a_Ferk

is this anderson

https://anchor.fm/twists/episodes/Gaming-With-Twists-Episode-1-e1vtpg0
 
The boys do some gaming, and talk about all things VHL.
 
Special guests: @Spartan  and @a_Ferk

@STZ and I can claim for 2 weeks.

For this week’s Around the League in 500 words I figured I’d cover the crazy race to playoffs in VHL, who is the top scoring Defensive player, and how does fighting work in SIMS and does the VHL need more fights?
 
RACE TO THE CONTINENTAL CUP
Well as it sits right now it looks like in the NA we will have defending champs Vancouver, Calgary, LA, Chicago, and Seattle fighting to see who is best.  Impressively, after a shitty start has shown why they should be considered one of the favorites to win. Hopefully they can get over their playoff problems and show the club that they have.  LA is another impressive team and has turned it around this year and are deadly.  
 
Chicago and Seattle are both streaky teams but have the talent to make noise.  Seattle’s addition of past cup winners and former Warsaw teammates Dakota Lamb @dlamband Tavish DeGroot @rory bring some playoff experience and could be a deadly duo if they can keep DeGroot out of the bar. lol  
 
My NA champ prediction:  LA 
 
TOP OFFENSIVE DEFENSIVE PLAYER 
This year has been a nice battle for the top scoring defensive player and researching this I found that 6 of the top 10 In defensive player’s in scoring are from the European Conference (NO BIG DEAL).  Clinging to the top spot right now is Warsaw’s Biggie Cheese @a_Ferk with 86 points followed closely by Moscow’s Hammer Voss @BOOM with 84 points.  Davos also has two defensemen representing in the top 10 with Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan and Jake Thunder @Thunder.  Thunder is more known for his defensive prowess, urinary track infections, and wine cooler consumption but has been hot lately.  Vancouver’s Pierre Emile Bouchard is also threating for the top spot and has a team that puts up big numbers fast.  It will be a fun race to see who takes it in the end. 

 
A quick look at top 10:
Biggie Cheese               86PTS
Hammer Voss               84PTS
Siyan Yasilievich           84PTS
Pierre Emile Bouchard 82PTS
Max Torq.                      79PTS
Brian Payne.                78PTS
Jake Thunder              76 PTS
Bo Johansson              73PTS
Callum Murray            72PTS
AirRig GoodBrandSun 66PTS
 
 
 
DOES VHL NEED MORE FIGHTS
 
 
 
Fighting in hockey has always been a controversial topic.  Some fans and players love the excitement of two players duking it out while some find it offensive and detracting from the game.  We can all agree on one thing though is that neither side is going to change the mind of the other. I can only imagine that imaginary SIM hockey fighting has its nay Sayers and supporters even among the VHL community.  Now I for one love it.  Coming up in the league as a total NOOB I loved seeing my player fight some of the legends like Duncan Idaho, Druss Deathwalker, and Vinny Detroit.
 
Now there is an attribute for fighting and grit that a player can use their hard earned TPE to increase the chances of a good tilt but I have found that even with grit and some fighting points, fights are difficult to find, Which is odd.  
 
Let’s take a player like Vasile Lamb @dlamb from Seattle.   A great goal scorer and all-around stud.  He has 80 checking and 40 grit with 0 in fighting.  He leads the league in fights with 9.   #2 with 8 fights is Randy Bobandy also from Seattle. Bobandy has 1 TPE in body checking, 0 in Grit, and 0 in fighting.  
 
Meanwhile Warsaw Defenseman Jeff Buffy @Strider currently rocks 75 Body Checking, 35 grit, and 73 in FIGHTING and has 7 fights.  Seems like a player like Buffy should be rocking more fights than Bobandy on any given night or #4 in fights Jason Argos in LA who has 8 fights but 15 TPE in Grit and 5 in Fighting?  
 
Now overall I could care less and needed a topic for this week’s media spot but it’s an interesting subject.  I understand the real game of hockey is a game of emotion and sometimes unsuspecting players can fight sometimes but in a SIM League with attribute points placed in aggressive items It interested me.   Not saying a player with less in fighting or grit is not going to get in a random fight and I support and love to see it when my teammate and goal scorer Girts Galvins gets after it with a good tilt. 
 
So should there be more fights or would members like to see their player’s name in the box scores?  Not sure.  I barely know how the SIM engine works but do always enjoy seeing my player’s name in a nice brawl and I think it helps build some rivalries.  
 
