CrlineDijohn14

@CrlineDijohn14, welcome to davos! Let’s go win a cup!
 
@jacobcarson877 thanks again for the trade talks!

@CrlineDijohn14 Wish you the best of luck! Davos is a great place to play and they will take great care of you.

@Alex Thanks again!

Thanks to you @MubbleFubbles.
 
And thanks to you @CrlineDijohn14 for everythibg you have done for the Gladiators and I wish you the best of luck in the future.

I am glad to accept it!

Welcome everyone,
 
The regular season is over and the playoffs have started, but the Rome Gladiators are not part of it, so the off-season has already started for them. In this episode I will talk about one of Rome's prospect John Poremba Jr @CrlineDijohn14. He played last season in the VHLM with the Philapelphia Reapers scoring 10 goals and 56 assists for a total of 66 points in 72 games with a differential plus/minus of plus 21. Poremba Jr finished 8th in the league for the amount of points among the defencemen. John finished the season with 113 hits, 88 shots blocked and 176 shots on goal. Poremba Jr is going to play in the VHLE next year with the Rome Gladiators and is going to be an important piece of the team if they want to be competitive in the upcoming seasons. With S84 being the last season of creed @assassin6898 and Trevor Wallace @LilHCorny John is going to have an important role on the team next year with the team.
 
Thanks everyone, see you next week and let's go Gladiators!!!

1. It's a good one! Will I participate? No, but it's a good one!
4. He has a 41 in fighting yet leads the league in fights, as of yesterday.
5. I love Mighty Taco, especially their guacamole🤤
6. Probably an employee at Mighty Taco.
8. This is a crazy one, but i have got to go with the Philadelphia Flyers, because both teams are based in Philadelphia🤯
9. Definitely a tie between welfare and practice facility. I click button, i get TPE. Yay.
 

Gritty
As captain and BEEPer (read: enforcer) of the Las Vegas Aces, Juan Ceson felt secure in his role on the team. He had his niche, and he served his role well. But then something happened.
New recruits Grigoris Polyhronidis Jr @GP18 and Womp Womp Womp Womp Womp Jr @AdamEss have both been seen practicing fisticuffs at the Juan Ceson Practice Facility (that, ironically, is still not visited by Juan Ceson). And rookie offensive defenseman Reid Johnson @TopTiddee2 has somehow ended up in the same number of fights (1) as Mr. Ceson this season.
 
Simon Logic
As it turns out, when 3 of the highest fighting players in the league are all on the same team, you don't really have anyone else to fight with. As through some wild miracle the top fighter in the league this season, John Poremba Jr @CrlineDijohn14 has 3 fights with 41 Fighting attribute. Which makes perfect sense, except not.
 
Oh Captain, My Captain!
So what is Juan Ceson to do about all these ornery new players on the Vegas Defense? Will he be able to overcome and show them that he is in fact the master BEEPer? Or will they take his throne? Inside sources tell us that because of the uncanny leadership abilities of Mr. Ceson, he will always have a spot in the hearts of the Vegas fanbase. As well as a spot on defense. Because at the end of the day, he is the longest current serving member of the Vegas organisation, having been there longer than the GM.

[VHLM] S84 Dispersal Mock Draft
 

 
Hello everyone and welcome to my unofficial VHLM S84 Dispersal Mock Draft! This draft will be a very interesting one, as I feel like there's a lot of players that can climb the draft board, but there's also people that can fall on the draft board. I'll be predicting picks 1-10, only the first round, as after that it really becomes hard to predict who's going when. Oh, also, @Moon will be joining me sharing his prediction on who will go for each pick, but I'll be the only one explaining why I think the player is going then, as it's my media spot. Without further adew, let's get to the mock draft, shall we?
 
