mediocrepony

So guys, it's theme week, and since I want to have Tucker Jr off to a better start than Tucker (cough cough seldom earned max until I got up to Vancouver), we're gonna soldier through and do this, even though I already wrote a 1,366 word VHL.com this week. So here it goes, y'all!
 
@Gustav - On your appreciation media spot, you mentioned me, and said that you enjoyed my articles (and also occasionally comment on my VHL.coms, which is nice), which I take as a high compliment, because your articles/VHL.coms have been absolute bops to read, if sometimes lengthy. I also really enjoyed you running the Town of Salems (especially the 1K+ post game where I had like 250 posts. That was wild) and you've started and participated in some really interesting threads, and overall, you're a nice person to be around.
 
@GrittyIsKing - It's been a while since we've really talked, but I really enjoyed the discussions we were having back in May of last year. 'Tis a shame that we've fallen out of touch, but you're a great guy and you made Tucker an absolutely amazing graphic. 
 
@JardyB10 - First off, when I make the time to listen to your podcasts, they're awesome. Second, every so often you read my VHL.coms and comment and whatever, which is also fun for me. You're also a really chill in the Halifax LR, and just in general you've been pretty friendly towards me.
 
@Shindigs - First off, you're a really chill and funny person to talk to, whether it's on the EFL or in the Halifax LR or whatever. Your personality is admirable (online, at least), but as my most regular VHL.com reader, it's awesome to have someone who's as much of a stat nerd as me. 
 
@fishy - Again, you're also a really nice person to talk to in general, but what means the most to me is what you taught me. To backtrack, back in Dec 2020 you came out as non-binary on the EFL and wanted to be addressed by they/them pronouns (iirc, but I'm very sure I'm right). And for me, that was completely new and, well, eye-opening. Not only that, but I also began to realize I had some biases against trans and non-binary people, and although I'm still not perfect, I can at least recognize that I'm doing it, and I thank you for that (on a side note, a while back I listened to that podcast where you recorded your own background music. That was a great listen)
 
@OrbitingDeath , @omgitshim, @diamond_ace - I kinda group y'all all in the same category, since y'all are all im the SF LR and the just-for-fun server that Blade invited me into. Y'all have all been such nice people to talk to in both places and I really enjoy all of y'all's company. Also, OMG, thank you for organizing the EFL ToS games and you're fun to play with in the VHL.
 
@jRuutu - Do we argue all the time? Yeah. But when I was sure that I was done with the VHL forever, you made a sarcastic comment on my update and made a whole article about me leaving in the midst of this train wreck of a Vancouver season, which completely pissed me off and made me recreate. So you're quite literally the reason I'm here today lol.
 
@Ricer13 - My man, man. I remember I signed with you because Miami was closer than whatever other team was offering, (Was it Halifax? That would be so funny if it was. Maybe I'll check later) and man that was a good decision. The Miami LR was so vibrant during the short time I was there, and that really made me get into the league. Even after I wasn't a player, I had an awesome time counting with you on the counting channel, and then later, when you were the San Francisco AGM in the EFL (for a short amount of time. Now I run the team), I was the Assistant to the AGM and you and Blade were awesome, so huge thanks to you.
 
@BladeMaiden - I wish we had talked more on VHL, and idk if you'll ever see this, but if you do, know that you're likely my favorite of all of these people. Almost all the interacting we did was either on EFL or Discord, but even then, I can't begin to describe how much fun it was to talk to you in all sorts of places, and how sad I was when you decided to step away from sim leagues. I hope you see this someday but if not, I still mean every word I say to you.
 
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Looks nice dude! The filter really helps pull off the jersey swap. 

Hey man.
I honestly don't quite know how to articulate my response to this. I feel like this very feeling has been wafting over my head for sadly years now. All of the terrible things that have happened in the past few years have overshadowed the good by quite a large margin. I am in the almost reverse position of you, being one of two kids to increasingly overworked parents who manage to cart me and my brother to all of our various sporting events and things we want to do. The tension has been pretty high recently, with some arguments between my argumentative and stubborn yet goofy younger brother (who is at fault yet doesn't admit it) and my dad, which has made the house seem quieter yet louder at the same time. However, I can't really complain compared to the 29 people and their families whose lives have been lost performing basic tasks necessary to life. Its been a long, long time since I've felt so unsafe yet so safe at the same time, with people in my city being shot by a racist scum of the earth man and then the place i spend my most time, a school, with innocent, harmless little 10 year olds being shot on the other side of the country, have combined to really make me feel uneasy recently. However, there is still so much good in communities and many individual people that it's hard for me to entirely lose hope even though everything seems hopeless. The community over on Jefferson and the East Side bonding together in the wake of the massacre, schoolteachers offering support and help to anyone who needs it, and on a personal level for me a burgeoning love life and a stranger on discord actually making me smile with their kind words (first is much more important but still). Life sucks. But there's always something small that brings a little light into everything.

