CrlineDijohn14

Another season is underway, and that means an update for Future Watch! Here on Future Watch, we take an in-depth look at each VHL team’s prospect pool. Last season, the EU Conference dominated, taking all of the top 4 spots. Can they replicate that? How will the new expansion teams fit into the list? Let’s take a look and see.
 
Before we begin though, I’d like to inform you of some of VSN’s latest content. @PatrikLaine brings a fresh new voice to the writing crew and has already contributed nicely with his season preview. Be sure to check it out among the rest of VSN’s great work!
 
 
 

 
RIGA REIGN | 8th in EU | 15th Overall
Top Prospect: Bobby Wyman - S72 3rd Round (29)
 
After two graduations, one retirement, and an expansion draft claim, it’s safe to say Riga’s prospect pool is not what it used to be. Their only active prospect, Bobby Wyman, does have some decent upside though. Selected in S72’s third round, Wyman was a very consistent TPE earner before a drop in his activity recently. Being a member in the SBA, the renewed partnership between the SBA and VHL could really help the defender get back on track. Wyman is an extremely physical player on the back end, with a defence-first mindset that could work unbelievably well with the more offence-oriented DeFenz Mann as soon as S74. Riga does only have one active prospect, but he fits perfectly with their team.
 
 
 
 
MALMO NIGHTHAWKS | 7th in EU | 14th Overall
Top Prospect: Kirishima Wakaro - S73 2nd Round (29)
 
Malmo’s prospect pool is not a deep one either, though they do have some fantastic young pieces on their roster. The only prospect to show VHL potential so far has been Kirishima Wakaro of the Miami Marauders. Wakaro was picked by Malmo in this past offseason’s draft and looks to be a solid top 4 defenceman at the VHL level. He has flirted with inactivity a couple of times, but his TPE earning has been largely consistent. I would say his build is slightly more defence-focused, though there is some offensive upside there too.
 
Another S73 prospect in Malmo’s prospect pool is Kevin Sterk. He has consistently claimed practice facility for six consecutive weeks, but the only other claim he’s made is for training camp. If Sterk shows an ability to earn capped TPE in the near future, he could turn into a more notable prospect, but only portal claims like practice facility and training camp will limit his potential quite a bit. The Nighthawks have a young and exciting team, so hopefully, both of these players can find their way onto the squad to be a part of it soon.
 
 

 
LONDON UNITED | 6th in EU | 9th Overall
Top Prospect: Alec Volchenkov - S73 1st Round (12)
 
The London United have done a pretty good job building a prospect pool in their short time in the league so far, adding players through both the entry and expansion drafts, as well as through trade. Their first-round pick, Alec Volchenkov, has been producing TPE at an extremely high pace for quite some time now. With 159 TPE over his last 7 weeks, which averages out to 23 per week, Volchenkov has proven that he is bound to be a massive piece for the team’s future. Having your future number one centre after your very first draft is a really great early step towards success, and Volchenkov is looking like just that.
 
Another player who is coming up to London next season is former Moscow prospect Keith Krestanovich. The 16th overall selection in the expansion draft has shown potential to be a pure goal scorer in the VHL, reflected in his build and his stats. He had a bit of a down week recently with no capped TPE, but in the likely case that it was just a hiccup, he seems to be a pretty high-quality offensive winger moving forward.
 
Nils Friedriksen was acquired through trade and has gone through a rough patch in terms of TPE production lately. After three inactive weeks, Friedriksen returned with 14 TPE (2 capped, 12 uncapped) last week. Not long ago he was a pretty highly touted goalie prospect, so if he can build on that and return to form, London could have a really nice VHL goaltender on their hands. If everything works out, he could be their starter as soon as next season.
 
Two more players were added in the later stages of the S73 draft, and those would be Tim Kamashev and Antti Paakarainen. Neither of them have claimed any capped TPE, so they haven’t shown too much potential. However, they have both updated recently, so if they’re still active then they may be able to figure out capped TPE earning, which will increase their value greatly. Overall, London has a quality group with some wildcards, but the potential is there for sure.
 
 

 
HC DAVOS DYNAMO | 5th in EU | 6th Overall
Top Prospect: Jer Lefebvre - S72 2nd Round (23)
 
Davos has been a team on the rise over the past couple seasons, and with that comes the likely decline in prospect quality. However, despite not having one of the top prospect pools in the league anymore, Davos has formed a prospect pool with plenty of good pieces that will come up and make an impact throughout their cup window. There are a lot of players here with a high floor, and will probably serve as really useful supplementary players down the road to the young core they’ve already built.
 
In the crease, they’ve got John Poremba, who they received in the ACL TEAR trade. Poremba has progressed about as consistently as one possibly can, dropping below 8 TPE in only two weeks during his career, and never below 6. He may not have superstar potential, but he will be an extremely reliable option with the upside to become a decent starter as well. 
 
A fair amount of the Dynamo’s current prospects have struggled a bit with consistency in staying active, yet have the potential to be important parts of the team. An example of that would be Empty. After a successful career with Pat Svoboda, StamkosFan went inactive for a while with Empty. However, he then came back for two weeks earlier this month, earning 10 TPE in that span. He hasn’t shown a ton of potential yet, but you can never rule out StamkosFan from turning it around and making another great player. King Kruul and Gino Alkamino find themselves in similar situations, where they seem to dip in and out of activity. They’ve both shown flashes of quality but will need to put it all together quickly if they want to be real difference-makers at the VHL level. Centre Turner McHugh finds himself stuck in inactivity, but as it’s only been three weeks, he still has a chance to be a great player if he gets back to form.
 
This team has done pretty well in the latter part of the draft too, drafting three noteworthy prospects past 40th overall. The first would be Chance Rust, selected at number 40 exactly. Rust has been a staple on team USA’s defence for two seasons now at the world juniors and could make it three in S73. He is a tremendous puck-moving defenceman with remarkable vision, and he could be a big part of Davos’ defence in the future. Next, we have a pair of wingers: Jared Willis and Vlad Imir. They were both selected past 40 as well in the past two drafts. Willis is the definition of an offensive threat, with a versatile skill set that allows him to score in all situations. What he may be lacking is a defensive side to his game, which is where Imir comes in. Imir has a balanced build with a nice grasp of the defensive aspect of the game. They’ve both been earning TPE at a good, steady rate, and could become linemates one day.
 
Lastly, we have the team’s top prospect, Jer Lefebvre. Other than a little bump in the road with an inactive 07/19 week, Lefebvre has been a pretty exciting prospect as a goal-scoring forward. He is currently over a goal per game in the VHLM and is sure to surpass last season’s 29 by a significant amount. Since the young Canadian is already at the VHLM’s TPA cap, he will be on the big league squad in S74. Davos continues to have remarkable depth in their group, which even outweighs the pure upside of some of the smaller groups in my opinion.
 
 

 
PRAGUE PHANTOMS | 4th in EU | 4th Overall
Top Prospect: Andre Lebastard - S73 1st Round (15)
 
Even with last season’s top prospect retiring, Prague’s group takes a massive step forward, going up from 9th overall to 4th despite four new teams being added. The group has some nice depth, and two players really lead the way for the others.
 