1. Mexico City Kings
 
Moon's Prediction: G - Henry Tucker Jr @NSG
Cole's Prediction: G - Henry Tucker Jr @NSG
 
Alright, both of us are going to be starting out similar, as the first couple of picks I feel like are going to be pretty easy to predict. It's funny, because I'm also the Mexico City Kings GM, so I could be having fun and leaking the first overall pick early, or I could be lying to you guys and completely picking someone else, so have fun with that. However, looking at Henry Tucker Jr, they had an alright showing with the Halifax 21st, putting up a respectable .908 sv%, with a 1.61 GAA. They also sported a 7-1-0 record, which is very impressive for a player that was essentially the backup for the team. I think any team in this draft would love to have a goalie, as goalies are very limited in this draft, but Henry Tucker Jr going early would not surprise me, as they're one of the highest TPE goalies at the moment eligible for draft. This could be a huge pick for the Kings, as they would have one of the best goalies backstopping them for the season, and with the success his father, Henry Tucker had brought to the VHL, you'd think that his son would follow in his footsteps, creating his own legacy with whoever he lands with.
 
2. San Diego Marlins
 
Moon's Prediction: G - Karl Pedersen @JeffD
Cole's Prediction: G - Karl Pedersen @JeffD
 
Next up, we have San Diego Marlins, and both Moon and I agreed yet again, that another goalie would be taken, this time it is Karl Pedersen, JeffD's player. It would make the most sense that after Mexico City picked a goalie, that it would start the goalie train, where multiple teams would start to panic and pick goalies, as not many of them are in the draft, only a handful. The reasoning for picking Karl Pedersen specifically, is they are the highest TPE eligible goalie for the draft, and whoever Mexico City takes, San Diego will take the other. Karl Pedersen didn't play on a team last season, so the Marlins will not have many stats to go off of, but being one of the highest TPE eligible goalies for the draft, you would assume that they would do a fantastic job between the pipes for the Marlins. The Marlins are going to be looking to contend this season, after a fantastic last season, making it far in the playoffs and almost winning.
 
3. Philadelphia Reapers
 
Moon's Prediction: RW - Otis Boudreaux @Otis Boudreaux
Cole's Prediction: RW - Otis Boudreaux @Otis Boudreaux
 
Coming in on number three on the list, we have Otis Boudreaux, the first skater taken on the list. Otis was just named the AGM for the Reapers, and with the first two picks being goalies, you would assume that if Otis Boudreaux is left open by the time the Reapers pick, they're going to select their AGM's player. Now, I could be wrong, but this just seems like a very obvious choice for the Reapers, as Otis Boudreaux is a very active first gen, and also is one of the highest TPE skaters in the draft, an easy decision to be made by @Masu Chan. Otis put up 9 points in 22 games in the regular season, putting up 5 goals and 4 assists. However, in the playoffs Otis really shined, showing they can be relied on for a deep playoff run, putting up 10 points in 11 games. They were also able to net 6 goals in the playoffs, which is pretty impressive for a newer player. Otis Boudreaux will be taking his talent to the Reapers, where the Reapers will be looking to make a deep playoff run with some of their players returning to their roster for this upcoming season.
 
4. San Diego Marlins
 
Moon's Prediction: D - Gruffud Theofylaktos @JigglyGumballs
Cole's Prediction: C - Todd Cooke @l1l KRZY l9l
 
Alright, this is when @Moon and I finally start to disagree on some picks, content! San Diego has another top pick, in which they don't need a goalie, so they're going to be going for a skater. My prediction is that San Diego Marlins will be going for Todd Cooke, the highest TPE skater available in the draft, that is also a first gen. Todd Cooke had an impressive run last season in the M, playing all 72 games. Todd was able to put up 16 goals, 31 assists, good for 47 points, and a +26 on the Ottawa Lynx, an impressive stat line for sure. In the playoffs, they seemed to not be able to find their footing, as they only had 5 points in 12 games, a bit of a rough stretch for the young centerman. I think the Marlins adding an elite forward to their group with already one of the best goalies in the draft, should be able to make another strong push into the playoffs, and potentially win the championship.
 