https://ibb.co/gjC6yGL
i may or may not have forgotten how to graphic

Hey man.
I honestly don't quite know how to articulate my response to this. I feel like this very feeling has been wafting over my head for sadly years now. All of the terrible things that have happened in the past few years have overshadowed the good by quite a large margin. I am in the almost reverse position of you, being one of two kids to increasingly overworked parents who manage to cart me and my brother to all of our various sporting events and things we want to do. The tension has been pretty high recently, with some arguments between my argumentative and stubborn yet goofy younger brother (who is at fault yet doesn't admit it) and my dad, which has made the house seem quieter yet louder at the same time. However, I can't really complain compared to the 29 people and their families whose lives have been lost performing basic tasks necessary to life. Its been a long, long time since I've felt so unsafe yet so safe at the same time, with people in my city being shot by a racist scum of the earth man and then the place i spend my most time, a school, with innocent, harmless little 10 year olds being shot on the other side of the country, have combined to really make me feel uneasy recently. However, there is still so much good in communities and many individual people that it's hard for me to entirely lose hope even though everything seems hopeless. The community over on Jefferson and the East Side bonding together in the wake of the massacre, schoolteachers offering support and help to anyone who needs it, and on a personal level for me a burgeoning love life and a stranger on discord actually making me smile with their kind words (first is much more important but still). Life sucks. But there's always something small that brings a little light into everything.

Thanks for the response, @GrittyIsKing.  Seeing the city bond out of the hatred has been one of the few bright spots, but at a terrible price. 

Hey man.
I honestly don't quite know how to articulate my response to this. I feel like this very feeling has been wafting over my head for sadly years now. All of the terrible things that have happened in the past few years have overshadowed the good by quite a large margin. I am in the almost reverse position of you, being one of two kids to increasingly overworked parents who manage to cart me and my brother to all of our various sporting events and things we want to do. The tension has been pretty high recently, with some arguments between my argumentative and stubborn yet goofy younger brother (who is at fault yet doesn't admit it) and my dad, which has made the house seem quieter yet louder at the same time. However, I can't really complain compared to the 29 people and their families whose lives have been lost performing basic tasks necessary to life. Its been a long, long time since I've felt so unsafe yet so safe at the same time, with people in my city being shot by a racist scum of the earth man and then the place i spend my most time, a school, with innocent, harmless little 10 year olds being shot on the other side of the country, have combined to really make me feel uneasy recently. However, there is still so much good in communities and many individual people that it's hard for me to entirely lose hope even though everything seems hopeless. The community over on Jefferson and the East Side bonding together in the wake of the massacre, schoolteachers offering support and help to anyone who needs it, and on a personal level for me a burgeoning love life and a stranger on discord actually making me smile with their kind words (first is much more important but still). Life sucks. But there's always something small that brings a little light into everything.

I'm tired. Tired isn't really a strong enough word for it. It's something beyond exhaustion. The compulsive push toward being productive and maximizing the short time I have on this giant spinning rock is barely enough to overcome the exhaustion. The world is on fire. In a lot of ways, it's always been on fire, but it seems to burn hotter by the day. War and terrorism, racism and misogyny, the massacre of innocent children for fuck's sake. Putin's unjust invasion of Ukraine, following up an economic inflationary period that has only served to make the rich richer, and horrible people doing horrible things to innocents who had the audacity to participate in such dangerous activities as grocery shopping and attending school. On a personal level, the school I work at, where my eldest child attends, has not been attacked, but it feels like I need to include the word "yet" at the end of that. 
 
My department of 4 has been short-staffed all year, and more and more things are being put on my shoulders. My boss has COVID, my coworker has been on medical leave for 3 months, and today I found out the state is auditing us before the end of the school year. I work a full-time job, have two busy children, a very bitey puppy, and I'm trying to break into a field of fiction writing at a time where the publishing industry also seems primed for implosion.
 
I'm tired, VHL.
 
But here I am, writing this piece, which is more than double the length it needs to be, because I appreciate this league. Not just for its nerdy stat-crunching datagaming, nor for the escapism it provides. I know I already wrote a media spot about appreciation, but I really want to make sure that I further stress how much I appreciate the VHL community, its generosity in charity drives, its myriad, but [typically] friendly personalities.
 
