ahockeyguy

SO cool, I didn't know Oh Sens was from Latvia either! Are you a big Zemgus Gurginsons fan??

Note: The following was authored by Wolf Stansson. This is his perspective of his teammate, Oh Sens.
 
               I love having @osens [Oh Sens] as my teammate. The man is a workhorse, and doesn’t take any crap from anyone! That’s the kind of fire you need to succeed, in my opinion. Recently, I got a chance to learn more about my teammate—not simply as a hockey player, but as a person. And that is a truly valuable experience. The following is an interview with light editing and commentary.
 
WS: Oh Sens, I love having you as a teammate. You play hard, you have personality, and heart. Tell me, what is it like to play for the expansion Miami Marauders?
OS: Hello, thanks for asking me for an interview, it has been a pleasure to be a part of this historic run with Miami Marauders.
It has been really fun to play for the Miami Marauders. This team is awesome and my teammates are very friendly. I have gotten in some trouble with Miami journalists, but [the] team knows these allegations are fake and I am clean as a blank paper sheet. Team board is really good, they fight for their players and it gives me confidence, that I won't be left on the edge of the cliff stranded without any help.
WS note: It has been an especially awesome pleasure to watch Oh Sens deal with this drama. Contrary to being a locker-room distraction, Sens’ response has been one of galvanization. Say what you will about the Marauders, they band together when the going gets tough.
 
WS: Would it have been better to play for someone else your first season?
WS note: I asked this question because, up until recently,  there has been a lot of losing. We’re all competitors here; no one likes to lose. So it’s a natural enough question: would you like to have been on another team, perhaps one that wins at a bit higher clip than we do?
OS: I wouldn't have grown so much on other teams, because here we have [a] really great GM and AGM. Both of them are really friendly and they will help with everything. I have a feeling I would just feel invisible in other teams. In Miami our board always checks on every player and how they are feeling. A lot of people always are saying that Miami is one of the best places to be in VHLM so I am really happy to be here and I am excited what the future holds for us!
WS note: By this question and response, there was no indication that we were slamming other players, GMs/AGMs, or other teams. We were just in agreement that Miami has been a fun place to be and a great learning experience, if I may extrapolate from what Oh Sens and I conversed about.  
 
WS: What kinds of things do you like? Give us some insight into that personality!
OS: I like a lot of things about sports. I love that everything is unpredictable and exciting. Also I am pretty big gaming fun. Duh, who isn't. Gaming is my place to take a pause from everyday [life].
 
WS: Where do you call home now [in real life]?
OS: I live in Latvia right now.
 
WS: What was your first experience watching hockey, and do you play at all?
OS: I don't remember my first time watching hockey, because I was really young then. But my parents said I knew all of my local team player names so I was really into it.
I don't personally play hockey, closest thing to hockey I have played is floorball, where I was a goalie but that was also on amateur level so nothing serious. Just playing in local gym with some lads.
 
WS note: One thing I absolutely love about theme week is it forced me to learn some basic facts about people—facts that, if I knew them in real life, would be readily apparent, but here, I could theoretically go years and years without ever knowing about Oh Sens. I have never known anyone who lived in Latvia, and so this basic, fundamental question gives me avenues for new questions, and new opportunities to know people outside of my normal circle. I love it!
WS: If you could describe your real-life personality in seven words or less, what would you say?
OS: Pretty ambitious young man who is scared of bullies.
WS note: I know this wasn’t seven words or less, but the fact is it was both insightful and concise—in other words, it met the spirit of the law, if not the letter.
 
WS: Last question: do you think Miami will hold on to that playoff spot?
OS: I would love for Miami to hold that spot in playoffs and I think we have a lot of potential to do it, but this season is not the most important one. This season we are young and up and coming team, we are hungry challengers, but next season we will be ready for something bigger, hopefully winning it all so we can be a part of VHLM history.
 
               So here we have a player who contributes on the ice, who fights for himself and his teammates off of it, and someone who is vulnerable when he needs to be. He wants to do well, to prove to himself and others that he belongs—and yet we see that softer side as well. Time will tell whether he proves himself to the main people who matter—Oh Sens and his loved ones!

Thanks for all the love everyone!
 
 
That's great feedback Wolf, thanks! I think you're right, I certainly could've given each player space to make their case to a VHL GM about why to draft them. Maybe we'll coordinate some along those lines as the draft approaches... ??

I wanna play for London!

Man, that is impressive you have been here and involved that long! I enjoyed seeing this from your perspective, as I am new and don't really know the history of the VHL, or even necessarily how everything works. I love the portal and am in agreement with you. Just a couple of opinion-based things you might consider: it might have been better to organize the material chronologically, so we could more easily see that you started the league early, it nearly failed, and came back, and then your reflection paragraph(s) coming in. Second, it would have been cool to see where you would like the league to go from here, though I would understand if you said that was beyond the scope of the article. Great job! Score: 8/10

I wanna play for London!

I wanna play for London!

Loooooooooooove the London logo. Congrats all new GMs!

It's SHOWTIME !! Season 72 is well underway and it's time to start looking at the biggest early standout players who are eligible for the S73 VHL Draft. This list is stockpiled with some VERY strong talent all the way from 24-1.
 
Analysts at first believed this might be a weaker draft class than S72 however the players are proving that very wrong with over a dozen draft-eligible players averaging over a point a game and some in the top 10 for scoring. This draft will be one for the history books that’s for sure. As we all know though there are lots of hidden gems still hiding in the rough that are just about to shine as well. 
 
 
Now let's get business; Here are the following Top 24 Early Standouts of the S73 VHLM season (This includes only players from when the data had last been updated, which was the week of 5/31. *) The Following rankings are from our amazing VSN Director of Scouting @Patrik Tallinder and myself @Spence King.
 LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE
24. Florent Vericel; User: @dart (Left Wing) | 5' 11" | 183 lb. | Age: 17 |  | 
Vericel is part of the very deep and strong S73 VHL prospect pool in Miami. This sophomore class is loaded and lots of players are also on this list. Florent has made a recent jump in activity after being very quiet after being drafted to the M, however, he has shown effort putting up back to back 16 TPE weeks. 
 
