diacope 2

Hello everyone, and welcome to a brand new series on VSN! In Diamonds In The Rough, we take a look at some of the upcoming draft’s underdogs. This season has had no shortage in underdogs, to say the least. We have an abundance of unique storylines to cover with these players, and we’re excited to see where they fall on their draft day. With the expansion teams coming in for this draft and being underdogs themselves, maybe they take a chance on a player like this. Now, let’s see who it is that we’re talking about.
 
- Ajay Krishna -
G | Ranked #20 in midseason rankings
Ajay Krishna has been one of my personal favourites of this draft class for a little while now. Impressively earning every possible capped TPE available to him so far, the goaltender’s progression to this point is something that can be maintained for as long as he chooses. While he hasn’t capitalized on a crazy amount of uncapped TPE opportunities, he did show a flash of promise just a couple of weeks ago when he posted a week of 30 TPE, 18 being uncapped. His TPE earning habits remind me somewhat of a young Jacques Lafontaine in his draft season, and Lafontaine has unquestionably turned out great for the Wranglers. What makes Krishna an underdog is his total TPE. His 146 TPE places him at 23rd in the draft class, so he has a bit of a hill to climb. You may be asking how his TPE would be so low with his impressive productivity, and the answer lies partially in the newly added late joiner TPE. Krishna joined in a time when the adjustment was not automatic, and he needed to claim it manually. He did not do so, and missed out on 12 TPE. Combining this with his lack of uncapped TPE participation so far, it seems that he is a bit behind right now. The good news is that his outstandingly consistent capped TPE earning makes him a very high potential, low-risk pick in the draft. The uncapped TPE will hopefully come as well, and if that is the case, we could be looking at an extremely valuable goalie prospect.
 
 
- Kevin King -
C | Ranked #25 in midseason rankings
A prospect with almost scary potential, Kevin King has unfortunately fallen victim to poor timing. Joining in the very last week of S73 eligibility, he has found himself in a position where he has a ton of catching up to do. That said, he has not wasted as much as a second so far. Kicking off his career with a week of 46 TPE, King made a statement to the VHL right out of the gate. Pairing that with the second week of 14 TPE where he capped out once again, it becomes apparent that he’s a player who could skyrocket in value over the next few weeks. On the ice, the offence hasn’t come yet for the American forward, but he does have a decent build. His only glaring weakness is puck handling, but that can be ironed out pretty quickly with time. I expect the goal totals to increase a lot really soon, and hopefully, that puts him closer on the radar of VHL GMs. With his late entry into the VHLM, it sparks the question of where he would be if he had joined earlier. Would he be pushing for a spot in the top ten, or even the top five? That said, there is a spectacular amount of talent here, and hopefully, he is able to reach his highest potential.
 
- Alec Volchenkov -
C | Ranked #27 in midseason rankings
SirRupertBarnes is a user who is looking for redemption. His last player, Dimitri Volosenkov, was one of the most exciting prospects of the S66 Draft. Following his top-five selection in the draft, Volchenkov would go on to have a fantastic rookie season with 70 points in 72 games. However, that success would be short-lived, as he would post 21 points the next season and go entirely inactive. This time around, his latest player Alec Volchenkov hopes to prove his reliableness. So far, his TPE production shows that he’s off to a great start, with 74 TPE over 4 and a half weeks, including 50 in the last 2.5 weeks. The Russian is a fantastic two-way player who shows much promise as a playmaker as well. He always finds a way to get the puck to teammates in open ice, which is an incredibly useful skill at both ends of the ice. Especially at a time where the majority of forwards prioritize scoring, his ability to thread the needle will likely be coveted by VHL teams to balance their lineups out a bit more. There’s quite a bit of promise in this player, and I don’t think Volchenkov will burn out as Volosenkov did.
 
- John Merrick -
C | Ranked #11 in midseason rankings
It’s hard to call a first round prospect an underdog, but I think it’s very fitting for John Merrick, given the circumstances. Like King, Merrick entered the VHLM in the last week of S73 eligibility and has not had much time to catch up. I think it is fair to consider him an underdog since had he recreated at last season’s deadline, he may have very well been a contender for a top-three selection, possibly even first overall. The reason I say this is because Steve’s last player, Guy LeGrande, was an S67 player who had already amassed 1177 TPE, which still stands as seventh in his draft class, even with over two weeks since he retired. Merrick is a goal-scoring centre with all the right tools to be successful offensively. His faceoffs could use some work, but he’s still extremely early in his development, so it will likely be improved soon. He has had a quality start to his career with the Mexico City Kings, with 16 points in 26 games. With his rapid improvement presumably continuing for the playoffs, expect him to be a real breakout candidate there. This is undoubtedly an elite prospect, and only time will tell how far he can climb up the rankings before draft day.
 
There are definitely other prospects who have fallen under the radar for one reason or another, but these ones are the most notable ones to me. It’s always fun cheering for the underdog, so make sure to keep an eye on these players around draft time. If you’d like to give some recognition to an underdog of the S73 Draft class, feel free to leave a comment on this article. With that said, we’re all done for this season, but make sure to come back next season for the underdogs of the S74 draft class!
 
