hylands

Go Seattle!!! Go LeGrande you old fuck!!!

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.
 
 

So if you miss (and that happens and it's okay!) we could have a solid plan to make sure it happens. Not making a mountain out of a molehill. Making a molehill solution for the molehill. And I'm not attacking you and you shouldn't be so defensive to something that won't hurt you. Tell someone to cover and you're free to take off and do your real life stuff. If I was you I'd love the idea of a standardized way to not have to worry about it when you have to do real life stuff. Mistakes or real life stuff happening, a good, solid plan in place is not a bad thing. Not attacking you Devise. Idk why everyone thinks this is an attack. This is a discussion to support you for when you're busy with real life, essentially. 

Proud to be selected as your AGM, thank you! 

Thank you for the opportunity to GM Team Europe! It was an amazing experience from top to bottom.

@Pengu is a graphical wizard deserving of thanks and praise.
 
 HC Davos Dynamo Receive: 
 
C Hunter Hearst Helmsley
S74 VAN 3rd
 
 New York Americans Receive: 
 
LW Acyd Burn
S74 DAV 2nd
 
 Vancouver Wolves Receive: 
 
RW Dalton Wilcox
S73 NYA 2nd
S74 NYA 1st
 
Analysis
 
Another day, another massive blockbuster trade in the VHL. In a season filled with big trades, we're treated to more of the same as two of the biggest stars of the VHL are on the move, along with a slew of draft picks. Jerry Garcia and the HC Davos Dynamo are sending Acyd Burn to Esso Drunkmann and the New York Americans, with Hunter Hearst Helmsley headed to Davos. Keaton Louth and the Vancouver Wolves get an S74 NYA 1st, S73 NYA 2nd and a reliable veteran in Dalton Wilcox.
 

 
The biggest part of the trade, naturally, is VSN's top-ranked player on the Top 25, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, moving to Davos. General Manager Jerry Garcia's squad is a very different one from Season 71, now looking to contend for a Continental Cup. While a young core still remains in place, there's now a massive wealth of veteran talent that makes the HC Davos Dynamo a true contender this season. As it stands, they won't have much of a draft class next season, and that's ok. If they manage to retain enough of the veterans, this team will only get stronger as players like Roque Davis, SS Hornet and Robin Winters develop. The biggest question mark this season is whether or not veteran goaltender Samuel Ross will be good enough in net for Davos to lift the Cup. Joakim Bruden has the potential to be their guy in the future, but this season, it will be up to Ross. If Ross can elevate his game, the Dynamo's roster is good enough to beat anyone. 
 

 
With Acyd Burn now joining his fifth team in five seasons, it looks as if he might have finally found his forever home with the New York Americans. "After speaking with Acyd and his representation, we felt confident that New York would be an excellent place to finish his career and push for some silverware. Who doesn't love the Big Apple?" stated New York Americans Assistant General Manager Alabaster Slim, with General Manager Esso Drunkmann considerably too inebriated to field questions. "We are a team composed of many veterans and perhaps the young core of Davos just wasn't quite the right fit for him."
 
It's been a rough couple of seasons for New York, but this time, it seems as if the playoffs are finally in reach for the Americans. With the D.C. Dragons struggling and Vancouver unexpectedly committing to a rebuild, New York should make the playoffs by default, but just getting there isn't going to be enough for them. "We weren't looking to the future when making these trades," continued Slim for the incapacitated Drunkmann. "Our aim was to compete now. We didn't feel like starting a rebuild early was plausible and we were confident we only needed a couple of pieces to really take this team to the next level. Furthermore, our top line of (Soren) Jensen, Burn and (Julius) Freeman is likely one of the most dangerous in the league as well."
 

 
With General Manager Keaton Louth unexpectedly committing to a rebuild earlier in the season, it's been a changing of the guard for the Wolves. Franchise mainstays Julius Freeman and Hunter Hearst Helmsley are now gone as Vancouver prepares for a new core to be built. "I think I got great value for two older players," Louth stated in a press conference held after the trade. "It sucks to move them after playing together in Vancouver for so long, but it had to be done."
 
However, Louth has done a tremendous job of getting Vancouver ready for the future. "Vancouver has six first-round picks in the next two drafts and some of them will be fringe-lotto picks," continued Louth. "Grab some fresh new talent to inject into our core and try to sign a couple of big free agents."
 
