hylands

A teaser for my upcoming media spot
 
So there has always been discussion over the VHL and job pay, I remember way back when there was a job pay audit done by member Proto or who is more commonly known as (one of those other AGMs Gustav had). This I believe didn’t change to much but I think that it is time again that one of the people that worked under Gustav delved deep into the VHL underworld to see who is being paid what and where we can reclaim some TPE back from the members, leading to more forum content when the ones with jobs have to go back to doing tasks.
 
No one is safe from my reaches and I will make sure that everyone is doing the amount of work needed to receive their TPE. Could we see massive changes in how things are done, almost definitely not. Could we see major shake ups of weekly TPE brought in by those with jobs, again it is really not likely. Will I still do this task I have assigned myself. Well if we look at my previous history there is like a 5% chance. Will anyone care about what I write, maybe just my Mum. Anyway enough rambling see you when I finish my task or need more TPE.

Hello there, guys!

It is Ondra again, this time to share with you how to catch a break after a day of catching pucks. Or, at least, to get an insight on how I deal with my time after games and practices.
 
If you’re a gamer like me, you can get behind your laptop, tabletop PC or gaming console and let every stressful thought about the upcoming games vanish with a videogame of your preference. Many genres and many games have many advantages. For example, competitive multiplayer can help you understand your Polish friends, with lessons completely for free! And if you want even more, try free-to-play multiplayer games! That way, you will learn both Polish and Russian super quickly. Thus, you will be able to small talk with your Russian colleagues in nets, thanks to the internets. Basically.
 
I also recommend to stay in touch with people around you. Socialize, go to pubs. There, you will find the biggest experts in hockey. Or in any other sport or, basically, in any branch of human knowledge imaginable. Depends on the time of the year.
You are guaranteed to get valuable and honest advices and as night progresses, you may end up in a brawl, which tests your physical preparedness for future games! That is, if refs actually let you participate in a line brawl.
 
Other than that, you should do what you want and what you like. Just keep in mind you have to be ready for future games!
Take care, I will write another article for y’all soon!
 
-O
 
(See coach? I am not recommending pubs only. And I am definitely not writing this with a beer and a cigarette in my hand. Don't bench me plz.)
 
288 words capped for week ending 03/31/2024

Looking back at my first time scrolling the VHL forums, before I created an account, made a player, and learned the ropes, some I have yet to learn. As someone who struggles with Anxiety, pushing myself to say “fuck it” and go for it came with a lot of hesitance, but in the end, it was so worthwhile. The community is so welcoming, the people here are so kind, I have yet to interact with someone who even comes close to rubbing me the wrong way. All and all it’s been a good experience so far. 
 
My player, Oliver Loo, a name I just slapped together is a player or rather character that I didn’t think I’d be putting so much effort and creativity into although my writing is not the best, needing to be improved upon and I don’t exactly have the means to make graphics. I originally made him just to test the waters, and see if I like how the VHL works under the surface that is the forums. Within the Discord servers, the people and such. It’s a lot more laid back than what I first thought, it’s enjoyable. I like pretty much ever aspect that I have discovered so far and can see myself sticking around. Hell, I even already have plans for my next player and this one isn’t even close to done yet.

230 words

The season has begun. So far NY has performed fairly well. We have been giving up a lot of shots, but thankfully we have the GOAT goaler in 36W, so the more shots the merrier. We've had some underwhelming performances, but the season's long and you learn quick not to be too reactive before the first quarter of sims are complete. Tonight's sim should be a good test with Toronto on back to back games, and then we should have a clearer picture of the NA Conference anyways. I think this season the team is more set than the previous season, so I'm just kinda on cruise control for now, and just seeing if there are any minor upgrades we could make at TD, but I could totally see this team being what we roll with all season. Excited for this core, and I really believe NY will be a competitor in this league for the next few seasons. Personally, things have been pretty busy. Kinda thought after the wedding we would have the opportunity to exhale - but the kids keep us going. End of my daughters hockey season coming up, and golf just around the corner. Excited for summer to come, even if that means work gets busier. Also, I've been cutting back on some of the hours spent gaming, and actually finished a few books I've had on the go since last year. But yeah, that is my week...