One way to follow these prospects is to keep up with VSN’s VHLM content! We’ve got weekly updates for it as well as the big league. Keep an eye out for that, as well as an upcoming mock draft! But really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg with VSN content. We’ve got plenty of diverse content that any member would like. Here’s our latest work:
| VHLM Weekly | VHL Weekly | Behind The Trophy |
 
Players mentioned: @Hooperorama @IamMOOSE @SirRupertBarnes @Steve
 

i beat ferk https://www.chess.com/live/game/5048410959

I still need to play @Snussu @Devise and @GrittyIsKing09
 
Don't think I'll be doing much next week so I can play pretty much every day after today

Note: This article was written before the first round of simulations occurring on 6/27/20
 
Hello, and welcome to the first edition of a new season of Under 250: The VHLM Report. In these series, we will be taking a look at the trends and topics from the past week in the VHLM. What twists and turns will our minor league hold? Stay tuned to find out!
 
Make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
Ringless | VSN Weekly Review | VSN Australia | Talents Behind The Trophies
 
The Review
 
Another regular season has come and gone, and it is time we head into the playoffs! Who will be crowned this season’s Founder’s Cup Champions? Will it be our Prime Minister’s Cup-winning Minnesota Storm? Or will it be a plucky underdog, taking out the big teams on their route to immortality? You’ll have to stay tuned to find out! Without further ado, let’s dive into our regular season review and see just how the end of the season shook out.
 


The aforementioned Minnesota Storm lead the league as they have for a while now, ensuring the number one overall spot heading into the playoffs. They will be matching up in the first round against the Miami Marauders, who make the playoffs as one of the league-wide wildcard spots. The second overall Saskatoon Wild will go up against the next wildcard of the Ottawa Lynx. Following this is the Theusch Division winners of the Philadelphia Reapers, who will be playing the Mississauga Hounds. The final matchup of the first round will be between the Mexico City Kings and the Las Vegas Aces, two teams which finished with just a point between them, the Kings advancing with their additional three overtime losses, despite their wins being one fewer than the Aces. Missing out on the playoffs we have Halifax 21st, the Yukon Rush, the San Diego Marlins, and the Houston Bulls. Good luck next season!
 
Let’s post the ELO chart one final time, and with those statistics in mind, dive into the first round preview!
 

 

First Round Preview
 
Minnesota Storm (1) vs Miami Marauders (8)
 
Certainly, making the playoffs in their inaugural season is cause for celebration in Miami, but is it crazy to think they have a chance in upsetting Cup contenders in Minnesota? In their regular-season matchups, while the Storm were able to score consistently against the Marauders, Miami also caused Minnesota some trouble of their own, conceding the most goals against of any regular-season series. Granted, there were eight games played against each other compared to some 5 or 7 game series, but ultimately it is clear that the Marauders can do some damage to the solid Minnesota defence, as evidenced by them beating the Storm in 3 of 8 matches. Not a majority, but good enough to not write a surprise victory off! 
 
The Storm relies on a host of depth talent, with top goalscorer in the league Ike Bennet providing a real threat in front of the net. While Bennet is the only member in the top 10 players in the league for points, the whole team produces, as evidenced by their league-leading 345 goals scored. This season, VHLM vet Mickey Dickson has stepped up to the plate, reaching a career-high of 95 points, while defensemen Liam Flaten sits at third in the league for defensemen with 111 points. The Marauders rely on a studded blue line themselves, with Kosmo Kramerev and Wolf Stansson at first and third on their roster for points. They are particularly strong at the centre position, with Dakota Lamb and Andre Lebastard reaching third and sixth in the league for points scored by centres. 
 
Saskatoon Wild (2) vs Ottawa Lynx (7)
 
Our next series will pit the Corcoran Division champions Saskatoon Wild against the Ottawa Lynx. The Lynx finished the regular season last in their division, but their division was the strongest of any, with the highest total points between their three teams. The Wild should feel strong going into this matchup, which they are heavily favoured in after winning all six of their regular-season matchups against the Lynx, including one shootout win. The Wild scored more against the Lynx than any team not named Houston or San Diego, and are looking to continue this trend. 
 
The Lynx are not likely to go down without a fight, but a lot will be riding on their rookie goaltender Ajay Krishna to carry the team as their highest TPA player, after their midseason firesale to Philadelphia. Saskatoon, on the other hand, has a host of top talent, including four players at the cap. Their top centre, Lucas Brandt, will be looking to lead the line along with the team’s highest goalscorer Timothy Brown whose 58 goals is tied for fourth in the league. Tyler Walker is tied for the league lead in assists and is vital in moving the puck around for those scoring opportunities. As shown in the ELO charts, the Wild are top contenders along with Minnesota, as they made up the difference, each with essentially the same ELO by the end of the season. 
 
Philadelphia Reapers (3) vs Mississauga Hounds (6)
 
The Philadelphia Reapers were on a bit of a run there to end the season. With 26 games remaining, they moved for Ottawa’s big stars of Adam Syreck, DeFenz Mann, and Big Chungus, as well as Rich Dickbutt McFudderdudder for some very solid depth, to complement their already star-studded roster. The Reapers have an incredible six capped players and are looking very dangerous on both ends. They have four of the top 10 players in the league for points, including Adam Syreck and Bob Helminen leading the pack with the top two slots, and those two are joined by Big Chungus’s 61 goals, good for second in the league. With all that power it seems difficult for the Mississauga Hounds to mount a challenge, but not impossible.
 