So from one very tired man, who has seen the white hairs on his chin quadruple since Tuesday: thank you. 
 
 
 
 
P.S. I'd be okay with someone from league administration giving me extra uncapped TPE for this. 

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
(Marcel's stats/Daniel's stats)
 
The Jansers played four and three games respectively since last we reported from them. Please find without further ado the relevant summaries.
 

3-5
In the first game we are featuring in this summary, the Iron Eagles faced the Oslo Storm. Vasteras took an early lead, when Bridgers scored the only goal of the first period. After the tea, Vasteras scored two goals by Elsby and Chang (the latter in powerplay) for a 3-0 lead, before Oslo could pull one back. In the final period, both teams scored two goals each, with Gonçalves and Elsby being successful for the Swedes. The three stars went to Chang (1g/2a), Elsby (2g/0a) and Raider (1g/2a). Kennedy (.865) and Gaming (.909) had a mid duel between the pipes with the better end for the Vasteras netminder. The Iron Eagles' powerplay was decent (1/3) and their penalty kill was ok (3/4).
Marcel left the ice with 0g, 1a, +2 and 2 PIM (Hooking, no effect on the score)
 

3-0
In the second match, Vasteras clashed with Cologne in a 3-0 win for the Scandinavians. Two of the rookies in the Iron Eagles line up collaborated the first (and game winning goal) in the first period for a 1-0 lead. Mathias in the second and Bridgers in the third put a lid on the win. Mathias (1g/1a), Gaming (15 saves) and Bridgers (1g/0a) were given the three stars of the night. It needs to be said, rarely has a shutout been as cheap as Gaming's in this match, but a shutout it was and hence he gets the win in the goalkeeping department over his counterpart Protagonist (.919) who showed no mean game themselves. Vasteras' powerplay was okay (1/4) and the boxplay obviously impeccable (1/1).
Marcel was recorded with 0g, 0a, +0 and 1sb.
 

1-3
In the third match up, Vasteras met the Bratislava Watchmen in a 3-1 win. Mathias and Retoslav scored for the Iron Eagles in the first, interrupted by Bratislava's intermittent equalizer. In the second period, Gonçalves on a power play scored the only goal for this leg of the game. The third period was without a goal, as neither team allowed many opportunities for the other to score. The places of honour went to Gaming (26 saves), Mathias (1g/0a) and Elsby (0g/1a). Gaming (.963) had the edge over Saucey (.906) on a high level standoff in net. The Swedes' power play was okay (1/4) while the penalty kill was once more flawless (5/5).
Marcel had 0g, 1a, +0, 2 PIM (Hooking, obviously no influence on the score board), 1 hit and 2sb to his name. 
 

4-2
In the fourth and final Vasteras match we feature, they had a rematch against Oslo in a 4-2 win. Chang with two goals, one of which on a one man advantage, brought the Eagles 2-1 ahead in the first period. After the intermission, both teams scored one goal each, with Elsby finding the back of the net for the Swedish team. Young set the final point in the third period with their 14th goal of the season. Chang (2g/1a), Elsby (1g/2a) and Young (1g/0a) were given the three stars of the night. Vasteras' back-up Byrne (.920) had Kennedy's (.911) number and added another win to his CV. The Eagles' power play was okay (1/4) and their penalty kill (5/5) proved once more, why it is one of the best in the league.
Marcel logged 0g, 1a, +2 and 2 hits.
 

4-5
The first Calgary match we feature was against the New York Americans and ended in a 5-4 win for the Canadians. The Wranglers took an early lead with Kotkakoivu and Lazeski scoring in the first period. In the second the Americans made on the score board with their first goal of the game. As same was bracketed by two Wranglers goals, the score after two periods was 4-1. Lazeski and Johnson found the back of the net for the Albertan team. In the third period, New York made an effort to tie the game, scoring three goals. However, Johnson with his second goal of the night thwarted such cunning scheme and won the game for his colours. The three stars went to Kotkakoivu (1g/3a), Lazeski (2g/1a) and Johnson (2g/0a). Dahl (.905) showed ex-Wrangler Vaughn (.868) who is boss in net. The Wranglers' special teams did not cover themselves in glory as the power play (0/2) as well as the box play (3/5) left much to be desired.
Daniel went home with a 0g, 0a, -1, 1sb and 67.65 FO% record.
 