Hello VHL!
I'm going to be doing something I couldent find anyone else has done yet in VHL, but I have done myself in PBE and SHL.
And as you have read the title already you know how this goes. VHL Scrabble!
So I will be taking every teams players one by one to a scrabble score calculator and then after I'm done with the team I will calculate the total points, the average etc. So with out a further a do here we go!
 
Calgary Wrangles
Jonny Elgar: 21
Merome Dilson: 17
Joe Block: 23
Moritz Stauffer: 31
Phil Strasmore: 20
Thor Odinson: 15
Raimo Tuominen: 17
Catia Goncalves: 22
Adam Rage: 12
Kyle Toms: 17
Randy Bobandy: 24
The Total: 219
The Average: 19.909...
The Highest points: Moritz Stauffer
The Lowest points: Adam Rage
 
Chicago Phoenix
Amir Redzic: 24
Ryan Artyomov: 23
Reinhard von Kongming: 34
Karol Lamb: 17
Darko Alexander Malkovich: 50
Lionel Collberg: 19
Yaroslav Trunov: 23
Joshua Schwarzer: 42
Bryce Woodworth: 31
Dank Turtle: 15
Legacy Gaming: 22
Babay Shrimp: 25
The Total: 325
The Average: 27.83..
The Highest points: Darko Alexander Malkovich
The Lowest points: Dank Turtle
 
D.C Dragons
Henry Tucker Jr: 32
Mark Calaway: 25
Eurydyka Sklodowska Dudzinska: 65
Ben Laas: 9
Theo Allard: 14
Lucas Grey: 15
Keita Kourou: 19
Keegan Gamble: 22
Vincent Laroche-Gagnier: 33
The Frenchman: 25
The Total: 259
The Average: 25.9
The Highest points: Eurydyka Sklodowska Dudzinska
The Lowest points: Ben Laas
 
HC Davos Dynamo
Karl Pedersen: 19
Womp Womp Womp Womp Womp Jr: 64
David Jokinen: 28
LeBen Aky: 17
James MacAvoy: 31
Carson Walker Jr: 30
The Total: 189
The Average: 31.5
The Highest points: Womp Womp Womp Womp Womp Jr
The Lowest points: LeBen Aky
 
Helsinki Titans
Fuukka Rask: 25
YaBoi Oven: 17
Tommy Sleeves: 22
Kronchy Kardashian: 37
Michael Shotter: 24
Owen Lazaro: 22
Daryl Dixon: 22
Adi Dassler: 12
Jarkko Laakkonen: 38
Ellis Woolfenden: 22
Isaac mclflopper: 28
The Total: 247
The Average: 22.454...
The Highest points: Jarkko Laakkonen
The Lowest points: Adi Dassler
 
London United
Geoff Bezos: 28
Jesse Teno: 16
Nick Sansoe: 16
Jack Jeckler: 37
Lloyd Braun: 16
Isamu Knievel: 21
Wann Kerr: 15
Sjin: 11
Halvar Torbjorn: 29
Brad Marchand: 23 
Ben Dover: 14
John Richards: 28
Leonard Triller: 15
The Total: 269
The Average: 20.69...
The Highest points: Jack Jeckler
The Lowest points: Sjin
 
Los Angeles Stars
Matthew McCagg: 29
The Mediocre One: 22
Astro Singh: 14
Mclean Hoover II: 24
Alexander Stroheim: 30
Jim Benning Jr: 31
Timothy Swearingen: 29
The Total: 179
The Average: 25.57...
The Highest points: Jim Benning Jr
The Lowest points: Astro Singh
 
Malmo Nighthawks
Karl Herzlich: 33
Ash Sparks: 18
Jacob Stone: 21
Eric Queefson: 26
Reese McFleury: 23
Conference Prince-de-Galles: 37
Yaroslav Bogatyrev: 32
Savaisk Tzesar: 29
Ronald Johnson MacWallace III: 46
Phillip Rave: 21
Gregger McKeggegger: 33
Viktor Jensen: 26
The Total: 345
The Average: 28.75
The Highest points: Ronald Johnson MacWallace III
The Lowest points: Ash Sparks
 
Moscow Menace
Olober Syko: 19
Joseph Reed: 23
Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage: 51
Nils Andersson: 14
Leif Reingaard: 18
Celise Pereira: 17
Jeff Lewis: 25
Grimgor Ironhide: 23
George Richmond: 24
David Rashford: 25
Axle Gunner: 18
Jarmo Ruutu: 19
The Total: 276
The Average: 23
The Highest points: Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage
The Lowest points: Nils Andersson
 