The odds are certainly stacked against them, as the Reapers have shown they can consistently beat the Hounds, winning six times while only losing twice, though each team won once in a shootout. One thing in the Hound’s favour is their own ability to score, and while they might not be exactly favoured in a shooting gallery, it might be their best chance. Other than the Minnesota Storm, the Hounds were the team that scored the most on the Reapers, although they did have three more games to do it in compared to the Aces and Kings, for example. Led by right-winger Michael Mac, the Hounds have a competitive roster, with a lot of balanced scoring options. Their goaltender Jacob Tonn will be very important in seeing how far they can go; the capped netminder had a relatively poor regular season compared to his ability, but if he turns it up in the playoffs the Hounds have the opportunity to go far. 
 
Mexico City Kings (4) vs Las Vegas Aces (5)
 
Finally, we come to the closest out of all the first-round matchups, with the Mexico City Kings taking on the Las Vegas Aces. Despite the Kings maintaining a steady ELO lead, they have never really widened the gap since they split apart around their 45th game of the season. This is the only match in which the lower-seeded team might actually be favoured. Despite the Kings coming away with one more point in the regular season, thanks to their extra overtime losses, the Aces were the team that narrowly took the regular-season matchup. The two teams went three regular time wins apiece, but the Aces took two additional matches in the shootout, giving them a 5-3 edge. Additionally, they scored almost identically, with the Aces once more narrowly taking the lead, 22 goals to 20. 
 
The Kings don’t have many statistical leaders on their team but are built to last with all of their players up and down the roster getting on the score sheet. Chris Hylands is their top guy with 107 points, while their goaltender is Zamboni Driver, a strong performer that is looking to improve on his play in last season’s playoffs that saw his team lose in the second round. Their field general of Viktor Alexei Kamenov is integral to their play, leading the team in assists from the blue line along with Chance Rust on the second pair. The Aces have a little bit more star power, with the top assist man in the league, Alex Letang, leading their blue line (he is tied for first with 94 assists). Gregg Stallion and Jeff Blaze, each with 49 goals, are lethal in front of the net, and will be key in this series. Additionally, the Aces have strong depth options, having attracted a number of midseason signings of players from reputable agencies whose skills will help to even the playing field in the playoffs. 
 
 
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!
 
Players Mentioned: @Caboose30, @Brewins15, @flatl99, @Mongoose87, @ahockeyguy, @dlamb, @Andre LeBastard, @Hooperorama, @twists, @a_Ferk, @Advantage, @Spade18, @Mike, @Ferda, @Weretarantula, @Big Bob, @LastOneUp, @MexicanCow123, @Hylands33, @Tape-to-Tape, @BigTittySmitty, @turkey2349, @Spartan, @SweatyBeaver, @NyQuil
 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter

Alec Volchenkov was born in a remote town about 3 hours east of Moscow and his family has always joked that he started skating the moment he could walk. Whenever he could hit the rink after school that's where you'd find him. Playing good defense and being able to out-skate anyone on the ice was always his area of specialty which has really helped shape him into the player he is today.
 
He grew up playing AAA leagues across Russia for the first few years of his youth. When he was 12 years old his family moved to America when his family moved to his mother's hometown in Minnesota. Volchenkov trained hard and worked every day to grow into the player he wanted to become. When he hit High School, he enrolled at Northfield Senior High School to play in one of the better hockey programs in the state. He won Defensive forward of the year twice during his tenure with the team, along with 2 State Championships, 1 Nationals Championship, and a State Playoff MVP.


 
After a few successful seasons in high school he moved onto a bigger stage where he played for Boston University on their second line, shutting down the opposition and recording 6 goals and 20 assists in his freshman season with the Terriers. He trained hard for the top center position and got it in his sophomore season recording 9 goals and 33 assists finishing in the top 15 in the league for points. The hard work couldn't quite pay off as they lost in the semi-finals to U-Mass who ultimately went on to win Nationals. After an injury early on in his 3rd season he only ended up playing 10 games and record 2 goals and 9 assists in that short time. The team felt that blow and failed to even make it past the first round that season. 
 
His Senior year he wanted to go out with a bang and he sure did. In 32 GP he record 13 goals and 49 assists finishing first in the league in points as well as winning the Hobey Baker award which is the most prestigious individual award handed out in Division I men’s hockey. To top it off the went on quite the run only losing 4 games all playoffs including Nationals to take it all.
 
Now that he's graduated and has spent time in such a great program, Alec looks to continue his career in the VHLM. He's signed as a free agent with the Saskatoon Wild and has been playing on their third line giving some extra depth to an already loaded team.
 

Wow. Members tag. Don't get why people are so hard on it/you. I like getting notifications, even if doesn't pertain to me.
 

that's right, doug dimmadome!  owner of the dimmsdale dimmadome!

