hylands

Welcome back to the VHL @Duddy

 

I am GM of the Mexico City Kings and I can offer you minutes on our 2nd line for the remaining few games of the season.

 

We aren't going to be competing for a cup this season, but if you want maximum ice time over a cup run, this is the place you want to be. If you are interested, quote this and say "acepto " to become royalty!

 

-Hylands

 

Claiming 2nd graphic

 

Welcome to the third edition of VSN’s S73 Weekly recap (Games 236-354).  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!

Talents Behind the Trophies | Under 250 | Ringless: S49 Quebec City Meute | VSN Australia | S73 Future Watch: EU

 

Recap

Week 3 saw goalies struggle massively, with only 3 shutouts recorded the entire week, scorers are seeing their point totals inflate. We have numerous players on pace to break 100 points, and as we pass the midway point of the season, goalies are finding it tough. The playoff race is heating up in both conferences, and while the teams outside looking in have some work to do, the gap is definitely manageable and a win streak could shake things up immensely. The trade deadline is coming up very quickly and things could be shaken up at the drop of a hat, things have been quiet this season and I expect the trade talks to start heating up very shortly.

 

3-Stars

 

First Star

Lewis Dawson (MAL) - 9 G, 20 A, 29 P
Second Star

Raymond Bernard (MOS) - 0.920 SV%, 2.36 GAA, 1 Shutout

Third Star

Hulk Hogan (SEA) - 7 G, 19 A, 26 P

 

Power Rankings

Featured on this week’s graphic we have Erik Summers of the Helsinki Titans, Ambrose Stark who plays for the Seattle Bears, and Grekkark Gyrfalcon, Malmo Nighthawks goaltender.

@Pengu with the solid template that is just oh so sweet

 

Week 3 was a week of dominating performances by our number 1 ranked team, the Helsinki Titans. Helsinki climbs up 4 spots from last week and posted an amazing 13-2 record this week, including an 11 game winning streak. Both Zamboni Driver and Samuel Ross were great in net for the Titans, helping them gain a 4 point cushion for the number 1 spot in the VHL standings. Our #2 team this week is the Seattle Bears. Seattle falls one spot from last week but still posted a solid 10-4-1 record this week behind a great week by Hulk Hogan. Seattle is tied with New York for the first seed in the North American Conference with 61 points on the season.

 

The number 3 team this week is the Malmo Nighthawks. Malmo was one of this week’s biggest jumpers as they didn’t appear on our week 2 rankings. They were led by Lewis Dawson, who recorded 29 points in 15 games and leading Malmo to a 10-5-0 record through the week. Not too far behind them in 4th is the Moscow Menace, led by an amazing week from their goaltender, Raymond Bernard. Bernard posted a 0.920 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average in 13 starts this week, going 9-4 and recording a shutout along the way. He’s a big part of the recent surge for the Menace.

 

Finishing in 5th this week are the New York Americans. New York went 8-4-3 this week and actually took a fall in the standings, moving from sole possession of the first place in the NA Conference into a tie with the Seattle Bears. New York will have to pick up their game if they want to contend for that top spot. Right behind them in 6th are the defending Continental Cup Champions in the Riga Reign, who went 8-5-2 this week. Goaltender Greg Eagles had another great week, winning 8 of his 13 starts and posting a 0.910 save percentage and 3.13 goals-against average. Riga is another team that may have to pick up their game to contend, especially with the EU conference standings being so close this year.

 

The 7th ranked team this week is the D.C. Dragons. The Dragons fought and clawed their way to an 8-6 finish this week. Rookie Groovy Dood has been having a solid campaign with a surging D.C. squad and he will be a big part of their push for a playoff spot. The last team on our rankings is the Calgary Wranglers, who continue to fall in our rankings, falling 1 spot from last week. Calgary finished the week with an 8-6-1 record. Not the worst numbers, but with the expectations of this Calgary team, they have to pick up their play if they want a shot at a higher seeding and possible Continental Cup glory.

 

 

Notable Games

 

Game 244 - Warsaw Predators vs London United

Our first game of the week was between two brand new teams to the league, and wow did they ever put on a show in this one. The scoring was opened by Warsaw just under 3 minutes into the game, and it was Alex Bridges who unleashed a slapshot from the point to capitalize on an early power play. London didn’t let the early goal get to them, as they regrouped quickly and prevented any more goals. About halfway through the 1st period, James Rose, who is having a fine rookie season, stepped up with 2 very quick goals just 41 seconds apart and just like that London had a lead. They took that lead into the 2nd period, and this is where the game started to open up. Damien Wolfe decided that he could do one better than Rose and he scored 2 goals of his own, but this time just 26 seconds apart, and again the lead had changed this time in favour of the Warsaw Predators. The goals in this one were coming in pairs, and they were coming quickly at that. London replied with another couple of goals to take back the lead by Guy Lesieur and The Terrible Trivium, and again these were less than a minute apart with just 33 seconds separating them. Taking advantage of a power play, Hunter Hearst Helmsley scored a nice goal to tie the game back up, but London struck back shortly after through Chico Smeb to once again take the lead. The 3rd period wasn’t as eventful as the 2nd but London finally got more than a 1 goal lead and it was Guy Lesieur getting his 2nd of the game to increase the lead. In the final minute of the game with the goalie pulled, Damien Wolfe scored a clutch goal to notch a hat trick and set up a thrilling end to the game, but it was London who managed to hold on for a 6-5 victory in this absolutely amazing game.

