Spartan

Presser for the week ending 5/26

1. What do you think about our draft?
2. Looking at our roster, it looks like we are in the best shape so far, thoughts?
3. Do you have a hobby? No, gaming is not a hobby.
4. Do you have a favorite NHL player? I like Kopitar.
5. Are you happy with the position you chose to play? I wish I was a defenseman.
6. Who do you think will score our first goal of the season? My pick is Lewis.
 

@Viper Appreciate you sticking around this long, very proud of how you've handled the VHL/life balance with this player. Hope to see you sticking around for a while!
 
@Moon I have no nice things to say to you. @dstevensonjr is great though!
 
@pugsood Welcome to Moscow! Very excited to bring you on and hopefully make a deep playoff run!

A player induction and a Builder induction this season, from very different eras...
 
D - Voittu Jannula, S14-S21   
RS: 576 GP, 215 G, 456 A, 671 P, +117, 983 PIM, 1,134 HIT, 870 SB, 35 GW
PO: 56 GP, 11 G, 41 A, 52 P, +5, 228 PIM, 102, HIT, 79 SB, 4 GW
 
S21 Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenceman) (co-winner)
S21 Messier Trophy (Top Leader) (co-winner)
Two Continental Cups (S20, S21)
 
*forward for S14 and part of S15
**unofficially 1x All-VHL First Team and 3x All-VHL Second Team
 
Let's be honest, at least 90% of you have no idea who Voittu Jannula is. I can't make a better case for him than @Gustav 's article which essentially got him this induction. However, I will add a bit of context for whomever lands the unenvious task of writing his HOF article, with 4 seasons of stats missing, and over a decade IRL of history removed. Jannula was a GM player created by GM Alex McNeil (a Hall of Famer himself, who had 3-4 active players but has largely been absent from the league since S25 or so. Jannula entered the league with the S14 draftees, bypassing the draft, and was originally a forward. However, as the Bears completed their rebuild, Jannula was moved to defence to accommodate the squad where he found his success (primarily at the end of his career in S20 and S21). Although the Bears won the cup in S17, this was after McNeil stepped down and Jannula was traded away (to allow Seattle's new GM to recreate). Jannula then entered his prime with Davos, contributing significantly to their surprise run to the finals in S19 and S20 championship, built on a strong defence and the goaltending heroics of one Daisuke Kanou. After the Dynamo entered a retool, Jannula spent a season with Toronto, winning his 2nd Continental Cup on a star-studded roster before retiring.
 
For reasons no one can remember, Jannula never got enough votes to make the HOF after retirement. The only two other S14 players to get inducted, Mikka Virkkunen and J.D. Stormwall, did so at the first time of asking. A season later, there was only 1 induction in Leander Kaelin and somehow Jannula got overlooked then and for the rest of his stay on the ballot. A historical wrong has now been corrected in what is certainly the longest (71 seasons!) wait for an induction and should he ever see it, congratulations @McNeil!
 
Voting results:
Voittu Jannula - 9/14
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Bo Johansson - 6/14
Pierre Emile Bouchard - 5/14
Papa Emeritus - 3/14
Nico Pearce - 2/14
Hammar Voss - 1/14
Kristof Welch, Paul Atreides, Oskar Lindbergh, Zach Kisslinger II - 0/14
 
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Builder
We also have a much easier decision to make and explain on the Builder side this season. You all know @Acydburn, one of our 3 commissioners, having already led both the VHLM and the VHLE in what is presumably a VHL first. I had the pleasure of being one of the co-founding VHLE commissioners with Acyd and having known the member vaguely beforehand, that stint introduced me to a man with lots of real life events and priorities but one who never failed to communicate or deliver on his sim league job. That same approach has been visible as Acyd moved on to the VHL and I'm sure his teams can vouch the same for his time in Ottawa and Prague, where he is a cup winner and Top GM with both teams and in both leagues. There are some slam dunk decisions in the Builder category and this is without doubt one of them, welcome aboard!