Forwards Andre Lebastard and Dan Baillie Jr are the two big names here, selected in the S73 Draft at 15th and 21st overall respectively. Lebastard is more of a playmaking centre, while Baillie Jr complements him nicely as a scoring winger. The duo are both very respected among their peers. For Baillie Jr, he has a very accomplished family and he more than lives up to the name. In Lebastard’s case, he managed to become Miami’s very first captain in franchise history. They are really neck-and-neck in terms of my decision for top prospect, but I believe Lebastard may have a slightly higher upside. Regardless, both of these players are not only bound to be on the Phantoms soon, but they could also be real catalysts for the team at their peaks.
 
On defence, Prague has a talented asset in Riley Knight Gee. He has torn up the VHLM season so far with 10 more points than anyone else. This is no one-off either; The Houston Bull has produced well over a point per game over his career in the minors. His TPE production has really picked back up in these last couple weeks as well, and he is looking more and more like a key part of this team’s tomorrow.
 
Some players here have been a little inconsistent, and others very much so. Starting with the former, we have Jack John, Bobbie Cheechoo and Theodore James St Louis. A few weeks ago I would’ve told you that three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and Jack John earning six TPE every week. When his TPE production lowered recently it did cause a bit of concern for me, but I definitely wouldn’t count him out from making his way onto this Prague team yet. He has displayed incredible consistency before and just needs to get back in that rhythm. Cheechoo and St Louis are both S73 players who have had some inactive weeks recently but have shown VHL potential before. All they need is to find some regularity in earning TPE, and the Phantoms will have themselves another useful duo. They have fairly similar builds as scoring right-wingers and could be players to look out for soon enough.
 
Now we move on to the lesser active players. Ernie King, Zachariah Kisslinger and Secel Keller make up this group. They all made comebacks after activity droughts in the week of 07/19, and two have continued their progression since then. Kisslinger has been claiming welfare and whatever uncapped opportunities he sees, leading him to a really solid 27 TPE over his last 2 full weeks. His build is very balanced, leading a bit more towards defence. If he continues to develop as he has lately, he could be an interesting prospect down the line. Keller came back from an extremely long break, and really impressed with a 33 TPE week last week. It remains to be seen if he can keep this up, but there’s no doubt the defensively responsible winger will be among the better prospects in the game if he can. Prague’s group is full of reliability at the top, and some untapped potential which is ready to be unleashed at the bottom.
 
 

 
HELSINKI TITANS | 3rd in EU | 3rd Overall
Top Prospect: Patrik Laine - S73 1st Round (9)
 
It’s truly miraculous that Helsinki has managed to put forward back-to-back seasons with a top 3 prospect pool in the VHL after all of their best prospects graduated this past offseason. What kept them here is a fresh new batch of prospects who are surely going to be difference makers for the club real soon. Kicking things off with a pair of right-wingers, Patrik Laine and Oh Sens are top tier talents. They both cap out often and earn an abundance of uncapped TPE as well. Laine has made his mark on the league early in his career with his articles, even earning himself a spot here at VSN in the process. Both playing in Miami this season, the two could quite possibly form some chemistry that could carry over to Helsinki next season. With Laine being a pure goal scorer and Sens being a more balanced threat, they could have the makings of quality linemates.
 
In net, Helsinki has two prospects worth noting. Hex Valentine has been weaving between earning TPE at high and low rates, but if he can find a way to make those highs more often than not, he has the potential to be a decent VHL goaltender. Also between the pipes is Calvin Harvey, who fell in the S73 Draft a bit because of the sheer amount of goaltenders available. This is no knock on his individual skill though because he is an outstanding prospect. He puts up around 8-12 TPE most weeks but blows that out of the water fairly often too. There’s a ton of potential here, and he will make a fantastic tandem with Zamboni Driver very soon. While Helsinki doesn’t have a crazy amount of players, there is some unquestionable talent at play here.
 
 

 
MOSCOW MENACE | 2nd in EU | 2nd Overall
Top Prospect: Wolf Stansson - S73 1st Round (13)
 
After last season’s first-place finish, the Menace only move down one spot in the rankings. They’ve kept two high-upside players from last season’s group, on top of some wonderful additions.
 
In the S73 Draft, the team added a pair of terrific defensemen. In the first round, they went for Wolf Stansson, a two-way defender with huge upside. The 17-year-old cracked 30 goals in S72 and will look to build on that this time around. There’s really no weaknesses in his game, and he is almost a sure thing to be a top-pairing defenceman one day for this team. Fat palloon was picked up in the second round, and he looks to be a decent prospect as well. His weekly TPE totals can fluctuate quite a bit, but the bottom line is that he gets the job done. The Rush defenceman has managed to be over a point per game this season so far despite his defence-first mindset. Both him and Stansson will be a great boost to the Menace in the near future.
 
The Menace acquired Michael Hall in a trade with Davos, and he was on pace to becoming a decent VHL player before going inactive three weeks ago. If he comes back, he is one to keep your eyes on. For now, our focus concerning the S72 Draft lies on Cole Newhook and Pietro Angellini. Both of these players were nothing short of a straight robbery at their draft positions. Newhook had a bit of an off week with no capped TPE last week, but that’s not a big deal if he can rebound by the end of this week. The two centres have earned TPE at the same rate as some of the top prospects league-wide, and are must-see players to say the absolute least. Angellini is more of a natural centre, while you could likely place Newhook in any offensive position. Both of them are amazing scorers, though Angellini has shown a bit more of that in his VHLM career so far. I could go through the checklist of what makes a great player, and these guys check all the boxes. There’s honestly no limit to how good this group can become, yet only time will tell how it all turns out.
 
 

 
WARSAW PREDATORS | 1st in EU | 1st Overall
Top Prospect: Dakota Lamb - S73 1st Round (10)
 
And here we have it, S73’s top prospect pool! And who better to have this honour than one of our brand new franchises, Warsaw. The club had an extraordinary draft and picked up another tremendous player in the expansion draft too. The positional depth here is unbelievable, and the raw talent on display in this group is unmatched.
 
Perhaps the most impressive part of this group is their centre depth. Consisting of 10th overall pick Dakota Lamb and 3rd overall expansion pick Arthur Dayne, the centre of the ice is more than secure for plenty of seasons to come. They’ve both got very well-put-together builds for the middle of the ice, and have been capping out regularly as well. The balance of capped and uncapped TPE is there, and Lamb has even grabbed the position of a backup graphic with VSN! These two are nothing short of elite players, and will play a huge role in this team’s success.
 
Another forward who is primed to make an impact for Warsaw is Mexico City’s, Jeremy Lin. Lin has been a steady TPE earner, usually around 9-12 per week. Last week was a big moment for him though, where he posted an impressive 30 TPE. He is a versatile offensive threat with a scoring touch that has allowed him to be over a goal per game to date in the VHLM this season. His potential isn’t necessarily as high as Lamb or Dayne, but his floor is incredibly high, and his reliability is something that can’t be understated.
 