 

Game 326 - New York Americans vs Helsinki Titans

This inter-conference game between the top teams in the league proved to be one of the best matchups of the week. The two teams did not disappoint and things were off to a quick start with Owen Nolan notching the opener just 1:46 into the game. Helsinki answered that with 2 goals of their own, with one from Spencer Elsby on the power play, and one from Daldo. However, just 6 seconds after taking the lead, the New York Americans had tied the game right back up with Owen Nolan burying his 2nd of the game. Still, in the 1st period, the Americans started taking it to Helsinki and scored another goal, this time from Julius Freeman and then adding a 4th goal from Hugh Jass to end the 1st period. The rest of the game was mostly Helsinki trying to chip away at that 2 goal deficit that they found themselves in, and midway through the 2nd period, they got their lifeline from Erik Summers who finished a great passing play with a quick shot that fooled the goalie. Helsinki kept up the good play through to the 3rd period where they just needed 1 more goal to tie it up. With less than 8 minutes to play in the 3rd, Erik Draven unleashed a rocket one-timer past the New York netminder and tied the game at 4 apiece. The game ended up needing a shootout to decide the winner, and after Valtteri Vaakanainen scored in round 4 with a nice deke, the rookie goaltender Zamboni Driver came up with a big save to secure the comeback win for Helsinki.

 

Game 329 - HC Davos vs Malmo Nighthawks

Our final matchup of the week is between these European Conference rivals that left everything out on the ice in this particular game. The game started off slowly, with both teams feeling each other out before Lewis Dawson opened the scoring halfway through the 1st period. Davos was eager to get back on level terms though, and just 3 minutes into the 2nd frame they had their equalizer from David OQuinn. The Nighthawks took exception to that go-ahead goal and came back shortly after with a goal from Marshall James Frostbeard and just like that their lead was restored. The wheels then fell off the wagon for Malmo and Davos scored 4 unanswered goals with 2 each from SS Hornet and Jerry Garcia. The game had been turned on its head and Davos took a 5-2 lead into the 2nd intermission. Malmo’s coach must’ve had some very inspirational words for his team, because they stormed out of the gates in the 3rd period and had scored 2 goals within 36 seconds, from Dawson and Frostbeard once again. Finally, up stepped the top rookie scorer this season, Chris Hylands, who tied the game up with just over 7 minutes to play. He then popped up again with 1:06 left on the clock and buried the game-winner with a one-timer from Condor Adrienne. A great comeback victory for Malmo and a phenomenal game to end our games of the week on.  

 

Events of the Week

 

Fights

• Game 236 - BRAWL!
  • This game between London and Vancouver was feisty right from the get-go. Each team came out and made a statement by hitting early and hitting often. This would eventually erupt into a line brawl that saw Jungkok ejected for instigating. The original fight was between Balentine Kidd and Gregg Stallion, which had punches landed by both but Kidd was able to dispatch the rookie. Jungkok then took it upon himself to fight with Koda Adok which didn’t have a clear winner, unfortunately for Jungkok who was ejected for picking the fight. Meanwhile, Jeff Downey and β-LDN RW1 ended up in a scrap of their own which Downey easily won without much effort.

 

• Game 266 - BRAWL!
  • At the end of this close game between Toronto and Moscow, a huge fight broke out after frustrations boiled over for the Legion players. We had Gabriel Gutzwiler and Vin Calia who put on a great show, trading punches and eventually having to be broken up by the refs. There was β-TOR D2 who picked a fight with Ryo Yamazuki II which was another interesting fight with punches connecting from both players and β-TOR D2 was ejected after the fight for instigating. The last players to fight were β-TOR LW2 and Vladimir Pavlov which also had no clear winner after the refs quickly put an end to that fight so as to not let things get too out of hand. That fight also resulted in an ejection, but for Pavlov, so both teams were short 1 player by the end of that soiree.

 

• Game 288 - Jay Jones fights twice
  • Newcomer to the league, Jay Jones had something to prove in this game, considering he fought 2 Vancouver players in the 3rd period. Just 23 seconds into the 3rd, hoping to light a fire underneath his teammates, Jones and Jeff Downey dropped the gloves and started filling each other in. Multiple punches were hit by each player but it was Jay Jones who stood tall at the end. Then, after not being happy with his team’s response, he went out and got into another fight, this time against Andrew Su. Jones came out swinging in this one again, perhaps catching Su off guard, and it was only a couple of punches before Su had hit the ice.