23. Jeremy Lin; User: @jman9theman9 (Right Wing) | 6' 2" | 200 lb. | Age: 18 | |
Jeremy has not had the start we're all sure he expected however it seems that recently Lin has a major increase in confidence on the ice and is really starting to come into his own. Recently Traded To Mexico, and Shortly after named to Team Asia, a very consistent player the numbers are going to come
 
22. Oh Sens; User @osens (Right Wing) | 5' 10" | 211 lb. | Age: 17 |  | 
The second player on this list that is flooded with prospects from Miami's S72 VHLM draft class. Oh Sens was recently named to Team Asia for the upcoming WJC. Oh sens has made a major increase in production recently with much more activity garnering himself some invaluable TPE proving and proving his growth and effort on the ice as well.

 
21. Rick Osman; User: @dylanjj37 (Defenceman) | 6' 8" | 250 lb. | Age: 18 |  | 
After winning the VHLM’s award for a top defenceman with Alex Armstrong, dylanjj37 has moved on to his second player, Rick Osman. Also a defenceman, Osman is a very peculiar prospect. He has earned 6-8 TPE in every full week so far but has not made use of much of it. With 98 TPE and only 55 TPA, he definitely isn’t playing to his full potential right now. The Halifax defender isn’t a perfect prospect, but a really intriguing one nonetheless, especially if he can sort out his build.
 
20. Bobbie Cheechoo; User: @Sharkie (Right Wing) | 6' 1" | 215 lb. | Age: 18 | |
American winger Bobbie Cheechoo is an offensive powerhouse, with outstanding speed and scoring instincts. He had a very active first three weeks, putting up a total of 42 TPE, but has since seen a drop in activity over the past week. Cheechoo could be a quality prospect with just a little more consistency, and working on his defensive game a bit.
 
19. Ajay Krishna; User: @Hooperorama (Goalie) | 6' 8" | 220 lb. | Age: 16 | |
With the number of high-profile goalie prospects this season, it has become easy for a first-generation goalie such as Ajay Krishna to fall off the radar a little. However, Krishna has been developing steadily and swiftly, earning every possible capped TPE so far in his young career. A tad more engagement in uncapped opportunities could go a long way for the massive goaltender but isn’t necessarily essential to his success. What he’s doing to earn TPE can be replicated each and every week, which is an encouraging sign.
 
18. Han Jae Kuk; User: @Dtayl (Defenceman) | 6' 0" | 175 lb. | Age: 18 | |
Following a trade to the Marlins, Han Jae Kuk has seen his on-ice production go up with increased ice-time. The South Korean prospect is a much more defensive-minded defender but has proven his ability to make solid offensive contributions as well. After a hot start earning 26 TPE in his first week, he has since found a groove of claiming welfare and practice facility each week, most commonly resulting in a total of 8 TPE due to his activity in the SBA. He could become a nice piece for a VHL team down the line if he keeps up his current pace.
 
17.Groovy Dood; User: @bigAL (Left Wing) | 6' 1" | 190 lb. | Age: 25 | |
After bigAL was named Miami’s first-ever assistant general manager, Groovy Dood has rapidly progressed into one of this draft’s top prospects. Between his AGM position and being one of S72’s WJC GMs, he has wasted no time in making a name for himself. Dood is a playmaking left-winger with experience at the center as well. In terms of earning TPE, he has been growing a lot. Lately, he has been capping out pretty often and making the most of the league’s uncapped opportunities too. There is honestly a ton of potential with this player, and only time will tell if he reaches it to the fullest.
 
16. Cal Conway; User: @Shaka (Goalie) | 5' 10" | 180 lb. | Age: 20 |   |
5’10” goaltender Cal Conway has found himself as the backup for the incredibly successful Saskatoon Wild, behind fellow S73 prospect Grekkark Gyrfalcon. He has excelled in that role, putting up the league’s best save percentage among goalies with more than 10 games played. His weekly TPE output has varied quite a bit from week to week but has never fallen below 6 in any given week to date. Like bigAL, he is also one of this season’s WJC GMs. His status as a backup may make Conway easy to overlook, but don’t make that mistake; he is definitely someone to keep an eye on ahead of the draft.
 
15. Mikeal Keef; User: @RStar (Defenceman) | 6' 4" | 205 lb. | Age: 19 |  |
Mikeal Keef of the Minnesota Storm is a fantastic puck-moving defenceman with a skill set that allows him to thrive in any situation on the ice. His stats are consistently nice across the board, displaying no flaws in his game. His TPE production has relied somewhat heavily on uncapped opportunities, which could become a bit of an issue if those dry up. However, that hasn’t happened yet, and as long as he stays active, he will surely find ways to earn those precious training points. I like his potential and think he could be quite the prospect with steady improvement.
 
14. The Terrible Trivium; User: @der meister (Right Wing) | 6' 1" | 197 lb. | Age: 23 | |
Our second straight member of the Storm, The Terrible Trivium is an exceptional possession winger with some quick hands and feet that allow him to keep the play moving forward. He has also shown an offensive flair in his game, with almost a point-per-game average to show for it. Having had a very successful career with Casey Jones, der meister has proven himself to be a strong candidate to make a star forward this time around.
 
13. Jean Pierre Camus; User: @solas (Goalie) | 6' 8" | 250 lb. | Age: 19 | |
Teenage netminder Jean Pierre Camus has had quite the season so far, playing at an elite level for the ninth place Rush. Camus is second to only Woody McPine in save percentage among starters and has done that on a much weaker team. He has been capping out recently, as well as engaging in uncapped opportunities as well. This is a goalie with tremendous upside, and he could end up being a huge steal if the amount of great goalies in this draft causes him to fall at all.
 