See ya next week
 
 

Poor emails

Hi

Dear VHLM GMs,
 
Due to recent news I've been hearing about the state of the league, I have decided to come out of retirement. My hall-of-fame assistant general managing career seemed to be over but alas, I need to return when the VHLM needs me the most. You may know me as the person who drafted multiple Ottawa Lynx legends or the man or helped build up many young VHLers careers. Or you may just know me as Hogan. But one thing is for certain, whenever I AGM a team, I improve the team. I am able to keep members active and happy, help improve their players, make them excited for the league and most importantly I can teach them what a press conference is. So VHLM GMs, I am telling you this one simple thing. Reach out to me and I will take a position on your team to improve your players. Thank you.
 
Hogan

@Danferg16is back woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Player Information
Username: Fergie
Player Name: Dan Ferguson
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 16
Position: C
Height: 66 in.
Weight: 150 lbs.
Birthplace: Canada

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Welcome back!

.1 I think 11 pants is a decent amount but I’ve seen crazier things happen
.2 as a dmen I like to be defensively responsible yet produce  and help out the offense .
 
.3 I would have to say miami
 
.4 lead the dmen in points and atlas advance to the 3rd rd 
 
.5 yes it will
.6 yes we can 

So I wasn't immediately motivated to write anything particular for the week, but I'd been working on something over the last couple of days based on a comment @aimkin made in my recent VHL.com talking about what the VHL could do better to help newer members. It is a work in progress that's quite a way off completion, but there's obviously enough words to claim for it now so figure I'll at least post up what I have done thus far for my 2 TPE and continue working on it behind the scenes.
 
A
Affiliate – Initially used to describe a sim league or website that shared mutual advertisements with the Victory Hockey League, this is now more commonly used to describe other leagues with which the VHL has a partnership that allows players to claim their VHL work for the same/equivalent reward in other leagues and vice versa.
 
Affiliate PT – A term used to describe a point task completed in an affiliate league that is allowed to be claimed in the VHL for 6 TPE. An Affiliate PT claim acts as a replacement for a 6 TPE VHL Point Task (Graphics/Media/Podcast).
 
Affiliate 12 – A method of capped earning exclusively available to members who hold a high-ranking job in either the Simulation Basketball Association or the Elite Football League. This grants the eligible members the maximum possible 12 capped TPE in a given week.
 
B
 
Banked TPE – Stands for Banked Total Points Earned. This is used to describe TPE earned by a member that they have elected to not add to their player at the moment. Players typically bank TPE to counter depreciation (See: Depreciation) as banked TPE is not affected by depreciation.
 
BOG – Acronym for Board of Governors. This is a private group that has its members invited to join by the VHL Commissioners. The Board of Governors are involved in award voting and Hall of Fame voting, but the main purpose is to discuss methods and systems to improve the state of the league. Any former VHL Commissioner can also be involved in the Board of Governors discussions but are not involved in award or Hall of Fame voting.   
 
Bonus – A monetary reward that can be handed out before the start of the season by VHL General Managers. A General Manager can choose to give bonuses to either a player on their current VHL roster (provided the bonus handed out does not put them over the salary cap) or to prospects (provided it doesn’t take the player’s current salary over $3 Million). Once the season starts, no more bonuses can be handed out.
 
BOT – A filler skater created to help the team’s roster meet the minimum positional and player requirements. BOTs cannot be improved and have all their STHS attributes set to a low level (40 in VHL/VHLE, 20 in VHLM).
 
BOT Goalie – A filler goalie created to help the team’s roster meet goalie requirements should their team not have two human-controlled goalies on their roster. In VHLM and VHLE, the BOTs are set at the base 35 across every attribute. In the VHL, the BOT Goalies have 250 TPE with their TPE assigned by each team’s respective General Manager.
 
Builder – An alternate term to describe a member, most commonly in the Hall of Fame where members who have given a significant contribution to the VHL can be inducted into the Builder Hall of Fame.
 
C
 
Capped TPE – Stands for Capped Total Points Earned, this term is used to describe a method of earning that is subject to the league’s weekly TPE cap (See: TPE cap). Capped TPE can be claimed on a weekly basis.
 
Checking – Shortened to CK, Checking is an STHS attribute that increases the chances of your player recording more hits in a game, however this is also somewhat relative to the surrounding roster. (E.g. If a player has 70 CK and everyone else on the roster has 40 CK, they will get considerably more hits than if they shared a roster with several other 70 CK players). When Checking is improved, it also increases the chances of picking up penalties.
 
Code of Conduct – Shortened to CoC. The Code of Conduct lists a set of behavioural terms that a user must follow both on the VHL forum and in the VHL discord. Failure to comply with the terms listed will see the violating member subject to appropriate action from the moderating team.
 
D
 
Depreciation – A term used to describe a player’s attributes decreasing as a result of spending increased time in the VHL pro league. Depreciation first takes effect prior to a player’s sixth season in the VHL pro league and takes place prior to every following season, with the player’s attribute values decreasing by an increased amount each season they face depreciation.
 
