Laine

S73) Week 2: Ending 8/2 1) Mexico City finished the first week with a 3-8 record. Is this the record you expected and how can we improve next week? 2) Jeremy Lin has started the season on fire with 10 goals and 12 assists in 11 games. What do you think of his play so far? 3) The Kings traded away Arthur Dayne early last week. What did you think of that trade? 4) Do you tape your stick in a specific way? If so, how do you tape it? 5) What is your favourite hockey memory across your entire career so far? 6) We have no defensemen on our roster. How do you think we could upgrade the defense?

Patrik Laine will now be taking questions from the media 1) I think we have lived up to expectations, ranked 1st in the league is a good feeling. The team as a whole has been playing good, all 4 lines and Bacon in net has been phenomenal so hopefully we can keep this up. 2) I'm satisfied so far, putting up points and playing good defensively, doing everything I can to help us win. I want to start getting my goals up and more shot blocks. I can improve defensively and I know that. Also playing more physically would be good with my frame. 3) Well, Houston and Minnesota has also been off to great starts. We still seem like the menace of the league and we are going to play to stay in 1st and go all the way. What other people say about us doesn't really affect me, but those are my kind of comments. 4) Checking and Strength. I know I have a big frame so I need to get those up in order to use it. Puck Handling is a big one too so I don't lose the puck every 2 seconds. 5) Scoring definitely. I love scoring goals and it would be awesome to lead the league in goals. 6) Ask everyone to recruit real life friends. I brought my good friend Jiggly Gumballs into the league and he has loved it, so I think that would be a good idea.

I was actually thinking about that name that would be good

PATRIK'S PICKS: EPISODE 7 Future VHL/VHLM Expansion: Which cities should the league look at? After the VHL's recent expansion to Chicago, London, Warsaw and Los Angeles, I had an interesting idea for a Patrik's Picks episode. What cities and markets would I think are suitable for a VHL or VHLM team? I did some searching of places all around the world where you could put teams and I came down to 3 cities for the VHL and 3 cities for the VHLM. You can feel free to disagree, but these are my picks for the next 3 VHL expansion clubs: VHL TEAMS: 1) Montreal Population: 4,220,566 Hockey market: Hardcore Location: Canada Montreal is a great spot to put a team for any league. Looking how the fanbase is hardcore for the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL, it would be a no brainer. However, you would have to brand as a new name besides Canadiens. Canadiens has been associated with their NHL team so you would have to come up with another iconic name. I would personally lean towards the Montreal Meteors but feel free to drop any ideas for team names below. 2) Sydney Population: 5,230,000 Hockey market: Unknown Location: Australia Now, I know the tropical city of Sydney doesn't sound like a great place to put a hockey team, but if the team can build a solid roster and compete, it is a great market. It would be Australia's first taste of a big market team, and with a population of over 5 million in Sydney alone, the potential is there, even if they aren't winning. I feel like an obvious name for this team would be the Sydney Sharks, given that they are located near and ocean and they have a high shark population in the ocean there. 3) Berlin Population: 3,769,000 Hockey market: Devoted Location: Germany Berlin is a great spot to put a team. They haven't had a big hockey team at all, the biggest team they have had is the Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL. With almost 4 million people and a fanbase devoted to their DEL team, this is a great spot for the VHL to expand. It would also create an interesting rivalry with nearby London and Moscow, but especially Warsaw. I think the name for the team could be the Berlin Brawlers, but again the VHL probably can think of better names then me. VHLM TEAMS: 1) Edmonton Population: 1,461,182 Hockey market: Hardcore Location: Canada Edmonton is another city I see as a front runner to have a team. With nearby Saskatoon and another team we will get to in a little bit, there will be some good rivalries for this team. You can see Edmonton's passion for hockey if you look back at the 80s and 90s Oilers teams. A good name for this team I think would be Edmonton Elk. Canada has a nice elk population, so it would be a good way to name the team. Another suggestion would be the Edmonton Eagles. 2) Quebec City Population: 800,000 Hockey market: Hardcore Location: Canada Quebec City is another one of those cities that had a passion for hockey, but had a team ripped away from them. In the form of the NHL's Quebec Nordiques, who were relocated to Colorado and became the Colorado Avalanche. I think Quebec City would be a great place for a team. I think a good name would be the Quebec Condors 3) Winnipeg Population: 762,700 Hockey market: Devoted Location: Canada Now, I hate to keep all 3 of these teams in Western Canada, but Winnipeg is my pick here. Their passion for hockey shined through, even without hockey. After the first Winnipeg Jets franchise moved in 1996, they pushed hard and supported hockey for 15 years until the second incarnation of the Jets arrived in 2011. They have their famous whiteout playoff tradition to show their passion. This would also create a nice rivalry with Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary, if the ladder two were to also receive teams that is, but if Winnipeg were to get a team, the rivalry with Saskatoon would be a guarantee. I would name this team the Winnipeg Warriors. CONCLUSION: So there you have it. 6 markets that I think would be suitable for teams and definitely places the VHL and VHLM should look at if they were going to expand again.