Another week of off season. I wish it could go on a few weeks longer. Nothing is more fun than not waiting for the sims to post, but that opinion is most likely just mine.
Moscow had a great draft. Grabbing the top two players in the draft was amazing. Moscow is looking much better than last season and might be able to play harder against those pesky teams that beat us like a rented mule. I look forward to seeing how we settle in with our players really pushing for skills, we should have some very strong lines to ice. With our goalie getting his magic goalie skills up even further, we should stop a few more pucks from violating our net. Last season we saw several players have career highs. I think that trend will continue with the new faces and a strong work ethic, we should be able to build on our success and take the next step. I'm ready for training camp. Let's Go!
 
 
Word count: 168

Buddy we already filled the role lol

rip EFL
 

@pugsood Thanks for being a great teammate. It was awesome having you on the Legion and seeing you post career numbers!
 
Welcome to the Legion @Viper

Einar Mathiesen has been quite busy this off-season between participating in the junior showcase tournament and fielding interviews from VHLM GMs who are considering using one of their draft picks on him in only a few days, The Defenceman knows that he still has much to prove to scouts and GMs, especially after a pretty lacklustre performance in the Junior showcase tournament.
 
Some may wonder if he just isn't ready yet to the make jump to the VHLM in the 30 games for the brigade he was able to net a goal and 4 assists and had 49 hits along with 13 shots blocked and a positive +/- of 4 while the Brigade were able to secure a 3rd place finish which would see them matchup against the 2nd place steel in the 1st knockout round of the tournament,
that series is split 1-1 after the Steel took a tight game 4-3 where Mathiesen was able to get an assist meanwhile in game 2 it was the complete opposite as the brigade came out on top 4-0.

Mathiesen doesn't seem distracted at all that his future may be on the line for all he seems to care about at this moment in time is that the brigade repeat game 2 three more times and come out of this series on top although that's easier said than done.
 
226 words.

Buddy we already filled the role lol

It do be me again!
 
Once again, congrats to @Lemorse7 for being hired to GM the Riga Reign over in the VHL. Wishing him the best in his new role! After a prior application process, we have settled on a new GM who we're happy to see return to the M after a long stint away.
 
Please congratulate @mattyIceman and welcome him as the new GM of the Reapers! Looking forward with working with him to make the M the best it can be.
 
If you applied and were not selected, feel free to reach out if you want to have a discussion/receive feedback for success in the future, always happy to help!
 
- @VHLM Commissioner

rip EFL
 

rip EFL
 

Ladies, gentlemen, and all @Members in between; you like TPE right? You also enjoy spreading your sim community larger right? Today I offer you both as we have officially added a new partner affiliate to go along with our partnerships with the SBA and PBE.
 
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The ISFL was created in early 2017, and since then has been a welcoming active community of world-wide users set to the backdrop of dot football. It offered people the chance to let their imagination run wild as they create a player from the ground up, perform tasks to earn TPE to upgrade their player into the next star and become a Hall of Famer. From making graphics to writting stories that range from expert analysis to crazy creative character backgrounds, there are so many ways to become whatever you wanted to be. The next GOAT Quarterback, or the elite lockdown Cornerback, all the power is in your hands.

The ISFL welcomes all people from all walks of life. Community comes first here, as it’s the cornerstone of all sim leagues, it doesn’t require you to be super into football, or even understand any of whats happening in the games. We are a online space where you can find friends, have a laugh and just enjoy your time. If you ever wanted to get deeply involved, you have the chance to become the manager of one of the teams and take on the responsibility in drafting, wheeling and dealing trades, contracts and how to win it all. 

There is something for all in the ISFL, and we would love to show you what we have on offer. To find out more join our discord server or check out our forum from the links below!