5-2
In the direct rematch the Wranglers defeated the Americans in a 5-2 win. In the first period, Johnson with two goals and Janser with one secured an early lead in the game. Johnson's goals were 19 seconds apart, profiting from a double minor against Vaughn for Slashing. Both times Daniel provided the final pass. The young center scored his goal after Johnson missed the net and the stray puck ended on the Swiss' blade. Before that Johnson and him played thimble rig with the puck and the NY defence, passing the biscuit back and forth. Before the intermission, the Americans pulled one goal back to make the game 3-1. In the second period Kotkakoivu and Johnson with his third of the night extended Calgary's lead. New York managed to score a single goal in the third but the deficit proved to much to overcome for the Empire State franchise. Johnson (3g/1a), Janser (1g/2a) and Lamb (1g/0a) were named three stars of the game. Dahl (.946) was once more a safe harbour for his teammates and stood head and shoulders over Vaughn (.898). Calgary's power play was very efficient (2/4) and their penalty kill was spotless (2/2).
Daniel was recorded with 1g, 2a, +0, 2 hits, 4sb and 58.82% win rate at the hash marks.
 

1-7
The third and final Calgary match featured in this issue is a 7-1 steam roll win over the Vancouver Wolves. Johnson opened the score after 17 seconds played and scored a second time in power play after Vancouver tied the game. The Wranglers went into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead. In the second period, Kotkakoivu and Lazeski scored, while Johnson completed his hattrick. In the third period Lazeski and Kotkakoivu bagged one goal apiece for the final score of 7-1. Kotkakoivu (2g/3a), Lazeski (2g/2a) and Johnson (3g/0a) were awarded the three stars of the night. Dahl (.955) dominated his opposite number Fuhr (.873) at will. Calgary's power play was efficient (1/2) and the box play impeccable (1/1).
Daniel had 0g, 2a, +1, 2 PIM (Hooking, no effect on the score), 1 hit and 57.69% succes rate on the draw.
 
Both Jansers are at the moment on a playoff seed. Here are their individual records for the season so far:
Marcel: 48gp, 9g, 24a, 33pts, +16, 78 PIM, 71 hits, 54sb, 2gwg, 6ppg
Daniel: 50gp, 20g, 17a, 37pts, -17, 33 PIM, 104 hits, 89sb, 4gwg, 2ppg, 1shg, 54.41 FO%
 
Stay tuned for further updates on the brothers' careers.
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/120317-a-tale-of-two-brothers-trudging-on/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/120397-a-tale-of-two-brothers-the-saga-continues/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/120432-a-tale-of-two-brothers-the-emperors-new-clothes/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/120456-a-tale-of-two-brothers-onwards-always-onwards/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/120464-a-tale-of-two-brothers-make-and-mend/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/120852-a-tale-of-two-brothers-fast-forward/
GM 180: Oslo Storm vs. Vasteras Iron Eagles (vhlportal.com)
GM 184: Vasteras Iron Eagles vs. Cologne Express (vhlportal.com)
GM 186: Bratislava Watchmen vs. Vasteras Iron Eagles (vhlportal.com)
GM 192: Vasteras Iron Eagles vs. Oslo Storm (vhlportal.com)
GM 376: New York Americans vs. Calgary Wranglers (vhlportal.com)
GM 384: Calgary Wranglers vs. New York Americans (vhlportal.com)
GM 392: Vancouver Wolves vs. Calgary Wranglers (vhlportal.com)
 
 
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I wanted to start by saying “thank you” to everyone who contributed to the survey. As of right now we have 52 responses, some answering all of the questions, others not. I wanted to take some time to offer some of the bigger insights that I gained through this survey. Please note that when I offer my insight I am doing so based on what this data shows, so some assumptions will not consider the whole picture. My hope for this survey was that it would offer some clue as to how the community felt things were going, get a better understanding of how people got here, what’s kept them around, and why they’ve possibly considered leaving.
 
All of the responses will remain anonymous, and the only people who can see them are the recruitment team. Of course, if you are reading this and have not responded to the survey you are still more than welcome to do that here.
 
I read through every response and tried to categorize them as best as I could. I’ll elaborate and clarify any questions that you may have. After reading through this please consider sharing your thoughts, offering suggestions, and putting out ideas.
 