12. Kosmo Kramerev; User: @Mongoose87 (Defenceman) | 6' 2" | 165 lb. | Age: 39 | |
Kosmo Kramerev is a Ukrainian defenceman who is fantastic with the puck on his stick. He has an arsenal of weapons in the offensive zone, all stemming from his hard shot and smooth skating. The potential to be an all-situations defender at the VHL level is there, and all it will take is time and consistency. Kramerev earns 10 capped TPE most weeks, along with whatever uncapped TPE is available too. The 39-year-old is already making noise in the VHLM with his 19 goals and 61 points in 42 games, and this is just the beginning of what’s to come.
 
11. Dan Baillie Jr; User: @wcats (Right Wing) | 6' 4" | 225 lb. | Age: 19 | |
S70 Continental Cup champion Dan Baillie had his career come to an end in S71, but now wcats looks to capture that same success and more with Dan Baillie Jr. The new Baillie has jumped to the right-wing, opposite of the man before him. He is about as consistent as they come in earning TPE, always claiming welfare, and often attending press conferences and trivia. Baillie Jr likely won’t be your team’s superstar but is nearly guaranteed to be a really solid part of your forward core.
 
10. Andre Lebastard; User: @Andre LeBastard (Center) | 6' 3" | 202 lb. | Age: 18 | |
The captain of the VHLM’s newest expansion franchise, Andre Lebastard is a playmaking centre who possesses a remarkable vision and a quick stride. He is inches away from a point-per-game average and will reach it by season’s end in all likelihood. Lebastard is on a good path right now, regularly earning 12+ TPE per week, with one recent exception. If he’s still in Miami next season, it will be fun to see him lead a group which contains many names in this list, en route to what they hope will be a deep playoff run.
 
9. Wolf Stansson; User: @ahockeyguy (Defenceman) | 6' 2" | 184 lb. | Age: 17 | |
Coming over from Great Britain the feisty defender Wolf Stansson was selected by the expansion Miami Marauders. Miami is currently is a major rebuild phase but it looks to be working having a strong sophomore group locked up for the S74 season leading the way along with team captain Lebastart, Stansson proves every night he's here to play and you can't watch the game without noticing and saying “who is that“. His activity has been consistent and shows the potential of being a star at the next level maintaining this rate of activity in the community. VHL scouts describe Stansson’s play as a style that all coaches love, his name is the best way to describe it. He truly is a Wolf, you never see him take a shift off and he's the player you love to play with and hate to play against.
 
8. Jeffrey Pines; User: @rory (Left Wing) | 5' 10" | 158 lb. | Age: 18 | |
Finally, we have our next forward on the list, even though it's at eight don't be fooled this draft class has some serious future hall of famers and Pines without a doubt has the potential to be one of those men. If it were not for the once in a generation player like Frostbeard, Pines would be the without a doubt first forward pick and is truly a legitimate contender to be selected #1 overall on draft day. Assistant VHLM GM. Extremely active along with some great graphic skills, Jeffrey Pines has proven early he knows how to score and continues to prove he knows how to put the puck in the net and where to be and when, his hockey IQ is off the charts, Pines has the skill, the IQ and the effort. The sky's the limit and Pines has a very bright future ahead
 
7. Viktor Mjers; User: @InstantRockstar (Defenceman) | 6' 1" | 188 lb. | Age: 17 | |
The Second VHLM GM in this draft and the 3rd of the trio of Superstar Defensemen available in this draft Viktor is continuously showing major improvements in his game from week to week. In a league with very little Russian presents and a very foreign country, Mjers stepped into the league looking like an 8-year vet. Viktor has the potential to be the best offensive defenceman of this draft class, he has shown signs of extreme finesse and poise, very reliable and high energy free-wheeling type of play. His poise and calmness with the puck are amazing. Truly the definition of a 2 way D and a great leader. 
 
6. Grekkark Gyrfalcon; User: @Sharkstrong (Goalie) | 6' 8" | 230 lb. | Age: 27 | |
Whichever team drafts this superstar goaltender won't have any worries about activity as he is strongly affiliated with VHLs Partner the EFL Grekkark  can claim 12 TPE welfare for his position in the EFL, That guarantees he caps out every week.
 
5. Shawn Glade III; User: @ShawnGlade (Defenceman) | 5' 11" | 175 lb. | Age: 18 | |
After a very strong start to the season playing almost impeccable hockey and shining. Recently selected as a rookie to S73 Team Canada WJC where he is proving he fits right in.  Relative to the legendary Shawn Glade could potentially dethrone Micah as the top d in the S73 class as Shawn has the highest ceiling of any play in this draft, currently in the top 10 in D scoring in the VHLM (Glade is proving the apple doesn't fall far from the tree)
 
4. Jacob Tonn; User: @MexicanCow123 (Goalie) | 5' 5" | 140 lb. | Age: 22 | |
 Jacob Tonn was by far the biggest name and most highly touted goalie going into the S72 VHLM draft, but to everyone's surprise, no one was taking goalies and Tonn slipped to Mississauga at 18th OVR !!) -Maybe it was his size that turned teams off? However, they made a mistake letting him slip that far Tonn is and has always remained extremely active in the community (Working as VHLM GM) Tonn Has the Potential to be a Superstar Starting Goalie in the VHL one day 
 
3. Micah Adrienne; User: @Poptart (Defenceman) | 6' 6" | 250 lb. | Age: 16 | |
“Micah is one of the league best defencemen already at age 16, he came onto the scene late last season with The Reapers and was one of the best defencemen on the team immediately. Adrienne will without a doubt be a top 5 pick come a draft day”
 