Transitioning to the back half of the ice, the Predators look great in goal and on defence as well. Their future starter, Ajay Krishna, has gone from an impressive goalie prospect to one of the most highly touted young goalies in the league lately, at least in my opinion. The reason for this is an adjustment in his TPE production. Not only does he earn every possible capped TPE every week, but he is also now earning high amounts of uncapped TPE along with it. Krishna will be the club’s first true number one goalie, and an exceptional one at that. In front of him will be yet another top tier prospect in Victor Grachev. The Russian defenceman has found his bread and butter as a defensive-minded puck mover from the back end and will be an integral piece of their blueline. Grachev joined considerably late in S73 eligibility and wasted no time catching up to his competition. Watch for him to continue this, and to keep garnering more respect across the league. I think it’s fair to say Warsaw has set themselves up for the future quite nicely, and it will heavily benefit them sooner than one might expect.
 
 
That’s it for this season’s EU Future Watch! As always, you can follow these players through the VHLM Weekly series here on VSN, as well as through our WJC coverage whenever it begins! I wish all these players the best in their careers and hope they can find their way into the VHL soon enough.
 
Players mentioned: @Lefty_S @Snussu @TenZi @SirRupertBarnes @Boragina @Biggreen10 @Ninjaboi @SeamusSv @CrlineDijohn14 @StamkosFan @LefLop @ChaceT @Turner @turkey2349 @Jared Willis @Big Dee @Jer_Lefebvre @Andre LeBastard @wcats @KnightRiley @GoadenGoalie35 @Sharkie @Nick Kirkpatrick @Greg Ernest @Kisslinger @xsjack @PatrikLaine @osens @DrHexDex @Mrpenguin30 @ahockeyguy @UnkemptCL4PTP @Hops @GrittyIsKing09 @okifenoki @dlamb @Infernal @jman9theman9 @Hooperorama @KaleebtheMighty 

The VHLM has plenty of all star teams, the Aces, Wild, Mauraders, Marlins, Lynx, Houston. All have gone in hard in the quest to capture this seasons Founder cup. 
 
Their goalies have easy jobs, just be average or slightly better and they will more often get a win. However, those goalies unlucky to be on the Rush, 21st, Hounds, Reapers, and Kings. They need to be super human to even stand a chance to put up a win. Today we look at these unsung heros and talk about them a bit 
 
Halfiax 21st Hex Valentine & Karl Malone 
@eaglesfan036 @DrHexDex
 
First we will start with Karl Malone, a goalie whose yet to start a game, however should split starts as atleast at this moment both are counted as active members. Though Hex is in danger of becoming inactive. Malone is the best back up in the league in my opinion. Should be able to post some solid numbers.
 
Hex Valentine sits with 0 wins 5 losses, but its not really his fault as he sits pretty with a 904sv% and 4GAA. He is doing his best but facing the 3rd most shots on the entire league. He currently counts as active but if he keeps his current course he may be supplanted by Malone
 
Mexico City Kings Michael Olson & Markus Emerson Jr 
@Xflexz @MSO94
 
This duo is the worst in the league in terms of TPE but both are active and one or both could become very solid goalies on the future. 
 
Right now Olson is the only goalie to have offically started sitting with a 2-4 record 866sv% and 5.83gaa. His numbers are rather bad, but he is young an lacks the polish and experience as the other goalies. If he can keep earning expect to see those numbers rise. Mexico has some firepower bailing him out as evidence by the 2 wins. He currently faces a ton of rubber with the second most shots against in the entire league.
 
Philadelphia Reapers John Poremba
@CrlineDijohn14
 
No back up active or even on the roster as they use PHI G 1. However they have the one of the best goalies in the league at the moment in my opinion. Poremba currently sits with a amazing 913sv% but he does have a very ugly 5.4gaa. He has 0 wins and 5 losses currently. It shows he is doing everything he can to help the team win, but of course he cant do it all himself facing the most shots against in the league. Hopefully the Reapers can give him a bit more support. 
 
Yukon Rush Kloxfield
@Kloxified
 
No back up goalie, on the entire roster currently only 1 active goalie.
 
Kloxfield really needs to come through for the Rush as he is the only goalie currently on the roster. Like Mexico duo he is young and new an among the worst goalies in the league training wise. That being said he has done well, despite 0 wins an 5 losses. Kloxfield has a respectable 884sv% and 3.8 GAA. If he keeps improving he should pick up some Wins as the season goes on.
 
Missisauga Hounds Vsevolod Askarov 
 
No back up goalie an of course im not going to tag myself. No other active on the roster.
 
Askarov has been steadily improving, but he has actually been fairly awful. When he is good, he has been really good and won. When he's been bad though he has been bad. As is apparent despite his 2 wins an 3 loss record. He currently sports a 878sv% and a 4.4GAA. He is an ever improving player and hopes he can start to really turn it around as the season goes on as he aims to establish himself as a top goalie in the league. 
 
 

Welcome again to my expectation’s media spot! Where I go through the most in-depth power rankings post you have seen yet! This is where I rank how each team will perform, and I also project their wins and losses over the season! Incredible!
 
Mind you, I can’t account for things like trades, busts, people leaving, signings or TPA growth. Basically, all the independent variables that a teams TPA is depended on. Which is why the result at the end of the season might be VERY different.
 
Method
If you want to know my method, you can read this. There will be a bunch of formula and math jargon going on here. You can feel free to skip this and just look at the list. My feelings won’t be hurt.
 
This was a two-step process. The first step was figuring out the baseline wins and losses for every team. Then the second part was adjusting the number of wins and losses total so that it fit the 432 games that are played in the regular season.
 
I took all the teams’ players and threw them onto a spreadsheet. Then I added up all their TPAs together. From when I did this segment the last season, I discovered the TPA per point was 29. Meaning for every 29 TPA a team had, they got a point in the regular season. I used this as a baseline. I had to round to the nearest whole number because you can’t have half a point.
 
Halifax has 603 TPA on their team.
603/29 = 21
 
When I did that for every team, I got a small problem. It totals up to 350 wins and 514 losses. I wanted both numbers to be at 432 because there are 432 games played in the season. So, I needed to do some adjusting by spreading out 82 wins among our 12 teams. How did I get to decide how many wins a team got? I’m glad you asked!
 
I added up all the TPA in the league from all the teams. It turned out to be 20,303 TPA. I then divided the amount of TPA each team had to get a percentage. Again, I rounded to the nearest whole number because you can’t have a part of a win. It’s either you lost, won, or went into overtime.
 
There is 20,303 TPA in total. Halifax contributes to 0.03% of that.
20,303*0.03
 
I used the 0.03% TPA contribution that Halifax had as the amount of wins they would get from the 82 left over. Because they had 0.03% of the TPA in the league, they would get 0.03% of the 82 wins available.
 
Halifax has 0.03% of the TPA in the league. There are 82 win up for grabs.
82*0.03 = 2
Congratulations Halifax you just got yourself two more wins! Because of the rounding, there were two more wins than I needed this way. Philadelphia was supposed to get 2 wins out of that slice of pie, but I cut them because they had the lowest amount of TPA. Sorry Philly fans.
 
I’ll be going down the list in reverse order. From the worst team to the best. You won’t believe who’s first!
 
Philadelphia Reapers 
Grade: Rebuilder
Record: 9 - 63 - 0 
Points: 18
 
Philly stands strong at 524 total TPA in their roster. Philly saw most of their players move up to the VHL or get drafted high in the S73 Dispersal Draft They’re going to be settling into rebuild territory for a while. There isn’t much else to say about this season for them.
 