 

• Game 307 - Helmsley fights twice
  • Hunter Hearst Helmsley took on two different Calgary players in this blowout loss. First, it was Kris Rice who threw fisticuffs with HHH, and he actually ended up taking the win over Helmsley. Both players landed some good blows but Rice landed some clean hits for the win. Hunter then made it his mission to get back at Calgary and he ended up coaxing RJ Jubis into a fight that ultimately ended in a draw. The refs took issue with the 2nd fight and ended up giving him game misconduct for instigating.

 

Hat-Tricks

 

• Game 244 - Damien Wolfe
  • Warsaw Predators forward, Damien Wolfe, scored a hat trick for his team in this game against London. He gave his team the lead early in the 2nd period with 2 quick goals scored only 26 seconds apart, but the Predators weren’t able to hold on. Wolfe got his team within 1 goal with his 3rd of the night late in the final period, but they ultimately came up short.

 

• Game 249 - Robin Winter
  • Last season’s 2nd overall pick, Robin Winter scored a wonderful 1st-period hat trick in this game against the Wolves. He helped his team take a commanding lead early on in the game and Davos never looked back in this one, eventually winning the game by a score of 5-3.

 

• Game 264 - ACL TEAR

  • He may have announced his retirement at the start of the season, but ACL TEAR is still kicking in the VHL. He scored the 1st goal of the game, and then in the 2nd period, he helped spark a comeback with 2 goals that set the stage for a great overtime win for the Calgary Wranglers.

 

• Game 268 - Gabriel Gutzwiler

  • This game saw a rare hat trick from a defenceman! Toronto had an amazing 3rd-period performance with 4 goals that propelled them to a 5-1 win, and Gabriel Gutzwiler put his name on the scoresheet 3 times. He scored what ended up being the game-winner, and another 2 goals late in the period to get the hat trick.

 

• Game 275 - Guy Lesieur

  • After being traded only a few games before, Guy Lesieur made a near-instant impact with a hat trick against the Malmo Nighthawks. This game was all tied up heading into the 3rd before Lesieur took things into his own hands and scored a natural hat trick that helped the Dragons secure a 6-3 victory.

 

• Game 282 - Andrew Su

  • Andrew Su scored a goal in each period as the Vancouver Wolves stormed to victory over the London United. He opened the scoring late in the 3rd and Vancouver kept their foot on the gas the entire game en route to a dominant 6-1 victory.

 

• Game 284 - Hunter Hearst Helmsley

  • This battle between expansion teams was highlighted by Hunter Hearst Helmsley scoring all 3 of Warsaw’s goals and carrying them to a win. The game was tied 2-2 when HHH notched a power-play marker early in the 3rd period that ended up being the game-winner.

 

• Game 287 - Ambrose Stark

  • Another hat trick from a retiring player, but this time it’s Ambrose Stark. This back and forth contest was close for most of the game, but a goal in all 3 periods from the veteran Stark ensured that Seattle was able to go home with a win.

 

• Game 304 - RJ Jubis

  • Wranglers forward RJ Jubis continues his fine performance this season with his 2nd hat trick of the year. This is his first of 2 hat tricks this week and this one against LA was just what Calgary needed. He helped the Wranglers gain a crucial lead in the first and they used that momentum to dominate the game and take the win. He would complete the hat trick late in the 3rd with the team’s final goal.

 

• Game 307 - RJ Jubis

  • Jubis’ 2nd hat trick of the week was nearly identical to his first, which is pretty crazy if you ask me, but he actually did one better and had 4 goals in this game. He once again scored 2 goals in the first which helped set the tone for Calgary, and at the end of the game, he scored the team’s final goal again which also sealed his hat trick. He did have a goal in between those in the 2nd period as Calgary added to their lead, but it was nearly a carbon copy of his hat trick in the game before. Jubis has 3 hat tricks this year and that is good enough for 2nd in the league.

 

• Game 313 - Chad Magnum

  • Another natural hat trick this week, but this time by Chad Magnum of the Toronto Legion. Magnum came out firing on all cylinders in this contest and scored 3 unanswered goals all by himself, with 2 of them coming just 12 seconds apart. A fine performance indeed from the Toronto forward, who nearly provided all of the offence for Toronto in this one.

 

• Game 325 - Balentine Kidd

  • This back and forth game between London and Vancouver can be highlighted by Balentine Kidd scoring a hat trick that was crucial to securing a win for the London United. He scored a goal that tied up the game in the 1st period, and that gave London some momentum which they capitalized on. Kidd also had the game-winner midway through the 3rd period.

 

• Game 334 - Chris Hylands

  • In this comeback victory for the Malmo Nighthawks, Chris Hylands played the role of hero. Early in the game, Malmo found themselves trailing by 2 goals, but Hylands was able to cut that lead to just 1. He did the same again early in the 3rd period on the power play after LA had restored their 2 goal lead in the 2nd frame. He then popped up in overtime and scored the game-winner off a nice feed from Lewis Dawson.

