Spartan

+10 Alex Letang

I know this already has a review, but thought I'd toss in some words as well. The concept you're thinking of is really cool, and I think a few tweaks could get this pulled off at a really high level. You may want to consider messing with the brightness and the contrast, as it's a lot of brightness at the moment, which makes it a little difficult to see all the components of this sig. I agree with Pengu, the text also needs a bit of work to make it legible, but the concept is definitely really cool. Love the positioning of the player on the sig, as it also covers up the logo so that you don't have to worry about a logo swap. Overall, I'd give it a 6.5/10!

After 17 games, it may be fair to say that Alex Letang has settled into his role as a 2nd pairing defenseman for the Las Vegas Aces. Through 17 games, Letang has 11 points, all of which are assists. Letang is also closing in on cracking the top 10 in league +/- with a rating of 16, good for best on his team. Letang credits the rating to his solid defensive play, and his penchant for blocking shots with 12 blocked shots on the year. Letang aims to continue to bolster his defensive IQ and skills over the next few weeks, and then move his focus towards building strength and working on his shot. That first goal has been elusive, but Letang is confident that it will come soon. After the first calendar month of the season, the Las Vegas Aces are flying high in the standings, with 26 points - good for 2nd in the league. Las Vegas boasts a balanced attack, with 8 players scoring at a point per game pace at minimum. The team is led by dynamic goal scorers SS Hornet and Joe Proto, along with stars Pengu and Jeff Blaze. The team has been especially dominant in the first period, where they have scored 46 out of their 96 goals on the season (47.92%). Their strong starts have contributed to their rank in the standings, as other teams simply struggle to keep up with the early offensive barrage. However, the Aces aim to avoid taking their foot off the gas by keeping up the energy and attention to technique. The upcoming month should be exciting for the Aces and Letang, with the rust getting shaken off and the chemistry on the team developing nicely. Everyone is aiming to dethrone Ottawa from their first place ranking, and everyone has full confidence that the team can meet that goal.

Vancouver 4-2

109 Malmo Nighthawks @ Vancouver Wolves 110 Toronto Legion @ Prague Phantoms 112 Helsinki Titans @ HC Davos Dynamo 113 Riga Reign @ Moscow Menace

Big props to @Poptart and @McWolf for the success I've had so far. Only looking to rise even higher and get my current and future team some W's. Appreciate the recognition @Patrik Tallinder!

Thanks again for the questions Viper! 1. I think we definitely have the ability to keep up this pace, especially when the new folk continue to update and develop at a solid pace. 2. I think first games are always tough, especially with brand new teammates and new leadership. It always takes a game to figure out some chemistry and really mesh together. 3. I am pretty happy, I've got 8 points in 10 games as a mostly defensive defenseman. Just hoping to keep contributing on offense and playing lockdown defense. 4. I think our GM and AGM are setting us up for success, so I definitely think we can keep winning. Just gotta make sure we don't get too overconfident. 5. It'll probably be on us rookies, but hopefully @McWolf feels kind with the wad of cash he's sitting on. 6. Of course, our success starts from our leadership and he's been solid. His leadership along with our Alternates will determine whether we continue our pace.

EFL +6

G - Greg Eagles @OrbitingDeath

Alex Letang - Junior Review Alex Letang likes to joke that he didn't choose to play hockey, but that hockey chose him. Alex was born into the hockey life, as his father Kris played defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins. All of his early life, Alex remembered watching his dad play live and on the television. Sometimes he'd even go on YouTube with his dad to watch the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup victory celebrations, where Kris brought him onto the ice for post-game interviews. As soon as Alex learned to walk, his father immediately put him on skates. As the months and years passed, Alex was fluent on skates and had moved on to using a stick as well. Kris had a mini ice rink installed in the backyard, where the duo would practice together, with Kris forcing Alex to participate in physically draining conditioning drills. However, the practice bore fruit when Alex finally joined a youth team. As a young defenseman, Alex had a lot to learn about his role on a team. He had decided to be a defenseman, like his father, but his instincts screamed at him to be an offensive minded defenseman. He would constantly join rushes at inopportune times and end up out of position on aggressive takeaway attempts, much to the ire of his coaches. He never failed to score points, however, the coaches would constantly ask him to switch positions to a forward due to his lack of defensive awareness. Stubbornly, and out of respect to his father, Alex never budged, insisting his role on a team was to be a defenseman. In order to develop the defensive awareness and intelligence that was lacking, Alex would take time on off-days to watch film with his father, often picking his brain on when to play aggressively and when to settle back and let the forwards focus on offense. The film study and extra training helped, as Letang improved tremendously in the defensive aspects of his game, drawing the eye of various junior teams and colleges. Alex joined the Calgary Flames Midget AAA team as a 15 year old, and performed well, posting 23 points in 34 games. His attention to detail on defense paid off, but the offensive production declined. He then joined the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL for his 16 and 17 year old seasons, where he refined his two way game, and exploded on both ends of the ice. Over two seasons with the Bandits, Letang posted 34 goals and 96 assists, for an impressive 130 points in 108 games. His strength and conditioning training with his father also helped, as he played through both seasons without any major injuries. These performances led him to UMass Amherst, where he caught the eyes of pro scouts in the VHL. Letang took a season to adapt to the pace of the NCAA, posting 21 points in 34 games, but created offense and provided steady defense in a way unseen in stat lines. The team's puck possession numbers surged when he was on the ice, and he consistently suppressed shots again, all while creating high numbers of offensive chances. For his sophomore season, he was named captain, and absolutely dominated, posting a 16/33/49 stat line over 41 games. Impressed with his overall performance, the Las Vegas Aces selected him 26th overall in the 3rd round of the S71 VHLM draft, sparking the beginning of a potentially exceptional pro career.