Depreciation Fighters – A term used to describe Player Store purchase options that reduce the impact of depreciation. The Jagr prevents one attribute of choice from facing any depreciation for the season it was purchased while Still Kickin’ and Gone But Not Forgotten slightly reduce the percentage depreciations of every depreciated attribute in the appropriate season.
 
E
 
F
 
Fantasy Zone – An uncapped point task that tasks users with correctly guessing results and stats from the upcoming week of sims.
 
First Gen – Shorthand for First Generation. This term is predominantly used to describe a VHL player that is a member’s first creation. First Gens start off with the lowest amount of TPE but are eligible for specific Player Store purchases and certain TPE bonuses. Some members who recreate after a certain length of time without a player and forgo recreate TPE may also be eligible for First Gen bonuses
 
Forced Retirement – Once nine seasons have passed since a player was selected in the VHL Draft, the player can no longer continue to play in the VHL and is automatically retired. This form of retirement is referred to as Forced Retirement.
 
G
 
H
 
Hybrid Attributes – An attribute system brought into the league in Season 83, Hybrid Attributes were implemented to combat issues with the previous attribute system that the league had in place since the beginning after issues arose with the system (See: Meta). Hybrid Attributes rank from 0 to 99 and raise one or two attributes in the Simon T Hockey Simulator (with the amount raised and number of attributes raised depending on the Hybrid Attribute).
 
I
 
Inactive – Term used to describe a member that has not updated their player or visited the VHL forum for a significant amount of time. The official length of time before a member is considered inactive is 21 days in the VHLM and 30 days in the VHL/VHLE. While inactives can continue to play in the VHL/VHLE, they cannot play in the VHLM and must be released. (See: Prime Directive)
 
Inactive Waivers – A method available to VHL and VHLE General Managers to bring in inactive Free Agents. Waiver priority is determined by the previous season’s standings, with the team that finished with the worst record having the highest waiver priority. Once an inactive waiver is placed on a player, General Managers have 24 hours to put in a claim for the player, with the player joining the team that had the highest priority at the point that the 24 hours passed.
 
J
 
Junior Showcase Tournament – Often shortened to JST, the Junior Showcase Tournament is an isolated tournament for players entering the upcoming VHL or VHLM Drafts. As new players cannot join VHLM teams during the playoffs, this gives them an opportunity to see their player in the sim in the lead-up to their VHLM Draft.
 
K
 
Keaton Louth Rule – More commonly shortened to “Louth Rule”, this is a VHL and VHLE rule that states that a team may not start the same goalie for more than 64 of the 72 regular season games. When the rule is broken, the team in question is usually required to start their backup for either an increased number of regular season games the following season or for the team’s first playoff games if the team made the playoffs in the season they broke the rule. Named after Keaton Louth, a former VHL commissioner who broke the rule on several occasions. 
 
L
 
Locker Room – Term used to describe a private discussion area assigned to each VHL/VHLE/VHLM team. Typically this is used to describe a team’s private discord channel, but can also be used to describe the team’s private club on the forum.
 
M
 
Multi – A term used to describe a player that was created by an existing member who illegally created another account to do so. Creation of multiple accounts in order to create multiple players is forbidden and members found guilty will find themselves subject to a TPE ban (see: TPE bans) along with the illegally created player being retired and the connected account being banned.
 
N
 
O
 
P
 
Pension – A capped point task replacement that can be claimed on the portal for 5 TPE. Pension is exclusively available to members who have had two players surpass 700 TPE. A claim for pension prevents you from claiming a 6 TPE Point Task (Media/Graphic/Podcast) in the same week and reduces the maximum capped TPE you can earn in the week from 12 capped TPE to 11 capped TPE.  
 
Position Change – An action that allows a member to change the position of their player. This is predominantly used to change skaters from Forwards to Defenseman and vice versa, although there are cases that allow new players to move from goalie to skater and vice versa in their first month in the league. For an active player to use a position change, they must purchase the Position Switch item (which can only be bought once a career) from the Player Store. An inactive player can have their position changed by their General Manager but only if the player has not already had a position change in their career.
 
Prime Directive – A VHLM exclusive program focused on ensuring that General Managers are prioritizing active players. This predominantly focuses on the General Managers releasing inactive players to make room for new active players.
 
Q
 
R
 
Reviewing – A capped supplemental Point Task where a member can give a constructive review of another member’s Point Task for TPE. Reviews are required to be at least 75 words and you earn 1 TPE for each review that you do (maximum of 2 reviews per week).
 
S
 
Scoring – An STHS attribute that, when improved, both increases your chances of scoring from either normal shots or deflections and increases the likelihood of your player shooting the puck.
 
Sims – Daily event across the regular season and playoffs where each team’s respective games for the day take place. For the most part, sims are streamed live.
 