5. Mississauga Hounds
 
Moon's Prediction: G - Odette Boudreaux @Odette.Boudreaux
Cole's Prediction: G - Geoff Bezos @Quik
 
Next up, we have the Mississauga Hounds who will be picking at fifth in this draft, and @Moon and I both agree that they'll be taking a goalie with this pick. It's very obvious that the later we go into the first round, the more and more a goalie is going to be needed to make a potential run in the playoffs, as they're the most important piece of any team. Another thing to keep in mind is that not every single team in the league is going to have a human goalie, and the difference between a human goalie and a bot goalie in the attributes is absolutely massive. The reason why I think the Hounds are going to go with Geoff Bezos is the fact that I think Bezos will be a bit more reliable. Odette Boudreaux is a bit on and off on activity, so they could be a very risky pick, however if they do workout for the Hounds, I actually think that they could be a better pick then Bezos at this pick. Bezos didn't play last season in the M, but they should be a fantastic goalie between the pipes for any team that they land on!
 
6. Houston Bulls
 
Moon's Prediction: G - Geoff Bezos @Quik
Cole's Prediction: D - Gruffud Theofylaktos @JigglyGumballs
 
Moving on, we have the Houston Bulls picking at sixth in the draft, with also having another pick at tenth in the draft, the last in the first round. Again, @Moon and I disagree on who is going to be going here, while he thinks that a goalie will be taken, I think a defenseman will be taken. Gruffud Theofylaktos sitting towards the top of the draft board, being one of the highest TPE players available, I think they finally land a home and that place is going to be the Houston Bulls. This player has slid super far in my opinion, and it's only a matter of time before a team is willing to take a risk on Theofylaktos. Theofylaktos played for the Las Vegas Aces last season, putting up an impressive 63 points in 72 games, with 15 goals and 48 assists, but a massive +71 in the plus/minus category. Not only that, but in the playoffs they ended up putting up 7 points and a +7 in 16 games, proving that they are one of the best players in the draft, let alone the best defenseman in the draft. This player is the definition of a "boom or bust" prospect, and if this player is able to continue their dominance, they'll be the steal of the draft without a doubt in my mind.
 
7. Miami Marauders
 
Moon's Prediction: LW - Ben McLaughlin @Ben mclaughlin
Cole's Prediction: LW - Ben McLaughlin @Ben mclaughlin
 
Coming in at seventh on the draft board is the Miami Marauders, and finally @Moon and I are able to agree again! I think this is a very obvious pick, and this one will be spot on, as the Miami Marauders had just recently announced that @Ben mclaughlin will be their AGM, and he'll most likely be available come their pick. Ben McLaughlin on top of that played for the Miami Marauders last season after being traded for the Mexico City Kings, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they land back with the Marauders. In 47 games played split between the Marauders and the Kings, McLaughlin put up 36 points, 15 goals and 21 assists, but a -40. Do not be alarmed though, as the -40 is because he played with the Mexico City Kings, who had a very rough season, finishing last. In the playoffs, McLaughlin had a respectable 3 points in 6 games, two of those points being goals. I think this is a no brainer pick for @Ledge and it should be an easy selection for him.
 
8. Halifax 21st
 
Moon's Prediction: D - Doug Britton @Doug Britton
Cole's Prediction: G - Odette Boudreaux @Odette.Boudreaux
 
Up next, we have the Halifax 21st with the eighth pick in the draft, to which @Moon and I start to disagree again, fun! My prediction is that the Halifax 21st will take a goalie regardless, as they have players returning to their roster and all they really need is a semi-decent goalie to be able to fuel them back to a potential playoff run. Who is the best remaining goalie at this pick you might ask, well it's Odette Boudreaux! I actually talked a bit about Odette a couple picks before, but I think if this player ends up becoming a bit more active, they could actually be a massive steal for the 21st. Odette ended up playing 42 games last season, sporting a 11-24-7 record, but having a .908 sv% with a 3.04 GAA on a struggling Houston Bulls team, not bad! All the 21st need is a goalie like I said, and I think they're destined to potentially make a run in the playoffs. Sadly, this means that the duo of Odette and Otis will be split up, but who knows, maybe they will get reunited at the trade deadline?
 