 

• Game 336 - Mat Tocco

  • Vancouver scored 4 goals in the opening period of this game against Riga, and Mat Tocco had 2 of those. The early flurry was pretty much all that the Wolves needed to secure the victory, but Tocco wanted some personal glory as well. He managed to complete his hat trick in the 2nd period as the Wolves strolled to a pretty easy 5-2 victory.

 

Shutouts

 

• Game 266 - Moscow Menace vs. Toronto Legion
  • Earning his first shutout of the season in this stellar performance against Toronto, Raymond Bernard stopped all 42 shots that the Legion sent his way. He was busy all throughout the game, and when you play as well as he did, your team always has a chance of winning and Moscow did just that by a score of 2-0.

 

• Game 267 - New York Americans vs. London United
  • Another shutout this week from red hot netminder A Red Guy. This is his 3rd of the season, and his solid performance continues as the New York Americans look to hold on to that top seed in the North American Conference. It wasn’t quite as miraculous of a performance as last week, having only 25 saves to make, but a strong outing nonetheless that his team will be thanking him for.

 

• Game 345 - Helsinki Titans vs. Warsaw Predators
  • Samuel Ross also earns his first shutout of the season this week, this one being against the Warsaw Predators. It was a solid game from Ross as he pushed aside all 28 shots that Warsaw managed. The veteran goaltender was traded last season from Davos where he played his entire career and is having a solid year on the 1st placed Helsinki Titans.

 

Rookie Spotlight

Groovy Dood

Thank you @Zetterberg for the wonderful banner

 

Being the first overall pick can put a lot of pressure on a player, especially if the team has expectations immediately after the selection. For Groovy Dood of the D.C. Dragons, this continues to be the case. D.C. jumped up 1 spot in the draft lottery, from 2nd to 1st to select Dood first overall. Despite not being the best player in the class, D.C. needed a forward and went in for Dood.

 

Dood, who made the jump to the VHL surprisingly early, has put up solid numbers so far in his rookie season. So far in 44 games, Dood has scored 8 goals to go along with 11 assists, not the best numbers but with D.C. being a fringe playoff contender this year, his output has been solid. Dood has also made his game more physical, recording 64 hits within those 44 games. 

 

We’ve seen him grow so far this year and it will be fun to see what kind of player the coaches in D.C. will mould him into. Dood has a lot of potential, not just as a two-way forward. His defensive abilities so far in the VHL have been impressive, helping D.C. keep pucks out of their net by stripping the puck from opponents in the defensive zone. While the pressure of being the top pick is a lot, Dood has done a good job handling the pressure and it will be interesting to see where he is in a few seasons.

 

 

 

Welcome to the VHL @Dolant

 

I am GM of the Mexico City Kings and I can offer you 3rd line minutes with a great opportunity to move up if you keep updating.

 

You'll be getting offers from multiple teams so feel free to wait it out a little bit. We aren't going to be competing for a cup this season, but if you want maximum ice time over a cup run, and a fun place to learn the league, this is the place you want to be. If you are interested, quote this and say "acepto" to become royalty!

 

Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting started

 

-Hylands

2 minutes ago, Huulio said:

 

I like this team identity so much...

 

acepto!

 

Awesome, I'll send an offer your way and get you invited to the team Discord!

Welcome to the VHL @Huulio!

 

I am GM of the Mexico City Kings and I can offer you 3rd line minutes with a great opportunity to move up if you keep updating.

 

You'll be getting offers from multiple teams so feel free to wait it out a little bit. We aren't going to be competing for a cup this season, but if you want maximum ice time over a cup run, this is the place you want to be. If you are interested, quote this and say "acepto" to become royalty!

 

Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting started

 

-Hylands

Been working on these social media images over the past few days. Full disclaimer, this idea isn't original, I used an awesome Behance project for the inspiration and ideas. However, everything here is done by me. I'll add more to the post as I continue to do more graphics.

 

Welcome back to the VHL @Briedaqueduc!

 

I am GM of the Mexico City Kings and I can offer you 2nd line minutes (as long as you stay active)!

 

If you are interested quote this and say "acepto" to become royalty!

 

Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting started

 

-Hylands

 

It's not every day you are named as the General Manager of your minors club, but yesterday I was blessed with that honour. Mexico City is a place that I am proud to call my home, and the friendships that I have made there will outlast any player career or GM tenure. I spent the first two season's in Mexico with my 1st generation player, and the person who I have chosen to be my AGM was there with me throughout the entire experience. Both of us joined this league with absolutely zero prior knowledge of how a sim league worked, or what it even was. With the help of @Motzaburger and some great new friends that I made (you know who you are), we made it the best locker room we possibly could. I want to continue to build up the culture of Mexico City that we have created, and there is nobody who I trust more to do that with me than

 

This also has the added benefit of opening up two AGM spots for those users that are hungry for a job, with my previous spot in New York now open, and Rory's position in Mississauga open as well.