STHS – Acronym for Simon T Hockey Simulator, the simulator engine that the VHL has used for its simulations since its opening.
 
STHS Attribute – Term used to describe an attribute in Simon T Hockey Simulator. These attributes start from 40 for skaters and 35 for goalies and a player’s STHS attributes are improved in correlation with the improvements they make to their Hybrid Attributes.
 
T
 
TPA – Acronym for Total Points Applied. This term is used for the amount of Total Points Earned that a player currently has invested in their hybrid attributes.
 
TPE – Acronym for Total Points Earned. This is the currency with which members can improve their player. TPE is earned through many different methods, although most commonly through participating in activities such as Point Tasks or being handed TPE through league events.
 
TPE Ban – A term used to specifically refer to a punishment that prevents a member from earning any TPE for the length of their ban. Subversion of a TPE Ban will lead to an extension of the current TPE Ban.
 
U
 
Uncapped TPE – Stands for Uncapped Total Points Earned. Uncapped TPE is used to describe TPE that is not subject to the 12 TPE cap. These are most commonly earned from Fantasy Zone predictions and league events.  
 
V
 
 
 
VHFL – Acronym of Victory Hockey Fantasy League. This is a point task that sees multiple groups of six users compete in a snake-fantasy draft of VHL players, with members picking players who they believe will earn the most fantasy points in the upcoming season. TPE rewards are handed out at the end of the season and pay-outs range from 1 to 6 TPE depending on how high they placed in their group with an additional 1 TPE being awarded to the user who managed their group’s draft.
 
VHL/VHLM Cut-off – The point in the off-season at which a player’s TPE count determines what league they will play in. If they are at 200 TPE or below at this point, they will play in the VHLM. If they are at 400 TPE or below , they will play in the VHLE (unless they are called up by their VHL team and above 300 TPE. See: Soft Cap). If they are above 400 TPE, they will play in the VHL.
 
W
 
Welfare – A capped point task replacement that can be claimed on the portal for 4 TPE. However once a user claims welfare for the week, they cannot also claim a 6 TPE Point Task (Media/Graphic/Podcast) and are limited to a maximum of 10 capped TPE for the week of the claim rather than the usual 12 maximum capped TPE.  
 
X
 
Y
 
Z

Edition #9: New Year, New Season, New Campbell's Corner (Again)!

It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve actually sat down to take the time to write a proper media spot. Last week was the first significant writing I’ve done in the league since August of 2022 and while the break has felt like a nice vacation after years and years of activity, you can definitely feel a bit of the rust that has accumulated over the last half a year. As a lot of people already know from private talking, locker rooms or this article , I will be moving to Australia for about 10-12 months and our flight officially leaves on February 26th. I think, despite having a plan and a good bit of money hidden away, it’s still going to be quite the challenge and setting myself up for success in other areas before I go so they either don’t add to the stress or I can continue to use them for enjoyment is incredibly important. As I’ve found over my time with the Victory Hockey League, it’s almost easier to write week in and week out if you have some form of a template. Basically I’m saying league blabber for 500+ words and you’re good to go! If you’re constantly being creative every single week, the task becomes a bit daunting and sometimes can weigh on your shoulders as a job instead of a task. Fortunately for us, the league is always simulating, pumping out stats or has something go on and therefore we’re always blessed with content to blab about. 

I’m excited to be back in the writing action and this week I’m going to be having a little bit of fun. In my latest Bana Blab's #57, I did a small amount of hunting through the Bears records and all-time current player stats and found a few who were dialing in on some milestones. This week we’re all going to hop into our trusty VHL hot air balloon created by  @iRockstar and go around the leagues to see what’s going on. With that being said, tie your shoes and take your vitamins because we’re turning the heat on and hopping in the balloon! Weeeeeooooo
 