With two first-round picks in the upcoming Season 73 VHL Entry Draft and four in Season 74, Vancouver certainly does have the tools to build a home-grown core, and they may need to depend on that. After signing free agents Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen and Gritty under the guise of competing for the Continental Cup, then proceeding to start a rebuild, luring free agents to the Wolves may prove to be tougher for Louth than he anticipates. But as lower round picks lose value with the big expansion changing the draft to 16 picks per round, Louth ultimately won't need to rely on outside signings. If he can maximize those picks, and hit on some gambles with the wealth of second-round picks he has, Vancouver may become too good of a destination for free agents to hold the experiences of Werbenjagermanjensen and Gritty against him. 
 
Overall, Davos benefits the most immediately. Adding a player like HHH makes them an immediate threat to any contender, especially when they really didn't pay a whole lot. New York ended up paying more for an extra season of Acyd Burn, who has not had much luck sticking with teams since being moved from Seattle. However, his timeline fits perfectly with the Americans', so it's quite possible he'll stick around here. Vancouver continues to stockpile draft picks, and with clever drafting, they will be right back in the thick of things again. Surprisingly enough, it's Garcia and Davos taking the biggest gamble with this move. They move a second-rounder in S74 and Acyd Burn for essentially half of a season of Helmsley. As a pending UFA, it's ultimately up to HHH where he spends his final season, which means there's a distinct possibility that half a season is all Garcia gets from this trade. Of course, it won't matter if the HC Davos Dynamo win the Continental Cup, but they could also be left empty-handed if they don't win the Cup and Helmsley leaves. Vancouver certainly is the safest bet to get the most value, but if this trade gets Davos or New York a Cup, they'll have gotten what they wanted too. One thing's for sure: this will be a fun trade to revisit down the road.
 
Get-to-Know the Players
 
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
 
Ranked as the top player in the VHL in VSN's annual Top 25, Hunter Hearst Helmsley was certainly playing at that level this season. With 58 points in 46 games, he's already surpassed his career lows and this season could be among his best. At times, Helmsley was on pace to score over 100 points at times, his production slowed with Julius Freeman traded away. Still scoring well above a point per game, HHH will look to prove that his success wasn't dependent on Freeman, his long-time teammate. Joining a very powerful group of forwards in Davos, all eyes will be on HHH to see if his torrid pace from earlier in the season will resume. 
 
Acyd Burn
 
Didn't we just write one of these for Acyd Burn? The two-time Continental Cup winner with the Seattle Bears is now joining his fifth VHL team in the past two seasons as he heads to the New York Americans. Although clearly on a better pace than his last with Malmo/Riga, things still didn't seem quite right in Davos for Burn. As big name after big name marched into Davos, many wondered if he was playing to his full potential. With his move to the Big Apple, we're going to get our answer, one way or the other. 
 
Dalton Wilcox
 
While all the buzz of this trade is on a franchise player leaving the team he's spent  most of his career playing for, it's easy to overlook Dalton Wilcox. The 28th overall pick of the Season 67 VHL Entry Draft by the Malmo Nighthawks, Wilcox has instead been an integral piece for the New York Americans after they acquired him in a trade. The reliable right-winger has never scored less than 20 goals in a season and has been a strong player on the power play, recording 11 power-play goals three separate times during his career. As Vancouver enters a rebuild, Wilcox is a tremendous veteran presence to have around for the young players left on the Wolves.
 
Players Mentioned: @Beaviss, @Acydburn, @Dalton Wilcox, @GustavMattias, @Esso2264, @Josh, @McWolf, @Sonnet, @Brrbisbrr, @PadStack, @Hylands33, @Velevra, @rjfryman, @flyersfan1453, @eaglesfan0366 
 
Under 250: the VHLM Review | Top 24 Standouts | VSN Weekly Review | Future Watch | Ringless | The Talents Behind the Trophies | WJC Team Rankings | WJC Update 1 | WJC Update 2 | WJC Update 3 | WJC Update 4

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

Welcome back to Future Watch, where we analyse the prospect pools of each VHL team! In the last article, we covered the North American Conference. This week, we will shift our focus to the European Conference. Without further ado, let’s get to it.
 