 

-Hylands, Mexico City GM

Thanks for the opportunity! Mexico City is truly my home, and I couldn't be happier to be at the helm. @Motzaburger was truly the best GM I could have asked for and I hope to continue on the legacy he has left behind.

made this for random graphics comp a little while ago, time to claim

 

 

@dlamb

Don’t let the Hollywood lifestyle get to your head, buddy!

I’ll apply to lead Team Europe to glory again!

Welcome to the first edition of VSN’s S73 Weekly recap (Games 1-126).  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!

Top 25: #5 - #1 | S73 Season Preview | VHL Awards | VHLM Awards

 

Recap

Before I get into the real recap, I would just like to take a second to welcome @PatrikLaine to the VSN family, he will be working with me each week to bring the VHL Weekly to your screen. We also have new release time for the article. Instead of the usual Sunday release, we will now be aiming for a mid-week release. Lastly, after reviewing how last season went, we have decided to change up our power rankings format. No longer will we be ranking each conference, but we will have an overall Top 8 that dynamically changes based on weekly performance. With those formalities of the way, let’s take a look at this week’s action!

 

We’ve had a whirlwind start to this expansion season, and our goalies are feeling the full effect as scoring seems to be on the rise, with 19 hat tricks and only 7 shutouts in the first week. We have rookies scoring at an increased rate, and some new stars are emerging as the old guard ages and gets ready for retirement. There are numerous players poised to be on point per game pace this season, and I would hate to be a goalie in this new era. Who knows if this will keep up as the season goes on, but it’s looking like we might be out of the dead puck era that has plagued the league as of late.

 

3-Stars

 

First Star

Sigard Gunnar (LAS) - 14 G, 18 A, 2 Hat Tricks
Second Star

Greg Eagles (RIG) - 0.943 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 7 wins

Third Star

Lincoln Tate (RIG) - 1 G, 23 A, 28 SB

 

Power Rankings

Players featured on this week’s Power Rankings are Acyd Burn of the New York Americans, Ben Hafkey of the Helsinki Titans, and General Zod of the Calgary Wranglers

We have the wonderful @Pengu to thank for this season's amazing power rankings graphic

 

This season is off to a surprising start, and no one could have predicted these power rankings. Finishing in 1st in this week’s rankings are the New York Americans, who rode a fast start to the season to a 13-2-1 record and 1st place in the VHL. Not too far behind in 2nd place are the red-hot Helsinki Titans. Helsinki starts the season with a 5-5 start but has won 6 in a row thanks to great performances from goalies Zamboni Driver and Samuel Ross. Next up in 3rd place are the Calgary Wranglers, who just like the Titans, rode 6 straight wins to end the week in 3rd place after a bad start. Coming up in 4th are the defending Continental Cup Champions in the Riga Reign, who despite only sporting a 10-6 record, have been getting excellent performances from goaltender Greg Eagles. In 11 games this week, Eagles won 7 games and had an 1.58 goals-against average to go along with a 0.943 save percentage through all 11 games. Up next in 5th is HC Davos, who started the season off strong with a 9-4-3 record this week. Our 6th place finisher this week is the Vancouver Wolves, who had an 8-6-2 record this week and have had a breakout rookie in Gregg Stallion. In 16 games this week, Stallion had 4 goals and 7 assists for the Wolves. The Seattle Bears finished this week in our 7th spot. Seattle started the season off strong with a 9-4 start, but have started to skid recently, losing 3 in a row to end the week. Concluding our list are the Prague Phantoms. The Phantoms started the week with a disappointed 6-7 record, but they have since won 3 in a row. I see them moving up into the top 6 next week. This first week was full of surprises and one can only wonder what else will happen as the week continues.

 

Notable Games

 

 Game 1: New York Americans vs Calgary Wranglers

We didn’t have to wait long this year to get a great game, and we would get our first goal of the season early. Hugh Jass would put one in the back of the net for the Americans just 1:52 into the game. New York would extend their lead to 2 on a late goal by Owen Nolan. It was 2-0 New York after 1. New York wasted no time extending the lead again. A power-play goal from Lance Flowers just 1:15 into the second would make it 3-0. However, Calgary would respond quickly as just 2:25 later, they would get a power-play goal of their own from Latrell Mitchell to cut the lead to 2. The rest of the game was about New York’s goaltender, A Red Guy. New York wanted to sit on their lead the rest of the game and it was evident by the shot totals. After Calgary’s first goal, New York was outshot 43-11. Red Guy would stop all 43 of Calgary’s shots in the final 36 minutes to preserve a win for New York.