New York Americans
WWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWW: 96
Rin Kagamine: 18
Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish: 52
Callum Gary Yannick Janser: 47
Tord Yvel: 15
FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist: 23
Jasper Davis: 24
Alfred Champagne: 29
Keon Jeannot: 22
Vinny Lecavalier: 26
Francesco Mancini: 27
The Total: 379
The Average: 34.45...
The Highest points: WWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWW
The Lowest points: Tord Yvel
 
Prague Phantoms
Matt Murdock: 22
Skor McFleury: 26
Pope Francis: 20
Admir Bala: 14
Spanish Moon Moth: 27
Rip Wheeler: 18
John Jameson: 30
Nikolas Kauppi: 25
Chris Sanzone: 26
The Total: 208
The Average: 23.11...
The Highest points: John Jameson
The Lowest points: Admir Bala
 
Riga Reign
Red Panda: 12
Reginald the Dodo: 22
Mina: 6
Braeden Panarella: 21
Fradin McGryer: 25
Martin Kemp: 20
Kimi Raikkonen: 27
Eno Velvson: 16
Otis Boudreaux Jr: 32
Eric White Jr: 26
Shubham Anand: 23
The Total: 230
The Average: 20.90...
The Highest Points: Otis Boudreaux Jr
The Lowest Points: Mina
 
Seattle Bears
Justin Lion: 17
Giorgiy Costanzov: 35
Simons Worst Nightmare: 31
Sigma Freud: 17
Justin Williams: 26
Big B: 9
Toby Kadachi: 26
Sadie St-Louis: 13
Oreo McFleury: 22
Gustav Mattias: 19
Henry Eagles: 18
Severus Targaryen: 23
Tullemore Dew: 18
The Total: 274
The Average: 21.07...
The Highest points: Giorgiy Costanzov
The Lowest points: Big B
 
Toronto Legion
Toddly Bobbly: 26
Joel Castle: 19
Walter Fitzroy Jr: 40
Mason Rice: 13
Bobby Bob: 21
Steve Lattimer: 18
Mac Atlas: 12
Jimi Jaks: 28
Harry Callahan: 24
Diego Machado: 22
Kobe Johnson: 27
The Total: 250
The Average: 22.72..
The Highest points: Walter Fitzroy Jr
The Lowest points: Mac Atlas
 
Vancouver Wolves
Dalkr Vidarsson: 23
Vlad Von Carstein: 24
Guntis Gavilrovs: 23
DB IV: 10
Liv Slater: 12
Jens Lekman: 23
Riley Martin: 16
Mikko Borisyuk: 32
Logan Ninefingers: 21
Larry Abass Jr. 24
Left Alone: 12
Sunglasses Joyo: 25
The Total: 245
The Average: 20.41...
The Highest points: Mikko Borisyuk
The Lowest points: DB IV
 
Warsaw Predators
Pipo Popa: 16
Lachlan Summers: 23
Hannibal Barca: 22
Rex Wolffe Gregor: 33
Tim Riggins: 14
Tater Tottingham: 21
Zyn Westwood: 30
Behrens Minion: 20
Montgomery Burns: 25
King Kisslinger: 24
Thor Reingaard: 18
Maxim Anisimov: 29
The Total: 275
The Average: 22.91...
The Highest points: Rex Wolffe Gregor
The Lowest points: Tim Riggins
 
That concludes the calculating!
Now we can get on with the speculation and talking about the stats!
So to recap
The Highest total points goes to New York Americans with 379, The Single highest point goes to WWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWW with 96! (Absurd), and the least points goes to Mina with 6!
The highest average also goes to New York unsurprisingly! Now if we look at some other teams with high averages we can see that Davos with 31.5 is up there in second place! Although they only have 189 total points (the second least) their roster size makes up for that puts them firmly in 2nd place with average. 
So what does this all mean, I can hear you ask. Well nothing to be honest, this is just something I thought would be funny to do and did it. I will be doing one for E and M combined later since this is already 1000 words long!
See you then!
 