The Reapers might spare some of their players by trading them away to contending teams. I mostly mean their goaltender, John Poremba, for a 1st and other assets to a team that needs a goalie. It will be interesting to see if Philadelphia can post a better record that last seasons Houston Bulls.
 
Halifax 21st 
Grade: Rebuild
Record: 13 – 58 – 1
Points: 27
Halifax is poised slightly higher than Philadelphia. Not that it matters down at the bottom of the league. With 603 TPA on their roster they could squeak a couple more wins out. Next season Halifax is going to be completely insane. Even though they won’t be dong great this year, you can watch out for them in the future.
 
There aren’t many all-star talents on the 21st. Which is okay, because even the greats had to start somewhere. Their best player, Hex Valentine, is a piece that you might see ship off. Consider this season for Halifax a bit of a quiet one as they explode into S74. 
 
Mississauga Hounds 
Grade: Rebuild
Record: 18 – 53 – 1
Points: 37
 
 
Mississauga is singing the same song as the rest of the rebuilders. However, with a couple more pieces to fit into their roster next season. They sit with a steady 851 total TPA at their disposal. This will be a forgettable season in their history. Yet an important one in their rebuild as they try to gain as many picks as possible.
 
Micheal Mac and Gavin Harris lead this team as their best forward and defender. Harris is a solid defensive defenseman that can lay out the body. The two way player Mac will be looking to lead the team in points and goals. Depending on their aspirations, could be trade bait or pieces for Mississauga next year if they stay under the 250 TPA limit.
 
Mexico City Kings 
 
Grade: Rebuild
Record: 21 – 50 – 1
Points: 43
 
Mexico City went all in last season trying to hoist the Founders Cup. With one draft pick for this season, Ottawa’s 1st, and a squad lacking a bit of depth, this season might be a bit tough. There’s 970 TPA on this roster so they’ll break 1000 in no time. The Kings wont be the worst team in the league.
 
Mexico is a team that still has some very good pieces. Their top pairing defensemen, Chance Rust and Kirishima Wakaro, would be a good enough pairing for almost any team in the league. The depth isn’t there. With one solid defensive and offensive line Mexico is going to be a seller as the season progresses.
 
Yukon Rush 
Grade: Hopeful
Record: 27 – 44 – 1
Points: 55
 
Yukon is the first team on the list to break 1000 TPA on their roster with 1247. It’s possible that Yukon can turn it around with a goalie prospect for next season. This is an upswing season for the Rush. There were great selections in the draft.
 
The first line of Jeff Odinson, Alek Andreshnikov and Vlad Imir will only look better as the season moves along. The back end and goaltending pose a few questions. It isn’t to say that Yukon can’t perform this season with the skaters they have on their roster. But if they want to unlock the full potential, looking for a starting goaltender and defensemen would help solidify a possible 1st round upset.
 
Las Vegas Aces 
Grade: Hopeful
Record: 32 – 40 – 0
Points: 64
 
Las Vegas isn’t as good as last season. They’re in the middle of the pack with 1495 TPA in the locker room. I would say Vegas will be a .500 team by the end of the season. Coming into the playoffs might be able to turn an upset but won’t go far. Watch this age well.
 
There are still good pieces on Las Vegas that are going to hit the TPA cap. Nils Fiedriksen, Onde Sandstrom and Gary Rush are all going to be excellent talents come the playoffs. With some signings and a couple trades Las Vegas could push themselves from hopefuls to contenders.
 
Houston Bulls 
Grade: Contender
Record: 39 – 32 – 1
Points: 79
 
Houston is almost a purely offensive team. Sitting with 1820 TPA in their roster. Being in their LR, I will say there are quite an active number of members. Compared to the other top teams in the league though, the numbers say they will get 39 wins. The Bulls are a team that will get better with time.
 
There is a considerable amount of star talent on this team. Which will be a trend the farther down the list we go. S74 prospects include Aloe Dear, Venus Thightrap and Markus Schauer, who are all top 10 prospects. Riley Knight and Drew Minott are veterans of the club and tie things together nicely. This is a Houston much different from the one last season.
 
San Diego Marlins 
Grade: Contender
Record: 44 – 27 – 1
Points: 89
 
San Diego came out of the last draft looking at cup contention. 2066 TPA is in their locker room, the first team to break the 2000 TPA mark. The S73 draft treated them well. They quickly sprouted from going 2nd last in the league, to potentially in the top 5. That’s a very good climb. The Marlins are looking high and mighty as the first real contenders for the founder’s cup.
 
There are two players that start at the cap already for the Marlins coming into the season. 1st overall selection John Merrick and Pietro Angellini. Doug Dimmadome is a solid starter that will be an elite goaltender come the playoffs. Don’t sleep on Marlin prospects Ryan Shwartz or John LeClair II. The left wingers that will be key pieces as the season goes along.
 
Ottawa Lynx 
Grade: Champion
Record: 52 – 20 – 0
Points: 104
 
Ottawa, my former team, is looking poised as one of the top 4 teams in the league. It’s a close race between them and their former first round opponent Saskatoon. Perhaps the two cats will have a rivalry going this season? Their S73 draft set them up for this season so you can look for them to make the most of it. It won't be difficult for them to make the most of their 2425 TPA either. 
 
Spearheading the charge is their 2nd overall selection Alec Volchenkov. The two-way passer with a build unlike most in the VHLM. Ajay Krishna is an absolute STUD in the net and is easily the best goaltender in the league. Jiggly Gumballs and Mikeal Keef lead this Ottawa defense. With defensive builds and an elite goaltender, good luck scoring on this Lynx squad.
 
Saskatoon Wild 
Grade: Champion
Record: 52 – 19 – 1
Points: 105
 
The team that is almost tied, but eclipses Ottawa by a single point, is Saskatoon. It would be a disservice to forget to mention they are the S72 founders cup champions. While they did lose good pieces in the dispersal draft, McWolf left this team in capable hands. This team isn’t just good, they’re going to be eying up the cup as one of the favourites to win. This team has a very solid 2462 TPA to start.
 
Keith Krestanovich, Dan Baillie Jr, Bobby Wyman and Emi Rune are your top liners for this team. Cal Conway is another top goaltender in the league. With a good balance of scoring and defense, expect this team to just play solid hockey throughout the season. S73 will be a ride to the playoffs.
 
Minnesota Storm 
Grade: Champion
Record: 59 – 12 – 1
Points: 119
 
Minnesota finished top of the league last season. There's an incredible 2752 TPA in that locker room. Though they didn’t win the founders cup, this team is poised to go right back again. Under normal circumstances a team with 2752 TPA in their starting roster would be enough to put them as the best in the league. This time around, it’s not the case.
 
The storm have the players and the experience needed to go deep in the playoffs. Shawn Glade III and Ziarie Anigbogu are both 250 TPA and their starting pairing defensemen. Elite. Couple that with Cole Newhook, Jer Lefebvre and John Brewitt on your first line and you have the elite players needed to make other teams shudder. The scoring on this team is deep too. Joe Exotic and Jack John make excellent depth pieces.
 