2. Tyler Walker; User: @Advantage (Defenceman) | 6' 2" | 197 lb. | Age: 18 | |
“The legitimate #1 (consider "@Frostbeard is protected) Player who is most likely to have his name called first on draft day, Nothing short of a generational talent and future franchise defenceman. Walker possesses all the skills needed to be a star defenceman in the VHL and he has shown in his very short time in the VHLM, he's not here for long. Tyler has proven to be one of the best prospects out of the VHLM and will be playing in the VHL before you can blink”
 
1.Marshall James Frostbeard; User @FrostBeard (Left Wing)  | 6' 5" | 240 lb. | Age: 24 | | Marshall James Frostbeard aka MJF, the first thing that comes to mind when you see him play is “WOW” This young man is on pace and on the path to being one of the VHLs all-time greats. @Frostbeard has the protection rights to his own player in the VHL draft meaning MJF will more than likely NOT even be the first overall pick. Marshall has basically entered the league as a top 5 player in the league (Arguably the best in the whole league) and the VHL and VHL scouts have very good reasons why the report is long here are some key points highlighted;  A born goalscorer, always finds the back of the net, his leg strength and stamina allow him to be first on the puck and many times be the first guy back, but can also use his deceptive speed to split the defence carrying the puck
 
Here we are and with that comes the conclusion of our Top 24 Early Standouts. Be on the lookout for our next piece coming out in the near future focusing on the waiver players that have surpassed some of our early standouts as well as checking in with some players from this list and tracking their development.
Hey! We've got A LOT of content being put out almost daily! Don't forget to tune into some of our other amazing material such as - Weekly VHL and VHLM articles. A new feature
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The VHLM’s Newest Community:
The Miami Marauders

By: bigAL, MIA AGM


 
Ahead of S72, the VHLM expanded to include a new franchise. The Miami Marauders joined at the same time as an influx of new members, and the new team offered first-time GM Krice a unique opportunity.

“The sim hockey is fun and all, but what keeps me [in the VHL] is the fun of being in a really active team locker room,” says Krice when asked what keeps him here in the league.

“And so,” he explained, “in my first GM assignment, I wanted to build a strong locker room.”

Krice and bigAL both believe that teams in the VHLM serve an important purpose on the overall league structure. These teams are our new members’ first contact with the league, and so it is vitally important that this first contact happens in a way that encourages members to return. With friendly people, friendly policies, and a few ringers brought in from other teams, Miami sought to be the most successful locker room in S72.

Expansion teams are designed to be unsuccessful on the ice in their first season. Without a dispersal draft, the Marauders were without a drafted player prior to the S72 draft. Without the year-over-year depth production ready yet, Krice sold off his high draft picks and built with an eye for the future.

Without a chance to compete this season, Krice approached the draft with a focus on acquiring players who are strong community members. The Miami draft board was not ranked by TPE, or by how many times a player had been recreated. Instead, the GM and AGM ranked their preferred players by forum activity and general enthusiasm for the VHL.

A lot of these players are eligible for the VHL draft this upcoming season. You don’t often get to see their LR contributions, so allow me to provide the league with a scouting update. I’m going to revisit the inaugural Miami Marauders draft class, highlighting their on and off ice skills, and assess their potential as VHLers.  

Draft Position

Player Name + TPE

VHL name

S72 stats

VHL commitment

23 – C

Andre LeBastard (169)

Andre Lebastard

13-26—39 (42 GP)

S73 Draft eligible

26 – D

Kosmo Kramerev (173)

Mongoose87

19-42—61

S73 Draft eligible

29 – D

Wolf Stansson (143)

ahockeyguy

18-27—45

S73 Draft eligible

37 – RW

Bobbie Cheechoo (94)

Sharkie

13-13—26

S73 Draft eligible

42 – G

Bacon (133)

Bacon

13 W, 0.869, 3.96 GAA, 1 SO

NY Americans (S72)

49 – C

Dakota Lamb (134)

dlamb

22-30—52

S73 Draft eligible

52 – RW

Oh Sens (122)

osens

11-18—29

S73 Draft Eligible


 

 
23 – C

Andre LeBastard (C)

Andre Lebastard

13-26—39 (42 GP)

S73 Draft eligible


 
Andre is the heart and soul of our team. He was voted by his peers to be the first captain of the Miami Marauders, and he has surpassed all expectations. Andre makes a concerted effort to engage with each and every member of our team on Discord. He’s active in a variety of timeslots, because of his upside down Australian time. Andre can help you and your team start your day off with a smile, or go to bed on a high note with a goofy joke. He almost always reaches his weekly TPE cap, and will continue to be more a successful journalist as his Shite Sports Network brand takes off. Andre will bring his fiery passion for winning and his unparalleled sense of humour to any VHL locker room.

 
26 – D

Kosmo Kramerev

Mongoose87

19-42—61

S73 Draft eligible


 
You might know Mongoose as the guy who makes the excellent Seinfeld graphics. His player, Kosmo Kramerev, makes it even clearer that he’s a huge Seinfeld fan. Mongoose is a huge add to any locker room, even if you don’t know Seinfeld. He’s always around the discord and on top of league affairs. Mongoose is a calm, cool, and collected guy who doesn’t get sucked into the internet controversy of the day, and does his best to put the team first. On the ice, Kramerev has been tearing it up. He’s 7th in defence scoring, putting up a ridiculous 61 points on a team that might not get 61 points all season. Miami drafted Kramerev with a high pick, and a VHL team should too.

 
29 – D

Wolf Stansson

ahockeyguy

18-27—45

S73 Draft eligible


 
Wolf Stansson is another player the experts might have called a ‘reach’ at the draft, but the Marauders are very happy with Stansson through the first half of the season. In the locker room, Wolf is our local intellectual. Wolf is deep and thoughtful in the conversations he starts, whether they are big thinkers like “what IS a chair?” or when he’s coordinating interviews with his fellow players. Stansson is a caring, compassionate, and team-focused member of our new community. On the ice, Wolf has been attached to Kramerev’s hip all season. While Wolf hasn’t reached the offensive ceiling Kramerev has, Stansson is still producing at more than a point a game. In the S72 draft, Miami got Stansson at #29; in the S73 VHL draft, Wolf shouldn’t be on the board by the time pick #29 comes around.