I remember doing one of these a month ago, and it did pretty well. I've met with new members in the community who I have never talked to before and I've had a lot of fun. So, who has caught my eye this month? A Trio of Bulls I thought I would put these 3 together because they all happen to play for my former team. The first member is one I have been talking with a lot and he happens to be an excellent writer, just like me. Of course, I am talking about the one and only @Plate! The final two, I don't talk to as much, but we still chat and they seem like pretty cool people to talk with. I am talking about the duo of @Renomitsu and @BladeMaiden! The second coming of Hasek I was introduced to this gem of a person when I was playing for Houston last season. We signed him off of waivers and he helped us win 6 games that year in the last half of the season. He also happens to be playing with another great friend of mine on an expansion team. I am talking about the second coming of Dominik Hasek himself, @DreMin15! An assortment of GMs I came in contact with 2 of these GMs through the VHL Draft and the other 2 through where my VHL journey takes me. One happens to be leading an expansion team into it's first season of existence and the other one is one I'll be playing with in about 8 weeks. Of course, I am talking about @McWolf and @Jubo07! That leaves us with 2 more general managers on the board. One is the GM of my current VHLM team, and the other one is someone I am working with. You expected both of these names and they are @Motzaburger and @Ricer13! New teammates I was of course nervous joining my new teammates over in Miami, but a few of them stood out to me immediately. All very kinds to me the moment I stepped into that locker room and great on the ice as well. I'm talking about these wonderful people: @Andre LeBastard @dlamb @Bacon @KaleebtheMighty @LatinViking @IamMOOSE @bigAL @ahockeyguy! Writing partner Last, but certainly not least is a person who I am fortunate enough to work on a VHL series with in the near future. They were extremely fun to talk to before I got to work with them and now we get to do a series together which is amazing. I am talking about the man, the myth, the legend, the one and only @Hylands I'll do another one of these if you guys want near the end of August. If you have any suggestions or ideas you would want to see me write, feel free to message me on the VHL site or via reply on this post! Cheers! - Patrik Laine

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S73) Week 1 (ending 7/26) 1) What do you think are Mexico City's expectations heading into this season? 2) Do you expect us to make the playoffs? Why or why not? 3) What song do you listen to before a game in the locker room? 4) Have you ever pranked any of your teammates? 5) Do you have any suggestions for what our goal song should be? 6) What is the biggest aspect of your game you want to improve in S73?