Miami Mauraders 
Grade: Champion
Record: 66 – 6
Points: 132
 
3088 TPA. Last years Minnesota Storm had finished the regular season with about the same number. Miami is an absolute unit. They are the clear winners of the last draft and the favourites to win the cup this season. Can’t wait to see Miami dominate this season and work into a finals cup run.
 
Eight players in the 200 TPA range and five of them being at the cap already. Miami was fortunate enough to win the Patrick Laine sweepstakes, for starters. I could talk about the talent of Andre Lebastard, Dakota Lamb, Oh Sens, Wolf Stansson, Matty Stocks, Kevin King, Victor Grachev or Luke Thornton. But honestly, that was enough and I’m already past 2000 words.
 
Final Standings Table: 

 
Thanks for reading and I hope that my standings are accurate! Enjoy! Words: 2118
 
Mentions (I just finished and this is a lot of mentions, very sorry):
@ahockeyguy @IamMOOSE @fishy @Jtv123 @KaleebtheMighty @osens @PatrikLaine @Andre LeBastard @dlamb @GoadenGoalie35 @Joe Exotic @JBrew42 @GrittyIsKing09 @Jer_Lefebvre @ngine4 @ShawnGlade @Shaka @Boragina @wcats @Lefty_S @Emi @JigglyGumballs @Hooperorama @SirRupertBarnes @Esso2264 @Enorama @flyersfan1453 @Steve @okifenoki @Renomitsu @BladeMaiden @DreMin15 @KnightRiley @Biggreen10 @fonziGG @G_Rush @CrlineDijohn14 @DrHexDex @LastOneUp @BigIrish @turkey2349 @Snussu @GoldGear88 @PuckPushers @Big Dee
 
 

A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

“Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.” - Sun Tzu
 
A hockey player's main weapons are his stick and skates, thus these are the things they hold dear. Without them, the player is useless in the icy battlefield of the rink. In my experience in prank warfare, targeting these items are some of the oldest tricks in the book. Though for proper effectiveness, stealth and proficiency is required. 
 
It is preferable if the locker room is empty, if not you must have allied who are willing to participate in this strategy. Then you must act swift like lightning. The stick must be untapped and filled with water then taped in the same way again to prevent suspicion. The skates must have only one clear layer of tape. For you must keep the tampering hidden. 
 
It is key to not be caught off guard, For it can be a fatal blow to your operation. A true strategist in the art of prank warfare should know their target's behaviors and routines. Wars are always won with information. Without the information collected, it would be a lost cause. Once the mission is complete, it is even more important to leave without a trace. Leaving tracks could give the enemy suspicion of tampering, so one must leave the room as it was in the beginning.
 
To push for true effectiveness, it is recommended to tamper with all of the sticks in the enemy's possession. For it will prove that they are unable to do anything but to bend to your will. If everything is executed perfectly. Then the battle would be won. Useless effort would be exerted lifting and using the stick, and the skates would render the enemy immobile and open for attack.

"The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." - Sun Tzu.
 
A victory that requires no battle, or effort in this form of prank warfare is the simple bottle of water. You needn't be swift, only silent. A simple unscrewing of the cap and the enemy's desperation for replenishing bodily fluid is all that is needed for victory. Once the battle is won, it is best to offer another bottle as a sign of reconciliation. However, a true master will use this as a crushing defeat. The second blow will have an already demoralized enemy defeated. If not, the anger of revenge can be used in the battlefields of the rink. Providing a one man army who can challenge all those who oppose. It is also of best interest to target your entire team as your enemies in the field. Prank warfare is of good intention and not made to single one out.
 
 Prank warfare can be rewarding, but those you have won against will rise up against you in retaliation. For that one must be prepared beforehand to prevent such retaliatory advances from taking place. One must also be aware of the same strategies used in battle, for it can be effective against the initial user as well. Caution is of utmost importance, for it will prepare you for the long war ahead. However in the end of the day, bygones be bygones, and those who were once enemies may share a drink celebrating the battles they fought. 
 
 
Note: This is a bit different for this weeks article lol (and no this part isn't me just pushing for 500 words the article is already above I think). But I think it would be interesting to detail my locker room shenanigans in a sort of fun, poetic (if you even call it that XD) sort of way with this new series. Wiggles, Wobbles, and Jiggles will be back but this week's article is a nice change from the usual.
 

@CrlineDijohn14

I get the starting job for team USA and now everyone sayin I’m the weak link. DISGRACEFUL?

1. I honestly don’t think I have realized it yet. I don’t look ahead too much, I just try to roll with the punches and see where it takes me.
2. The food.
3. It’s important for me to feel important, and not just another name on the depth chart.
4. I was a bit disappointed at first, but I know Riley is a big Houston fan so it’s not the end of the world.
5. The determination of the players is hard to match and I think that plays a big part in our success. 
6. I was surprised for sure, but I am also ecstatic.

It's been an absolute pleasure to be a part of the Houston Bulls organisation this season. I wish you good luck for the seasons to come.

Gregg Stallion was not sure what the transition to living in North America was going to be like for him. All he knew was his small farm in Belgium and the surrounding area but upon entering the VHLM he received an offer from the Houston Bulls and made the decision to pursue his dream and move to the city of Houston.
 
Needless to say but Stallion quickly integrated himself into the Houston lifestyle, particularly the bar scene. Within a month every bar owner knew who Stallion was and soon he began to go drinking with his team after every single game, win or lose. “It really brought us together as a tight…um….family, that’s the word.” A clearly wasted Stallion told reporters as the Bulls players went to the bar one last time.
 
“This was the place we got to know each other and bond, we had massive bar fights, karaoke nights even busted a mascot slave ring” Gm Sonnet said with a tear clearly running down her face as the reality of the matter sunk in for the team, this was it for them. Soon each player would go their separate ways into the drafts and end up in new cities.
 
It was a quiet as each player drank the last drink they would ever have in Houston, sobbing and hugging each and saying goodbye. “They became a family in here.” Bar owner uncle Mo said sadly realizing he was losing the majority of his business with the bulls leaving.
 
At the end of the night the players hugged and then quietly got into there waiting ubers and each drove off single file into the sunset in a procession lead by a Scottish highland band and escorted by every police officer in the city. The entire city was shut down as the players drove through the streets with fans saying goodbye and weeping as the player drove past and then out of view of the city of Houston.
 
“That team will never know what they meant to us, we will always miss them” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said after giving each player the key to the city and taking a moment of silence in honour of the team as they entered the airport and left the city of Houston, but not  the hearts of those in the city.
 
402 Words

Here we are with the playoffs nearly coming to a close, not joining the VHL too long ago my first season was a great chance to get my feet wet. This league is everything I had been looking for something to Pass the time at first but now I’m invested. My development is well on its way to becoming a Successful player in this league, but now I have a big problem... I miss it ! 
 
    In Houston we had a great push to end the season, we came so so close to Squeaking into the last playoff spot but came up just a little short. Now with the playoffs not being a part of this season for myself I am missing the game! I miss checking on the type of night I had, I miss the party’s after a big win, and yes even the sorrows from a loss, I miss it all. 
 