 
PRAGUE PHANTOMS | 6th in EU | 9th Overall
Top Prospect: Woody McPine - S71 3rd Round (35)
 
Prague saw both of their prospects from last season return to the VHLM in S72, and has added two more. Leading the way for the newcomers is third-rounder Riley Knight Gee. The 5’10” defenseman is a solid player at both ends of the ice and has produced at just over a point-per-game rate over his whole VHLM career to date. His TPE earning has varied a lot in his career so far, mostly because he doesn’t earn an overwhelming amount of capped TPE, but he takes advantage of any uncapped opportunities that present themselves to him. Also new to the organization is Ernie King, who is an interesting prospect. After joining pretty late in the season, King had two productive weeks, earning 23 TPE in that time frame. Following that, he went inactive for two weeks, and only claimed 1 TPE in the next week after that. But then he came back, and seemed back on track, until going inactive yet again for the past two weeks. He could be an intriguing prospect if he finds any regularity in his TPE earning, but hasn’t shown the ability to do so yet.
 
Returning from last season’s Future Watch are S71 draftees Woody McPine and Jack John. McPine is a VHL-ready goaltender having an amazing run with Minnesota this season. His record of 40-5-1 is truly unbelievable, displaying his ability to lock it down when his teammates need it most. He had a brief dip in activity not long ago but is back on track to becoming quite possibly a VHL starter. John is exactly where we thought he would be last time we checked in on him, as his impressive steadiness in earning TPE has remained intact. He has seen much growth in his game this season, already setting career-highs in goals and points, as well as tying his records of assists and hits. This is with 26 games remaining too. 
 
Lastly, we have the recently acquired Adam Syreck. Leading the VHLM in points, Syreck is an offensive monster who has torn up the league for two seasons now. With over 350 career points in the minors, Syreck will look to replicate that success with Prague next season with his VHL-ready status. He consistently earns around 7 TPE per week from welfare and practice facility. Prague’s group doesn’t have a crazy amount of upside but will produce some quality players for the future.
 

 
RIGA REIGN | 5th in EU | 7th Overall
Top Prospect: DeFenz Mann - S72 2nd Round (18)
 
Riga’s farm system is one of immense depth at both the centre and defence positions. They have two VHL-ready prospects, and one of them has returned from last season’s Future Watch. That would be JaredN, an S70 draft pick who has steadily made his way to the VHLM’s TPA cap over the past few seasons. He doesn’t have tremendous upside but will provide some high-quality scoring depth for the Reign. The Canadian centre is in the top 10 in scoring in the VHLM in S72 with 84 points, which is a big improvement on what was already a breakout season in S71. DeFenz Mann finds himself in the same boat as JaredN, at least in the sense that they are both waiting for their shot at the VHL level. Mann leads all defencemen in points this season and is following up an incredible S71 performance with possibly an even better one. He earns around 13-14 TPE per week most commonly but can add onto that as well. He is definitely one to keep a watch out for.
 
After picking DeFenz Mann, Riga would later have two back-to-back third-round picks in the S72 Draft, with which they picked Jay Jones and Bobby Wyman. Wyman is an active member in the EFL and SBA, displaying his experience in sim leagues. His TPE output fluctuates a fair amount, but ultimately he’s still earning enough to be successful. He is a mean two-way defender with a physical edge, which is nice to see in a young player. Jones is also a decent two-way player, but he really shines in the offensive zone, where he’s able to put on a show with his versatile skill set. He also sees his TPE output fluctuate a bit, but usually, he doesn’t fall below 10 in a week.
 
There are some less active players in this organization who could be of importance down the line, and as the trend seems to be, one is a centre and the other is a defenceman. The centre is Cassius Gardner, who has struggled to find any regularity in his TPE earning. However, he can claim 6 TPE from welfare due to his SBA activity, so if he can build on that, he could be a really nice piece for the Reign. On the blueline, we have Joe Jacks, who was earning 6 TPE every week, before dropping heavily in activity over the past few weeks. He could potentially be a good depth piece if he gets back to where he was, but as of lately the signs haven’t been too encouraging. Riga has a decent group with plenty of depth, which is nice to see.
 
 
 
MALMO NIGHTHAWKS | 4th in EU | 4th Overall
Top Prospect: Chris Hylands - S72 2nd Round (14)
 
In contrast to the Reign, Malmo does not have much depth at all, especially with the departure of Adam Syreck. However, depth isn’t all that makes a good prospect pool. What the Nighthawks have is star potential. Their only two active prospects are undeniable stars in the making and have been trending upward for some time now.
 