 

Game 65: Helsinki Titans vs Riga Reign

Our second notable game is a clash between Helsinki and the defending champs in the Riga Reign. It didn’t take long for Riga to open the scoring, getting a goal from Codrick Past just 1:41 into the first. Despite this early setback, Helsinki would strike back late in the first on a goal from Valtteri Vaakanainen with just 49 seconds left in the first period. It wouldn’t take long for Riga to regain the lead in the second as Guy Saskamoose would score just 2:34 into the second to put Riga in front 2-1. Right after that goal, tensions between the two teams rose and we saw a fight between Phil Marleau and Jim Bob. The fight ultimately ended in a draw. After this point, it was all Riga the rest of the game. Across the last 2 periods, Riga would score 4 more goals after that fight, getting them from Shush Nyko, Patrik Tallinder, Lincoln Tate and Codrick Past’s second of the game would wrap up a 6-1 win for the defending champs. Even though Riga dominated with a 6-1 victory, the final shots were 35-35. Riga just made the most of their opportunities and pulled away from Helsinki early in the third.

 

Game 68: Los Angeles Stars vs HC Davos Dynamo

Our final game this week brings us to a showdown between HC Davos and the upstart Los Angeles Stars. Davos would jump out early, gaining a 3-0 lead just 12:24 into the game on a goal from Robin Winters and a pair of goals from Soren Jensen. However, LA would score 2 goals in 1:14 just a few minutes later to cut the lead to 3-2, receiving goals from Nate Wright and Markus Nygren. However, Davos would put an end to the late period surge from LA, with Fernando Jokinen scoring with just 1:16 left in the first to stretch Davo’s lead to 4-2. Davos came about battling to begin the second, leading in the shot department 11-6 in that period. Their determination would pay off early as Soren Jensen would pot his hat trick goal just 4:06 into the second to restore Davo’s 3 goal lead, making it 5-2. LA would get one in the middle of the second from rookie Jeffrey Pines to cut the lead to 5-3. The lead would be extended back to 3 just 4:17 later on Soren Jensen’s 4th goal of the game. He was having a night to remember and this would put his club up 6-3. LA wasn’t finished and just 1:35 later, Tyler Barabash Jr would score on a great breakaway feed from Sigard Gunnar to cut the lead to 2 again. We would head into the 3rd with the score being 6-4 in favour of Davos. The third was very quiet after the first two periods. Both goalies stood strong in net, stopping every shot in the 3rd as Davos would win a wild one over the LA Stars 6-4. Soren Jensen had a night to remember, scoring 4 goals in the win.

 

Events of the Week

 

Fights

• Game 1 - Kris Rice and Owen Nolan fight
  • The first game of Season 73, was a rematch of last season’s North American Conference Finals, and there was still bad blood between these two teams. Towards the end of this one, with about 5 minutes to play a fight broke out between Owen Nolan and Kris Rice. The fight was pretty even with both players landing some punches, and it ended as a draw. However, being the instigator, Nolan was sent for an early bath by the referees.
• Game 10 - Mac Hooper vs. Alex Pearson
  • As the game progressed, and tensions grew higher and higher between these two teams, a fight broke out between Mac Hooper and Alex Pearson. Perhaps Hooper was taking out all of his frustration on Pearson’s face because he wound up as the clear winner, and both men were sent to the dressing rooms as there were less than 5 minutes to play.
• Game 13 - Micheal Gary Scott ejected
  • It’s tough to pinpoint just exactly what set Micheal Gary Scott off here. Perhaps feeling the pressure of a tie game, Scott went on an expletive-filled tirade, directed at one of the referees. At first, it seemed like he just had a complaint to make, but after the yelling continued for well over a minute, the refs had seen enough and Scott was ejected from the game and given a major penalty for Abuse of Officials.

• Game 56 - Lewis Dawson vs. Scotty BigShotty
  • This game was the start of 4 in a row between these two division rivals, and the tone was set by these two heavyweights midway through the first game. It was Lewis Dawson who had the upper hand on Scotty BigShotty and he was able to land some nice shots and eventually send Scotty tumbling to the ice.

• Game 111 - Owen Nolan vs. Benny Graves
  • This was actually Nolan’s 3rd fight of the week, but the 2nd that is featured this week. After falling behind in the 1st period, Benny Graves decided to try and swing some momentum his way by picking a fight with Nolan. However, he met his match and the Americans rallied behind that fight and marched on to a 5-2 victory.

• Game 121 - Mikko Lahtinen vs. Andrew Su
  • Last year’s most improved player, Mikko Lahtinen was ejected after this fight for instigating, and he even took the loss on this one as well. This fight happened less than 2 minutes into the game and set the tone for a game that was extremely close and really could have gone either way.

 

Hat-Tricks

 

• Game 7 - Jeff Blaze
  • Our first hat trick of the season goes to a rookie! In his first game in the big leagues, Jeff Blaze defied all expectation and scored a marvellous hat trick that announced his arrival to the league with a splash. He will be thrilled to have hit the ground running.

• Game 8 - Ray Sheilds
  • On the same night, Malmo’s off-season acquisition made an instant impact by notching a hat trick in his first game for the club. He scored 3 goals which would’ve won the game single-handedly for Malmo, but he was also the lone assist on their other goal.