@Esso2264

Seeing on my post that not all people dont hate me anymore. I've decided to come back! Although I will not advance with my player for now and try to get him to the Vhl, I might in the eventual future. For now I will just be sticking around and talking in forums. (Btw what happened to the chat bar it was here like a week ago.) 

if anyone sees this I am just telling u guys that I will probably never come back to the VHL discord again. I had a good few weeks but I should have never lied about my age or anything else. Also all my discord accounts have been disabled due to people reporting me. I will probably never reveal my discord acct anymore and if someone finds it oh well. Anyways good luck guys and have fun. Also if anyone sees this, can you please reach out to Dil and also the whole community and tell them I said hi. I will try to comm with people as much as possible but I have found it hard to. Also hi Josh and Flyer cause u will prob see this. Also Jared informed me that Bana stepped down from VHLM commish and is now a gm also congrats on Sonnet as the new commish and I hope that everything is fine for Bana. Finally to who ever reads this if I am to return I hope everyone has a good time and remembers me. Also what happened to the chat bar???? Peace!  P.S. (PLZ TELL DIL TO CHAT TO MEH) @Admin @Moderator @Members _ Thanks Elijah 

The original Memorial Thread was taken down. RIP the Thread
 

To Eli and how you changed the VHL discord in 3 days. Hope you're in a better place now man. 

The original Memorial Thread was taken down. RIP the Thread
 

The original Memorial Thread was taken down. RIP the Thread
 

The original Memorial Thread was taken down. RIP the Thread
 

The original Memorial Thread was taken down. RIP the Thread
 

Hello all,
 
Since people didn't like my previous attempt SEEN HERE at a dark theme I decided to give it another go.
 
This time I used an old test theme that Will and I were working on and used that as a foundation. The result was this:

 
After doing a 10 min beta test and having @Enorama say "Not gonna launch a dark theme where 90% of the screen is white again" along with 3 other volunteers saying it looked good its finally ready for release!

I'm proud to Introduce the Animated Dark Theme banner! Found here:

 
 
I will hopefully be able to add additional animated banners but for now you get one. If you find any bugs with this new theme please send me a message or tag me in this thread (other than Commissioner names being too dark)
 
Hope anyone that likes dark themes can find a use for this!
 

Ill throw my hat into the ring even though it has been a while.
 
1. I was previously a VHLM GM (Moscow Red Wolves)
2. I had a player (KJA) who played in VHL.
3. Ive never had any infractions against me
4. While I am getting used to the new interface, the concepts seemingly have remained mostly the same. Honestly my favorite part about VHL besides the community was being a GM. If people liked me in 2014, I am basically a more refined version of that (hopefully that is a good thing). 

S73 Expansion
Friday, June 12th, 3:00PM EST
@Members
 
In December of 2017 the VHL made a very difficult decision to revert our expansion and return to the original 8 teams that we had when the league began. If I'm being honest with you all this was done as a last ditch effort to try and save the league which was floundering at the time. Recruitment was way down, old members were burning out, and the league could not adequately sustain 10 teams anymore, thus the unfortunate demise of the Cologne Express and Stockholm Vikings.
 
It took just over a year before we added another team, the Moscow Menace, to the mix in January of 2019. After that things took off. Only 2 months later we added the Malmo Nighthawks and then 6 months after that both the DC Dragons and Prague Phantoms. In under 2 years the VHL went from 8 teams, the lowest it ever had, to 12.
 
But we aren't done.
 
It is my absolutely amazing honour today to announce yet another expansion to the VHL and this time it's our largest expansion in league history. Bigger than Moscow or Malmo, bigger than DC and Prague, even bigger than the three team expansion the VHLM went through when Moscow was added. Today we announce that four new teams will be joining the VHL for the start of S73 which will bring our total up to 16 teams. Double what we had when the league began almost 13 years ago and more impressively double what we had in December of 2017, not even 3 years ago. This is thanks, in no small part, to the amazing work of the @Recruitment Crew  bringing in members like crazy, as well as the Dev Team (who can't be tagged but are no less appreciated) who continue to make the VHL portal the best site extension the sim league community has ever seen. It's also thanks to all of you though, we're a community first and whether you wear many hats or just "member" you are no less appreciated. When the VHL started with 8 teams people thought it was too much, that it couldn't be filled. To see the league double in size is absolutely phenomenal and I can't express how amazing it is.
 
Who am I kidding though, none of you want to read about me getting nostalgic any longer. We've got some teams to announce do we not? Let's cover North America first and then travel east.
 
So, starting on the west coast we find ourselves in the city of angels. The VHL has gone a long time without the glitz and glamour of Hollywood but no more. Let me introduce the Los Angeles Stars!
 
 
Moving east we hit another city that has been sorely missing out on a VHL franchise for what seems like far too long. Once ravished by a fire and burned to the ground this great city rose from the ashes which brought inspiration to it's VHL team, the Chicago Phoenix!
 
 
With the North American conference handled we head across the pond to the European conference.  Once known for expanding it's empire across the globe the United Kingdom has been sorely missed in VHL expansion for too long, that changes now with the London United!
 
 
Last but certainly not least the VHL moves once again into uncharted territory for the league, Poland. Once nearly completely destroyed by war this great city refused to go down without a fight. That fighting spirit lives on in the Warsaw Predators!
 
 
The league would like to extend its greatest thanks to @Da_Berr who put together the Stars and United logos for us as well as the @VHL GM 's and @BOG  who have kept the lid on this closed over the past few months to keep it a surprise. This is an absolutely amazing achievement for the league and we're excited to see how adding four new teams shakes up the landscape of the league.
 
Now then, to business. There are also going to be some fairly significant changes to league rules and scheduling that are required to make 4 teams work.
 