   The playoffs are almost over, a champion will be crowned and it will finally be draft time, I can’t wait ... I’m itching to jump back in. Whatever team drafts me, they are gonna be getting a hungry, dedicated, excited player who is going to de everything they can to be the best they can be. It is coming, the new season, but for myself it can’t come soon enough ! 

Happy Birthday Quik?

For Gregg Stallion and the rest of the Houston Bulls their season ended when the regular season ended. They did not get to enjoy the thrills of playoff hockey, instead they were stuck amongst the other losers of the league looking in from the outside, most players would take up golf during the off season but Gregg Stallion is different than the average player.

Instead of wasting his offseason away Gregg leaned into a passion that he had long kept secret from those around him: fashion. “Fashion has always been a little hobby I have had but with the time the offseason gives me I want to pursue it right now.” Stallion told fashion journalists who were clamoring around the man who is already being called ‘The Picasso of Fashion’

Stallion’s clothing line ‘Das sexy Biest’ has taken the fashion world completely by storm. “Anyone is anyone is wearing clothing from Stallions latest ‘Biest’ line.” A fashion mogul told reporters. Stallion in the span of a week has already made more money than the highest paid VHL players. “The money is great but to me it really is just a hobby.” Stallion said as he signed a licensing deal with the VHL to create and sell all their Jerseys under his new ‘Das Hockey Biest’ line.

232 Words

Hello, and welcome to another edition 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!
 
Also, make sure to check out the wide variety of content here at VSN. There are in-depth weekly updates and an award tracker for the VHL, a great podcast, and daily WJC coverage when it starts up, among other informative articles. Check out our latest installments here:
 | VSN Radio | VHL Weekly | Future Watch | The Talent Behind the Trophies | 
 
 
The Review
 
Hello all, and welcome to the regular season recap for the VHLM Season 71! Playoffs have already started and are in full swing, but for now, we will look mostly at the regular season review (with some small playoff mentions). For now, let’s take a look at how the final 100 games went, from Games 298 to 398. First things first, as always, the final standings. 
 


Finishing the season off in style, the Ottawa Lynx maintained their first position, ensuring favourable playoff matchups and home ice. Following them is the Yukon Rush in second place, who almost fell to the third-place Minnesota Storm, ending up just barely taking the lead by a single point. The Storm went on a strong 16 game winning streak, only to fall short in their final game of the season, in which the Rush took them out by a score of 5-3 (Game 393). Rounding out the top four we have the Philadelphia Reapers, whose 105 points keeps them in the upper echelon of teams. 

The next batch of playoff teams is kicked off with the Las Vegas Aces, who are to match up against the Reapers in the first round. Tied with the Aces, but losing out on tie-breakers is the San Diego Marlins who will go against the Storm. Next up, the Saskatoon Wild, whose 73 points earn them a ticket against Yukon. Finally, barely sneaking into the playoffs, just two points ahead of 9th place, we have Halifax 21st, who are rewarded for their tenacity by a trip to the number one seeded Ottawa. 
 
Just missing out of the playoffs is the Houston Bulls, who are followed by the Mississauga Hounds and the Mexico City Kings in 10th and 11th places, respectively. All in all, there was a surprising amount of movement around the league since our last look. With their strong performance, the Storm jumped the Reapers for 3rd position. Additionally, the Marlins and the Aces flipped with the Aces getting the final nod on tiebreakers as previously mentioned. Finally, the Bulls were able to wrangle together enough good performances to make it up to 9th position, flipping with the Hounds, but it was not enough to displace Halifax from that final playoff spot. 
 
Let’s look now at the ELO charts and see how our first round matchups might play out. 
 


Unsurprisingly the Lynx maintain a strong ELO gap on their first-round matchup of Halifax by almost 600 points (which was matched by a 4-0 sweep at the time of writing). Yukon has dropped off somewhat but still hold roughly a 260 point lead on Saskatoon. That series is currently tied up 2-2 and is looking to be a real treat. 
 
Next up we have the Storm versus the Marlins. This one is really interesting considering how the series is currently going. Despite the Marlins drop off in form at the end of the season and the Storm’s huge ELO advances (almost equaling the Rush), the Marlins currently lead the Storm 3-1 and are on the verge of breaking through to the second round. Our final first-round matchup is the closest one of them all in with only 60 or so ELO points separating the two teams. The Reapers stagnated towards the end of the season, but the Aces steadily rose, almost closing the gap in quality despite sitting 19 points off in the standings. The series is tied right now 2-2 and is a good one to watch for the neutral fans. 
 
The Statistics
 
For this final regular-season review of Under 250, we will list out a few of the statistical leaders from the regular season. Make sure to stay tuned once playoff coverage is complete, as some of these names will be in contention for the prestigious VHLM Awards, which will be covered by yours truly and the rest of the VSN crew. Without further ado, here are some of the statistical leaders, taken straight from the individual leaders tab of the portal, as of the end of the season by category and by position. 
 
Leading in a whole bunch of categories is Richard Penisson of the Ottawa Lynx, whose strong performances consistently throughout the season have him with the most goals (77), assists (122), and points (199) out of any player in the league. He may be just shy of the 200 point mark but is good enough to be the number one scorer of all players, not just centres. He also has the most shots (547), power-play goals (22), tied for most hat tricks (6), point-scoring streak (49!!!!), and has participated in four total fights; he really is the complete player. 
 
Hank McKill of the Halifax 21st might be a somewhat surprising name to some, but his shooting percentage of 20% on 75 shots places him as the league’s best; which is impressive considering his 2259 minutes played puts him at the top of all VHLM players this season. He also leads the league in penalty minutes with 198, making him the ultimate goon. 
 
On the left-wing, our best performer was Ottawa’s Adam Syreck, whose 62 goals and 119 assists ranked him first in his position by points. In fact, Ottawa’s gifted winger core held the top three left-wing scorers with Big Chungus and Iangenere Risteneen following their teammate. Syreck also led the lead in points per 20 minutes, scoring at a hyper-efficient 1.99 clip. 
 
Coming on the right-wing, Minnesota’s Aleelee Kiak took the title of best scorer in his position, with 120 points on a 59-61 goal to assist split. Kiak also led the league in hat tricks along with Saskatoon’s Gary Neal and the aforementioned Penisson. 
 
Out of defensemen, Yukon’s Alex Armstrong scored the most, leading Nikita Kulikovich by just a single point. Joined on the list by fellow Yukon defenseman Zyrok12, the Rush had the best scoring defensive core in the league. 
 
Joe Proto of the Las Vegas Aces leads the league in game-winning goals with 13, proving vital to his team’s success, having netted them a lot of extra points there. 
 
From the faceoff circle, Jack Feriancek of the Minnesota Storm won an impressive 63.38% of his 1715 faceoffs taken, roughly 2.5% higher than Philadelphia's Jack Russell. 
 
Rounding out our look at skater statistics, Riley Knight Gee of Houston showcased some defensive know-how with 193 shots blocked, while Bo Burrows of Yukon taught us all to fear the blindside hit, along with San Diego’s Jungkok, and Saskatoon’s Bobby Wyman, each ending the season with 278 hits. 
 