We’ll start with their top prospect, in my opinion, Chris Hylands. Hylands was selected by Malmo in the second round of the S72 draft and has continued the tear he was on leading up to his draft. He is an extremely flexible player, in the sense that his skill set is adaptable to however the team needs him the most. He can score, set up plays, and break up plays coming the other way. He has established himself in the community with his job here at VSN and is a must-watch for the future.
 
Six picks before Hylands, defender Viktor Alexei Kamenov heard his name called by the very same Malmo Nighthawks. Although I have him ranked lower than Hylands, it is no slight to Kamenov, who has been earning TPE at an almost unbelievably high rate for a while too. He and Hylands have been somewhat similar prospects, rising in the draft rankings around the same time, and finding their current jobs around the same time as well. BigTittySmitty has found his place in the community with scouting, which I can relate to. His series “A Sit With Tit on VHSC” has been a hit so far, and his future looks both secure and bright.
 
 
 
HC DAVOS DYNAMO | 3rd in EU | 3rd Overall
Top Prospect: Mickey Dickson - S71 3rd Round (25)
 
Davos returns this season with a similar boatload of prospects, though this group doesn’t necessarily have the same upside as it did a season ago. With the sheer volume of players here though, you are bound to have some valuable players come out of it.
 
The team has two players who are ready for the big league, one of whom I believe to be the team’s top prospect. That player is Mickey Dickson, who recently made noise around the league with an article about the importance of treating girls no differently than boys in VHL locker rooms. Outside of that article, Brewins15 has been a relatively quiet member on the forums but has been putting in the work behind the scenes extremely consistently. 10 TPE per week is just about a guarantee, and because of that, Dickson has seen steady and encouraging growth for a long time now. Also, VHL-ready is winger Big Chungus, who has been decreasing inactivity lately. Following the S71 Draft, Chungus quickly proved himself to be a huge steal for his draft slot and had a fantastic VHLM season with Ottawa. He is on pace to improve his goal total this season as well, even after the team lost last season’s MVP,  Richard Penisson. If Chungus could just get back to where he was a mere four weeks ago, he goes from a decent prospect to possibly Davos’ best.
 
With two second-round picks in the S72 Draft, Davos elected to choose forwards Joe Exotic and Jer Lefebvre. Joe Exotic is bordering on inactive at this point, but could be a thrilling prospect for the Dynamo should he return. Lefebvre was a bit of a reach at his draft position at the time of the draft but has wasted no time at all in proving his worth to anyone who doubted him. He has earned 69 TPE in under four weeks since the draft and is putting up some nice numbers in the VHLM.
 
Consistency is one of the most common issues for less active prospects, as not everyone has the time or willingness to update every week. Gino Alkamino has flirted with inactivity many times but has ultimately stuck around for three VHLM seasons now. The tendency for his activity to go up and down leads me to believe there isn’t a ton of upside here, but he could definitely be a solid depth piece at the VHL level as long as his activity outweighs his inactivity. Someone who’s had these same habits for even longer than Alkamino is King Kruul. He goes inactive for weeks at a time but never seems to walk away entirely from the league. Being an S69 prospect, his potential is not very high, but he could also serve as a depth piece if he can bring his TPE from 217 to 250 soon enough.
 
In the fourth round of the S72 Draft, Davos seems to have found a lot of success. They picked Turner McHugh with the 37th pick, and he has been exactly what they hoped for. McHugh is a skilful playmaker, which are less common in today’s VHL. His skating and vision stand out the most, and hopefully, they can translate to success at a higher level of play. The team followed McHugh’s selection with American defenceman Chance Rust. This season, Rust returned for his second World Junior Championship, and unfortunately fell to Team Europe in the finals. Rust is a great puck-moving defenceman and will be a solid addition to the Dynamo’s blueline once he reaches the VHL. One more S72 fourth-round pick has become a player to keep an eye on, and that would be Jared Willis. He went from earning 2-6 TPE per week prior to the draft, to an average of 13 since then. His draft position may cause him to have a lower profile than most, but his promise is up there with some of the names taken above him.
 