 
Total word count 1084
Claiming for week ending 24/3 and 31/3

We are a few days out from the start of a new season. Feeling pretty optimistic about the team this year. We built the team at last Trade Deadline with this upcoming season in mind, and everything has kind of just fell into place. Last year we were stressed just to make playoffs, this year we have an expectation amongst ourselves to be a contender. Feel very lucky to have won Top GM in my first season back as a VHL GM. I think a lot of things just kinda came together last season, I don’t think I did anything too insane. It was a buyers market and if anything I was lucky to have inherited a solid roster with potential that just needed a few good pieces. Excited for the future as Hylands has already been such a valuable add to the management team. Hopefully we can prove why the award was handed out to the Americans! Pretty solid weekend. I had a few Guinness’ in celebration of Paddy’s Day. Watched the Players Championship, won a few bets, lost a few more. Watched T Swifts Eras tour with my daughter for the 7th (no exaggeration) time… got a busy week of work coming up, not looking forward to it lol.

Yeah this is something I’ve meant to look at a long time ago. I think you just mean the player page here but on the player management side, this is a bit more ambitious but I’ve always pictured like a weekly ‘checklist’ that shows what capped you’ve done and your options to get the rest. 

TW; mention of death.


Oliver Loo’s story began when he was born in Star City, Saskatchewan. At the young age of five, he had been adamant about wanting to play hockey, talking excitedly to his parents about VHL legends like Andrew Su @Da_Berr, an amazing forward who exceeded expectations and became a player who would be embedded in history and Chris Hylands @hylands , a player that excelled at both offence and defence leading to his feats to be written in stone, these players being something that would inspire Oliver Loo to ask his parents if he could play hockey.

Although Oliver Loo wanted to play hockey, his parents, Dallas Schumm and Rosemary Loo had their own focuses. His father lived in Melfort, putting all his time into some questionable businesses while only coming to Star City for short visits, while his mother lived in Star City, taking the role of a single parent despite having shared custody of Oliver Loo, even so she was too busy with her gardening. Burying herself in her work as a florist took most of her time, the rest although less was spent with Oliver as she still tried to raise him as much as she could which Oliver was grateful for. The unresponsiveness of Oliver Loo’s parents would put his dreams of being a hockey player to rest, instead choosing to focus on what his parents wanted him to, mainly pushing him to devote all his attention to his education.

His dreams of being a hockey player would be renewed at the age of eleven, in his 6th grade classroom when he met Clay Flemming. A fellow student who would later become Oliver Loo’s best friend. Clay Flemming would be the one to bring up hockey again, a sparkle in his eye as he spoke about his own inspirations and how much he enjoyed playing hockey growing up. He’d be the one to drag Oliver Loo out to a frozen pond in the middle of winter, lend him some extra gear and teach him a thing or two, eventually pushing Oliver to join him on the local Pee Wee team at the ice rink in Star City. With Clay Flemming already having picked jersey #59, Oliver Loo chose #16.

The two would be inseparable, going through the divisions together as best friends and teammates. They would even play on the same line together, Oliver Loo being a right winger and Clay Flemming being a center. Being sure to uplift each other, trying to garner as much attention as they could together in hopes of being noticed but most importantly that their synergy together would be taken into consideration when scouted. They could only hope that they would end up on the same team when they made it into the leagues, they couldn’t imagine being apart.

It would be years later when they finally managed to get signed to a team, after all the hard work they had put in Oliver Loo and Clay Flemming made it into the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Both of them would be signed by the Melfort Mustangs at the age of seventeen. Oliver Loo making the point that they should get an apartment together since they would have to move from Star City to Meltfort and it would solve the living situation. After Oliver Loo would bid his farewells to his mother, he and Clay would be on their way. Oliver would find it a bit difficult to move to a whole new place. Visiting was one thing, but moving there felt like a whole nother thing. He would get past it though, with the help of Clay of course.

Oliver Loo was excited, not only had he finally made it, but he had made it with his best friend and to put the cherry on top they were on the same team. Things couldn’t have been going any better. After getting everything settled, he and Clay Flemming would go down to the Northern Lights Palace Arena, home of the Melfort Mustangs. He would get to know his new teammates, his new coaches, and the stadium itself. The following day would be his first game on the team and a chance for him and Clay Flemming to prove themselves. They would succeed in proving themselves, ending up on the first line their spirits were high.

It would be one year later when Oliver Loo would hit his next bump in the road, something he couldn’t have seen coming and something his mind would always come back to throughout the rest of his hockey career. It was a crucial game, one that would determine whether his team made the playoffs. His best friend and teammate Clay Flemming would get into a fight with one of the opposing players, hitting his head on the ice on the way down. Without the protection of a helmet, which had fallen off mid-fight, Clay Flemming would be taken to the hospital and fall into a coma. Passing away a week later due to a brain bleed.