 
37 – RW

Bobbie Cheechoo

Sharkie

13-13—26

S73 Draft eligible


 
Bobbie Cheechoo started the year off quite strong. He was the first big ‘graphics guy’ Miami drafted in S72. As a California dude, Sharkie is active in those prime PST time zones. In recent weeks, Cheechoo has scaled back his commitment to the VHL and has been less responsive in the locker room. Sharkie is still active on the forums: in each of the last two weeks, Sharkie has earned 14 or 15 TPE. Cheechoo is definitely a player worth taking a late-round flyer on in the S73 draft.

 
42 – G

Bacon

Bacon

13 W, 0.869, 3.96 GAA, 1 SO

NY Americans (S72)


 
Bacon bacon bacon. This greasy goaler is a really fun person to have around in the locker room. He’s keeping the team in games on the ice, and is an active and engaged member of the community. Bacon loves to get in on the jokes and goofy bits, but also is able to take a stand when the team is slighted. His passion for the league and connection with his team will be a big asset for the Americans in S74. On the ice, Bacon’s strong play earned him a spot on Team Asia’s WJC team. Fatigue has not been a problem in the season so far, but Bacon has started every single one of the Marauders’ S72 games.

 
49 – C

Dakota Lamb

dlamb

22-30—52

S73 Draft eligible

52 – RW

Oh Sens

osens

11-18—29

S73 Draft Eligible


 
Much like Brennan and Dale, dlamb and osens are a package deal. Miami was very excited to pick up both boys in close proximity in the fourth round. Knowing Dakota and OhSens like we do now, it was an absolute steal getting these two as late as we did. Both dlamb and osens are a lot of fun to have in a LR: osens is legendary for his high-effort/low-quality graphics and his borderline terrifying off-ice hijinks; dlamb runs the night shift in the LR and keeps everyone highly entertained until 5am EST. Dlamb has to be commended for his leadership skills in LR management, conflict resolution, and sim hockey intellect – he is applying for a variety of league management and staff jobs, and will likely be a leader in the VHL for many seasons to come. Both these two players are worth an early pick for any VHL franchise looking for a scoring centre, a physical winger, or two fun-loving goofballs in the LR.

 ***
The seven players listed above represent all Miami draft picks from the first to fourth rounds. The Marauders have hit on 95% of their high picks from the S72 draft. No players drafted in the fifth round or beyond became active enough to warrant interest for the S73 VHL draft.

Since the S72 draft, the Marauders have signed two players from waivers:

Rocket (90 TPE LW): 8-7—15, S73 VHL(M) Draft Eligible

Florent Vericel (119 TPE LW): 8-12—20, S73 VHL(M) Draft Eligible

Both Rocket and Vericel had friends on Miami already, and have integrated into the team locker room perfectly, and both would be positive additions to any VHL or VHLM franchise.

***
Miami built its draft board based on community participation, enthusiasm for the league, and overall dedication to the cause. Other managers might be looking at TPE, or goals/assists, but I want the VHL scouts to know that each and everyone one of these characters is a good person, a great teammate, and an excellent addition to your big-league team.

If you have any further questions about any of our players, feel free to join our discord locker room or message the management team.

Happy theme week!

✌️ & ❤️ Marauders


 
-bigAL, AGM


 
Word count: 1500

 

PP, PK, defending, scoring, and SO MUCH SHOOTING! Those Marauders sure are asking a lot from you... but you're surpassing all expectations at this point in the season. Keep it up Wolfman!

Wolf Stansson is one among a whole crop of brand-new players for the expansion Miami Marauders. They’re having a difficult time as of late, having just ended an 11-game losing streak to bring their record to 5-19-0 after 24 games. They run a decent power play, of which Stansson is a significant part, to the tune of 19.44%. Their penalty kill (which, in fairness, Stansson also takes a large role in) is atrocious, at just 68.27%.
 
               Fellow blue-liner @Mongoose87 Kramerev leads the team in points with 34. Stansson is tied with team captain @Andre LeBastard for fourth with 23 points. While Stansson’s friendships on the team will be explored down the line, for now it’s just the cold, hard stats. First, the good: he has scored nine goals on just 72 shots, an unusually high shooting percentage for a defenseman. But then there’s the bad: he’s scored just three goals on 25 shots during even-strength time.
 
               What does this mean? It means he is fairly productive on the power-play unit. He has played 112 minutes this season on the power-play, registering six goals on 47 shots and five of his 14 assists. That’s roughly 25 shots every 60 minutes, and roughly 3.2 goals every 60 minutes. It also means that Stansson is either scoring or assisting on a power-play goal roughly for every 10 minutes of man-advantage time. Stansson’s shooting from the point is becoming fairly reliable and valuable.
 
               The good: Stansson has 72 shots on goal. You can’t score if you’re not shooting (typically). The bad: between having shots blocked or missing entirely, Stansson has more (74) shots blocked or go wide than he does registering on net. This equates to a lot of missed opportunities.
 
               Or does it? It’s not immediately clear. Here’s why: suppose Stansson trails Lebastard entering the offensive zone, and the latter drops the puck back to Stansson. Lebastard, being the center, is going to position himself somewhere in front of that net, either to screen the goaltender, collect a rebound, tip a deflection into the net, or some combination. Stansson’s attempt to pass it to Lebastard down low will nearly always fail, since an opponent can simply get enough sticks and bodies in the way to make this impossible. But if Stansson lowers the boom on the puck and shoots it low and hard, it has a chance to find the back of the net. If it doesn’t, it may generate a rebound that the goalie has a hard time seeing, or Lebastard might redirect it past him. Or it may even miss the net entirely but hold a favorable bounce; perhaps Stansson himself might collect the loose puck and find an open player, or Lebastard grabs the carom off the boards and snap-shots one with deadly accuracy.
 