Discord Server
Forum
 
————
 
I did also say this is an official partnership, that means some shared TPE. It will run similar to the PBE but with the bonus of being involved in the monthly activity check for a spare 1 TPE uncapped. The basic rundown is:
 
- VHL can claim ISFL Point Tasks (150 Words for 3 TPE) for 2 TPE in the VHL (as a VHL.com article, Graphic or smaller podcast)
- ISFL can claim VHL.com, smaller graphics and podcasts worth 2/3 TPE for Point Tasks in the ISFL worth 3.
- Monthly Affiliate Check.
 
If you have any questions they can be directed toward the @Commissioner team or @Banackock and the @Recruitment Crew

Ahsoka Tano has found herself quite busy these last few days. Between participating in the JST and ProAm, she has also been fielding interviews and calls from GMs all over the VHLM. While she has expressed interest in staying in Mexico City should they draft her, it seems the defenseman would be happy to go anywhere she is wanted. 
 
“Honestly, I don’t mind who drafts me. Yes, Mexico City is nice, and I really like the management here, but I would understand if they either don’t want me or someone gets to me before they have the chance to bring me back. We’ll just have to see what happens on draft day.”
 
Various outlets have been predicting Tano to go in the top 3 this draft and for any teams needing to bolster their defense, she seems like a good bet. Tano has been non-stop hard at work playing and practicing to ready herself for her official rookie season.
 
159 words for week ending 5/19/2024

I can’t believe I’m two full seasons into this VHL thing that I started back in January…
 
When I saw the ad on a YouTube video for the VHL, I didn’t really know what to expect, but the idea of creating a player in a sim league of other real players seemed interesting to me.  I’ve been in fantasy hockey leagues for a while so I figured this could be something fun to try as well.  What I didn’t expect was the community that would come with it and that’s been the best part of it all.  Sure, creating my player and watching her grow through the VHLM and VHLE has been fun and exciting.  I can’t wait to see how things go now that I’ll be moving into the VHL this season.  But what keeps me checking in daily and staying involved are the awesome people around the forum and on the discord who really give life to the whole process and make it bigger than just watching STHS spit out numbers.
 
Season 93 was my first season as a GM in the VHLM and it’s been an amazing opportunity to interact with players— new and returning.  It’s been super fun chatting with the newer players who are experiencing the VHL for the first time the way I did just one season ago.  I’ve loved being able to share that experience with them and see them grow into the league, carving out an identity for their players through their forum posts and discord interactions.  The returning players I’ve chatted with have also been amazing— some of them with multiple careers behind them have so much to share about the history of the league.  I think it’s so cool that we have nearly 100 seasons of sim hockey history that we can look back at and that there are people around who have been in the league all that time.  It’s kinda mind blowing really!
 
As a GM, I’m really proud of our team this past season.  We finished 2nd in the M and had a good run to the semi-finals before losing to the eventual Founder’s Cup champions.  Going forward, I’ve definitely learned a lot from this season that I think will help me with building competitive teams in the future.  More importantly, I think I’m much better prepared now to help new players get acclimated to the league.  There has been so much to learn, but it’s been a fun challenge and I’m excited to keep going!
 
For my player, Season 93 in the VHLE playing for Vasteras was better than I’d expected.  I’d heard some less than positive things about the E before I got there, but my experience was absolutely a good one!  We had a great team and an awesome GM and we made a good run to the finals, eventually losing to Oslo who had our number all season long.  It was fun playing with and against some former teammates from Houston in my first season and I’m glad to see so many of them doing so well.  My only complaint from this past season was my player’s god-awful shooting percentage, but at least I’ve got a muffin sponsorship to show for it!  
 
Going up to the VHL, I’m trying not to have too many expectations.  I’d like to see our team show signs of life this season and start building towards being a contender after a couple of seasons near the bottom of the league. I’m glad to see @Lemorse7 got the GM position in Riga and I’m sure he’ll do a great job with the team going forward.  He’s already made a few trades that should definitely help us be more competitive this season so it’ll be exciting to see how the season starts.  For my player, my hope is that I have a respectable rookie season in the VHL.  Eventually, I want to be a player that can be counted on in all situations and can be a positive factor towards the team’s success.  Time will tell I guess, but I’m definitely motivated to keep going since it’s been such a fun process so far!
 