 
9. Mexico City Kings
 
Moon's Prediction: D - Phil Strasmore @Phil
Cole's Prediction: D - Doug Britton @Doug Britton
 
The second to last pick in the mock draft is finally here, and it's the Mexico City Kings selecting at ninth overall in the draft, the second to last pick in the first round. @Moon and I agree on a defenseman, however, with @Moon saying that Doug Britton goes to Halifax, he then resorts to the next best defenseman available, which would be Phil Strasmore. I ended up going with Doug Britton, as Doug has proven that they are a force to be reckoned with in the VHLM. This player actually ends up sliding down in the rankings, not due to the fact that they aren't active, or that their player isn't producing, but because of the fact that many goalies are going to be early, something the Kings must be happy with to get a top 5 player at pick 9. Doug Britton played last season with the Houston Bulls and the Halifax 21st. In 72 games, Doug Britton put up 47 points, 18 goals and 29 assists, pretty impressive for a two-way defenseman. This player has proven that they can put the puck in the back of the net, and they could be a modern day Cale Makar if I had to say there was any comparison. In the playoffs, this player hard fell off though, as they only had one point in 11 games, something that is a bit concerning, and potentially why they slip so far down in the draft. Regardless, Doug Britton is an active first gen and any team they can pick up this player will be taking them if they get to their pick!
 
10. Houston Bulls
 
Moon's Prediction: D - John Poremba Jr @CrlineDijohn14
Cole's Prediction: D - John Poremba Jr @CrlineDijohn14
 
The last pick in the first round of the draft, and the last pick in the mock draft belongs to the Houston Bulls. There's not much to say about this pick, as both of us agree that it's going to be John Poremba Jr heading to the Houston Bulls. I think that a way to make up for a weak goalie potentially, is by drafting an absolutely stacked D core, and if they're able to get both Theofylaktos and Poremba Jr, this team will have one of the best defensive units in the league. Poremba Jr ended up playing with the Halifax 21st and the Philadelphia Reapers last season, where they recorded 39 points, 6 goals and 33 assists, with a +41 in 72 games. In the playoffs, they also produced very well for the 21st, putting up 7 points in 11 games, with a +8, showing that they can produce in the playoffs under high pressure situations. I think that whoever ends up picking up Poremba Jr will have a super solid defenseman for the season coming, and a great TWD with passing capabilities on their team!
 
Alright, we're finally done with the Mock Draft. This took a really long time to do, as we put a lot of thinking into this, but we thought this would be some great content for you guys as the draft is happening Monday, why not get some draft hype going eh? I also want to give a quick shoutout to @Moon for collaborating with me, it was a super fun collab and I hope we can do more in the future!
 
Honorable Mentions: LW - Daniel Weaver @ThePerfectNut, C - William Futch @Futch, and LW - Fred Hampton @TownBizness.
 
2000+ words, not including titles.
 

1. Welp. We lost, but we definitely gave it our all.
2. Yes I'm participating! I have nothing better to do.
3. Sussudio by Phil Collins. It is an absolute banger.😎
4. It has to be the Benoit Devereux Trophy, because my player does an excellent job of padding the stats of opposing goalies.😜
5. I have a dog, his name is Cole! He is a mutt and a real sweetie.
6. Vacuuming! It is so loudddddd.😭

1. Well, we beat them in four games so yes I think I can say that I am fairly confident.
2. We need to play the best hockey we can play and see where the playoff gods take us.
3. It has to be Sam Tombstone @samthemancubhe has been a monster between the pipes this season.
4. I hope my player can have a successful VHL career!
5. Cold by a mile. Take a salad, throw it on the sandwich. Done.
6. I love to go on long bike rides. They are very relaxing.

1. I think a massive boat would be very original.
2. I usually go with whatever sounds the coolest.
3. I would relocate the team to Latvia and bring in Zemgus Girgensons.😎
4. My player loves the guacamole from Mighty Taco. And so do I. Who doesn't love the guacamole from Mighty Taco?
5. I went to see Genesis earlier this year on their Last Domino tour. It was an absolute blast and Phil Collins is an absolute legend.
6. My obsession with socks may have gone too far. Going to bed? I wore socks. Taking a shower? Wearing socks ofc. On the beach? You guessed it, socks. Eventually though I grew bored of them. Now i wear fuzzy socks.🥰 Never been a big sandal wearer though.