Oliver Loo would be crushed, devastated that it had happened, and left wondering if he could’ve done anything to prevent it. It was evident that it affected him, his play on the ice becoming worse quicker than he could catch himself and eventually he was waived after two years of little improvement. The league saw no use for a player who couldn’t produce after so much time considering how generous they had been.

After one year, Oliver Loo would receive a call that he wasn’t expecting. A team was willing to sign him after all this time, into a league that he was expecting it from the least. He would accept the offer, signing with the Miami Marauders. An ambitious team in the VHLM, somewhere he could start again, a chance to obtain that dream that he had when he was so much younger. Oliver Loo would choose a new jersey number when going into the VHL scene, he would pick… #59.

1000 words

NEW YORK - In New York, there is no shortage of outstanding goaltenders. Throughout New York City hockey history, there have been some excellent goaltenders from Mike Ritchter to Henrik Lundqvist. Even as we speak, there are amazing goaltenders tending the pipes here in the Big Apple. Former LA Kings star goalie Jonathan Quick is backing up the excellent Igor Shesterkin. And in the VHL, there is the wonderful WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW whose beautiful name gave me a headache when I was trying to count how many Ws there were. However, we often forget about the Georgiev of the teams, the good goaltenders that backed up these amazing stars. Introducing one of the best goaltenders in the history of the VHL, B-NYA G1.
 
B-NYA G1 has always been like Louis Domingue. Very solid and always up when the team needed a goalie to step up but never actually a starter. In fact, he’s very often the third goaltender. B-NYA G1 doesn’t put up stunning numbers. But when called upon, he gives his very best and a solid performance. It is always hard learning about bot players as their stats are not kept and recorded officially. However, you can always find them in the VHFL Top Goalies and Top Skaters archive. Looking at the archive, we see that in S91, B-NYA G1 had another solid season and led bot goalies with 9 wins. Digging more into the archive, we see that in his limited starts he almost met the .920 save percentage threshold. And continuing to look in the archive, we can see that there is even a B-NYA G2 who had basically no playing time and only had 4 shots against.
 
***The quotes by the bots have been translated for your convenience.
“To be honest, I don’t even know why I signed with this team. I guess I just needed the big league contract. I play for a USHL team when I’m not on the bench. Which is very often. I also serve as the emergency goaltender but I don’t think we’ve ever had a situation where we needed to do that.” said B-NYA G2.
 
Being one of the best bot goaltenders in the league has netted B-NYA G1 little to no recognition. For the past while though, he has been quite active as New York puts a lot of trust into WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. As of writing this, they do not currently have another goaltender on their active roster.
 
***B-NYA G1 sat down with us to share his thoughts. “My role is a backup so I don’t need to be spectacular. I have been in the league many years and I have backed up many stunning goalies. I know I’m not meant to be a starter in this league. I have embraced my role fully and I don’t have anything to complain about. I just want people to know that I care about this team and I will never leave it.”
 
Originally drafted from the Tri-City Americans in the WHL, B-NYA G1 was a goalie prospect many years ago that was destined for stardom. And a star he was, winning the award for best goaltender in the AHL. Eventually, he took the VHL path and signed with the New York Americans. For many seasons after, he has been under contract to them.
 
“If I ever retire, I want to retire as an American. It just feels right.”

In a stunning story of heroism, rookie forward Maple Dogwood saved numerous lives when he went to catch a matinee of Dune 2.  
 
"It was one of my few days off from training and I figured why not go relax for a few hours at the movie theatre?  I'd already seen Dune 2 thanks to a special showing from one of my sponsors, so this was my second trip. I was really looking forward to tuning out, but of course that wasn't meant to be. As shocking as it might be, I've never been a huge fan of movie theater popcorn, so it was just Mike & Ikes and a slushie, but everybody in there seemed to have that viral popcorn bucket. You know with the sandworm's mouth on it?  And that's there it all went downhill," Dogwood said. 
 
Apparently two people in the row right in front of him were going all in on the bucket, but they also forgot to take their blood pressure medication, which caused their hands to swell.  And both of them, by some horrible coincidence, got their entire arms stuck inside the popcorn bucket and they couldn't take it out. At first, they didn't worry because they were sure they could un-stuck themselves, but it quickly became apparent that things were serious.
 