How did you find out about the VHL?
YouTube – 21
Reddit – 7
Affiliate League/Un-Affiliated League – 7
Friend/Personal Referral – 7
Search Engine – 4
Other (other website with a forum style) – 2
Don’t Remember – 1
Twitter – 1
 
It is immediately clear that YouTube is our best recruiting tool, there really isn’t much doubt about that. What was brought out in this survey, with people sharing which channels brought them in and through the area where we asked for input, is that YouTube channels that focus solely on EA NHL video games are simply not doing it. They’ve brought it a few people who have stuck around, including myself, but the best channel seems to have been RobTalksHockey. Your suggestions have stated that we look for channels that focus more on roleplay, the statistic side of hockey, and things like that. We are looking into this and would love some suggestions here!
 
The next biggest recruitment tool we have is Reddit and referrals from other leagues. Historically, we have not done well with Reddit due to mods not liking us. What we’ve encouraged users to do in the past has been against Reddit Terms of Service, and we frankly don’t have a good reputation in on Reddit. Ricer is currently trying to mend some fences, and we are going to work hard to make Reddit a viable recruiting area. As far as other sim leagues go, we’d encourage you to be a positive presence in those communities and point people back to the VHL when appropriate.
 
What was the main reason you joined?
Seemed Fun/Enjoyable/Interesting – 18
Enjoy Hockey – 11
Bored – 7
A Friend – 6
Being a part of a hockey community – 4
Uniqueness of league – 3
Player Management – 2
Lack of Hockey (COVID) – 3
Creativity – 2
People here are in another league – 2
Enjoy Hockey Stats – 1
Learning about a new sport – 1
Wanting to be a GM – 1
End of another league – 1
 
People who have joined this league, largely, have been curious about what we do. They have found it to be intriguing, and a possible way to have fun and curb some of the boredom in their lives. Many of them enjoy hockey and found themselves joining because they needed something to do or because a friend referred them. We see a few points here and there about personal aspirations. No matter what, this is incredibly subjective and doesn’t really aim us in any particular direction. While no one said that it was the advertising that made them join, the advertising does spark interest and curiosity. Also, what brings people in and what keeps them here will change over time. If we run ads during a pandemic where most people are home for long hours their reasoning for staying will look much different than those who join in the middle of the fall post-COVID restrictions.
 
Main reason you stayed?
Community/Other People – 31
Enjoy the league all together – 7
Watching my player do better/advance – 5
Stability/Routine of Earning – 4
Team/LR/Help from Others – 3
League Job – 4
Organization of League – 3
Other people I like are here – 3
Forum content – 2
Break from real life – 2
Daily sims – 2
I didn’t – 1
I’m obsessive – 1
Affiliate Earning – 1
 
This overwhelming response really didn’t surprise me too much. Many of the people that I talk to regularly here in this league have mentioned liking the community aspect of what we do. Understand, many of the responses simply said, “the community” here and there is a lot that goes into that word. It means people choose to spend their time here because they enjoy the people, they feel a sense of connection to others, this is a group of people they are willing to attach themselves to, despite how dysfunctional we may be. So, while many join the league because it looks like fun and they like hockey, they seem to stick around for a sense of community, of belonging. In a world where everyone is over connected with one another, we have some of the loneliest feeling people there ever have been. No wonder people long for a sense of belonging! I think it’s safe to say that the VHL of today, according to what we see here, is less about building an amazing player and winning cups (though that is a plus) and more about having a group of people that others want to be around.
 
Have you wanted to quit? If so, why?
No – 18
Yes – 16
Burnout (either league job related or TPE earning) - 9
Player Progression Daunting/Too Much Time to Max Earn – 8
Community Immaturity/Overreaction and correction/Drama – 7
Real Life Stuff – 6
Socio-Political Stances in League – 5
Loss of Interest/Motivation – 4
Dead Chat/LR/Absent Management – 3              
Poor Team Performance/Lack of Icetime - 3
Previous issues that have now been resolved – 2
TPE Carryover/Pension/Recreates Have Priority over New Players – 2
New Hybrid System – 1
TPE Ban – 1
 
I’m not going to lie, at first this shocked me a little bit. I thought for sure the number of people who had wanted to quit before would have been higher than those who did not. Anyways, the highest reason that people have thought about quitting is not surprising, burnout. Adding the responsibilities of league jobs on top of real-life priorities and constant critique and beratement from other members seems to be what causes people to want to step away. Essentially, “I don’t get paid enough for this crap” sort of stuff. Some who mentioned burnout were more focused on the actual process of earning TPE, which bleeds into the next highest reason. Many expressed that max earning takes too much time, and if you don’t max earn you don’t do nearly as well as players who do. I imagine this mindset will spark some interesting conversation.
The next largest reason people have wanted to leave, “Community Immaturity/Overreaction and correction/Drama” was also not very surprising. Essentially, there were two directions that these responses went, and I’m paraphrasing here when I say them. 1) Feelings of over moderation in the league, 2) There is too much drama. I won’t go much into this here because, frankly, it’s been hashed out enough in the past with previous articles. Check out @Gustav's.
 