While it isn’t a player’s dream to go in the fourth round, some would consider them lucky. Multiple prospects go undrafted each season and need to get themselves noticed by VHL teams in order to get a contract to keep their dream alive. Davos has two of these players, being Riley Walker and Trey Nets. Neither of them have been too active lately, but Trey Nets specifically has shown VHL promise early in his career. He left a comment on last season’s Future Watch, explaining that he had to step away from the league for a bit due to some terrible circumstances and that he would be back soon. We here at VSN are rooting for you, and wish you the best moving forward.
 

 
HELSINKI TITANS | 2nd in EU | 2nd Overall
Top Prospect: Spencer Elsby - S72 2nd Round (17)
 
Helsinki saw a big change in the structure of their prospect pool this season. Last season, the draw of their group was the number of decent players who were almost VHL-ready. Well, those players have moved on to the VHL, and now this group has had a complete identity shift. The thing about the active prospects in this system is that each one has shown notable potential. Starting off with the highest potential player, we have my VSN Scouting partner, Spencer Elsby. Elsby has a job as the AGM of Philadelphia, and one as a scout and writer for VSN. As far as his player is concerned, he is unquestionably among the top prospects league-wide. He is approaching 300 TPE and has made his mark on the ice as a premium two-way defender with the potential to quarterback a powerplay. Elsby is a big part of Helsinki’s future and adds onto an already exciting group of defencemen.
 
Also selected in the S72 draft were Zamboni Driver and James Rose. Zamboni Driver seems to be on pace to become Helsinki’s starter one day with his recent increase in productivity TPE-wise. He has been a quality goaltender for two seasons in the VHLM now and has already produced a great VHL player with Joey Boucher. Rose has been earning nicely as well and seems to be yet another fine defenceman in this prospect pool. I would say he is more of a two-way defender with a versatile offensive tool kit and a good mind for the game. Both of these players just back up the idea that the S72 Draft was an absolute slam dunk for this Helsinki team, and will fuel them in the future.
 
Taking a trip back to the previous draft, Bob Helminen and Hex Valentine make their returns to this list in S72. Last season, I called Valentine and Ike Bennett wildcards for the Titans, as Valentine had just come back from a long stretch of inactivity, and Bennett had just gone inactive. This label proved to be accurate, as one ended up inactive, and the other one is still around. Valentine is quite possibly poised to be the backup to Driver if everything stays how it is now, given that his period of inactivity has made it difficult to catch up with his peers. Helminen is back as well, though he certainly won’t be next season. A VHL-ready prospect, the Finnish winger is currently pushing for a goal-per-game average on the season. He has earned his TPE very steadily over the course of time, not necessarily blowing anyone away with it, but proving his reliability. Overall, Helsinki has some nice pieces at all positions and a good foundation for the future with this unit.
 

 
MOSCOW MENACE | 1st in EU | 1st Overall
Top Prospect: Alex Letang - S72 1st Round (11)
 
Moscow’s prospect pool is one with undeniable promise, and the one that I truly believe is at the top of the VHL. Headlining this group are two first-round picks in the S72 VHL Draft, being Lucas Brandt and Alex Letang. Brandt is a centre with close to 300 TPE, and an amazing ability to put the puck in the net seemingly at will. The amount of ground he’s been able to make up on the other stars of his draft class has been a sight to see, considering how late he joined in relation to the majority of them. Letang was recently named Las Vegas’ GM after the resignation of Proto, and also holds a job as an updater. He is a defenceman with high upside on both ends of the ice and is with Brandt on the road to VHL stardom.
 
On the trade front, Moscow has been extremely active in obtaining prospects over the past season. Most recently was Kazimir Komarov, who we actually covered in this season’s North American Future Watch. Komarov has a rich family history, some untapped potential, but also some struggles with consistency. They have also received two S72 draftees, one of which was directly after the draft. Remy Moreau would be that player, and he has inspired a lot of confidence since the deal. A period of inactivity dropped Moreau’s draft stock, but with five consecutive weeks of 12+ TPE, he seems to have left that in the past. Acquired from Davos, Michael Hall makes up the other half of S72 draftees traded to the Menace. Hall has been reliable in his weekly TPE output, with at least 8 TPE in all except his first week. He’s on pace for a second straight 30 goal season in the VHLM, and could even push for 40. He’s a goal scorer at heart, with a great release and some remarkable skating ability. He, along with the other two acquired by trades, is on track to become important parts of this team should their activity stay up.
 