Season 73 VHL Expansion Draft
 
We'll start with the S73 Expansion Draft, which will obviously be the largest in league history. In order to accommodate that fact there will be more than players from existing teams up for grabs. In fact, there will be supplemental picks in the 2nd round of each of the next two VHL Entry Drafts (S73 & S74), as well as the opportunity for the expansion teams to select their own draft slot for the S73 Entry Draft! The full details of the S73 VHL Expansion Draft can be found below.
 
 
Scheduling / Playoff Format
 
With 16 teams, there will obviously be a need for a new scheduling format, as the current 8/8/5 format would result in a nearly 100-game schedule. Going forward, teams will play Divisional Opponents a minimum of 6 times per season, Conference Opponents a minimum of 5 times per season, and Cross-Conference Opponents a minimum of 4 times per season. The remaining games will be randomly decided by the STHS Scheduling formula. This is subject to change if testing proves the math wrong but is the intention.
 
The next major scheduling change, as a result of growing to 16 teams, is the need for a new playoff format. With 4 expansion teams added to the mix, the playoff structure will expand to 10 teams, 5 per conference. The playoff format will be as follows:
 
 
Draft Lottery / Draft Lottery Tournament
 
With 6 teams now missing the playoffs, there will be some major changes to the Draft Lottery format. The first of which is the need for new Draft Lottery Odds. For the purposes of the Draft Lottery, all teams that miss the playoffs will be considered seeds 11-16 in the Regular Season Standings, and their draft odds will start as:
 
 
"Draft odds will start? Draft Lottery Tournament?" Indeed, with so many teams missing out on playoff action, the league has decided to add a new wrinkle to the Draft Lottery, which is a tournament that will decide the final Draft Lottery Odds, the format for the Draft Lottery Tournament will be as follows:
 
 
So, in conclusion: 4 new teams, new scheduling and playoff formats, new Draft Lottery Odds and Draft Lottery Tournament. Much excitement, and much congratulations to everyone who made this possible. As the league enters its 13th year of operation it is a source of pride to see the community grow to where it is today, and where it can continue to grow as we move forward!
 
@Commissioner
@BOG

Player Information
Username: Esso2264
Player Name: Doug Dimmadome
Recruited From: Other (recreate)
Age: 50
Position: G
Height: 65 in.
Weight: 200 lbs.
Birthplace: Honduras

Player Page
@VHLM GM

owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome

Elijah joining was the highlight of my season so far. He was truly misunderstood

Hello, everyone. I hope all your weekends went well and you're all bracing yourselves for Monday. My lazy ass is just getting off a nice long stretch of days off and won't be finding my way back to them for another 10 days starting tomorrow. Figured it was likely best to get this out of the way now as opposed to waiting until some time this coming week. My initial thoughts of this season's theme for theme week was pretty damn good but heading into it I didn't know what to expect. Like I did, I just wasn't sure it was going to be this good. What I seen was some pretty good retention, a lot of members being noticed for their hard work, dedication and care they show towards the league and a lot of deserving members were shown a lot of great love over the last little while. I guess now it's my turn to write that little bit of a media spot. Fortunately, I've spent the last 24 seasons as a very dedicated, passionate GM of the VHL, as well as the last 2 years up until recently as the VHLM's almighty and powerful ruler. Working both of these roles for the league has given me the ability to look, hunt and interact with a massive amount of members - new and old. For me, this was something I really liked about the job. I got to notice people. I went out of my way to notice people who just signed up for the site, got to know them and helped get them a little bit hooked or going. It's a cool feel. So when I seen this being the theme for the up coming weeks or whatever, It really made me pumped on who I could talk about. Now, some of these guys are getting love for different reasons. Some of these guys are a little older, some are a little newer but I figure I might as well crunch some words, kill a week with theme week pay (Whatever the hell it is. How much do I claim for theme week? lol) and then maybe slap another week off. Without anymore blabbering, who has caught my eye as members in this league?
 
1. They're the people that made me want to listen to podcasts. I've been on these sites for something close to what feels like 10 years. I'm not entirely too certain on the correct time but it's been a damn long time. I joined SHL in S2-3 and they're in the 50's or something now (I'm 1/10 active there). During this large amount of time, I've never had a strong interest to ever listen to a podcast. I don't think they were really boring. I just don't think I could sit there and listen to something that long and really care about it. I'm not entirely too sure. Maybe, getting older and all that, it also appeals to me differently now than it would have in the mid-to-late teens. HOWEVER, this all changed when @Berocka started kicking out his podcasts. I didn't miss a single one and would be like "yo, when's the next one at?". They were that awesome. Then I gave @DoktorFunk and @DarkSpyro a chance and liked it just the same. These 3 guys joining arms is always the best. I haven't quite dipped fully into that video one yet but dudes, good shit. It's super awesome to see you guys create this atmosphere over the last few months. Maybe people are going covid-crazy, but I appreciate the amazing dedication you guys have to the VHL. 
 
2. Your name is something I like. You've grown on me, but I knew you would. The moment you joined the league, I was a fan of you. Your name was sweet. I don't know if it's your real one or a made up one, lmao, but who cares. Legit name. I've been a big fan of making my players Russian's or Swede's throughout the many years on these sites. I've always enjoyed your coverage of media and work you put out and unfortunately, you have to play on @hedgehog337's damn team! @Patrik Tallinder Keep up the great work, man.
 
