and 34 G. Considering where Stallion was picked in the draft he is a steal and has been consistently good. Any team would benefit from a player like Stallion and he has the potential to be great.
 
16. Liam Flaten
This is the first so-called "bust" from the second round. Despite Liam Flaten being called a bust here, he isn't as bad of a pick compared to Gino, from the same draft, due to both his draft position and performance so far. Back to back disappointing seasons in DC, with 30 points in both, and a slow development rate led to DC trading him to LA. So far this season, with LA, Flaten has improved slightly with 47 points. Perhaps the change in scenery has helped him a bit. If it can help him regain his passion for the game, he can eventually become a decent-good player. Despite his low point totals, his defensive ability has still been pretty good, racking over 100 SB in all 3 seasons he's played in so far.

CHECK OUT THE VSN https://vhlforum.com/forum/451-vsn-victory-sports-news/
 
G'day VHL
 
It is your two least favourite Australians back again with another podcast. Honestly I think this one was a great episode but that is up to you to decide. Anyone who listens to this one I want you to give a score out of 10 on this post!
 
This is the second episode we don't use craig so the audio might be different but we are improving and striving to get better every episode (well @dasboot is anyway)
 
Hope you all enjoy
 
https://anchor.fm/berocka-vhl/episodes/One-and-a-Half-Aussies---Episode-8-ens3lb
 
@firefly @MexicanCow123 @Blazzer  @Mrpenguin30

boy that muff guy sure is gunning for most likes of the day eh

@Cowboy way back when for getting me here.
 
@BOOM™@Noah@Devise@diamond_ace @Advantage@Jericho for being my best friends in my first extended VHL run.
 
@Beaviss for being the reason I stayed active and around for Harding through to now.
 
@Esso2264 for being a great GM, putting up with a lot of bullshit, and dealing with my backseat gaming when I watch him play pokemon.
 
@Da_Berr for being an awesome AGM that helped me a ton getting Warsaw off the ground.
 
@dasboot for being an awesome AGM that has helped us take the next step in our VHL existence and has made my job easier.
 
@dlamb@Hooperorama@KaleebtheMighty@jman9theman9 for being the best first draft class that I could ever ask for.
 
@Infernal@Alex Bridges@Laflamme@efiug for helping Warsaw by setting a strong example in the early years of our franchise.
 
@Renomitsu @AW13@Siddhus@Crstats23@inflastud@Jeffie43 for being a part of a pivotal second Warsaw draft class that has played a massive hand in our come-up this season (and in jeffie's case, coming in from a trade and being a big addition to the squad).
 
@TurnDaddy@kevinscix@Senjo1706@Jake Sumner@SilverMike@williamirc@Nicolai488 for your continued hard work in the Warsaw pipeline.
 
@dasboot@diamond_ace for your players' terrific performances this season.
 
@Hylands@rory @Esso2264 for putting up with me in VC almost every day and being good people.
 
@Garsh@Mr_Hatter@JeffD@Blazzer @Spartan@Da Trifecta@fonziGG@frescoelmo @gorlab@jhatty8@solas@Jeffie43@Renomitsu @a_Ferk@OrbitingDeath @STZ@thadthrasher for being homies.
 
@BladeMaiden for the free therapy, great conversations, and you putting up with my never-ending quest for optimization in Stardew Valley. ❤️
 
@bigAL@Tate for brightening everyone's day whenever y'all come around.
 
@Prout because you deserve a shoutout.
 
@Victor@tfong @Beketov@Quik for your continued work to make this league as great as it is, in most cases even through its darkest times.
 
@Josh for everything that you do, in the league and as a friend.
 
@Banackock@hedgehog337 for setting a great standard for the GM position for so long, and giving the league some stability to lean on in the job while going through a massive influx of members.
 
@Dil for putting up with all the heat and being cool nonetheless.
 