1. Hopefully not!🤞
2. I am already loving our locker room atmosphere!
3. Oof probably my astronomically high PIM.
4. Last I checked yes, but I don't think I've checked it in over year.
5. The Sabres didn't make it so I am just hoping to see some fun hockey.
6. Mind control so I can keep the VHLM refs from sending me to the penalty box.

Hell yeah, welcome @CrlineDijohn14!

1. Of course we hope to win some games but most importantly I hope we develop a positive team culture, and I have no doubts we will do just that.
2. I hope to improve as the season goes on, on and off the ice.
3. I can't wait to play with @Webberj because we are both Sabres fans!
4. The Buffalo Sabres cause they are my hometown team and Zemgus Girgensons is one attractive forward.
6. It is too early to say but we are going to give it our all this year.
8. Zemgus Girgensons. He is an excellent player and a handsome guy.
 

1. Of course we hope to win some games but most importantly I hope we develop a positive team culture, and I have no doubts we will do just that.
2. I hope to improve as the season goes on, on and off the ice.
3. I can't wait to play with @Webberj because we are both Sabres fans!
4. The Buffalo Sabres cause they are my hometown team and Zemgus Girgensons is one attractive forward.
6. It is too early to say but we are going to give it our all this year.
8. Zemgus Girgensons. He is an excellent player and a handsome guy.
 

#FEARTHEREAPER

Player Information
Username: CrlineDijohn14
Player Name: John Poremba Jr
Recruited From: Reddit
Age: 22
Position: D
Height: 71 in.
Weight: 181 lbs.
Birthplace: United States of America

Player Page
@VHLM GM

HAHAH you're good

Hello @CrlineDijohn14 VHLM GM will send you some offer after the draft later today or during the day tomorrow during this time if you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask  

John Poremba
@CrlineDijohn14
 
Philadelphia Reapers S72-S73
 
  GP
W
L
OTL
SV%
GAA
SO
Regular Season
137
75
56
6
0.914
2.80
15
Playoffs
16
7
7
2
0.893
3.14
0
 
    John Poremba was undeniably one of the greatest goaltenders in Philadelphia. They posted a 50 Win season and won two Benoit Devereux awards, as well as a single Mitch Higgins for being the league MVP in season 73, a season where the Reapers really struggled. Dmaximus was more than willing to give another testimony for Poremba.
 
Testimonial:
 
There’s not a lot that needs to be said about John Poremba because his awards speak for themselves. Poremba won back-to back Benoit Devereux Awards (Best VHLM Goaltender) in Seasons 72 and 73. He also won the Mitch Higgins Award for being the league MVP in Season 73. Season 72 saw Poremba lead a strong Reaper squad for the entire season. A season that unfortunately ended in a Game 7 overtime loss in the semifinals to the eventual champions, Saskatoon. He notched 50 wins that season along with a .904 Save% and a 2.35 GAA.
Because of the team’s all-in push during the previous season, there were only a few players on the roster for Season 73. Poremba stood on his head night after night to drag a skeleton crew of a team into the playoffs. His .921 Save% is one of the highest in the history of the league. His amazing efforts were recognized by the league, which deservedly named him MVP that season. Poremba is one of the all-time greatest goalies in the history of the VHLM. It is an honor to call him a Reaper and to have him enshrined in the Reaper Hall of Fame.

Regular Season MVP Award "Mitch Higgins Trophy"
 
This is never an easy award to decide, but it is even harder to win. Those players that achieve the most must sacrifice everything for their team, putting it all on the line to move forward with success. It is the ability to outperform your competition so completely that even your most vicious enemy has to recognize your greatness. At the end of the day, the Mitch Higgins goes to the one best player in the VHLM. Or, in this case, the two best players. 
 
Your runner up, with two votes, Pietro Angellini!
 