VHL
S87 VHL Index
 
TEAMS: The Wolves are back and they’re seemingly very hungry with a 14-2-1 record. LA and CGY are right behind them with 24 points each. Calgary isn’t a huge surprise for me. They have a lot of good pieces on that team and they’re led by a good GM. Both could be said for LA too in some sense, but also not with quite the same confidence. LA has good pieces and a great goalie, but they have holes in their defense. A literal log jam from 5th to 13th in the league, as all those teams are within 4 points. It was actually crazy but a lot of fun to see that. Tight competition between all these teams will make it a more fun situation while it lasts. Helsinki and Toronto are trying to out tank one another. Who wins? My bet is on Toronto! It’s awesome to see how Daniel Janser ( @Daniel Janser) has turned out in the VHL. Ever since they were a prospect entering the league, I had very good vibes when it came to this member and player. Taking a look at their career and this season - you’d be right. They lead the league with 27 points and are having a very dominant, MVP like season. Nezuko ( @Baozi) leads a tight race for the Kevin Brooks trophy https://vhlportal.com/hof/awards/history/9 with 13 goals to date. My very own player, Mikhail Kovalchuk with London, currently has 20 apples on the year to lead the VHL in assists. Biggie Cheese ( @a_Ferk) out here being a double predator as he’s the top Dman for points. Larry Abass Jr ( @RileyL) is the crown holder at the moment for rookie players with the most points. Jani Karppinen ( @ShawnGlade) is lethal at the most with a shooting average of 18.18%. It does help if you’ve only shot the puck 22 times in 17 games played. Callum Murray ( @Berocka) is playing, on average, 1.74 more minutes per game than the second highest average of 31.21. Both are LA Stars players. Brandt Fuhr ( @Tate) is one of those hungry wolves and leads the league for wins with 14 and a very solid 1.81 GAA. They also three-way share the shutout lead with Art Vandelay ( @Gustav) and Oskar Lindbergh ( @Doomsday) with 3. Henry Tucker Jr ( @NSG) has faced the most penalty shot attempts with 18 against them.   
VHLE
S87 VHLE Index
 
TEAMS: Over in everyone’s favorite league within our VHL world, the VHLE. One thing I will admit about the E is that maybe it’s not as turbulent when it comes to the difference from all teams, but then again, I think I’m also wrong because there’s less teams. Cologne leads the way in the VHLE with a 15-4-0 record. The next three in Oslo, Vasteras and Geneva are all within a 3 point, close battle. You love to see it! The next 3 are where things really start to fall off with Stockholm, Istanbul and Bratislava and then to terribly cap things off, we have last places Rome Gladiators with a 1-17-0 record.  Adeline Delle Donne ( @Dtayl ) leads the way for goals (19)  and points (37) and is a huge part to why Vasteras is in the mix. Sebastien Dokis ( @Sebastien) and Curtis Crumb ( @Crummer77) co-own the lead with 26 apples. Crumb also is the number one d-man when it comes to points so far this season. Womp Womp Womp Womp Womp Jr ( @AdamEss) is making me a huge fan because of their physical play out on the ice. 42 MORE hits than 2nd place (102 VS 60). Would it surprise you if we told you they also led the league with 64 penalty minutes?  Justin Lion ( @Emperor_Fun) leads the E for W’s with a 13-3-0 record. They also have the most shutouts with 3 so far! Jean Mercier ( @Is_thatok) is a work horse as they’ve ironed out playing 1081 minutes. Has their coach ever let them take a break yet?? Istanbul’s CPU goalie is currently the “Bana Bad Pick” of the week for the VHLE with a record of 7-11-0 and a SV% of .859, GAA of 4.22  
VHLM
S87 VHLM Index
 
TEAMS: It’s been a long time since I’ve paid attention to the VHM or anything like that. Of course I keep my eyes on players and their developments, but I’m not regularly looking at the index or their portal portions and seeing how the teams and players are doing overall. This season, it seems like the same old same old. Hot, hot, hot on top. Cold, cold, fucking ice cold on the bottom. Mexico City Kings are running away with things, having been undefeated in 16 games and outsourcing the second most team by 22 goals. Their goal differential is also 26 higher than the next team which sits at 16. After them, it’s a sharp drop off to San Diego and Houston for the next highest spots. Flip on over and the three top are a bit closer than the other conference. All within 6 points from 20-26. Saskatoon and Philadelphia combined for a total of 4 wins. Two teams with the lowest win totals combined together don’t even equal the next teams (Halifax with 5 –5-8-3) Captain Nugget ( @Captain nugget) leads the VHLM for points with 40, assists with 25 and co-shares the lead from goals with fellow teammate Grizz Tazzo ( @xslapxshotsx) with 15. Keita Kourou ( @woog) is firing anything they can on net as they lead the M with 128 shots and are having a career season so far for themselves in the M. Colton Heffelfinger ( @heffcolton) is having a very strong sophomore season in the M as he leads all D-men with 27 points. Mark Callaway ( @Beketov) is, at the moment, showing the M why Beketov players can be magic as he’s iced the cake in 7 games so far and leads for GWG. A dear old friend, @Zetterbergand his players Ross Glagau, lead the M for all goalies in the M with 16 DUBZ. Matthew ( @Jack kidd) McCagg leads for both SV% (.921) and GAA (1.99). Their numbers are just as strong as last season for their win-loss record and they’ve strongly improved their other stats too! Lastly, while things have been rough this season in Saskatoon, they have a lot to be happy for too. Stefan Norris ( @Elman Diablo) has been working their ass off! They currently lead the M for goalies with 580 shots against and have even had a bit of a naughty streak while leading for penalty minutes amongst goalies with 6. Congrats on recently hitting 200 TPE! Keep up the work and have fun.  
Point Task/Job Claim
 

Vancouver Wolves: The curse of the letters?
 