In terms of their own success at the S72 VHL Draft, this team had it in abundance, especially in the later rounds. Kicking off their later picks is Keith Krestanovich, who they chose early in the third round. Krestanovich earns a base of 8 TPE per week and frequently adds onto that as well. His player is a quality sniper with a lot of offensive potentials, but his defensive game is lacking. Moving on, Moscow then picked Cole Newhook later in that same round. Newhook was a late joiner, and only really hit his stride in the league after the draft. Now, he is one of the most active members on the forums and earning far more TPE than ever before. There is legitimate star potential here if everything goes right, which is rarely said for a third-rounder. With the second last pick in the draft, the Menace struck gold yet again with Pietro Angellini. This is another player with star potential, and who only showed that after the draft. He excels in protecting the puck down low and taking it to the net as much as possible. He went from earning 37 TPE over his first 8 weeks, to suddenly earning 89 over the next 4. Hopefully, all these prospects can keep it up because there is an almost unfathomable amount of upside to this group.
 
That concludes another season of Future Watch. I wish the best for all these prospects, and hope to see you at the VHL level soon!
 
Here at VSN, there are many outlets for you to follow these prospects yourself. Consider catching up on the WJC with daily updates, or seeing if any of them are making noise in the minors with VHLM Weekly! Here is some of VSN’s most recent work:
WJC Updates | Deep Rewind | VHL Weekly | VHLM Weekly
 
Players mentioned: @KnightRiley @Greg Ernest @HearnNation67 @GoadenGoalie35 @Spade18 @jared @Mike @TTtheT @Lefty_S @jhatty8 @ashton112 @Hylands33 @BigTittySmitty @Brewins15 @Ferda @Joe Exotic @Jer_Lefebvre @ChaceT @LefLop @Turner @turkey2349 @Jared Willis @GlowyGoat @KillaScrilla @Spence King @Tape-to-Tape @MattyIce @Big Bob @DrHexDex @twists @Spartan @Gooningitup @Da Trifecta @Hops @Boragina @GrittyIsKing09 @okifenoki

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

Amazing up to date coverage of the tournament all week and TONS of great content  thanks so much for all your hard work VSN you killed it again ! ?
 

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

Welcome back to another season of the World Junior Championship; as such, it is time for another Daily Review! These series are about best players, surprises, and let downs from the most recent games. Stick around and follow us, as VSN is here to be the media outlet for you and your entertainment!
     
    Also, don’t forget to check out other cool VSN Content produced weekly for your entertainment.
S72: Early Standouts | Deep Rewind | Ringless: Stockholm Vikings | VHL Weekly | Under 250: VHLM Review  
 
What a wonderful tournament these five amazing teams put on this season. Team Europe have come out on top, earning themselves the Gold Medal as back to back champions. Team USA came up short in the finals after a stellar tournament, and are awarded the Silver Medal. Meanwhile, Team Canada were able to dispatch Team World for the Bronze Medal, and Team Asia ended the tournament in 5th place. This recap will take on a slightly different format as I analyze each game of this incredible medal round.

 
Team Asia (4) vs. Team World (6)
This playoff game decided who would go on to the Semi-Finals to play against the top-seeded Team USA. Team World had managed to scrape home-ice advantage on the last day of the Round Robin despite actually losing to Team Asia on the final day of action. This set us up for an amazing playoff round between two hungry teams that were eager to play for a medal. Unfortunately for Team Asia, Team World was determined to be the ones that advanced by jumping out to an early 3-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game, after goals from Xavier leFlamant, Micah Adrienne, and Aleelee Kiak. Team World actually had a 4-0 lead heading into the 2nd period after a late tally by Gary Neal. Team Asia attempted to rally back behind top scorer Jungkok but Team World cut down any hopes of that by adding another two goals, another one from Adrienne and one from DeFenz Mann. Late in the game, Viktor Mjers cut Team World’s lead back to two goals but that was all Team Asia was able to do. Team World would come out on top, winning 6-4 in regulation and booking themselves a ticket to the Semi-Finals.
 