    
Without further ado, with five votes apiece, the most valuable player of the regular season is both Riley Knight Gee and John Poremba! Congratulations @KnightRiley and @CrlineDijohn14!
    
 
Lastly - Top Executive - Jack Reilly Trophy!
 

HC Davos receives:
S75 PRG 4th

Prague receives:
John Poremba


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

John Poremba @CrlineDijohn14 carried the Reapers, his 921sv% is top of the entire league by a wide margin his 3.21GAA site 6th overall which given his shots totals which sits first overall as well is amazing.
 
The definition of MVP is most valuable player, and if you take Poremba off the Reapers, they probably are among the worst records in the VHLM instead of tje playoffs. He is the Taylor Hall of 2018, which everyone is still butt hurt about. His back is sore from carrying, the entire team. 
 
Lots of goalies, would have given up and just put in a lazy effort. However Poremba came to work every day, and stopped as many pucks as he possibly can. Not only was he the best goalie in the entire VHLM this season, but the league MVP.
 
Calling those jokers who screwed up the Defender of the year award. Dont screw this one up. 

Hello, and welcome to the first edition of a new season of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
VHL Weekly | VSN Australia | Ringless | Future Watch EU
 
The Review
 
There hasn’t been a lot of movement within the standings since last week; primarily, the lines have just been further drawn in the sand as to which teams are looking more like competitors. Realistically, we have six teams over 50 points, all of which could be strong competitors come playoffs, with another team at 43 that could prove spoiler to one of our top teams in the postseason. Without further ado, let's check out our standings. 
 

 
Starting in the Eastern Conference, we see that the Miami Marauders maintain their number one position, but only on tiebreakers, as the Ottawa Lynx have equaled their 54 points. Following just behind is the Minnesota Storm, with just one fewer win than the two other teams. These three teams will be battling it out to see who can get the top spot in the Conference, ensuring favourable opposition in the playoffs. Following the Storm, we have the Mississauga Hounds barely ahead of the Philadelphia Reapers, with both teams hovering in a playoff spot around 20 points, as they try to stay ahead of their Western Conference peers. Rounding out the East is the Halifax 21st, whose 5 points is the lowest in the league, with only two wins and an overtime loss in 35 games. 
 
Onto the Western Conference, we now have a new overall leader in the league! The Houston Bulls, on 58 points, have overtaken the Marauders, at least for now, with a strong run of games that saw them go 11-1-0. The Las Vegas Aces come next, followed by the San Diego Marlins; both teams have also been performing well as of late, coming in second and third over the last 12 games played with a 10-1-1 and a 10-2-0 record. The West has been strong over the past week! Following the Marlins we have an interesting team in the Saskatoon Wild, in that the Wild are heads and shoulders above the teams below them, but are significantly behind the teams ahead of them. Since our last update, in which the Wild were tied for second in the West, they have dropped off, going 5-5-2, and are now 8 points behind San Diego. Granted, there is a lot of time left in the season, but one wonders if the Wild will be looking to rebuild sooner rather than later, cutting their losses and moving on with the process. Time will tell; they certainly aren’t out of contention yet this season, as such a balanced top half of the league means anything is possible. The Mexico City Kings, closely followed by the Yukon Rush, round out our standings at 5th and 6th in the conference, respectively, each fighting with the Hounds and Reapers for that final playoff spot thanks to crossover. 
 
This rounds out our review of the standings. Let’s take a look at our ELO charts to see if they paint a clearer picture of the first week of the season:
 

 
As mentioned in the review of the standings, there’s a new leader in town, marked by a significant uptick in the Bulls’ ELO rating by the end of this string of games. There hasn’t been too much movement otherwise; we see Saskatoon’s steady decline over the past 12 games, while the Lynx, Marlins, and Aces have all been steady climbers - although, the Wild still rank ahead of the Aces, despite being lower than them in the standings. In fact, the Aces are probably the most “overrated” team purely from the perspective of the standings, according to our ELO charts. The Storm had a large drop off at the end of the period but still outpace their place in the standings, maintaining their lead over the Lynx despite their worse record. 
 