 
As I was writing an article for the Vancouver Wolves this past few weeks, I noticed a disturbing tread; unintended but still disturbing either way. Once a player is announced as a team captain their days seem rather limited as we take a look at the past few seasons of what has happened to the said Captains, leaders of the team and what might become of the new leadership group.
 
 
Season 84 or was it season 85? I am already confused!! LOL!! Either way Season 85 is where I started my time with the Vancouver Wolves so we will look at the first announced captains starting during this season. Also due to the fact that previous announced captains were back in S81 under different management group. I might for interest visit this later depending if I am interested enough.
 
 
      S85 Captains     
Captain – Alexandre Leduc
@Lemorse7
Assistant – Nico Pearce @Spartan
Assistant – Nathan Powers @JB123
 
 
Season 85 started off with a bang for the Vancouver Wolves with a flurry of trades and signing seeing the team turn from one of the worse teams in the league to a contender but this also brought three experienced players in Leduc, Pearce and Powers to the team seeing them named captains. This also blows my theory wide open already with the very limited changes taking place between season 85 and season 86 in way of Captains to start the season anyways. Only Nathan Powers would be replaced at the start of season 86 but this was down to the player retiring rather than what I assumed was going to be trend of GM trading away said leadership group.
 
 
 
       S86 Captains    
Season 86 Leadership group started as:
Captain – Nico Pearce
@Spartan
Assistant – Alexandre Leduc @Lemorse7
Assistant – Biggie Cheese @a_Ferk
 
 
Is this where I believe the kiss of death was given? Nico Pearce took over the captain’s role from Alexandre Leduc in a not so surprising switch as Nico had clearly been the teams MVP the following season. Leduc was still a great leader but clearly Nico would be the leader of the team if they were going to win a championship this season. Biggie Cheese replaced the retired Powers as the other assistant and would eventually step up hugely as the season went along.
 
 
Mid-season
Vancouver as team is playing just above .500 hockey and Pearce is struggling on the ice to produce as expected at around point per game pace but more was expected from the newly appointed captain. Was it the weight of trying to lead a team or simple putting too much pressure on one self to carry a team that was struggling. No one will know for sure but a change was required as middle of the pack season wouldn`t cut it for the Vancouver Wolves; who had all but pushed in all the chips for the season.
 
Nico Pearce traded to Moscow  Menace  for Sergey Preobrazhensky
 
“Both players were struggling with their respective teams and both teams were struggling so swap of players was viewed simple as wake-up call both teams and players required. It was just a matter if it would pay-off for one of the teams or both?”
 
 
Vancouver Wolves if I remember correct dropped the next five straight games and quickly found themselves outside the play-offs looking in.
 
“It was an ugly moment but it really had nothing to do with this singular trade as we actually made; hindsight a very bad trade as we gambled on trying to run a three-defender core by trading away Wattson Power; a core member of our defense at the time hoping that Bouchard would carry more of the load. It didn`t work and we quickly scrabbled to make a trade to bring in another defender in Obi Adesanya from Riga Reign before we self-imploded.”
 
That seemed to stabilize the team and history would back and agree with the trade as Vancouver Wolves would go win the cup at the end of the season with Sergey Preobrazhensky being a key member. I am also now heading off track; dummy!! Shouldn`t forget that the trade also included a lot more improved forward depth coming back in return for Power as he was traded with William Futch @Futch for Donny Carter @TheNeonShaman & S88 RIG 3rd (and God knows where @Frank traded that away to)
 
 
So, what happened to the other leaders?
 
 
Biggie Cheese @a_Ferk traded moments after the Vancouver Wolves won the championship and named joint play-off MVP. As like at the mid-season mark of the season Vancouver Wolves manager was throwing all his weight and support behind the much young Pierre Emile Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito due to salary cap reasons but also trying to keep the forward core that had just won the championship together. The trade seen Biggie Cheese & S88 Van 4th exchanged for S88 WAR 1st & rights to: Vasile Lamb @dlamb; which we would require a bit of trade tree here but this is already getting longer than I expected and away from the topic but in the end, Vasile Lamb @dlamb would land Vancouver Wolves current back-up Jeremy Swayman @Agito and the S88 WAR 1st would be packaged later with our other assistant that we need to talk about:
 
Alexandre Leduc @Lemorse7 traded away just hours before free agency opened and the night before the draft with S88 WAR 1st and S88 CHI 3rd for S87 NYA 1st, S89 NYA 2nd and rights to: Hasbulla Magomedov @Motzaburger. Again, if you follow the bouncing ball of the @Frank trades you will already know that Hasbulla Magomedov @Motzaburger, S87 NYA 1st and S89 NYA 2nd all became something else. In the end @Frank has currently turned Alexandre Leduc @Lemorse7 into Reese McFleury @Spaz, Oreo McFleury @JB123 & S89 HSK 3rd; not to mention the cap space to sign Nezuko @Baozi.
 