On a personal level, I’m relieved to be done classes until the fall and I’m taking some time off before I start work for the summer.  Unfortunately, a big storm in Houston knocked out the power and wi-fi on Thursday and it’s still down now (Saturday).  So I’m writing this on my phone (which is why I didn’t format this post), trying to ration my battery life and hoping that I don’t need to light candles again tonight. Oh, and I hate cold showers with a passion! That is by far the most miserable part, though I guess things could always be worse.  Hopefully the lights come on soon so I can stop complaining about my first world problems.  Any good book recommendations?
 
──•~❉᯽❉~•──
LucyXpher
Claim for 05/19/24 (800+ words)
 

HC Davos Dynamo
1.6 - D Felicia Hardy
1.15 - F Matteo Stefano
2.18 - F Johnny Tsunami
 
In an extremely tidy bit of pre-draft business, Davos moved down from second overall to sixth overall in order to acquire Grimgor Ironhide, and then managed to snag the third-best prospect in the draft anyway, selecting Felicia Hardy with the 6th pick. Though they missed out on the chance to draft one of Maverick Goncalves or Jillian Woods by trading out of #2, coming away with Ironhide and Hardy for the second overall pick is absurd value. Davos continued their solid draft season by picking up promising first-gen Matteo Stefano at the end of the first round, a player with extremely high upside. Johnny Tsunami has future VHLer written all over him as well - an excellent draft for Davos, all things considered.
 
Helsinki Titans
1.7 - G The Mighty Ice Wizard
1.13 - F Maple Dogwood
2.24 - D Donald Carlson
2.28 - F Ty Duke
2.32 - F Jerry Box
3.37 - F Captain Nugget Jr.
 
Helsinki made an interesting play with the 7th pick in the draft when they selected The Mighty Ice Wizard as the top first-gen in the draft. It's probably not the way most people expected them to go with the 7th pick, but in the context of the draft, it was actually pretty shrewd: with another first round pick coming up at #13 and several solid players still available, the Titans realized that The Mighty Ice Wizard - likely the only player remaining with future franchise goaltender potential - was actually the scarcest commodity left on the board. They secured their goalie of the future and knew they'd still get the chance to pick a really solid prospect at #13. That ended up being Maple Dogwood, an excellent prospect to be available with a late-first round pick thanks to the overall depth of this draft class. The Titans do have a lack of talented young defensemen, something they tried to address with the selection of Donald Carlson at 24th overall. Carlson will probably play in the VHL one day, but he doesn't have the upside of a true star at the position. The Titans will need to address that in the future, but ultimately, they came away with a pretty solid group of prospects.
 
London United
-- no picks --
 
The defending Continental Cup runner-ups are in line to contend once again this season and have paid the price for it in terms of draft capital, sitting out the entire S94 draft. Of course, nobody was thinking about their draft capital when they were playing for the Continental Cup in Game 7. This team is built to contend and will be in the hunt again in S95.

Malmo Nighthawks
2.19 - F Eugene Ryanheart
3.33 - F Gabriel Finley
3.41 - F Trevon Rider
3.44 - D Dakota Nachbaur
 
Another contending squad, Malmo found themselves with no first round pick but did make a couple of potentially-shrewd pickups in Eugene Ryanheart and Gabriel Finley near the top of the second and third rounds. Ryanheart, in particular, has shown good things early in his time in the VHL, with upside similar to that of Davos' second first-round pick Matteo Stefano. If he continues to develop, he no doubt will end up contributing at the VHL level at some point in the next couple of seasons.
 