D - Jeff Downey @Beaviss

Review: I really like the simplicity of the sig, and the font that you used. I think from a design standpoint, you could have added another layer or two to add a little extra pop, but the work here is really good. I especially like two additional parts: the black border around the player to hide any potential blurry edges, and the player crop that removes any need for a jersey swap. I figure that there weren't too many options for player images without any logos showing, so I think a slightly lower image quality isn't bad at all. Just to recap, I really like the overall design and style you've used for the sig, but I do think another layer or effect would really make the sig look much cooler. Just as a disclaimer, this is much better work than I'd do, since I don't do graphic design much, but just tossing my comments here as an average viewer. Keep up the good work!

On Wednesday March 26th, Alex Letang played in his first two VHLM games, signaling the start of his pro hockey career. Before the game, this reporter got a chance to speak to Alex about his pregame ritual and thoughts regarding the game. Alex: "I like to sleep in a little bit, especially before a doubleheader like we have today. Sleeping was a bit tough because of the jitters, so going to try to take a pregame nap as well if possible. Just focusing on trying to relax and to eat a healthy meal to prepare for the games today." Regarding his excitement for his VHLM debut, Alex said "I'm super excited to play today, I've been working hard this offseason to try to get my game to the pro level. I don't expect to be very flashy, the main goal is to just be consistent defensively and set our forwards up to get some scoring chances." And solid defensively he was, going +1 on the day (-1 and +2 against Minnesota and Houston respectively). He was also able to tally his first VHLM point during the second game of the day, a 7-3 rout of Houston. He contributed the secondary assist on Conner Tanner's first of the season. It was a great game for Letang to get his first assist, as this type of game will surely be what Las Vegas will aim to emulate over the rest of the season. 10 players registered a point in the game, with 5 players registering a multi-point effort. Alex Letang will surely remember this day not only for the milestone he reached, but for the journey it has began. Letang will look to continue to build off his skating and defensive skills to factor into more scoring plays, allowing for more team performances such as the one against Houston.

D - Jerry Garcia @OrbitingDeath

Roll Fizzlebeef - F @Beaviss otc

Thanks for the questions Viper! 1. I think Vegas had a really strong draft, of course, because I was selected in it. However, I think the selections in the 1st and 2nd round really set this team up for immediate success, and a 3rd round pick for me was great value for the team. 2. I'd like to be a solid two-way defenseman for a team loaded on offense. I think my presence on the blue-line can really shore up our back end, but just hoping to maintain high puck possession numbers and stifle shots against. 3. I expect a deep playoff run. Period. 4. I really like our captains, especially the selection of SS Hornet (@McWolf) as captain. He's already been super helpful in terms of developing me and providing advice, and I think that our leadership will be a huge part of our success. 5. We'll come out on top. That's my confidence in this team. 6. I think Saskatoon can be a surprise contender. I don't ever want to count a team led by McWolf out. They've got a massive amount of young talent, I think he can whip up a competitive group there.

I'll just get Scott Greene here then lol @OrbitingDeath otc

you weren't last tho, someone got added to the group late. you're back on the clock now

Scott Greene @OrbitingDeath

John Frostbeard please @Beaviss is on the clock

Sorry about the mic quality, but thought it'd be nice to try this out. Give it a listen and give me some feedback, or questions for the next podcast!

On Monday, Alex Letang - Defenseman, was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces in the 3rd round of the VHLM draft. Letang, a strong skater and playmaker, hopes to strengthen the back end for Vegas, who also selected some offensive juggernauts in the draft. Overall, Las Vegas and Letang are positioned for a strong season! Here is a look at Alex Letang's first playing card for Las Vegas:

1. I think skating ability and mobility is one of my greatest strengths. I've taken a lot of time to work on those traits since I think it's the future of hockey. More and more teams are employing speedy lineups versus the gritty lineups of the old days. 2. I think discipline is a bit of an area of weakness. I play physically and aggressive, as that's the way I compete. It's led to me taking some boneheaded penalties over the years though, so I think think that's something I'll really need to work on. 3. I plan to spend TPE on skating and defense primarily, and then passing and puck handling. 4. I'm a fiery competitor who loves to win. Getting passed over in the draft will be extra fuel to the fire if it happens, so my rookie season will be my revenge tour. Apart from then, you're getting a solid defender on the back end who has no problems jumping up and joining the rush. 5. I think the attitude of the team is huge. Plenty of teams have experienced locker rooms, but the attitude is really going to impact my experience. An active room, with active leadership is what I'd prefer. My room to grow is massive, and I'd like a team that can help me grow rapidly. 6. A player who never backed down. Someone who accepted every challenge, stepped up in the face of adversity, and did whatever it took to get the desired result. Appreciate the questions @Poptart!

Ask away folks!