 
 
       S87 Captains    
Fast forward to the start of this season and announcement of the captains as follows:
 
 
Captain – Pierre Emile Bouchard 
@Gaikoku-hito
Assistant – Dogwood Maple @dogwoodmaple
Assistant - Sergey Preobrazhensky @Bulduray_1
 
With the weight of having to carry the load on defence this season after trading away Biggie Cheese @a_Ferk also see the added weight of being named Captain for Pierre Emile Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito. It really is future is now moment for the Vancouver Wolves as they also announced fellow draft classy Dogwood Maple @dogwoodmaple as an assistant as the reigns of the team have clearly been passed over to the youth after three seasons in the league and Pierre Emile Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito entering his fourth actually. So that leave only Sergey Preobrazhensky @Bulduray_1 left to be concerned right? Actually, Yes & No!! Sergey Preobrazhensky @Bulduray_1 currently would seem like he holds all the cards as both himself and Nezuko @Baozi are pending unrestricted free agents. At the moment it seems like Vancouver has enough cap space to keep both of these players next season and run it back for another season if they would like too.
 
 
 
Only time will tell in the trend continues with Vancouver Wolves captains seeing year on year turn over as we have in the past three or four seasons. It would be funny to start seeing players actually not wanting a letter and saying the memorable quote from Michael Scott from the office.
 

 
Are the players named Captain concerned at the moment? It currently doesn`t seem so but will they be traded away in the next season or two? That I cannot answer so maybe ask @Frank
 
1200 words (Two week claim Feb 5th & 12th)

@a_Ferk
 

1. Currently we are in first place. Did you expect that considering we finished 8th last season? Have no expectations so that's cool I guess.
 
2. Individually nobody on the team has extremely impressive stats, but we are scoring across the board. Do you think that is contributing to our success? Probably, the whole should be greater than the sum of its parts in order to be a championship caliber team.
 
3. Steve Lattimer and Hannibal Barca are currently tied for the team lead with 4 goals. Who do you think ends the season with more? Didn't know I was tied for team lead, don't know what I'm investing in, so let's go Hannibal.
 
4. Jonny Elgar, the goalie we acquired in the 5th round of the draft is currently second in the league in save percentage. Do you think he will be be to the team what Austin Goulet was last season? (late round steal) Yeah that sounds about right as long as he continues to update.
 
5. What's your prediction for where we are in the standings at the end of the season? 1st place naturally
 
6. Do you expect your player to do better or worse than last season? Had no idea how i did last season and no idea how i'm doing this season as no one really tells me what's going on so sure let's go ahead and say I'll be better

1. I didn’t have any expectations coming into the season as I was focused on personal performance in my first year.
2. I think as a team we are contributing a lot and as a small team we are definitely thriving as playing as one solid unit.
3. Hannibal Barca 
4. I believe he will be a strong consistent goalie for our team.
5. I do believe we may end up in second or third as it’s too early to say we hold the lead forever. 
6. I have nothing to go by to past performance but I do feel I am performing well for my stats.

1. I knew we had a good shot, we have a great team.
 
2. We need production from everyone, so yeah the success I do think is from everyone contributing.
 
3. Austin goulet
 
4. I do he look fantastic in net
 
5. I think we’ll be top 3
 
 
6. Better but it’s been a rough start

Assistant Captain: Hannibal Barca @DreMin15  Barca was Mississauga's second round pick from S86 and was tied for the team lead in goals last season with Logan Foley. Barca is a strong locker room presence and opted to stay down in the VHLM for another season and it would be unsurprising if he lead the team in points this season. 
 
Assistant Captain: Ellis Woolfenden @D3X Woolfenden was the Hounds' first round pick in the S87 draft. Despite being a lower TPE player than what was available, Mississauga decided pull the trigger on him with our third overall. He had 68 points last season with Miami, and with a season of development should reach a far higher number in S87.
 
Captain: Austin Goulet: @Tuchy Goulet was a relatively unknown player at the time of his draft, being selected in the 4th round, 41st overall. The decision to draft him paid off in spades however, with Goulet producing both on the ice and off last season. He was second on the team with 97 points and a notable locker room presence. 

1. I didn’t really pay attention to the draft, but I trust the Mother Ferker to do his job good. 
 
2. 100 points, and win a cup.
 
3. VHL.com graphics, I can do pretty much any stupid shit I want as long as it’s VHL related and I can get rewarded for it.
 