               There are, unquestionably, things in Stansson’s game he must work on to be an effective player at this level (and much moreso in the next one!). But there are also reasons Stansson and company do what they do—reasons that, once explained, don’t look nearly as bad or crazy as they did at first glance.

I loved this! As someone who has his player in the VHLM right now, it made me excited to see the VHL draft and where these guys go. I loved the consistent and symmetrical structure that you had (e.g., weakness, strengths, etc.). I wonder if hits make as big of a difference in the game as may often be said. After all, the more hits you have, the less you have the puck. Though, on the flip side, if you separate the man from the puck, that's a good thing. So it likely depends on whether you are then recovering the loose puck, or if your guy doing the hitting is also the one doing the losing of the puck in the first place. Hard things to dissect. Great thoughts! Score: 9.5/10

World Junior's Berth for LeBastard Not All That
 
Miami Mauraders captain Andre LeBastard has been selected for the World Junior Hockey Championships set to commence shortly. Although, confusingly the player will not represent the nation of his birth: Canada, but instead will suit up for...well we think it is the world team but we are not quite sure. It would appear that every nation involved in the competition seems to share the one locker room, which, it has been reported, is making things very confusing. 
 
Not only is it quite tight trying to get dressed for practice, but there are also unsubstantiated complaints that there was a mix of heady aromas wafting through the locker room from the four Jamaican player's corner, as the shout of 'Cool Runnings!' rang out every few minutes.  Reports indicate that the players in question were removed from the locker room when they tried to push a bobsled out on to the ice and officials realised they were not, in fact, hockey players at all.  
 
With the catering service contract going to the lowest bidder, many of the players have grown tired of borscht and have started bringing in box lunches from home packed by the WAGs. This has proved embarrassing on occasion when two (or more), players have discovered they have the exact same packed lunch boxes. Some players, being millennials, have been triggered by the close proximity of so many people and have been seen wandering the room with glazed eyes mumbling something about kale, avocado and safe places.
 
The language issue too, with some 50 different types being spoken across some of the teams involved, has also added to the general confusion.  Several fights have broken out, with many players unsure of just who to punch in the face. Many players raided the local candy store close by the rink for Upper Deck hockey cards, in order to identify player nationalities and thus determine who may be a teammate and who is not one. The situation has, however, made for some hilarious chirping between players apparently, as the rink PA announcer, confusing the number of players on the ice simultaneously with a public skating session, continually stops the music and many of the players turn and start skating in the opposite direction. 
 
Andre Lebastard has told our Shite Sports reporter that he has no idea who his team manager is, who the coach is and indeed, who any of his teammates are at the time of writing. 'All I know is I been here since Monday and I'm still in line for the toilets.' One wag in the locker room was quoted as saying, 'It's like the UN in the room, unfortunately without the hot Swedish chicks doing the translating.' Another unnamed player stated, 'I have never seen anything like it and I have been in the Marauders AND the Hounds locker rooms!'
 
One thing is for sure, with puck drop for the tournament scheduled for some time on Monday, there will have to be some order from the chaos sooner rather than later. 

I assume this is indeed an article about roosters! Otherwise it's a bit risque haha. It was funny, and provided an insight into the farm-escapades of your player. It would be interesting to see more! That was not some kind of double entendre. It would have been kind of cool if reference to his hockey playing career could have been made. Like linking the cheating here to a specific season of higher penalty minutes or something. Still, it was well-written, albeit odd. At least this wasn't a cockfighting contest, as cruelty to animals isn't cool. Good work overall! Score: 7/10

Wolf Stansson is one among a whole crop of brand-new players for the expansion Miami Marauders. They’re having a difficult time as of late, having just ended an 11-game losing streak to bring their record to 5-19-0 after 24 games. They run a decent power play, of which Stansson is a significant part, to the tune of 19.44%. Their penalty kill (which, in fairness, Stansson also takes a large role in) is atrocious, at just 68.27%.
 
               Fellow blue-liner @Mongoose87 Kramerev leads the team in points with 34. Stansson is tied with team captain @Andre LeBastard for fourth with 23 points. While Stansson’s friendships on the team will be explored down the line, for now it’s just the cold, hard stats. First, the good: he has scored nine goals on just 72 shots, an unusually high shooting percentage for a defenseman. But then there’s the bad: he’s scored just three goals on 25 shots during even-strength time.
 
               What does this mean? It means he is fairly productive on the power-play unit. He has played 112 minutes this season on the power-play, registering six goals on 47 shots and five of his 14 assists. That’s roughly 25 shots every 60 minutes, and roughly 3.2 goals every 60 minutes. It also means that Stansson is either scoring or assisting on a power-play goal roughly for every 10 minutes of man-advantage time. Stansson’s shooting from the point is becoming fairly reliable and valuable.
 
               The good: Stansson has 72 shots on goal. You can’t score if you’re not shooting (typically). The bad: between having shots blocked or missing entirely, Stansson has more (74) shots blocked or go wide than he does registering on net. This equates to a lot of missed opportunities.
 
               Or does it? It’s not immediately clear. Here’s why: suppose Stansson trails Lebastard entering the offensive zone, and the latter drops the puck back to Stansson. Lebastard, being the center, is going to position himself somewhere in front of that net, either to screen the goaltender, collect a rebound, tip a deflection into the net, or some combination. Stansson’s attempt to pass it to Lebastard down low will nearly always fail, since an opponent can simply get enough sticks and bodies in the way to make this impossible. But if Stansson lowers the boom on the puck and shoots it low and hard, it has a chance to find the back of the net. If it doesn’t, it may generate a rebound that the goalie has a hard time seeing, or Lebastard might redirect it past him. Or it may even miss the net entirely but hold a favorable bounce; perhaps Stansson himself might collect the loose puck and find an open player, or Lebastard grabs the carom off the boards and snap-shots one with deadly accuracy.
 