"I saw one guy start thrashing around in his seat and trying to free his arm and I honestly has no clue what he was doing initially.  But then his wife started hollering and I knew it was serious.  It took a few minutes for the theater staff to realize what was happening and then they turned the lights on.  The guy's entire arm was turning blue and I thought he was going to have a heart attack.  Somehow, things got worse when the person sitting next to him literally said 'I don't know how that even happens, watch' as he stuck his arm up to the elbow in the bucket.  Sure enough, he got stuck as well," said Dogwood.
 
Both men were quickly losing all feeling in their arms as the theater called 9-1-1 to alert paramedics to their current situation.  Fortunately for those two audience members and their families, Dogwood was there to save the day.
 
"When my grandfather passed away, he gave me his pocket knife and I always carry it with me.  It lasted two wars, so I always thought of it as a nice tribute to him and all he meant to me and my family.  Luckily, it has a small little pair of pop-out scissors and I was able to use those to trim back the teeth on the popcorn bucket mouth thing," he said.
 
Thankfully, he was able to cut both of their arms free in just a matter of minutes and both men didn't even need to seek medical attention.  When the paramedics arrived, they weren't even shocked about the call.
 
"This was the 27th Dune 2 popcorn bucket related call that we've received in the last two weeks. I'm just glad it was an arm this time," said Sgt. Andrew Hockensen from the Atlanta Fire Department. 
 
To thank Dogwood for his quick thinking, AMC offered free tickets for an entire year, which Dogwood promptly donated to the Atlanta Children's Hospital.

@hylands

New York, New York.
 
After being eliminated in the Wild Card Round of the S92 Playoffs, The New York Americans wasted no time getting their ducks in line for the next season. They were outside a playoff spot at Trade Deadline when they made moves to acquire Alfred Champagne, Vinny Lecavalier, and Clueless Wallob. They were able to make a charge and make the playoffs, however fell short. Wallob and Malum Maellard both retired, so it left some holes in the roster, especially on defense. The New York Americans got busy, within the first two days of the off-season were able to make the following transactions:
 
Jasper Davis @Josh re-signs for one year contract extension New York Americans swap first round picks, in addition to sending 2 x 3rd Round Draft Picks to the Malmo Nighthawks to acquire Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish @hylands Big Ol Doinks re-signs a three year contract extension CGY Janser @Daniel Janser re-signs a five year contract extension  
Essentially days into the off-season the New York Americans have shored up their roster for S93. In addition to this, they made a statement that they are here for real. After what was an incredible rookie season 36W has earned his spot as the NYA starting goaltender, after re-signing a contract extension during the S92 season. The Americans still have a long way to go, and the North American Conference only got stronger. They are ready for a test, and GM Vince Wong is excited to get the season started to see his players get back in action.
 
Attention is now VHL Draft focused, where the Americans select at pick #11, after the pick swap with Malmo. After selecting Wayne Gretzky @MubbleFubbles last season, the Americans look to add on to the next wave of players that will help the team seasons into the future. They were ranked in the "bad" category for team's future in @badcolethetitan's surface level league outlook. New York has bolstered their roster without having to surrender a single 1st Round pick - both of their major deals included a pick swap. The Americans have put a emphasis on quality vs. quantity, and are ready to prove that they are not going to flame out any time soon. 

NEW YORK AMERICANS PRESS CONFERENCE
off-season edition!
 
1. What are your early thoughts on the team's chances of success for next season?
2. Do you enjoy the off-season break? Or are you someone who would prefer for it to be shorter?
3. Where in New York City does your player live? Is it right in downtown Manhattan or further away in the suburbs? (i swear i'm not trying to doxx your player)
4. What are your goals for your player next season?
5. What is the most interesting place you would love to visit?
6. In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, what is your favourite trap that Kevin sets for The Wet Bandits?

i can’t wait for the season 992 world cup!

i can’t wait for the season 992 world cup!

It's a seasonal occurrence that @Spartan  and I have to hire someone new. As much as as we love our new GMs, the job is demanding, activity naturally shifts over time over circumstances that often aren't foreseen, and the VHLM is always hurt by the perception that VHL jobs are "better" or more desirable. That almost forces us to love our new GMs, because watching some of our best leave us every couple months leaves us with the need to go out and get some more of the best.
 