Team World (0) vs. Team United States of America (6)
Continuing their dominant performance in the tournament, Team USA easily dispatched Team World by a score of 6-0, which also happened to be the first shutout of the tournament as well. Team USA had an incredible 61 shots on goal as they showed no mercy to their opponents. Robin Winter and Jack Feriancek scored in the 1st period, followed by a couple of goals from Mickey Dickson. Things were all but said and done before Vin Calia scored the 6th and final goal in an absolute rout of Team World. 

 
Team Canada (3) vs. Team Europe (5)
In the second Semi-Final game, we had a much tighter contest between two great teams in Team Europe and Team Canada. Both of these teams were pegged to be favourites to play for Gold, but as is often the case with these tournaments, only one of them can make it. Special teams played an important role in this game and it was Team Canada who got off to an early lead through Tyler Walker after capitalizing on an early power play. Not to be discouraged, Team Europe answered with a goal of their own from Richard Penisson and then a late marker by Marshall James Frostbeard allowed them to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Gabriel Gutzwiler added to Team Europe’s lead before Michael Mac showed Team Canada had some grit and got one back right after. Perhaps gaining some confidence from Mac’s goal, SS Hornet scored a late equalizer with 49 seconds to play in the 2nd, tying this game at 3 heading into the 3rd period. Team Canada got into some penalty trouble of their own in the 3rd, and it ultimately spelt their demise, after G. Gutzwiler scored the 2nd goal, and Chris Hylands added some insurance on a late power play. Team Europe was able to see out the game and get a shot at winning back to back Gold Medals.
 
Team World (3) vs. Team Canada (4)
What a game this Bronze Medal contest turned out to be. Two teams that really put out their best efforts in an attempt to acquire some hardware. SS Hornet scored a lone goal for Team Canada in the 1st and they took that lead into the 2nd period. SS Hornet added another goal for its team before Aleelee Kiak finally got Team World on the board. However, just 32 seconds after that goal, Team Canada added another one from Joe Exotic which restored their two-goal cushion. Latrell Mitchell then rounded off the scoring of an action-packed 2nd period and had Team World within touching distance heading into the final frame. It wasn’t until 17:16 of the 3rd period before Timothy Brown scored what ended up being the game-winner on the power play for Team Canada. Aleelee Kiak scored a power-play goal of his own to make things interesting in the last couple of minutes but Team Canada was able to hold on for the win and were rewarded with the Bronze Medal.
 
Team Europe (6) vs. Team United States of America (2)
The tournament’s top two teams met in the Gold Medal game of this season’s tournament. It’s not often you get to see the top-seeded teams battling it out to prove who is truly the best. Team USA won both Round Robin games so they had the slight mental edge coming into this game. Having said that, it was Team Europe who started on the front foot through Leon Gutzwiler and Chris Hylands. Trailing 2-0 heading into the 2nd period, Team USA regrouped and cut the deficit to one after a goal from Jeff Blaze. The Gutzwiler twins then linked up for a goal of their own and restored the two-goal lead for Team Europe. The very next shift, however, Lucas Brandt erased that advantage with a beautiful goal only 16 seconds later. Sadly, that was all the scoring that Team USA would be able to find. Team Europe starting goaltender, Zamboni Driver, made 29 saves in the victory, and our hats are off to Team USA goalie, John Poremba, who faced a whopping 63 shots, and made 57 saves! Bob Helminen, Empty, and Richard Penisson scored the rest of the goals for Team Europe who cruised to victory, and back to back Gold Medals.

 
This concludes our coverage of the Season 72 World Junior Championships. Please join us again next season where VSN will be host to all of your WJC action.
 
 

I think this is a step in the right direction, however, open applications are transparent with the community. The pool for each position could be made from a open GM application (with replies disabled - send PMs to apply) and those who don't apply, don't get considered. Those who apply are pooled for the spot(s).
 
And if we're not using BoG this is highly problematic. They are literally there to make sure silly/poor/unfavourable decisions aren't made for the COMMUNITY. 
 
The whole purpose of the VHL is a community. As members, we trust leadership and we hope they do what is in the general interest. As leaders, you must listen to your community. It's reciprocal. BoG is there to make sure it is not a dictatorship from top down. They bridge the gap and represent the community. Use the BoG.
 
Also, involve community in decisions. Surprises are good sometimes, but not all the time. Big changes should involve input and voice from a lot of people (or at least make it feel that way so there isn't mutinies against the leadership). Leaders put in time to make this place better, but so do members. It's give and take. It you lose that, you lose this whole thing. 
 