               There are, unquestionably, things in Stansson’s game he must work on to be an effective player at this level (and much moreso in the next one!). But there are also reasons Stansson and company do what they do—reasons that, once explained, don’t look nearly as bad or crazy as they did at first glance.

1.   We’re about a month into the VHLM season now. What has been your favourite game to play in so far?
           Man I have loved to play Ottawa. They're the defending champs, and we seem to play them well, if not winning. But that first game against Minny...man that was awesome!
 
2.   The drama off the ice in Miami is likely more compelling than the action on the ice this season, with all the assault, tomfoolery, and general mischief involving some or all of our team’s players. Which storyline(s) are you enjoying or following most?
           I gotta love @Andre LeBastard and his tirades against the media. He's just stirring us up to motivate us, and to unite us as a team. It's good leadership. And entertaining, too!
 
3.   Have you heard that the World Junior Championship (WJC) is coming up this summer? It’s a seasonal tournament that features the best VHL prospects up to 300 TPE. Which of the WJC five teams will you be cheering for: America, Asia, Canada, Europe, or World?
          I am from Iceland, so....whichever team that ends up being haha.
 
4.   Who from our team should make the roster of their WJC team, and why?
           I honestly haven't looked at what the rosters might be, so I don't know. @Bacon is a great goalie. Kramerev is our best D-man! Andre and others are awesome at scoring. I would love to represent Iceland.
 
5.   What’s your favourite TPE task to do? Why?
         I enjoy writing the 500-word or so articles. It's a chance to dive in to the character or the stats of the player or team. It's a lot of fun!
 
6.   What makes you get hyped up about simulation hockey?
         Seeing the progress of our players and how that plays out in games is awesome! I love there's improvement every week.

Thanks for this! There's a lot of good stuff here. Because there is so much info, it might be better off segmented into separate paragraphs, possibly with their own sections. Just a suggestion though; this was really good! Score, 9.5/10

Wolf Stansson is being used on defense, on the power play, on the penalty kill—pretty much everywhere. That’s simply what being a top D-man on an expansion franchise such as the Miami Marauders is all about. Through eight games, the rookie has two goals and four assists for six points. He has played 73 minutes on special teams—39 of them on the power-play. This is remarkable because he has played 196 minutes on either even-strength or the penalty kill. Oh, what’s that, you say? I didn’t say anything remarkable? Well, Stansson has two goals and two assists—two-thirds of his points—from the power play.
 
               Why has he been playing so well a man up? For one, the style of the power play lends itself to Stansson’s offensive style. He shoots from the point, which will result in a goal, going wide, or a save. If it goes wide, it may go to a player down low for another chance. If it is a save, it may have a rebound that can result in another chance. In other words, it’s easier for Stansson to get on the board, since he puts shots on net. It sounds pretty simple. But it’s not merely this.
 
               At even-strength, Stansson has no goals on 11 shots. His two goals come on 20 shots, or a 10% shooting percentage. So Stansson not only shoots more often on the PP, but his shots appear to be better quality as well. This PP work helped to lead Stansson to be named #1 star of the Marauders most recent game, and hopefully will lead to better things this season.

I might release a raw update near midseason. 

The team scoring totals are released and TPE is awarded at the end of the season. You'll be tagged when the results are posted.

1. Miami finished the first week of games sitting at 3W-5L, good for 8th in our 12 team league. How do you feel about our team's start to the season?
        Pretty good overall. A lot of people would think we would be hard-pressed to win even one game, but we've shown we can play as a team, and outplay our attributes, so to speak. I have no illusions about how far we can go, but at the same time, playoffs are not out of the question.
 
2. What has been the stat that you are most impressed with through one week?
        We're not too far back as far as goal differential. Sometimes when you technically have a losing record, you expect to see that reflected in the goal differential. Here, while it is negative, it is not nearly as negative as it usually is in this type of situation. That's a good sign!
 
3. What feedback do you have for the coach to make the team better for week 2?
        We have to find a way to do better on the power-play. Sometimes we do OK, sometimes we blank.
 
4. Yukon has an open AGM position. What skills do you have that would make you a great team manager?
      I am consistent, active, and a good presence in the locker room. I encourage and educate, and these are much-needed qualities. That said, I would probably not want to be an AGM right now, as I am still learning much.
 
5. What's the one show or movie you've seen more than anything else?
       Probably The Office, followed by Star Trek: TNG and DS9. They're really good shows!
 
6. How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?
      Well, modally speaking, if a woodchuck possessed the ability to chuck wood, then we know a woodchuck could chuck a non-zero amount of wood in at least one possible world. Using a kind of patchwork principle, we can then infer that if there is a possible world φ at which said woodchuck chucks wood, there are probably such φ-worlds that include his chucking two pieces of wood, and three, and so on. In fact, other than his lifespan being limited modally (as in, it's impossible for said woodchuck to exist for a certain amount of time, metaphysically speaking), there is nothing, off-hand, that delimits the mere possibility of the woodchuck's chucking so much wood so as to approach infinity in a particular φ-world.

1. Miami finished the first week of games sitting at 3W-5L, good for 8th in our 12 team league. How do you feel about our team's start to the season?
        Pretty good overall. A lot of people would think we would be hard-pressed to win even one game, but we've shown we can play as a team, and outplay our attributes, so to speak. I have no illusions about how far we can go, but at the same time, playoffs are not out of the question.
 
2. What has been the stat that you are most impressed with through one week?
        We're not too far back as far as goal differential. Sometimes when you technically have a losing record, you expect to see that reflected in the goal differential. Here, while it is negative, it is not nearly as negative as it usually is in this type of situation. That's a good sign!
 
3. What feedback do you have for the coach to make the team better for week 2?
        We have to find a way to do better on the power-play. Sometimes we do OK, sometimes we blank.
 