• Game 21 - Sigard Gunnar
  • A player who was selected in the expansion draft by the Los Angeles Stars, they must be ecstatic with the production of Sigard Gunnar early on. He notched his first hat trick of the season against the Toronto Legion, and his 3rd ended up being the game-winner.

• Game 34 - Scott Greene
  • The veteran Seattle forward Scott Greene had a phenomenal outing against the Chicago Phoenix and scored a hat trick in a 6-1 victory. His 2nd and 3rd goals were scored only 23 seconds apart in the 3rd period which all but confirmed Seattle’s victory.

• Game 44 - Valtteri Vaakanainen
  • This game between conference rivals and playoff hopefuls was just what we expected. A close-fought battle all throughout but Valtteri Vaakanainen stood out among the rest because of his hat trick that propelled Helsinki to an important win. His goal just 6 seconds into the 2nd period proved to be the game-winner as well.

• Game 46  - Damien Wolfe
  • Damien Wolfe has earned himself the honour of scoring Warsaw’s first franchise hat trick. The Warsaw forward had a solid outing against the Moscow Menace in this one, and Wolfe did everything he could and more to help catapult the Predators to a 5-2 victory.

• Game 54 - Raleigh Ritchie
  • This game was all offence from both teams. In this 8-5 D.C. victory, Raleigh Ritchie found himself all over the scoresheet and topped off a great night with a hat trick to boot. He will be looking to build upon this and hopefully have a breakout season for the Dragons.

• Game 55 - Sigard Gunnar & Jerry Wang
  • This is Gunnar’s second hatty of the week. The LA man is absolutely tearing it up for his new team and turning heads all around the league. This hat trick helped Los Angeles hand the undefeated at the time, New York Americans, their first loss of the season. The very same game had a hat trick from the Americans themselves. Jerry Wang notched 3 tallies of his own to match the Stars, but it just wasn’t enough to get them the win. What an offensive performance shown by both of these players in this one.

• Game 62 - Adam Syreck
  • Another rookie scored the first hat trick of his career, and this time it was Adam Syreck of the Chicago Phoenix. This one will also go down as the first in franchise history so Syreck will be ecstatic about that. He helped his team to a well-earned victory over last season’s finalists, the Calgary Wranglers.

• Game 64 - Condor Adrienne & Ray Sheilds
  • Who knows what was said before these two before the game, but they must’ve had money on who would score more. We had a pair of hat tricks from the Malmo men in a 6-2 win over Warsaw. Condor Adrienne had a hat trick of his own before Sheilds decided he had seen enough and went out and scored his own! What a show these two put on, and all fans of Malmo will have left the arena happy.

• Game 68 - Soren Jensen
  • Jensen scored his first hat trick for HC Davos after being traded in the off-season due to cap restraints. He actually had 4 goals in this game, and his General Manager will be happy that he is proving to be an effective acquisition. This game will hopefully be just a taste of what’s to come from Soren Jensen in an HC Davos sweater.

• Game 86 - Uhtred
  • Seattle finds themselves with another hat trick, and this time it comes from Uhtred. He helped sparked a magnificent comeback from the Bears as they stormed back from a 5-1 deficit in the 3rd period, to come out on top as 6-5 winners. Uhtred completed his hat trick with two key goals in the final frame and the team was able to rally behind that and come up with a winner with less than 2 minutes to play.

• Game 103 - Thomas Landry II & Boris the Forest
  • Another game with duelling hat tricks, and what a game it was! Thomas Landry II opened the scoring for Prague and potted another goal before the 1st period had ended. The Phantoms actually had a 4-1 lead and things looked to be over already. However, up steps Boris the Forest, who had his own idea for how things should be going. He scored 3 goals in the 3rd and Landry actually completed his hat trick in the middle of Forest’s scoring spree, but the hat trick from Boris was enough to lift D.C. to a 6-5 comeback victory in this action-packed game.

• Game 104 - Jerry Wang
  • Another player who found himself with two hat tricks in the first week. This time it’s Jerry Wang of the New York Americans. He got off to a quick start in this game, scoring two goals in the 1st period. It wasn’t until midway through the 3rd where he was able to complete the hat trick. The Americans absolutely exploded offensively in this one, with 68 shots on target and coming out with a 6-2 win.

• Game 114 - Kris Rice
  • In this victory over the Legion, Calgary Wranglers forward Kris Rice found his name on the scoresheet 3 times. Two early goals in the 1st period for Rice helped set the tone for Calgary and they kept that rolling all throughout the game. Rice was able to notch his 3rd tally early on in the 3rd period and helped to send Calgary fans home happy.

• Game 116 - Jerry Garcia
  • Davos fans will be thrilled to see Jerry Garcia score his first hat trick of the season. In this close game against the Seattle Bears, Garcia was the star of the show. He helped break the deadlock in the 3rd period between the two teams, and he was able to complete the hat trick on an empty net after some unselfish play from his fellow teammates.