Lots of learning to take away from recent discussions. There is a lot of room to grow and make VHL better. 
 

Decided to match Josh's donation to Spirit North in hopes it spurs on the community to raise that final $45
 
 

BACK TO BACK CHAMPS! ?
 
Great games everybody! Tournament was a blast.
 
@Shaka @bigAL@fonziGG@Zetterberg

@Da_Berr

Picked a bad night to have a bad night. Still proud of the way the guys made a run. It took until the Gold Medal game to lose in regulation.
 
Hell of a run to Back2Back Europe. Congratulations @Hylands33
 

BACK TO BACK CHAMPS! ?
 
Great games everybody! Tournament was a blast.
 
@Shaka @bigAL@fonziGG@Zetterberg

Hi everyone,
 
This is an official resignation from my position at  @VSN .
 

 
I was very happy to accept this position from @Banackock when VSN was re-vamped. I enjoy working on different projects as this site is too oriented towards signatures being the only means of graphics (still to this day).
 
I have been happy to make various content from many articles and announcements; however, I am not enjoying the role any longer and the work required. Too much is coming last minute and too much is becoming mundane – although VSN has come a long way and provides good writing content, the graphics portion is stagnant and dull considering the nature of how quick graphics are needed and when I can fit time into my busy real life.
 
I’d like to get back at creating content for fun rather than creating content for an article title, a trade, or an awards show. VSN has sucked the ‘creative’ life out of me so to speak.
 
Thank you to @FrostBeard and all the writers!
 
VSN will be in good hands with @Pengu and the future new hire for graphics.
 
- Motza
 

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

"Man, what a fun ride that was!"
 
James Rose, amidst the failure of moving onward past the semi finals in the s72 World Junior Championship, truly cherished his experience.
 
"It was simply incredible to play with and against such awesome players.  I had played with Kamenov last season in Mexico, Mjers was my defense partner in Halifax at the start of this season and we had some pretty great games over there, before we got moved to other teams.  Now I play with Riley Knight Gee in Houston and we didn't get paired together but hey, I'm not the coach or in management.  We're still trying to hold down some kind of fort in Houston, so we have our hands full with that at the moment."
 
Rose did manage to have a decent tournament.  While playing with rookie VHLers and top echelon VHLM players, he did manage to put up a solid performance in the round-robin tournament.  Rose finished 5th on team in scoring with a goal and seven assists in eight games, maintaining an even plus-minus, leading the team in hits with 27 and getting only 3 minor infractions called against him.  Other interesting stat lines include finishing second in the tournament in blocked shots with 25, one less than leader and teammate, Viktor Alexei Kamenov, with 26.  His hit total is good for 5th best, and the most glaring stat that should be paid attention to is his total minutes played. With 236 minutes played, he's good for 6th highest workload in the tournament.
 
"Yeah the whole experience was pretty thrilling, but out there on the ice, those were some REALLY tough minutes..." said Rose.  "Many of the guys out there were really in it to win it.  That's what was thrilling the most.  Even the locker rooms were pretty active and eager to intermingle, everyone wanted to bring their 'A' game, everyone assumed a role, even the trash talkers.  I got to see some familiar faces, like Chris Hylands and Timothy Brown, and meet so many new people.  From top to bottom, it was incredible."
 
"That last game against Europe, we weren't good.  I was dreadful, I played 31:28, was a minus three and i have so many bruises from blocking what seemed like 20 shots, even though the stats say seven shots blocked.  It was a difficult game to get a rhythm going, power plays and penalty kills, I was really gassed and I hate admitting that, I wasn't good and I realized from that point, I need to get to another level..."
 
Despite being out of the tournament, Rose is back in Houston, trying to help get his squad out of last place.  He even showed his happy-go-lucky type personality when being asked who was going to win it all.
 
"Well, right now it looks like the US got their big boy pants on after we defeated them on day one, heh.  They'll most likely win it all, but I hope I'm wrong.  I'd like to see Europe win, get Hylands another moment of glory"
 
"Man, what a fun ride that was.  What an experience for rookies..."
 
 
People mentions:
@BigTittySmitty Kamenov
@a_Ferk Brown
@InstantRockstar Mjers
@Hylands33 Hylands
@KnightRiley Knight Gee