3. Similar to above. Very much so. Maybe it's because I like the NHLer who actually goes by this name. He's sweet. I think he has a lot of potential and could be a better player than what he is. To think of it, this is basically describing both of these guys - real NHL player and the VHL man himself. Every time he does something around the league or on the Discord, I feel a positive vibe and such from him. You can tell he's super interested in the league and with the few discussions I've had with him, I was really impressed and excited to see what he becomes. He currently leads  while the main GM, Sonnet, temporarily steps away from his duties due to personal reasons. While this not being the best circumstance to get his foot in the door, I always had a feeling he'd fine a way. @PatrikLaine Be the Patrik Laine both the Winnipeg Jets AND the VHL need.  
 
4. He's a good, dude. He's a teacher that teaches. @bigAL He's a new dude around the league but he's grown fast as a member. I remember when we were first discussing him coming on board as an Assistant GM in the VHLM and we were comparing the top 2 guys for the job. They were both good candidates while also being fairly different and both would have done well likely in the role, however, bigAL has really done some good stuff. Whether it was in the VHLM GM section or private discussions or in general or whatever the hell, he's always been an awesome person to talk with. I think he will do a lot of good things in this league as long as he doesn't go crazy. Not the wrong crazy anyway, lol.
 
5. DA BEARZ 
 
Now, I do believe I am slightly over 1,000 words which was my main goal here. However, I don't feel like it was enough love given. During my time as VHLM Commissioner, I was always, always keeping my eye on members to see how retention was going but to also see who could very well be the next VHLM GM in the league. There was a few times we took gambles on pretty new members, or members that were first gens, and it largely paid off. Some hiring's were even a little bit of a surprise to some but honestly, very few were bad. I say it like that because I'm sure there had to of been one dud. We ain't perfect, ahah. It was also an an opportunity to keep my eye on everyone else so that each and every time we hired someone or whatever, we were doing what was best for the VHLM. Some people that have surprised me or that I've really noticed doing good by the league are @Zetterberg  @Jubis@rory @a_Ferk, @Tate->  always have to throw the gentle giant on the list, @FrostBeard -> amazing dude, hardworker to make VSN great again, @Mr_Hatter -> for letting seattle go 3/4  , @Hooperorama @Aye my name jeff @BigTittySmitty  @gorlab ->  Enjoy seeing you back in a league that I am in..  @Elijah (Fong's Son) -> For making VHL explode with activity lmao, @BladeMaiden -> You know what for, but well drive the people crazy with this tag. @Joe Exotic -> For quality netflix during covid-19, @Kevin King, @Kekzkrieg -> I feel like I love every Erik Karlsson sig you do, lol
 
There's many more but I could go on forever. Keep up the good shit my dudes. Thank you for making this place diverse and TYPICALLY awesome.   
 
 

Welcome to the third edition of VSN’s S72 Weekly recap (Games 203-287).  We’ll cover a host of things in this recap each week including highlights of important VSN happenings, three stars of the week, power rankings, rookie profiles, and anything else of importance.
 
Speaking of other VSN content, make sure to check out the other great work from the greater VSN family! Here are a few handy links to check out, from our weekly podcasts to in-depth history articles, scouting reports, and more! 
 
Ringless | Under 250 | Early Standouts | Deep Rewind
 
Recap
 
This week was the nightmare of goalies around the league. With more than twice as many hat-tricks as we had shutouts, offences surged as defenders and net-minders alike scrambled to keep the puck out of the backs of their nets. Teams appear to be throwing a lot more pucks at the net, with the top goalies in the league still maintaining save percentages comparable to that of previous years. However, the top GAA numbers among starters are over a quarter of a goal worse than in recent seasons. On the offensive end of things, we have multiple players on pace to set the highest points totals since S68, perhaps even breaking triple digits once again.

But the big news everyone is talking about is the announcement of four new expansion teams coming in S73. This bold and aggressive move has been met with a mixed reception. While it is always exciting to see new teams enter the league and give opportunities for maximum ice-time to as many as possible, this decision comes at a time where parity already seems to be on the decline from the past few seasons. However, it is impossible to tell how much of that break in parity may have come as a result of General Managers, who knew about this expansion prior to the season, trying to get their rosters ready for the expansion draft and lower cap that will undoubtedly come with the move to sixteen teams. Regardless of your feelings on the expansion, it shines a new light on several recent trades that were almost certainly made with expansion concerns in mind.

3-Stars
 
First Star
A Red Guy (NYA) - 12 GP, .920 SV%, 2 SO
Second Star
Micheal Gary Scott (NYA) - 4 G, 20 A, 27 SB
Third Star
Lewis Dawson (MAL) - 5 G, 10 A, 19 Hits
 
Power Rankings

Thanks to @Pengu for this excellent graphic.
 