One might think that, because that sweet VHL job is more desirable, there's more to take care of. That's not the case at all. Of course, there are things that mean that a VHL GM needs to have been around the league for long enough to understand very well how it works. Trade talks are more involved, long-term strategy is actually a thing, and there is a bit of an unfortunate perceived need to be among the league's elite that can sway players to want to play for one GM or another. But VHLM GMing carries challenges of its own. There's a need to be online a lot to keep up with new players, the same questions need to be answered over and over, it's a lot more risky in that some new people aren't mature enough to stick around without blowing up or are just here to spam your server, and it's very frustrating for a GM that's invested in their players' success when someone new and promising decides they'd rather not be the latter. It might even take different sorts of people to do well in different places. I'm much more "interpersonal and caring" than I am "logical and calculated", and let's just say I was a very good VHLM GM and leave it at that.
 
Since there's a lot of work, but not in the most obvious ways, there are lots of things I would say to someone GMing for the first time, and there are also lots of things I would say to someone who hasn't yet gotten the chance. Let's talk about both.
 
 
If you're new to GMing (hi @JCarson, @Dadam30, @LucyXpher, and @Nathan_8! I can't believe it's the first time for all of you):
SCOUT THE INCOMING DRAFT CLASSES. People today like to complain about not feeling properly valued if they're not scouted. Respectfully, they can pound sand as far as most of this point goes. You should scout recreates as well, for sure, but scouting first-gens is great for getting them involved and it can also tell you so much about the type of player you're getting and whose company you'll get to enjoy (rather than "have to tolerate") while they play for you. You should ask just a few questions that are relevant to the player experience (I'm still not over getting a 3-page Google Form when I was in the PBE with questions including, and I quote, "Favorite Cheez-It?"). Question lists are acceptable when sent to first-timers, but outright disrespectful to some experienced members who you should know already--go ahead and write up a list for someone who's never been here, but I think it's better in either case to just reach out and try to have a conversation. Nice answers that require thought and are written in complete sentences are a HUGE green flag and can get you massive steals if others haven't put in the same work. Make friends with other GMs. VHLM GM chat can be a very cool place and you want to be right at the front of someone's mind if they're searching for a solid trade partner. They'll also want you to like them for those same reasons and will act accordingly. You will meet people you don't like. You may not get along with every GM, and you certainly won't love every single player that comes into your server. Treat those who aren't outright problems with respect, and feel free to speak up to us if you've got any that are. Every season will feel the same and that's OK. Something I wasn't expecting, and something I started to be dissatisfied with by the time my fourth season rolled around, was that the same exact things always had to be explained to people and the roster mostly reset from one season to another. It might not feel like you're getting anywhere after a while, and this might suck a little bit. But every time you answer one of those same questions for someone, you're helping one more person get where they need to be. Don't lose sight of how special some of your interactions in this first season will be, and realize that you get to do exactly that every time. Your players are going to think you're really cool. VHLM GMs are rewarded like no other role in terms of how they're viewed by new members. Your players will worship the ground you walk on, sometimes even after you move up. This is normal, you should take it as a compliment, and you should live up to that image with every chance you get.  
 
And if you're trying to get in?
 
Show us that you're active enough by being active enough. We often have candidates who just simply haven't done enough to convince us that they're capable. I don't doubt that we've had candidates who would have made good GMs had we noticed. Getting active and staying there for at least a season is certainly a good way to notice, and you should be doing more than just earning. Post interesting stuff on the forums and be on Discord enough that it's reasonably possible that I'll run into you at some point. Also, just be a nice person. We aren't in the business of hiring people that could cause issues. Keep trying. I know it's discouraging to put your name in for something and watch others get hired. Lots of the time, we'll hire something like 2 people when we have 3 or 4 that we think are good enough. That's wonderful and gives us names to keep in mind for next time if you keep trying. Having these first two points in mind will absolutely get you a job if you keep at it long enough. Be a GM for other league tournaments. Running a team for World Juniors or World Cup or even one of the others that isn't officially run by the league is a great way to teach yourself how STHS works, run your own locker room, and have something to mention in your GM applications. It's a great test of whether you'll end up liking the real thing and it might be something we notice you being involved with. Be an AGM. This one is fairly self-explanatory. I don't personally care about anything you do as an AGM, but presumably you'll learn things from your GM that will be transferable skills to a GM job of your own. It also just shows that same willingness to get involved that's present in the last point. Ask questions. My inbox is open, for one. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that. But aside from anything I may or may not have to offer, try learning from those who are already in the positions you want. A lot of that comes with things like being an AGM, but it can also just come from staying connected to GMs by being part of the league. Which mostly just relates to the first point again. Be active and be cool.  
 