Naturally people’s lives outside of the VHL pull them away. Personally, since joining the VHL, I’ve moved, started a new job, had a child, and am about to graduate from school. Real life really can pull you away from this. It makes sense that real life issues/things pull people from the league and make them want to step away.
“Socio-Political Stances in League” was a category that I used to try and reign in some pretty strong opinions. Essentially, and again paraphrasing, those whose answers contained things for this category expressed strong feelings of socio-political stances bearing too much weight in the league. There were concerns that some want to come here to escape the rest of the world, not have it follow them in here. Another response to this pointed to feelings of hypocrisy from leadership and moderation. On top of that a line that seemed to capture some of what some people said was, “the exclusive inclusivity of only one way of thinking that actually pushes people of different viewpoints away and makes sure that the league is only inclusive to people who go with the narrative.”
 
My Thoughts
Again, I’d like to thank everyone who responded to this survey. It really has been helpful. Also, please note that this is an incredibly small sample size of the VHL. The opinions of 50 people do NOT speak for everyone, and that must be understood. If you find that this data misrepresents how you feel, or you want to add to it, please go back and complete the survey.
 
Anyways, my biggest takeaways from all of this is that we need to continue advertising through YouTube, but switch up the channels we advertise with. On top of that, building good relationships with Reddit moderators will help us in the hopefully near future. These are two areas that we really should focus on. I’ve heard from a few others who have been in Recruitment that it can be taxing to keep posting things every day, or nearly every day, and have little return, so I’m not too worried about gaining a massive Twitter/Instagram following.
Next, no matter what we can’t deny that people like being a part of this community. It could be the connection, the establishment of friendships, or even just a community where you can feel able to “be yourself.” Whatever it is, this is important. This is a part of retention that falls on all of us. Some of the responses talked about the way people in leadership do or do not interact with people. When I first arrive in the VHL I loved when commissioners, managers, and even mods talked to me. I felt, as a new and small guy on the VHL food chain, that when they took time to see how I was doing or just engage in conversation that they were actually glad that I was here. Others expressed a similar feeling. This isn’t a call to arms saying that blues need to step it up, they have plenty to do as it is. However, sometimes being more intentional on who you check in with would be helpful, I imagine. With that, all of us, especially those of us who are in leadership positions, need to be more aware with how we interact with one another and members who aren’t in these positions. No matter who it is they watch what you do and say, and that helps them determine if they want to stick around for the long haul.
 
There have been whispers even outside of this survey that TPE earning can be too arduous for some. As someone who has max earned every week (except for maybe 2 or 3) I understand that this can be cumbersome. However, I don’t think there needs to be a major overhaul of our TPE earning ways. The concern that non-max earning players don’t get as much priority as max earners is, in my opinion, not a legitimate concern. Here’s why. Those who max earn, for the most part, are doing a substantial amount of work to do so. Their work is then compensated with points that allow their players to perform better in the simulation, at least in theory. I do think it’s fair that those who put in the time deserve more important roles on their respective teams. This isn’t to say I don’t value people who don’t max earn, but please do not be surprised that you aren’t always a 1st or even 2nd liner.
 
That about sums up some things that stuck out to me and stuck out in my head. Please remember that these are my thoughts and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of others on the recruitment team.
 
Again, I ask that you share any ideas that you have, ask for clarification, or talk about what you have read here!
---
@Ricer13 @Moon @Frank @rjfryman

As the title says, I need a PT this week - but my head is empty and I can't think of a topic to write 500 words on. Therefore, I have created this in the VHL.com section, so naturally I will end up well over the word count as @N0HBDY used to roast me for. Anyways let's get to it!
 
Obviously anyone who reads the forums would have noticed a couple points of drama this week, but the more relevant one to me was @jRuutu's article discussing the Helsinki Titans management group of @Rayzor_7 and @Mr_Hatter. I'm just tagging folks so I don't get yelled at down the line . Overall it was an interesting piece, very openly blunt about what Helsinki has experienced over the course of the season so far, albeit without much tact or decorum. I always enjoy Ruutu's pieces because of the sort of controversial factor, or the fact that he is the voice of some more extreme opinions that people think, but don't necessarily say because they don't fully agree. His pieces about the meta and Vancouver were good examples of those. Overall though, I would like to touch on points made in his piece because I want to.
 