4. Probably podcasts. I refuse to do them because I’m self-conscious about my voice.
 
5. Probably, though some bots tend to be legends for absolutely no reason so we could let it ride.
 
6. Consistent earning. I probably would have gone higher if I was more dedicated to getting my graphics made each week instead of bumming welfare as often as I did.

1. How do you think our draft went? We acquired 3 new forwards and have 2 solid forward lines now.

I think the draft went well, I got picked 3rd overall and I’m just happy a team believes in me and my abilities as a player
 
2. What are your player goals for this season?
 
my goal is simple, win the cup, it’s a team game and everyone is always on their A game 
 
3. What is your favorite/most enjoyable point task? (Any league)
 
graphics for sure
 
4. What is your least favorite?
 
anything that involves a lot of writing because I get bored so easily 
 
5. It looks like we will be starting the season with only 1 defenseman again this season. Do you think we should make a move to acquire one?
 
I think we should see how the start of the season plays out and see if it’s a necessary decision 
 
6. What do you think is key towards being selected highly in the draft?
 
I think the biggest key thing is presence in the locker room and showing an ability to really push the team forward and motivate everyone to be their best 

1. How do you think our draft went? We acquired 3 new forwards and have 2 solid forward lines now. As long as they don't cut into my playing time or my ability to contribute to the team then they're cool by me.
 
2. What are your player goals for this season? Win the whole. fucking. thing. I don't know, get some recognition for being good hopefully?
 
3. What is your favorite/most enjoyable point task? (Any league) The ones where I just click the buttons and points magically appear : )
 
4. What is your least favorite? The ones where I have to think about what i'm writing but these press conferences are great for me! Stream of conscience baby.
 
5. It looks like we will be starting the season with only 1 defenseman again this season. Do you think we should make a move to acquire one? You could always pivot my player's skill set to contribute more on the defensive end. I'm moldable. Mold me. 
 
6. What do you think is key towards being selected highly in the draft? Earning. Earning. More earning. And communicating so GMs feel comfortable taking a chance on you and vice versa.

1. I think the draft was a success overall. We added depth to our existing team and brought some new faces to the game. 
2.I’d like to try to get 10 goals and 25 assists in my first year playing.
3.welfare lol, I’m slowly learning how to do more but time isn’t easy to come by always.
4.graphics are not something I’ve ever done or think I’ll ever do.
5.as long as it’s not me then I think adding another defence man would be beneficial. 
6. earning consistently and building a structured player with TPE that is slotted into categories that help reach the goals of question no2.

I do think some of this comes off a bit negative to "clickers". Like you said you had a conversation with M gms about how there aren't as many super active people who are earning tons. which sure is true. but being a clicker isn't a bad thing. This isn't me saying things don't need to change but also having seen at least some of the past locker rooms that this person would have been in there's plenty of opportunity to have learned about point tasks. Idk if they was a forum only person at one point in which case it's a bit different. Yeah forum locker rooms could be used but they are honestly a pain in the butt imo. 
 
But back to more the point of what I wanted to say: There are tons of active people who were full earners now go more with the "clicker" type earning. People don't have as much time. I know when I joined within a few months covid hit and so everyone had a lot more time and over the past years as covid has taken a back seat, people are back to more normal lives and able to do things again. Having clickers isn't a bad thing which I think the original post does make it out to be in some light. I mean the league legitimately cannot run without them. I mean some welfare+ PF people were the most active in my lr during Halifax but they just were never that interested in doing more. Some people honestly don't give a fuck about their players so they aren't going to put in the extra time. id probably be a clicker if I didn't get job pay. I'm not here to be the best player ever. I honestly couldn't care less and I'm sure there are others in similar boats.
 
Honestly half the time people who do less stay around longer cause they don't burn out in 6 months.

Coming from my prospective, as gm in the M and E I won’t lie my biggest fight is getting people to earn, I even been actively trying to get the IA on the watchmen now back, to no success, I did the same in Geneva, and with Halifax I was constantly dming, and bought some to the E with me, I did the same in Rome users how to do point tasks and how to update, I have even tried making a forum locker room but couldn’t get people to join,
 
overall it more then just us not trying, it also some user not responding, I think the gms could try more yes, but it’s going to take more then us, overall the league’s activity in general is down from when I joined and it doesn’t help, Also before making back handed comments at team, TALK TO PEOPLE, WHAT IS WITH THIS LEAGUE PROBLEM WITH COMMUNICATION, maybe instead of blaming it on the Gms let’s just blame inner league communication.
 
example reaching out before call ups, talking to gms about players before draft, just the basics, it will make the league go along easyier, all I’m saying is if we can get some basic Communication going, the league will work better, (maybe a gm chat for all the league Gms and AGM, sorta like BOG, but just gms bring up thought and discussion with each other, just some thoughts