The VHLM is an incredible place and I hope all of you have had positive experiences being a part of it. It's with that in mind that I hope you want to have more of that while also creating it for others--and as someone who runs it, let's work together to make it even better.

Hello, I'm FreshOceanCod I have been in VHL for a couple of months now. I have played through my first season and want to give you my opinion about. (note there might be many errors because I just woke from a nap before writing this)
 
Expectations and thoughts:
So I wasn't expecting much from my player I created who is Ocean Codoller, but I would say that all my expectation were surpassed. 
- I wasn't expecting to get many too any points this season, but at the end of my season I ended off with 57 points in 72 games played which is not bad seeing this as my first season.
- I was not sure how my time with New Mexico would be hoping it would not end horribly, but everything was fine. I got a lot of help from GMs and players.
- Playoffs, I thought my team was going to do well during the playoffs, but we had an unfortunate series losing 4 to 3 in 7 games.
 
My player (Ocean Codoller):
- Overall my player turned out "ok", I wasn't expecting my player to get a point per game, but I wanted my player to atleast do well in its first season which I think it did.
- I tried to create a two-way player-maker with my player. It has turned out alright still need many improvements, but overall not a bad start with the type of player I want to create.
- I think the best thing my player is doing right now is play-making which is a good thing, but my players defence was so ass that I think it's worse than a starting defence man who just joined VHL.
- My players performance in the playoffs was mid, nothing really special, but nothing really good only getting 3 pts in 7 games played.

Off season:
- Right now my off-season started early with a tough 4 to 3 series in the 1 round in the playoffs in VHLM.
- I have gotten some offers by teams that might be interested in my player which is pretty cool.
- I have gotten more tips from other GMs in the league about gaining more TPE and not relying on just welfare. (that is why I'm writing this article)
- I got on a JST team, but my players performance there has been horrible.
- My main focus right now is to just focus on improving my player as much as possible.
- My player got released from New Mexico so I guess I'm draft eligible in the 93-94 season VHLM, but I don't know if I will get drafted, but I do hope so. Which team? Any team, I don't really care.

The future:
- I really don't know what to expect, but I hope my performance in JST improves because it has been a complete ass of a performance.
- VHLM draft is coming up soon and that is going to be a very interesting reason being I have never been drafted yet and just been signed to a team.
- VHLE draft is coming up soon as well and I don't think I will be drafted there yet, but I think I have a chance, but not a very high one.
-  I will be trying to improve my player as much as possible again that is my main goal with my player at the moment and in the future.
- There's a high chance that I will not be in New Mexico again in VHLM and that means I might be on another team which I hope goes well there, but only time will tell I guess.
 
Final thoughts:
I hope everything goes well in the future and like I said earlier my main goal is to improve my player as much as possible, but that is really it.
 
 
 

1. while i'm not in a draft, my player just got traded and i am super excited to be joining a new team in new york.
2. i'm actually going to be taking litten and growlithe and then i will become a pokemon champion with them.
3. you will not believe the amount of doinks i will have.
4. after i'm done crying my eyes out over my favourite agm being kidnapped, i call the police and start the search immediately.
5. i am actually hoping to meet some of the legendary S92 bulls as they grow and their players graduate to the big leagues.
6. aj's questions would probably all be about being drunk and high so it's a tough choice.

1. while i'm not in a draft, my player just got traded and i am super excited to be joining a new team in new york.
2. i'm actually going to be taking litten and growlithe and then i will become a pokemon champion with them.
3. you will not believe the amount of doinks i will have.
4. after i'm done crying my eyes out over my favourite agm being kidnapped, i call the police and start the search immediately.
5. i am actually hoping to meet some of the legendary S92 bulls as they grow and their players graduate to the big leagues.
6. aj's questions would probably all be about being drunk and high so it's a tough choice.

Congrats on the double hitchedment!!!

You and @hylands are a prefect match!!

@jacobcarson877