European Conference
 
This season’s European Conference has been too close to call right from the get-go. Here we are at the end of week 3 and we still have no clear picture of who will be missing playoffs. Not much has changed as far as power rankings go but the Riga Reign seem to have solidified top spot in the conference, capitalizing on a 3 game win streak to end the week. Helsinki are hot on the tails of Riga and should they slip up, the Titans will be waiting to leapfrog them into first place. HC Davos are just 3 points behind Helsinki and made a huge trade this week by acquiring Hunter Hearst Helmsley, so their intentions are clear, they want to make a serious run for the Cup. The final playoff spot belongs to Moscow but they are tied on points with Prague and are only in based on their superior goal differential. However, they do have a game in hand and will be hoping to use that to their advantage to put some room between them and the Reign. Still at the bottom of the standings are the Malmo Nighthawks but their playoff hopes are far from squashed. They sit just 3 points behind Prague and could very well find themselves in the playoffs if just a couple results go their way. There’s still lots to play for in this European Conference and it very well could go right down to the wire. 
 
North American Conference
 
Over in the North American conference, we still have the two top dogs going toe to toe for the coveted top spot. Calgary once again remains on top for the 3rd week running, closely followed by the Seattle Bears who are a mere one point behind the Wranglers and will be hoping to keep that pressure on as the season winds down. Having made some huge trades, and directly benefiting from those trades, the New York Americans have jumped up to 3rd place in our power rankings and the statement they made by acquiring Acyd Burn is clear for all to see; they want that cup! They are an impressive 8-1-1 over the last 10 games and have to be considered one of the most dangerous teams in the entire league as of now. Toronto might be slightly upset to fall to 4th in the power rankings, but they are just one point ahead of New York and the Americans have added some key pieces to their team that just slightly edges out the Legion. Vancouver has fully accepted that their time for contending is up, and is selling the farm. Parting ways with Hunter Hearst Helmsley this week, Vancouver is already 8 points behind New York and falling, and it’s hard to see them in a playoff spot come to the end of this season. Another 8 points behind Vancouver, we find the D.C. Dragons. Things just haven’t gone their way this season and they sit dead last in the entire league with only 34 points. If the Dragons manage to figure out just what is wrong with this team, they could make a push for that final playoff spot. There’s no denying the star power is there, but they will have to turn things around very quickly or they’ll be stuck in the basement all season long.
 
Notable Games
 
Game 206 - Seattle Bears vs. Calgary Wranglers
Early in the week, we got a showdown between the top two teams in the league. At the end of the week, Seattle still trailed Calgary by a point, but this game went a long way toward narrowing that gap. Despite the fact that Seattle held the lead for the majority of the game and never found themselves behind, this game felt very close. Until the fifty-ninth minute, when Guy LeGrande scored on an empty net, it looked as though the Wranglers might still wrest control away and send it to overtime. But in the end, this game really came down to powerplay production. Each team had six opportunities on the powerplay, but the victorious Bears netted two goals on the man advantage compared to the Wranglers’ zero.
 
Game 227 - Riga Reign vs. HC Davos Dynamo
We also got a game between the top two teams in the European Conference, although they were first and third at the time, that resulted in another match to keep you on the edge of your seat. Lincoln Tate stole the show with five assists, one on each Riga goal, and Codrick Past was a major player as well with four points of his own. It is fitting than the two of them combined for the two assists on the final, game-winning goal. Production on the Dynamo side of the puck was much more distributed, with nine different players appearing on the score sheet, but only Robin Winter with more than one point. When HC Davos scored their third in a row to take the lead at the midway point of the third period, it looks like they might have enough momentum to win the day, but the Reign quickly answered just a minute later and denied them overtime with a game-winner in the fifty-ninth minute..
 
Game 264 - Helsinki Titans vs. New York Americans 
Finally, we saw a matchup between the third-place teams in each conference. After seeing the first two notable games this week, I didn’t believe we could get a closer one, and I almost highlighted the 8-1 win Davos had over Malmo just to buck the trend, but this game was just crazy. This game became a battle between New York’s back-up goalie and Jim Bob, the Helsinki sophomore who, in fifty games, has already hit his point total from his rookie season. New York jumped out to an early two-goal lead in the first period, but the Titans brought that within one thirty seconds into the second. But for another thirty-five minutes, the two sides were at a stalemate. Then suddenly, Jim Bob ties it up with under five to go, but the Americans quickly answer with another go-ahead goal. So once again, it has to be Jim Bob to tie it up with under a minute to go. Overtime was scoreless, so we went to the shootout. The goalie who leads the league in save percentage among starters again New York’s backup. But after four rounds, a goal by Acyd Burn won the game for the Americans.

Events of the Week 

Fights
 
Game 233 - BRAWL!
These teams have some history, or as much history as a rivalry can have in just a few seasons in the league, and that showed as a brawl broke out just thirty-three seconds into the game. Gary Neal beat up Roll Fizzlebeef and Lewis Dawson beat up Ondrej Ohradka, who was then ejected from the game, and Condor Adrienne, Thomas Landry II, and Andrej Petrovic each received minors for their involvement.
Game 275 - Gritty beats up Graves and Jungkok beats up Ritchie
It was a rambunctious first period between the Wolves and Dragons and Vancouver got the upper hand through force. A minute after the first goal, Gritty and Benny Graves dropped gloves and Graves was sent to the ice quickly by the physical veteran. Three minutes after that, Jungkok found Raleigh Ritchie to much the same result. The Wolves violence didn’t end there either. In the Third period, Brock Louth was given a major and ejected for a vicious spearing. Something had the Wolves hot, but it paid off in this 5-1 victory.
 