@Enorama@rjfryman@GustavMattias@Berocka@DoktorFunk@Acydburn @FrostBeard@Jubis@Jubo07@Ricer13@Peace@McWolf@Rayzor_7 for being members of the VHL's greatest generation that I haven't mentioned yet but have done great things to make this place much better over the past couple years. If I miss anyone from this category I apologize, there are a lot of you and I've been writing this post for a while already.
 
inb4 I forgot a homie and get shamed
 
@VHL community thanks for making this a great second home where I can RP as a muffin. ❤️ you all
 
@Nykonax I'M SORRY
@MexicanCow123 I'M SORRY

Calgary receives:
Lewis Dawson
S76 MAL 1st

Malmo receives:
Arthur Dayne


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

I did an article earlier in the season about different storylines to watch. I got some good feedback on it, so I decided to do a little bit of an update on those storylines and everything to watch in the final 15ish games of the season for each team!
 
Andrew Su continues to have a MVP season
Vancouver Wolves forward, Andrew Su, is having an amazing season so far in only his 4th season in the league. He is coming off a 100 point season, but he is absolutely on track to match that. He currently leads the entire league in points over Mikko Lahtinen of Moscow by 2 points with 2 games in hand on the Menace forward. Su is absolutely killing it this year. I really think he continues to show why he deserves that trophy at the end of the season! 
 
Condor Adrienne back on top of the defenseman
Earlier in the season, I wrote how it may be the downfall of the defenseman as Father Time would hit eventually, but since that, he has absolutely surged. Again, I don't think he will be near the last season with only 69 points, but he has been instrumental to Malmo's success. In his last season, this is someone that has Hall of Fame written all over him. I think it's really only fitting that in his last season, he leads the league. He pretty much has been exactly what every other defenseman wants to be. 
 
Calgary and Vancouver are the horses
Calgary and Vancouver look to be the two teams who are most likely to lead the entire league in points when it comes down to it. Calgary has been an absolute beast this year. I think the best part of Calgary has been the fact that it has not been just one person. In fact, their leading points getter is Patrik Tallinder who has only 58 points, 21 points back of the leader, Su. But, they have so many right in the middle of the pack with Dayne at 58, Encarancion with 57 and Kramerev with 56 points. That balance has been a huge key to success for the Wranglers. You can't just focus on one line, it has to be a team effort where the depth will be tested. 
 
Jacques Lafontaine is the new gold standard?
I find this era of goalies quite interesting, honestly. I think you have Lafontaine, Spyro, Bernard and then a lot of youngers guys like Ajay Krishna, Grekkark Gyrafalcon, Kevin Malone, Jacob Tonn, Woody McPine, among other. It'll be very interesting if we see the goalie battles like we saw in the past with people like Rayz Funk, JB Rift, Brick Wahl, and even the era before that in which we saw some of the best goalies that the VHL has ever seen. Jacques has been good for some time, I wonder if this is the era of Lafontaine. Is he the new gold standard of the league?
 
I hope you all enjoyed reading this, have a great holiday!
 

Wooooo Su is now the points leader! In season 71. Looking back on it, it has been a long ride from where I started. When I first made my player as a first-gen, I had no idea what VHL was or how it worked. Truthfully, I had come on the site a week prior by searching for sports sims and immediately left due to not knowing anything. Fortunately, I decided to come back, and I don't regret it one bit. There were definite highs and lows for myself and the VHL as a whole during this time, but to this day I can say that VHL is an amazing experience.
 
First starting out in the league was super confusing for me since I've never done something like this in the past. Thankfully the community was super helpful and got me on my feet. I still remember being signed to MIS after the season had already ended, thinking I would be playing in some games the next day. The LR of MIS was great, with everyone being incredibly kind in it, and I was super happy that I was subsequently drafted by MIS in the VHLM draft. Both Berocka and DoktorFunk (former GM, AGM) were a huge help in getting me started and actually interested in the league itself. I also remember some great teammates that made the LR tons of fun, such as bacon, JBrew42, LastOneUp, joeg, who are all unfortunately inactive now. Being traded to OTT which was DoktorFunk's new team, halfway through the season and winning the cup with them was also a great experience. Spyro who was AGM for the Lynx was also super welcoming and a great presence in the LR.
 