Moscow Menace
1.1 - F Maverick Goncalves
1.2 - D Jillian Woods
2.26 - F Nicholas Sunderbruch Jr.
3.36 - F Yuki Ishikawa
 
Any time you go into a draft picking first and second overall - especially when you've already got the roster of a contender - you've gotta be pretty happy with yourself. Maverick Goncalves and Jillian Woods are the best forward and best defender in this class, respectively, so Malmo adds a couple of brand new studs to a very impressive lineup. Nicholas Sunderbruch Jr. is an interesting second-round gamble as well - the senior Nicholas Sunderbruch enjoyed a 359-game VHL career after being drafted 35th overall in S74, so there's good VHL pedigree there. We'll see if the younger Sunderbruch is motivated enough to make it to the big leagues - there is certainly enough skill there if he has the desire.
 
Prague Phantoms
1.10 - D Lazlo Holmes
2.23 - D Kevin Johnathen
2.27 - F Robin Sierra
3.39 - F Hulk Smash
3.42 - F Tommy James Longpre
3.43 - D Mathias Gunnarsson
 
The Phantoms had a lot of picks here, but not a lot of super high-value ones considering they're in a bit of a scorched-earth rebuild after a long run of contending with some of the best players in franchise history who have just hung up the skates. Lazlo Holmes is a very good addition with the 10th overall pick, a future star defenseman. The second pick of the draft may well end up his defense partner one day - Johnathen is a more raw player but has high upside in his own right, an excellent pickup with a mid-2nd round choice. There's some upside to Robin Sierra and even the third rounder Hulk Smash has flashed some good signs on occasion. Prague has a lot of work to do to field a competitive roster even a few seasons down the line, and they're missing their S95 1st round pick as well, so it may be a while before we see what happens for this group of young players in Prague, but they have to be happy with the number of players that have at least shown some sign of being able to contribute at the VHL level one day.
 
Riga Reign
1.3 - F Pierre Marc Bouchard
 
The Reign only made one pick on draft day, but they made it a good one in selecting Pierre Marc Bouchard. Presumably feeling okay-enough about their defense situation going forward (it is at least very good right now, though two players on their D-core are S87s), the Reign passed up on defender Felicia Hardy to take the second-best forward in the class. From an agency that has a track record of producing high-end VHLers, there's a lot of hype around Bouchard and deservedly so. This is a player to pair with Kimi Raikkonen up front and, along with last year's exceptional third overall pick Lucy Leitner on defense, goaltender Red Panda, and whatever comes of the two S95 first round picks, create the core of a very solid team.
 
Warsaw Predators
2.25 - D Toby Cook
3.34 - G Jon Webber III
3.40 - D Leifr Eriksson
 
Warsaw is another team in a win-now mode, especially while Lachlan Summers is still around, and they have not been shy about moving their draft picks for players that can contribute now. It's given them a strong-looking roster and a less-strong-looking prospect pool, about what you'd expect from a team in position to compete. Toby Cook is from the agency that gave us Todd Cooke who enjoyed an exceptional VHL career with the Los Angeles Stars that wrapped up not long ago, but doesn't look like a player with the same upside at this stage in his career. Still, things can change, and if you're looking for someone in this Warsaw draft class who may be able to make an impact at the next level one day, that would be the one.
 
 
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1190ish words, for this week & next

Moscow, Russia - It didn't take long for Maverick to join his new team in their HQ. The young Swiss decided to watch the VHL Draft at home, and while there was a timezone difference in place since the draft was held in North America, it didn't take long for Maverick to hear his name called.
 
With the 3-hour flight from Zurich to Moscow, Maverick signed his ELC on Russian soil, with the close support of Moscow's long-time GM, Euron Leonidas. The winger has already done a tour of the team's home facilities and is planning to stay with his new team for a couple of days before attending the VHLE Draft.
 
With the contract signed with the lower-level bonus attached, Maverick will play a second season in the VHLE, but it's unclear if he'll be the number 1 overall selection again. During a quick conversation with the journalists, Maverick said, "I told you I was staying in Europe."
 