One big reason I even was willing to trade myself to Helsinki was because of the masterclass performance of Rayz to rebuild the organization and stockpile a ridiculous amount of draft picks and prospects after the Jubo era. People complain about his activity on the forums or in the main server, but it's difficult to say that he hasn't excelled at the roster management component of being a GM. The moves made last offseason shot Helsinki into a contending position to surround Xavier Booberry with quality talent.
 
I think Hatter mentioned that he hadn't been looking at the results much, but he has never really been an AGM who is very involved in results or roster management - moreso an advisor and LR presence, especially in the M. Rayz however has at the least, commented on sims relatively frequently so this isn't really accurate at all.
 
Admittedly, this was something that frustrated me as well, because we had a lot of bots playing minutes. However, one big reason for this was because we didn't have a second center on the roster, or another player with FO, so Ori was getting double shifted across the PP/PK which obviously capped him out. We resolved it by agreeing to add FO to Nico, effectively making him 2C. Lines were changed after that. However we still had bots playing significant minutes on the PP due to double shifting across lines, and it did take some time to get that changed, I think until the 10th or 11th sim. Not ideal, but at least the changes happened with plenty of time left in the season. We had the most recent conversation on 4/30 about it and the change was made on 5/1, so it did happen relatively quickly, but after what felt like 3-4 sims without the changes being asked for.
 
Regarding backup games, we had a pretty open discussion in the LR whether playing the bot = guaranteed loss, and how to sort of coordinate that. We didn't really feel like there were any optimal backup goalie games outside like LA, but there was a bit of an agreement that we shouldn't have backup games against teams in our division. Unfortunately we seemed to have had one against Warsaw who was ahead of us in the standings that we lost, which seems to be what led to Ruutu's anger. I get it though, and Hatter acknowledged it, guess everyone will be aware of it in the future now. Sometimes those kinds of "boots in the ass" are necessary to really learn the lesson.
 
Obviously a big concern, especially since my desire is to play for a contending team. If we can't re-sign the big players or if we don't replace them if some walk into FA, then it's a tough position for me to be in. We'll just have to wait and see I suppose, but Rayz is aware of the need for urgency and I trust he'll do what needs to be done.
 
Lol, I don't give a flying fuck about press conferences. We have enough other secondary tasks to do, and you can write pressers yourself. Also the questions are not shit, just not to everyone's liking apparently. Do some other team's presser in this case, you think the media asks players what they want to be asked either? This is the one main portion that I laugh at and think it was wholly unnecessary to make a big deal about.
 
Honestly, I don't even know. GM's have only been replaced recently if they go IA, otherwise they just step down when they burn out. Sometimes they have already let the team go to ruins by that point, but I can't recall any VHL GM getting outright fired. Even egregious rules violations recently have just gotten a slap on the wrist, so we'll see.
 
I think there is competition but not a plethora of qualified candidates as there used to be before the E's implementation. We also risk losing qualified GM's in the E/M if everyone with a brain and enough free time to waste on Discord is in the VHL. Recruitment, do your thing.
 
Shit, that's pretty late man. We shall see!
 
Overall, I see the frustrations and understand some components of it. Other portions, I think are ridiculous to complain about, like the pressers. We're obviously not performing to expectations, and that comes across the board. Booberry has put up some horrendous performances, the skaters scored like 1 goal per game for like 6-7 games in a row. Like we're not happy about that, we want to be in a playoff spot and challenging the leaders of the EU. I'm not here to waste my time or effort, and neither should anyone else. I don't support removing Rayz from his role, as long as he continues to do his job to the team's collective appreciation. I don't foresee that changing unless there's gross mismanagement, which we will likely deal with internally first  
 
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So it is time for the fourth part of the deep dive into the past series on the fourth of May. Perfect. Time to engage in my second favorite hobby of bringing of bringing the past teams of the VHL and VHLM for your enjoyment and consideration. Two more US based VHLM team are ready to be studied so let's begin the analysis.
 
Something very similar to the Madrid Thunder happened to this unlucky franchise.  In between the season of the Minot Gladiators  you will find the Syracuse Wolfpack. This ill fated team existed for only four seasons in between long stints in Minot. Given how short the time in Syracuse was, I can only guess that the move was controversial similar to the Madrid Thunder.  I doubt this team will ever returned to the VHLM for one simple reason. The city of Buffalo is a bigger market and it is considerably close to Syracuse. I don't mean to knock Syracuse as a sports city, it is just that when you have  a choice between a potential market of 1.1 Million people or 662,057 people, which one do you think is going to win. Also the name might need to be changed as the Wolfpack name is currently being used by an actual AHL team. Overall, with a bigger market relatively close by and the potential name change needed I doubt that VHLM will ever return to Syracuse alought it is still a possibility though improbable.
 