Then came the VHL draft. I remember the hype building up to the draft, and the hope that I would be picked in the first round like all the mock drafts said I would. But, due to my "intentional tanking," I slipped into the second round and was picked by VAN. Today I have to say that slipping to VAN was one of the best things to happen to me. Not only was Spyro on the team, but both Beaviss and the other players on the team were super welcoming. Unfortunately, most of the younger guys that I played with in my rookie season also went IA. Thankfully since then I've gotten some great teammates on the ice and in the LR. My rookie season was rough, to say the least, with a measly 17 points, it was looking like I would be a bust, and I didn't have high expectations for the future. In S73, the expansion draft came, and I was lucky enough to be signed as Warsaw's AGM by Muff. Preparing for the draft was tiring but very rewarding, as now I get to see the team and players flourish. For the one and a half seasons I was AGM there, I had a blast. Thankfully this time around most of the players are still active. dlamb, KaleebtheMighty, Hooperorama, and everyone else keep doing what you're doing. Unfortunately due to school I got too busy and had to resign from being AGM there, Muff sorry for not being able to fulfill my duties well in the later parts of my stint. From S73 and onwards my player must've started doping since he's been on a tear. One of the most satisfying things in VHL has to be seeing your player improve and tear up the league as time goes on. Winning the cup with VAN last season was also a great memory, and as time goes on I hope to make many more memories with VHL.
 
 

Wooooo Su is now the points leader! In season 71. Looking back on it, it has been a long ride from where I started. When I first made my player as a first-gen, I had no idea what VHL was or how it worked. Truthfully, I had come on the site a week prior by searching for sports sims and immediately left due to not knowing anything. Fortunately, I decided to come back, and I don't regret it one bit. There were definite highs and lows for myself and the VHL as a whole during this time, but to this day I can say that VHL is an amazing experience.
 
First starting out in the league was super confusing for me since I've never done something like this in the past. Thankfully the community was super helpful and got me on my feet. I still remember being signed to MIS after the season had already ended, thinking I would be playing in some games the next day. The LR of MIS was great, with everyone being incredibly kind in it, and I was super happy that I was subsequently drafted by MIS in the VHLM draft. Both Berocka and DoktorFunk (former GM, AGM) were a huge help in getting me started and actually interested in the league itself. I also remember some great teammates that made the LR tons of fun, such as bacon, JBrew42, LastOneUp, joeg, who are all unfortunately inactive now. Being traded to OTT which was DoktorFunk's new team, halfway through the season and winning the cup with them was also a great experience. Spyro who was AGM for the Lynx was also super welcoming and a great presence in the LR.
 
Then came the VHL draft. I remember the hype building up to the draft, and the hope that I would be picked in the first round like all the mock drafts said I would. But, due to my "intentional tanking," I slipped into the second round and was picked by VAN. Today I have to say that slipping to VAN was one of the best things to happen to me. Not only was Spyro on the team, but both Beaviss and the other players on the team were super welcoming. Unfortunately, most of the younger guys that I played with in my rookie season also went IA. Thankfully since then I've gotten some great teammates on the ice and in the LR. My rookie season was rough, to say the least, with a measly 17 points, it was looking like I would be a bust, and I didn't have high expectations for the future. In S73, the expansion draft came, and I was lucky enough to be signed as Warsaw's AGM by Muff. Preparing for the draft was tiring but very rewarding, as now I get to see the team and players flourish. For the one and a half seasons I was AGM there, I had a blast. Thankfully this time around most of the players are still active. dlamb, KaleebtheMighty, Hooperorama, and everyone else keep doing what you're doing. Unfortunately due to school I got too busy and had to resign from being AGM there, Muff sorry for not being able to fulfill my duties well in the later parts of my stint. From S73 and onwards my player must've started doping since he's been on a tear. One of the most satisfying things in VHL has to be seeing your player improve and tear up the league as time goes on. Winning the cup with VAN last season was also a great memory, and as time goes on I hope to make many more memories with VHL.