But when asked about his VHLE plans, he shared that he had only had three conversations with GMs, and one of them was with Sjin, the Cologne Express GM, where he played this season. I left his view on the subject as well.
"I expect to play for someone who first engages with me and sees if we're a fit. Other than Cologne, I've had discussions with Bratislava and Stockholm, and I'm not going number one. It's great to share our views with different characters and check for cultural fit. If nothing happens, I'll hopefully be going at three or five."

Post Draft Interview with Felicia Hardy 
 
While there is a lull between picks in first round of the VHL season 94 draft we wanted to take a moment to sit and talk with Felicia Hardy who was taken sixth overall by HC Davos. 
Felicia, thanks for agreeing to talk with us, how are you feeling about being taken sixth overall? 
 
Honestly, the VHL is the premier hockey league in the world, anyone who gets drafted is among the top talent anywhere. I know I personally played with several players who accepted entry into lesser leagues like the NHL just so they could continue their careers. Yes, we all dream of being drafted first overall but if you look at the draft board so far there are now seven players listed who are exceptional players and there are still a list more waiting for their name to be called that in any other draft would have gone first overall. So overall I am happy with sixth, but more importantly I am looking forward to signing with and playing for Davos. 
 
Speaking of Davos, can you elaborate on the process that got you there? 
 
I had several interactions with the GM prior to the draft. They had a well thought out plan that was designed to allow them to be competitive within the league for several seasons. They knew exactly what they were looking for. I liked the fact that they were honest about where they were sitting and that they were going to need to adjust depending on how this draft went. I was given the assurance that I was their top choice for Defender, and we would need to see how things progressed.  
 
What do you think you bring to Davos that will help them be competitive? 
 
The focus of my training is on being a defensively minded defender, I know I still have a lot to work on, but I expect that I will integrate into the team structure well in a couple seasons. That being said, I also have spent a lot of time focusing on the passing side of my game, to facilitate zone entry and exit but I have also found that it helps immensely in the offensive zone to assist in setting up plays. We will see how that plays out in the overall game. Either way I know I am going to get a lot of opportunities to work with the training staff in Davos so that I can elevate my game. I am also working on a lot of off ice things to improve my strength with the puck and my endurance. I am excited by this opportunity. 
 
Felicia, I want to thank you for your time tonight. We look forward to watching you this coming season in the VHLE and look forward to the VHLE Draft on Monday night. We expect that you will have an exceptional season and we look forward to seeing more of you as the seasons progress. Good luck in the draft Monday and in Season 94. 

It do be me again!
 
Once again, congrats to @Lemorse7 for being hired to GM the Riga Reign over in the VHL. Wishing him the best in his new role! After a prior application process, we have settled on a new GM who we're happy to see return to the M after a long stint away.
 
Please congratulate @mattyIceman and welcome him as the new GM of the Reapers! Looking forward with working with him to make the M the best it can be.
 
If you applied and were not selected, feel free to reach out if you want to have a discussion/receive feedback for success in the future, always happy to help!
 
- @VHLM Commissioner

With one big move, the Malmo Nighthawks have solidified their roster for the upcoming season, with the acquisition of centre Randy Bobandy from the Calgary Wranglers. The Nighthawks sent their first and second-round picks in S96 to Calgary in the deal.
 
Bobandy is a seven-year VHL veteran, drafted 4th overall in S87, who has compiled 178 goals and 497 points in 504 career VHL games. While last year didn't go as planned for Bobandy and the Wranglers, he has hit the 80-point mark three times in his career with career-highs of 71 assists and 90 points reached in S89 with Seattle.
 
Bobandy is a pass-first player who excels on face-offs and is one of the best two-way forwards in the league as well. He's not particularly physical but is an excellent penalty-killer, shot blocker, and marks his man well. He's signed through S94 and has a player option for S95, so if all goes well for the Nighthawks, surely this acquisition is made with an eye towards helping the team both this season AND next.
 
As a team full of natural shooters, the Nighthawks hope that adding Bobandy to the mix will create some excellent chemistry for whatever unit he's on as well as the powerplay - in addition to being a great addition to the locker room.

And a first round ass whooping courtesy of Moscow.