Hat-Tricks
 
Game 221 - Codrick Past
A slug-fest at the top of the European Conference, this game had everything, two players with seven shots apiece, fifteen penalties and our first hat-trick of the week. Codrick Past scored all three goals for the Riga Reign in this one, but Acyd Burn kept it close and sent the game to the shoutout. The Reign would end up winning after outshooting the Dynamo 49-42.
Game 230 - Julius Freeman
On a new roster but hasn’t missed a beat, Julius Freeman stole the show, scoring the game-winner in an action-packed first period before finishing his hat-trick on the powerplay late in the third. Micheal Gary Scott should also get a little credit with three assists on the night.
Game 239 - Jerry Garcia
This is the game of the year for the HC Davos Dynamo. Half of their roster had a multi-point game, with Jet Jaguar racking up six points off a goal and five assists. However, the central figure of this event is Jerry Garcia, who scored his second hat-trick of the season. Over a quarter of his goals, this season have come in games where he got a hat-trick, so teams should be scared any time he puts one in the net.
Game 242 - Guy LeGrande
Guy LeGrande opened the scoring, put in the game-winner, and then completed his hat-trick just after the midway point of the game. The New York Americans escaped the first period down by just a goal, but by the time LeGrande was done with them, it was a 5-1 blowout.
Game 246 - Raleigh Ritchie
This should be about the point where you notice we had a lot of hat-tricks this week. Don’t worry, it isn’t over yet. Raleigh Ritchie got the D.C. Dragons on the board and then scored less than two minutes later to give them the lead. They would lose and regain that lead before he scored his next one, but with just six seconds left in the game, Ritchie scored the first hat-trick of his career.
Game 255 - Julius Freeman
With his second of the week, and of the season, Julius Freeman started the game off with an assist on a powerplay goal by Owen Nolan. He followed that up a few minutes later with a short-handed goal. However, the Phantoms and Americans entered the third tied. Freeman was having nothing of a tie and scored twice in the span of a minute and a half to put the game away.
Game 266 - Thomas Landry II
This is my favourite type of hat-trick when a player gets insanely hot for a short burst of time and simply can’t be stopped. That is what happened here with Thomas Landry II, scoring three goals in just under three minutes. Bonus fun fact about this game! Wolf Stansson Jr had four points this game, but none on Landry’s hat-trick goals. It is safe to say the whole team was on fire.
 
 
Shutouts
 
Game 218 - D.C. vs. New York
This game started out ugly for the Dragons and never really got any better. New York shocked their opponents with two goals in the first thirty-six second of the game. From there, they were able to sit back and control the game, scoring just one more before it was all said and done. But it was A Red Guy who stole the spotlight of the night as he earned the first shutout of the week with twenty-eight saves.
Game 244 - Helsinki vs. Vancouver
For a team that is fighting for first in their conference, the Helsinki Titans have a problem with getting shut out. This time it was Jimmy Spyro and the Wolves who did the honours. With twenty-two saves, Spyro earned his first shutout of the season. Despite having a bumpy ride in his first season as a starter, Spyro has always been able to dominate games and he got to show that proficiency here.
Game 269 - HC Davos vs. New York
In a week with an exceptionally low number of shutouts, A Red Guy managed to earn two of the only three this week. Facing twenty-two shots over the course of the game, the Americans allowed most of those in the first period. They only held a one-goal lead for the majority of the game, but A Red Guy shut the door for another great finish.

Rookie Spotlight
Zyrok12

Thanks to @Pengu for this excellent graphic.
 
Zyrok12 is a 16-year-old Spanish defenseman who is enjoying quite the amazing rookie season. First joining the VHLM in Season 71, with the Ottawa Lynx, Zyrok12 was out to prove to everyone that he was a force to be reckoned with. He had a very respectable first campaign where he picked up 54 points in 71 games, as well as helped the team to the Cup Finals with 15 points in 16 games which they unfortunately lost. Next season he was drafted 2nd overall into the VHLM by the Yukon Rush where he absolutely exploded for 117 points in 72 games. He would once again help lead his team to the finals, but come up just short, this time losing to his former team the Ottawa Lynx.
 
Drafted 12th overall by the Malmo Nighthawks he has built upon his success in the VHLM and has made the jump to the big leagues almost seamlessly. Being a strong, puck-moving, defence first d-man who skates effortlessly it’s not hard to see why he has seen so much early success. He comes in at 5th in rookie scoring, but could easily be in 3rd as he is just one point away from taking that spot. On top of all of this, Zyrok12 is an absolute workhorse. He is in the top 10 of the entire league for minutes played this season, and he earned the respect of his fellow teammates in Malmo, who voted him as Assistant Captain in his very first season.
 
As long as Zyrok12 continues to improve at his usual pace, he will be a great addition to the Malmo Nighthawks. His low shooting percentage is somewhat suspect, but you can attribute that to bad luck. Perhaps some work is needed on the scoring front for Zyrok12, as he has scored just 2 goals so far this season, but as he gains experience his shot selection will become better and better. Since he is not the biggest guy, he will need to focus on his skating in order to be successful at the highest levels, but he is certainly someone to keep an eye on in the very near future.
 
 

I’m on mobile again and I hate it. 
 
@a_Ferk is dying; he was ESCORT. 
 
 
 
@a_Ferk
@BarzalGoat
 
@ContinentalCup036
 
@Doomsday
@jhatty8
 
@Mr_Hatter
@Ricer13
@solas