 

Shutouts

• Game 14 - D.C. Dragons vs. Toronto Legion
  • Our first shutout of the season was awarded to Jaxx Hextall of the Toronto Legion who is looking to have a breakout season this year. Only 15 saves in this one, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable than any other shutout. Jaxx will be happy to have started off his season in excellent fashion as this shutout came in only the Legion’s second game of the year.
• Game 36 - New York Americans vs. D.C. Dragons
  • New York and A Red Guy pick up their first shutout of the campaign, coincidentally also against the Dragons. ARG is coming up on the tail end of his career and has shown early on that he will be among the top candidates for an Aidan Shaw trophy come the end of the year. He made a solid 26 saves in his first shutout of the season and will surely be looking to pick up more as the season progresses.
• Game 67 - Toronto Legion vs. London United
  • Jaxx Hextall finds himself with another shutout in this phenomenal performance against the new boys in town, the London United. This one was truly earned by Jaxx, as London peppered him with 35 shots, but he stood tall and had an answer for everything. Some help from the forwards allowed Toronto to run out as 3-0 winners in this one.
• Game 84 - D.C. Dragons vs. Calgary Wranglers
  • In bizarre fashion, we have 3 separate goalies who picked up their first shutout of the season against the D.C. Dragons. Jacques Lafontaine is the most recent addition to the list, as he stopped 13 shots en route to a 3-0 victory. He didn’t see a lot of rubber but that can sometimes work against goalies, but Jacques did not let it phase him.
• Game 97 - Seattle Bears vs. D.C. Dragons
  • The Dragons must feel like some kind of sick joke is being played on them, but that is not the case. Rayz Funk finds himself among one of four goalies to earn their first shutout of the season against the D.C. Dragons. This one wasn’t a show-stealer from Funk, but a solid 16 save performance is exactly what he will need to kickstart his season.
• Game 102 - Malmo Nighthawks vs. London United
  • Similar to last season, we have an emergency backup picking up a shutout victory. This is a weird one, as this is actually London’s first-ever franchise shutout. The emergency backup here is a bank teller by day and backup goalie by night, and he managed to stifle the leading scorer in the league and last season’s top point scorer as well. What a performance from the backup, he will go down in London United history, that’s for sure.
• Game 123 - D.C. Dragons vs. Seattle Bears
  • Our final shutout of the week finally goes to Stone Wolski of the D.C. Dragons. After being shutout 4 times of their own throughout the week, Wolski had seen enough and stopped 40 shots in what will probably go down as one of the best individual performances of the entire season! Seattle did everything they possibly could to put one past Wolski but he rose to the occasion every time.

 

Rookie Spotlight

@Pengu again with another amazing banner.

 

Just because you are a mid to late-round pick, doesn’t mean you can’t play better than a higher pick. This is especially true for Mickey Dickson, a former 2nd round pick from the S71 draft says that draft position doesn’t ultimately reflect how good a player is. “I want to show people that even though I am a lower round pick, I can produce points and have a positive impact on the team I play for” After 3 years in the VHLM, Dickson is ready for his first pro season.

 

Dickson, currently playing on the Malmo Nighthawks, has 3 goals and 10 assists for 13 points in 11 games so far. When asked about the totals, Dickson said he could never have imagined this. “I wasn’t expecting to be above 20 points this season, and I’m already at 13 in 11 games. I have a point per game and even though it is early, I have been able to put effort into my game to start my rookie year off so well.”

 

Dickson spent his first three professional seasons playing in the VHLM for Minnesota, Mexico and Yukon. He put up 187 points in 214 VHLM games and 32 points in 32 playoff games. He is often remembered for being one of the VHLM’s best performers in the clutch.

 

When asked about Malmo’s early successes, Dickson says there is still a lot ahead. “I think we have played extremely well so far. Better than I certainly expected and better than I think a lot of people expected. I do think we will make it to the playoffs, however, I do not know that we will make it past the first round but if we do I don't expect us to go further than the second round. I think next season will be our season to really go deep.”

 

Dickson says he still believes he can be a big player for Malmo all season long. “You always want to win and help your team. It's easy to want to play well when you have a great team and management behind you. You want to win for the guys you are working with or for. I want to be able to contribute to my team and help us win games and the only way to do that is to play my best.”

 

However, the most underrated part of Dickson’s game is his 200-foot aspect. Throughout his VHLM Career, he was always a plus and had a career Plus/Minus rating of 79 in the VHLM. He also had the defensive skills to stand up and play against the VHLM’s best lines. It is currently looking like Malmo is a contender for the S73 Continental Cup, and I can certainly say that Dickson will be a big part of Malmo’s push for a championship.

 

 

 

forgot to post this last season, d'oh

 

 

@BigTittySmitty

after we bonded over that terrible break last night i would expect at least a mention smh