Back we go to the beginning for this hockey club. The Fresno Bull would play in the first 8 season of VHLM play before becoming the first VHLM to relocate to Buffalo and eventually become the Saskatoon Wild. (I am going to have to talk about that Buffalo franchise next week, am I." It is an unexpected place to put hockey franchise in an upstart league, near the center of California, but I wasn't around to make such decisions. I would rate the chances of the Fresno Bulls being reborn for the modern VHLM as good. There would likely be competition for a new Californian VHLM in the form of Sacramento. They would probably have a slight advantage over Fresno in getting a team. It would likely be a toss up over who would actually get the franchise. If Fresno would return, a name change to distance themselves from the Fresno State Bulldogs would be nice. A rival for the Las Vegas Aces might be good for hockey in this untraditional region, which is why a new VHLM franchise in the Fresno-Sacramento area is likely to happen at some point in the future. 
 
This little adventure has ended. There are many more team from the past to analyze. It is so much fun to dig into the rich past of the VHL. Perhaps I will do  a poll to see which cities I have covered you would like to see hold hockey teams again. Maybe I will do that after this series is over. But for next week two more dead teams to science over. I will see you then. Thanks for reading  and #MaytheForthbewithyou.

User @ericeroth has received a 2 Week TPE ban (May 9 - May 22) for a violation of the VHL Code of Conduct (Section 1.2).
 
User was found to have created and used multiple accounts/players.  In addition to the TPE ban, all of the other accounts, @Aiden Ienco and @JJsAnd1s have been permanently banned.

User @Jack Johnson has received a 2 Week TPE Ban (May 9 - May 22) for a violation of the VHL Code of Conduct (Section 1.2).
 
User was found to have created and used multiple accounts/players. In addition to the TPE ban, all of the other accounts, @JOHN BANNY and @MrJoey2928have been permanently banned.

can i be added please?

https://ibb.co/gjC6yGL
i may or may not have forgotten how to graphic

Season 83 Week 2 Presser:
 
1. Season 83 is officially underway, and Toronto currently sits at 2nd in the North American Conference. How do you feel about the Legion's start so far?
 
2. Off-season acquisition Paul Atreides @Mr_Hatter has been leading the charge with 23 points in 15 games. Why is he so awesome right now?
 
3. What are your thoughts on the new hybrid era of the VHL so far?
 
4. Ryuji Sakamoto @der meister, Phoebe Bridgers @GrittyIsKing, and Alexandre Forgues @Alex99 are putting on quite a show in the VHLE and VHLM so far. What do you think about seeing the youngsters in the pipeline doing well?
 
5. What fictional universe would you want to live in?
 
6. What is your beverage of choice (not necessarily an adult beverage, but it could be)?

User @Da Trifecta has been indefinitely banned from discord for violations of the VHL Code of Conduct for the following:
 
1.4 Harassment
- Discrimination towards a member based on gender identity during a chat in discord and refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the offence
 
1.5 Drama, Fighting, and Trolling
- Personal attacks and trolling in DMs after being muted, including admittance to trolling and behaviour to a mod after the warning
 
The league has zero tolerance for transphobia whether the comments are intended to be a joke or not 
 
Thanks,
Mod Team
 

You're REALLY going to regret this take when you're 40.

ah yes, honey police.
winnie the pooh is jailed for life

holyyy my tastes have changed in just about everything on YEAH

Game 5 of the wildcard round must mean it's time for the seasonal Elmebeck nominations. @Members
 
Every member can nominate one other member who they feel demonstrated great work ethic, passion for the VHL, and/or made some notable contribution which in your eyes made them stand out in S82. There are no restrictions on who you nominate, but we will not necessarily vote for someone in a position of power. This should whittle it down to a few candidates which the BOG will vote on prior to the off-season awards ceremony.
 
To nominate a fellow member, simply fill out the short form linked here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHpp2_z2WyykcQio3JrZ6aD1YHX5PbOP-4IUoA91zw6Ab49w/viewform?usp=sf_link
 

@qripll

1. VHL blocked on school computer
2. gets 50% payout
3. gets last place with 1 TPE
4. still gets 1 TPE