As mentioned previously, there is a huge gulf between the contenders and non-contenders, with about 250 points between the Aces and the Kings. That being said, despite their current record is worse than their Eastern Conference counterparts, the ELO charts suggest that either the Mexico City Kings or the Yukon Rush will be your final playoff team once all is said and done if their performances continue. 

The Highlights
 
Merrick’s Marlins
 
Leading all skaters in points over the past 12 games, John Merrick of the San Diego Marlins has been leading the line as Marlin’s offence has been unstoppable in recent times, with four of the top six skaters by points. Merrick is number one, as he leads his team in points, having scored 13 goals and assisted 15 times for over a point per game. Merrick is closely followed by defenceman Han Jae Kuk whose fantastic 27 assists for 27 points have propelled him to be tied for assists with Houston’s Riley Knight Gee (who still leads the league in points). Following Han Jae Kuk we have the ever fantastic Roadkill Steve who has scored 16 goals in the past 12 games, the most of any player. The Marlins, should they keep up this output, may prove a dangerous opponent come the postseason. 
 
Poremba in Control
 
Philadelphia’s number one goaltender John Poremba has been absolutely stellar this season. Despite a tough record, sitting at just 10 wins over 35 matches, the American leads the league in SV% with .919, .017 more than second-placed Ajay Krishna, and seems the runaway favourite for this season’s Benoit Devereux Trophy winner, should his performances continue. Poremba has been consistently fantastic, as a goalie needs to be to average nearly a .92 in the M, and despite the second-worst GAA in the league, has been one of the main reasons the Reapers are still in playoff contention. Look to Game 146, in which the Reapers shutout Halifax, for an example of perfect performance from Poremba. Game 160 saw him achieve a .951% against the Yukon Rush in which his 39 saves were vital to the Reapers’ 4-2 victory. Well done John!
 

That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!
 
@VHLM GM
Players Mentioned: @Steve, @Dtayl, @KnightRiley, @stevo, @CrlineDijohn14, @Hooperorama
 
 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter
 

Hello, and welcome to the first edition of a new season of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
Top 25: Players 5 to 1 | Season Preview | VHLM Awards | S73 Mock
 
The Review
 
This season, unlike last, there are no massive sweeping structural changes underway for the VHLM. There are some rule changes and some clarifications, but these are more things that affect the retention side of the league than its competitiveness. Important and necessary changes, but not part of a review for the most part, except for one important aspect - the playoff rules have been clarified. The eight best teams will get in, regardless of conference, and the seeds will be protected only for the conference winners. This has a sort of ripple effect on retention as well, as the better teams are often filled with more active players. 

 
Coincidentally, as it stands we actually have the best teams divided evenly across the conferences, and would not necessarily have needed the rule clarification as the standings sit right now. There are some teams in the running for the final spot that could change that, however, so it is still better to have the clarification in place whether it is needed or not. 
 
So far, this season looks like a tale of two leagues, the top 7 teams proving to be particularly competitive among each other, and the bottom 5 fighting for a single playoff spot (or fighting against a single playoff spot, depending on your perspective). At the top of the standings right now, it appears as though last season’s expansion Miami Marauders did well to try to draft players they expected to be around for two seasons. Some of the picks looked like reaches at the time, but it seems to have worked out for them, especially on the back end where they’ve only conceded 30 goals in 23 games. The Houston Bulls, who spent the entirety of last season stuck in the basement, are now tied for 2nd and are very much the counter to Miami, with the most goals for, by a pretty wide margin - 122 goals to the next highest, which is 98. The Ottawa Lynx, Minnesota Storm, San Diego Marlins, Las Vegas Aces, and Saskatoon Wild all also look strong so far, and it remains to be seen which ones will pull away from the rest. Miami, Ottawa, Minnesota, and Houston seem to be just a slight tier above the other three, both in points and in goal difference. Still, it’s early, and the point difference is marginal at best, so none of the other three are out of it. 
 