Out of all goalies,  Yukon’s Nicolas Fomba was the only starter to hold a .900 SV% or higher, which he toed the line at .900. From the Ottawa Lynx, Joakim Bruden was able to take the best GAA, however, with his 2.61 beating out Fomba’s 2.72. Considering Bruden was just .001 % back off of Fomba’s save percentage, it will be interesting to see which goalie takes the award at the end of the season. 
 
Aleksander Aleksandrov of Mississauga was the iceman this season, and saved .778% of all penalty shots taken, but equally impressive was the real iceman’s .750%, Zamboni Driver. Despite saving less by percent, he faced over double, at 20 rather than 9. Impressive!
 
Finally, an honourable mention to John Poremba of Houston whose 2535 shots against was the most against any goalie in the VHLM this season. Our hats off to you good sir. 
 

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:  @Proto, @Berocka, @DoktorFunk, @Dil, @Rayzor_7, @Motzaburger,
@MexicanCow123, @McWolf, @DMaximus, @iRockstar, @Sonnet
 
Players Mentioned: @bluesfan55, @Alex88Shaw, @Spade18, @Ferda, @Maasa, @Grant, @LittleRiDog, @dylanjj37, @Lockdown Defense, @Zyrok, @Proto, @Jackie4967, @quanack, @KnightRiley, @Walter Fizz, @tfong, @Lefty_S, @efiug, @PadStack, @aleks, @Tape-to-Tape, @CrlineDijohn14
 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter
 

It all started as a usual night for the Houston Bulls. They had just defeated the Las Vegas Aces and were at Uncle Mo’s Bar/Cheese shop drinking all that they could amidst a massive post game party at their General Manager's expense. However that fateful night was going to be different, seated in the corner of the bar/cheese shop was a shadowy figure, none of the players thought twice about them until midway through the night the team began to notice that their beloved mascot Benny the Bull was missing.
 
Local police were on the scene soon and after wading through the players passed out on the floor they reviewed the security tapes and witnessed the mysterious figure grab Benny at gun point and taking him outside into the back of a van. As the players awoke out of their drunken stupor they learned the truth of what had happened the night before.
 
“To be honest I have no idea who is in that mascot costume but…he’s one of us” General manager Sonnet told police whilst barely holding back her tears. For the Bulls their next practice was going to be different; they were going to hunt down the kidnapper and rescue their mascot.
 
“None of us have any police experience but I believe it is our duty to save one of our own.” Forward Michael Hall wrote to his parents in a last text in case everything went wrong. After reviewing the surveillance for an hour Jer Lefebvre discovered that the van had a license plate and could be tracked if they hacked into the police’s database. Resident hacker Turner McHugh quickly cracked into the police database by successfully guessing that the password was ‘password.’
 
The van was tracked to an abandoned ice cream factory on the out skirts of Houston. “You know I had a dream about this the other night…it um…didn’t end well for John.” Gregg Stallion told a player in secret not realizing that the person he told this truth to was in fact the illfated teams goalie John.
 
Stealthily arriving at the ice cream factory in the massive team bus each member took their positions to infiltrate the factory. Both of the Rileys climbed onto the roof while the rest of the team waited at the door for their signal. At precisely 2:56 AM both of the Rileys played the Bulls goal song to alert their teammates that the time had come. Roadkill Steve single handedly broke in the door as the team swarmed in armed with sharpened hockey stick while Sonnet followed close behind carrying a shotgun she claimed she had ‘found’ in her office. However none of them were prepared for the awful truth that they would find inside.
 
Approximately 50 mascots were shackled and were working on making cheap children toys that would easily break after a day. The team stood shocked at what they saw unfolding in front of them. Many missing local mascots were seen in broken and worn down costumes being forced in electric collars to conduct slave labor to build these toys. All looked lost as a shadowy figure brandishing a machine gun walked up behind the team and held them at gun point. “Its over” a muffled voice said as the team laid down their weapons to see the mastermind of this horrifying mascot slave ring.
 
“Wait who are you?” JJ Johnson asked the individual in front of them “I’m Dandy, I used to be the New York Yankees mascot and now I make a killing selling these cheap toys to children in Africa!” The evil mastermind announced. All that followed was confused silence that was eventually broken by a snap as Bot #2 nonchalantly broke Dandy’s neck “You forgot to bring me..I kill bad man…Robots are best.” Bot #2 said as all of the shackled mascots began to cheer realizing they now were free.
 
Each member of the team was awarded a national medal of freedom and given the keys to the city in the aftermath of the discovery of the mascot slave ring in the city. For the Bulls players though they would celebrate the only way they knew how: a massive drunken party.
 
 

 
(Disgraced Yankees mascot and Slave Ring Mastermind 'Dandy')
-Burt McKart, The Houston Hustler
 
719 Words

I'm sure some of you already have heard the news but a former VHL member, and long-time sim league community member, David Theusch aka @701 passed away on Monday, April 13th. He was only 24 years old and his passing was tragic and unexpected.
 
David was a bit of a polarizing member who was never afraid to speak his mind and bring his thoughts/suggestions to the community. This rubbed some people the wrong way but also endeared many people to him. Speaking from my own experience, Dave was a genuinely caring and friendly guy who, like most of us, used sim leagues as an escape from the tedious grind of day-to-day life. He was always down to chat about anything and was fiercely loyal to his friends. Although he hasn't been active on VHL for the past couple of years, he was an important and active member when he was here. He was a very underrated graphic designer and loved to represent his hometown of Minot, ND, playing a pivotal role in establishing/rebooting the Minot Gladiators VHLM franchise. 
 
I'm making this post in honour of his memory. Dave was somebody who, although I never met in real life, talked with very regularly. There was a good period of time where he and I spoke every day. He had a great sense of humour and was just very easy to talk to and was a major influence in helping me, and others, learn how to make graphics. He was always willing to help, give advice, or just shoot the shit. Over the past couple of years, as we got older and more irl responsibility took up our time, we slowly lost touch and the news of his passing hit me pretty hard. I truly regret not reaching out and catching up with him when I had the opportunity to do so.
 
 
 
 
Regardless of knowing 701 or not, please feel free to pay your respects or post any memories of him you have in this thread. Also, I want this post be a reminder that, even though most of us have never, and will never, meet each other in real life, real human connections are made between members in our community and to be thoughtful of this. Let people know you care about them and that they've brought a positive influence to you and your life. 
 
 
 
 
RIP David Theusch. You were always a real one and a guy I'm proud to consider a friend. You will be missed.
 
 
 
 
I'm also including a link to a memorial fund that was setup to support his family and help alleviate the financial burden of his passing and funeral. If you have ability, please consider donating to his memorial gofundme page: Here.

The World Juniors rosters have been announced recently, and the tournament will be starting soon. This presents a big chance for some of the prospects we're tracking on this series to increase their draft stock. Anyways, let's see where they stand now.
 


9 players were created last week.
Spencer Elsby earned the most TPE in the draft class last week, with 35.
Spartan was hired as the AGM of New York. Congrats to him!
twists was hired as the AGM of Halifax. Congrats to him as well!
WJC
Spartan, twists and Spence King were all hired as WJC GMs. Good luck to all of them!
Jungkok, Adam Frence, Slov Loski, Spencer Elsby, and DeFenz Mann were named to Team Asia.
SS Hornet, Andrew Su, Timothy Brown, and Alex Letang were named to Team Canada.
Valtteri Vaakanainen was named to Team Europe.
Robin Winter, Gino DiGiannantonio, General Zod, Randy Marsh, and Chance Rust were named to Team USA.
Latrell Mitchell, Ziarie Anigbogou, Bobby Wyman, Zamboni Driver, and Nils Friedriksen were named to Team World.
 