4. Yukon has an open AGM position. What skills do you have that would make you a great team manager?
      I am consistent, active, and a good presence in the locker room. I encourage and educate, and these are much-needed qualities. That said, I would probably not want to be an AGM right now, as I am still learning much.
 
5. What's the one show or movie you've seen more than anything else?
       Probably The Office, followed by Star Trek: TNG and DS9. They're really good shows!
 
6. How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?
      Well, modally speaking, if a woodchuck possessed the ability to chuck wood, then we know a woodchuck could chuck a non-zero amount of wood in at least one possible world. Using a kind of patchwork principle, we can then infer that if there is a possible world φ at which said woodchuck chucks wood, there are probably such φ-worlds that include his chucking two pieces of wood, and three, and so on. In fact, other than his lifespan being limited modally (as in, it's impossible for said woodchuck to exist for a certain amount of time, metaphysically speaking), there is nothing, off-hand, that delimits the mere possibility of the woodchuck's chucking so much wood so as to approach infinity in a particular φ-world.

The following is an interview with Miami Marauders defenseman Wolf Stansson. We’ll be asking him about life in Miami, of all kinds! Read on to see how it went:
 
US: So, Wolf, you’ve played eight games in a Marauders’ jersey. How does it feel?
WS: Oh, amazing! [laughs] It really is a dream come true.
 
US: So can you tell us some details about playing? How do you feel you have done so far?
WS: Honestly, I could be doing better. I’m a -7 on the plus/minus rating, and I have yet to score on even strength.
US: But you’re just a defenseman—
WS: But I shoot! I shoot from the point, I look for good opportunities for puck movement, etc.
US: Fair enough.
WS: So I just need to make better decisions when I have the puck in the offensive zone.
 
US: Tell us about those decisions.
WS: I just need to pass more. Well, let me amend that. I need to read the offensive situation better, so I know when I need to pass. So far, that’s entailed me passing more. But it might entail me shooting when a pass wouldn’t be for the best.
 
US: That’s what’s interesting about analytics. Speaking of that, how do you feel about analytics? Should players use it?
WS: Of course! Players should always use information that is available to them to learn about the game in general, about their game, about their team, and about their opponents. But there’s such a thing as ‘too much noise,’ and I think the challenge is finding that point where the information load is about to become so much noise, and then relying on your training as a player. That comes with experience.
 
US: Speaking of experience, you’re just getting your first tastes of VHLM hockey. What are some things you like or don’t like?
WS: I both like and don’t like the speed of the game. It’s so much faster. I moved here to learn better hockey, though, but you just can’t replicate the speed of the game in practice. I like living in Miami. Being able to go to the beach on any off-days…it’s a wonderful place.

 
US: We’ve heard—well, really, read—the account from @bigAL Groovy Dood. Do you really think of him as a nemesis or rival?
WS, laughing loudly: Groovy Dood is just that—a groovy dude ha ha. He’s a friend. I mean, don’t get me wrong, when we’re on the ice together we’re going to go at each other pretty hard. In that respect, yeah, absolutely he’s a rival. But after the season, you never know. We might be on the same team!
 
US: Give us some final thoughts about the Marauders and their season.
WS: I think we have an uphill climb to make the playoffs. However, as our guys improve, and as we gain more experience playing together, I think our opponents are going to be surprised. We’re going to steal a game here and there. And because of this, we’re going to hopefully contend for a playoff spot!
US: Thanks, Wolf. Good luck out there!

The following is an interview with Miami Marauders defenseman Wolf Stansson. We’ll be asking him about life in Miami, of all kinds! Read on to see how it went:
 
US: So, Wolf, you’ve played eight games in a Marauders’ jersey. How does it feel?
WS: Oh, amazing! [laughs] It really is a dream come true.
 
US: So can you tell us some details about playing? How do you feel you have done so far?
WS: Honestly, I could be doing better. I’m a -7 on the plus/minus rating, and I have yet to score on even strength.
US: But you’re just a defenseman—
WS: But I shoot! I shoot from the point, I look for good opportunities for puck movement, etc.
US: Fair enough.
WS: So I just need to make better decisions when I have the puck in the offensive zone.
 
US: Tell us about those decisions.
WS: I just need to pass more. Well, let me amend that. I need to read the offensive situation better, so I know when I need to pass. So far, that’s entailed me passing more. But it might entail me shooting when a pass wouldn’t be for the best.
 
US: That’s what’s interesting about analytics. Speaking of that, how do you feel about analytics? Should players use it?
WS: Of course! Players should always use information that is available to them to learn about the game in general, about their game, about their team, and about their opponents. But there’s such a thing as ‘too much noise,’ and I think the challenge is finding that point where the information load is about to become so much noise, and then relying on your training as a player. That comes with experience.
 
US: Speaking of experience, you’re just getting your first tastes of VHLM hockey. What are some things you like or don’t like?
WS: I both like and don’t like the speed of the game. It’s so much faster. I moved here to learn better hockey, though, but you just can’t replicate the speed of the game in practice. I like living in Miami. Being able to go to the beach on any off-days…it’s a wonderful place.

 
US: We’ve heard—well, really, read—the account from @bigAL Groovy Dood. Do you really think of him as a nemesis or rival?
WS, laughing loudly: Groovy Dood is just that—a groovy dude ha ha. He’s a friend. I mean, don’t get me wrong, when we’re on the ice together we’re going to go at each other pretty hard. In that respect, yeah, absolutely he’s a rival. But after the season, you never know. We might be on the same team!
 
US: Give us some final thoughts about the Marauders and their season.
WS: I think we have an uphill climb to make the playoffs. However, as our guys improve, and as we gain more experience playing together, I think our opponents are going to be surprised. We’re going to steal a game here and there. And because of this, we’re going to hopefully contend for a playoff spot!
US: Thanks, Wolf. Good luck out there!