At the other end, there seems to be one clear cut bottom-feeder: the Halifax 21st with a paltry 3 points so far. Compounding their misery is that the team, on the whole, is only just marginally ahead of a goal per game, which is a rate more often used to describe the performances of individual players. The Yukon Rush find themselves toward the bottom of the table for another season, whereas the Mexico City Kings, Mississauga Hounds, and Philadelphia Reapers were a bit more fortunate last season and have only now dropped to this level. As it stands, the Reapers would get in, but outside of Halifax, any of these lower teams could find themselves sneaking in at 8th. 
 
Maybe the ELO chart will sort things out a little:
 

 
The short answer is no, it really doesn’t. The one thing that’s most easily spotted on this chart, however, is that the top four really are in a different class than the 5-7 teams. The gap between 4 and 5 is almost the gap between 7 and 8, which isn’t really borne out in the points. Perhaps it goes to show that at this stage in the season, points don’t really tell the story. Another thing of note is that Houston, at least as of right now, is actually above Miami in ELO. The margins within the three groups are particularly tight, but Houston has been the top ELO team for a bit, and it will be interesting to see if the standings change to reflect the ELO, or if the ELO changes to reflect the standings. The middle group, even this early on, likely doesn’t have a ton to fight for except seeding - they’ll definitely be in the playoffs, but if the on-ice talent is reflected in the ELO, they’re also not likely to be threats once there. A few good signings could help, though. 
 
As for the bottom teams, it seems that Mexico City is actually the one that should be in the final playoff spot, rather than Philadelphia. Additionally, Mississauga somehow falls below Halifax in ELO at this stage, despite the fact that Halifax looks like pretty clearly the worst team. It’s still early though, so there’s a lot to play out, and things could change in a few different ways yet. 
 
The Highlights
 
As it’s still very early in the season, we can’t really determine too much about how the final stats will end up, but at this stage, it appears as though our single most impressive performer is actually on defence. Riley Knight Gee has put up 54 points so far, leading the league in both points and assists. Plus 18 isn’t too far from the leaderboard either, and a P/20 (points per 20 minutes, so point production adjusted for time on the ice) of 1.60 is also top of the league.
 
Goalies are in a bit of a strange situation at the moment, with Bacon the standout. His GAA is a fantastic 1.31, which is somewhat a function of his team, but he’s also second in SV% with .918%. John Poremba is pulling a Jean Pierre Camus from last season, a great SV% (.922%) on a team where it’ll go largely unrecognized. The next two would probably be Ajay Krishna and Calvin Harvey, with decent performances in both major goalie stats. 
 
Let’s take a little deeper look into a particular game that was interesting - a 10-5 win for Houston over Mexico City. A hat trick for Christian Mingle, two goals each for Jonas Stormsson and Aloe Dear, Houston put their foot on the gas and never let up. Shawty Nananana and Riley Knight Gee also each had a hat trick of assists, beaten out by Markus Schauer’s four, and Julian Nousiainen put up a goal and three assists. Unlike most games with a double-digit winning team, however, this game actually had some fight from the team that would eventually go on to lose. It’s hard to outscore 10 goals, but Jeremy Lin and Wolf Weiss each put up two of their own, and Mexico City showed some resilience in this game. Lin actually ended up with the first star in a loss, with two each of goals and assists. Ultimately, it hasn’t done much for them in the standings as they’re among the bottom tier of teams, but if this is the final playoff team, maybe a tighter than expected series will be on the cards. It’s still very early for playoff implications, though.
 
That’s all for this edition of Under 250: The VHLM Review. Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned next week for the inside scoop on all that’s going on in the league. Until next time!
 
GMs: @Dil @ColeMrtz @DMaximus @Rayzor_7 @Spartan @Doomsday @Ricer13 @MexicanCow123 @Motzaburger @InstantRockstar @rjfryman @DoktorFunk
 
Players mentioned: @KnightRiley @CrlineDijohn14 @Bacon @Hooperorama @Mrpenguin30 @Quik @Renomitsu @Grape @Kyle @Plate @okochastar @jman9theman9 @Matmenzinger