                                 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z3UmjHIkmoBNTRdw8dgQdp4kOVhVLVRgPADZOndKJUY/edit?usp=sharing
 

[-] SS Hornet
[-] Robin Winter
[-] Gino DiGiannatonio
[-] Valtteri Vaakanainen
[-] Latrell Mitchell
[1] Randy Marsh
[1] General Zod
[-] Andrew Su
[1] Alex Letang
[1] Jungkok 
[-] DeFenz Mann
[-] Remy Moreau
 

 
 

Newly Qualified / Requalified
Andrew Green
Ernie King
Greyson Willis
Jared Willis
Jer Lefebvre
 
Newly Unqualified
Connor Tanner
Felix Kaiser
Hank McKill
Huang Tun
 

 

[10] - Joseph Gainer
[9] - Klaus Scrungledorf
[9] - James Rose
 

RISER OF THE WEEK
 Lucas Brandt - C - 108 TPE
Now, I know Lucas Brandt isn't one of our top three risers of the week, but I would like to make an exception, because he's made a lot of great moves recently, moving him up 4 spots in my rankings. Not only was he named one of the World Juniors GMs, he was also named the AGM of Halifax in the VHLM. Establishing yourself in the league is a massive step for a first gen, and removes almost all the risk attached to the status of being a first gen. Even before earning either of these jobs, twists was very active on the forums, and earned TPE in abundance. Further demonstrating his commitment to the league, he donated as well this week. With 31 goals and 66 points already this season, Brandt is a goal scorer, who doesn't sacrifice the defensive side of the game in the process. He is definitely one to watch, and I could easily see him climbing to first round status by season's end.
 

 
[16] - Elijah Flynn
[15] - Larry Butz
[10] - Izzy Valencia
 

 

Name
Goals
Name
Assists
Name
Points
[1]Robin Winter
45
[-]DeFenz Mann
66
[-]Robin Winter
91
[2]Gino DiGiannantonio
44
[-]Robin Winter
46
[2]Gino DiGiannantonio
86
[-]Jungkok
41
[-]Latrell Mitchell
45
[2]DeFenz Mann
86
[3]Andrew Su
40
[-]General Zod
44
[1]Andrew Su
77
[-]Valtteri Vaakanainen
33
[-]Gino DiGiannantonio
42
[3]Jungkok
76
[-]SS Hornet
32
[3]Adam Frence
39
[-]Valtteri Vaakanainen
64
[1]Lucas Brandt
30
[1]Andrew Su
37
[1]Adam Frence
64
[1]Riley Walker
29
[2]Jungkok
35
[1]Riley Walker
62
[-]Adam Frence
25
[New]Gregg Stallion
34
[1]Lucas Brandt
61
[-]Gregg Stallion
24
[3]John Brewitt
34
[New]Latrell Mitchell
59
 
Name
Sv%
[-]Andrew Green
0.892
[-]Zamboni Driver
0.891
[-]Barry Bonds
0.864
[New]Bacon
0.860
[1]John Poremba
0.850

 

Latrell Mitchell and Randy Marsh each hit 200 TPE last week.
Spencer Elsby, Adam Frence and Bobby Wyman each hit 100 TPE last week.
Valtteri Vaakanainen, SS Hornet, and Lucas Brandt each hit 30 goals this week.
DeFenz Mann hit 50 assists this week.
Robin Winter, Gino DiGiannantonio, DeFenz Mann, Andrew Su, and Jungkok secured at least a point per game average on the season, all reaching 72 points.
 

ACHIEVEMENT  CENTRE’S PLAYER OF THE WEEK
 Gino DiGiannantonio - RW - 232 TPE
My third ranked prospect in the draft, Gino is a pure sniper. Nothing more, nothing less. With 46 goals on the season already, which is tied for fifth in the league, he is absolutely tearing up the VHLM in his draft season, making his case to be a top pick. He also has 86 points, which is second in this draft class. His defensive game is also impressive, currently being his second highest attribute. When discussing his TPE earning, it has to be mentioned that he has not missed one capped TPE yet in any of his full weeks. He has also hit 20+ TPE in five separate weeks. It is all but guaranteed that any team who lands Gino will be extremely happy with what they get.
 

 

Players Covered
Part 1: Mitchell / Marsh
Part 2: Letang / Driver
Part 3: Zod / Winter
Part 4: Mac / Hornet
Part 5: Brandt  / DiGiannantonio
 

 
 

Against every conceivable odd the Houston Bulls are no longer at the bottom of the VHLM standings. Instead of spending their time at the local bar drinking their sorrows away the Bulls players are about to have the biggest party in history of Houston.


 
“Not since 1837 when this city was founded has the entire city of Houston been as overjoyed as we are right now, the Bulls are no longer in last place!!” Mayor Sylvester Turner told the live news report all while shotgunning his third drink of the afternoon. For the Houston Bulls this week has been the greatest week in franchise history. “I did not believe that they could do it but they did it….They are in eighth place, its amazing.” An openly emotional party goer told local media as he ugly cried at the thought of the Bull’s miraculous run.


 
At the start of the week the Bulls sat at the bottom of the standings and were the laughingstock of the league, however the rival Mexico City Kings decided that it was their turn to take the laughingstock title and usurped the Bulls as the worst in the league over this past week. “This honestly is up there with the greatest moments in hockey history, this is the true miracle on ice, the Bulls are not in last!!” Mayor Turner told the crowd of over 10,000 on stage at the party before drunkenly falling off the stage and breaking his hip.


 
The party is reported to have lasted 33 hours filled with drunken partying as the entire city of Houston shut down for an impromptu holiday in honor of the Bulls’ miraculous week. Star forward Roadkill Steve was spotted dancing in a moshpit alone, completely naked and full of drunken glee. “I honestly think the sky is the limit for us, watch out Ottawa we are coming for you!” GM Sonnet told reporters before she projectile vomited all over them.


 
For goaltender John Poremba this was a particularly emotional party “The defense finally showed up.” He said as the entire defensive unit showed up to the party late once again leaving their goalie to bail out the team and set up the party by himself “This happens a lot to me honestly…I need to sit down, my back is sore from carrying this team.” He said before sitting in a corner by himself and sipping a glass of sparkling water.


 
“See bots good for team, we make team win. Go bots go!” Bot 2 said as he drunkenly took to the stage and started deriding the actual human members of the team. The rant went on for 4 minutes before he was shot by local law enforcement to the delight of the crowd.


 
At the end of the party everyone walked away completely hungover leaving downtown Houston as a complete mess. The Bull’s players, much to their dismay learned that they had a game in 3 hours and had to get suited up for it. Each player took the ice in the dim arena wearing sunglasses and hoping that they once again would get bailed out by their goalie. Unknown to the team Poremba had stayed behind and was the only person cleaning up after the party.


 -Duke McKart, The Houston Hustler
565 Words