S73 VHL SEASON PREVIEW The S72 offseason has come and gone which means it is time for a new season of hockey to begin! We will be taking a look at the situation of all 16 VHL franchises heading into S73. We will be starting with the expansion teams and then be making our way up the standings from last to first. Without further ado, let us begin! Chicago Phoenix Expansion Team Honestly, If I am a Chicago fan right I would be pretty excited for the kind of damage this team will be able to do a few years down the road. You may not have the best roster right now, but it is filled with future stars. The forward core is led by Adam Syreck, Squirrely Dan, Vladimir Shaposhnikov and Milos Slavik rounding out the top-six forward group. In net, they have their first-round draft pick in Jean Pierre Camus. They are lacking a lot defensively with the only notable name being Nikita Kulikovich, but if their forward core plays well and Camus has a great season, they can be a dark horse playoff contender. London United Expansion Team London is another team that could do some damage if things go right. They have a solid offence with the likes of veteran forward Guy Lesieur along with some young forwards like Mac Hooper, Jay Jones and The Terrible Trivium. Defensively, they have James Rose who had a great season with the Houston Bulls in the VHLM last season. London’s biggest issue will be in the crease. Their starter going into this season will be Clayton Park, a career backup goalie who hasn’t fit too well into a starting role and this looks like his last season, so London may need a quick fix at goaltender but other than that I can see them possibly making a playoff push depending on what happens before the trade deadline. Los Angeles Stars Expansion Team I could see LA easily making the playoffs this season. They look to be in the best position out of all of the expansion teams. Offensively, they are led by veterans Sigard Gunnar and Tyler Barabash Jr while sprinkling in some youth with Markus Nygren, Gary Neal and first-round pick Jeffrey Pines rounding out the forward core. Defensively, They are led by the trio of Rusty Shackleford, Gert B Frobe and Kaspars Claude. The only issue I see in their team kind of like London is in the crease. They also have a career backup this time in Kolur Bjoernsson. It will only be like this as both their defence and goaltending will be rounded when second-round picks Jiggly Gumballs and Drew Minott are expecting to come up to the VHL. Warsaw Predators Expansion Team Warsaw is just like LA where their team looks like a fringe playoff contender, but can easily go further. Warsaw has the best centre depth out of all 4 expansion teams, with Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Zeno Miniti filling the roster down the middle. On the wings, they have 2 players with VHL experience in Dalton Wilcox and Damien Wolfe. Defensively, They have veterans Danny DeYeeto and Hugh Chan along with a younger player in Alex Bridges. Warsaw also has a solid goaltender in Nicolas Fomba. Mix this in with the first-round pick Dakota Lamb coming up to the VHL next year and this can be a dark horse candidate both this year and next year. Malmo Nighthawks Last Season: 26-41-5 (12th in VHL) Did not make the playoffs Malmo is a very different team from last season, having 3 first-round picks and nailing all of them. They still have a veteran presence in Aston Martin offensively but throw in young guns Chris Hylands, Ray Shields and top draft pick Marshall James Frostbeard and this team looks extremely dangerous offensively. This team was concerning defensively last year. What better way to fill that hole by taking the S73 draft’s top defender, Tyler Walker at 2nd overall. Mix that with the current core of Zyrok12 and Condor Adrienne and the call-up of Viktor Alexei Kamenov and this is a miles better defence then it was last year. In net, Malmo has long term stability in 6th overall pick Grekkark Gyrfalcon who is poised to have a breakout year in the VHL. This is a solid Malmo team that I can see as a dark horse candidate for a Continental Cup run. D.C. Dragons Last Season: 30-38-4 (11th in VHL) Did not make the playoffs. D.C. is one of those teams that can do some serious damage. They had a stroke of luck last offseason, moving up to 1st overall to select LW Groovy Dood. Dood has been working hard to fit in with the D.C line up for his rookie year in S73. D.C is led offensively by 2 young guns in Dood and RW Xaiver LeFlamant and veterans in Raleigh Ritchie, Mikko Aaltonen, Boris the Forest and Benny Graves, who is looking like he is prepared for a career year. Defensively, D.C is no slouch either being led by veterans Charles Drumm, Luciano Valentino, Ricky Johnson and a new younger defenseman in Liam Flaten. D.C also has more stability in goal as starting goaltender Stone Wolski did some hard training this offseason and looks poised to be one of the best goaltenders this year. With a team like that, you must be excited if you are a D.C fan as they could easily be a Continental Cup contender. I see them making the playoffs. Vancouver Wolves Last Season: 32-35-5 (10th in VHL) Did not make the playoffs Vancouver is a really unpredictable team. Keeping a lot of the players from last season but also sprinkling in some of the young talented players can do that to a team. Offensively, they are still led by centres Brock Louth and Andrew Su, but up the wings, they look deadly. On the right side, they have Jungkok, Gregg Stallion, Gino DiGiannantonio and Mat Tacco and on the left, they have Joe Proto. They will need to shift one or two of their right wings over to the left but they still a dangerous offence. The defence was a bright spot for Vancouver last season as they were 5th in the league in total goals against and they managed to grab Micah Adrienne at 3rd overall in the draft to further solidify their defence. Mix that in with the veterans in Jeff Downey, Andrej Petrovic and Griff Manzer and you have an excellent top 4. In net, they have stability in the starter position with Jimmy Spyro and they have Isak Sjostrom backing him up. If Vancouver can play up to their potential, they will be a tough team to beat this year, but it all depends on how they come out of the gate. They will be a playoff contender but the step to a cup contender depends on how things go. Toronto Legion Last Season: 33-35-4 (9th in VHL) Lost in Conference Semi-Finals to CGY 4-3 Despite how bad S72 looked for Toronto fans, they were in a playoff spot and managed to push the eventual conference champion Calgary Wranglers to 7 games. Not too shabby. Toronto could make a splash this year with an offence lead by Jeff Blaze, Teemu Lehtinen Jr, Chad Magnum and Kristopher McDagg. However, I expect incoming LW Joseph Gainer to have a good season. He is coming off a solid season in the VHLM and has developed nicely down there. Defensively, they are led by a young core of brothers in Gabriel and Leon Gutzwiler, Erik Killinger and a veteran piece in Fredrik Elmebeck makes for a dangerous top 4. In the crease, Toronto is no slouch either, having a solid young goaltender in Jaxx Hextall, who will only continue to get better. Add all of this to 5th overall pick John Merrick being ready to play for S74 and this Toronto team will get dangerous really fast. Prague Phantoms Last Season: 32-32-8 (8th in VHL) Did not make the playoffs Missing the playoffs was a bummer for Prague, who despite finishing better than the playoff-bound Toronto Legion ended up ultimately missing the big dance due to S72’s stacked European Conference. Prague has a powderkeg offence led by Thomas Landry II, Ondrej Ohradka, Dagmar Havlova and Alex Pearson. Defensively, they still have the 3 headed-monster of Cinnamon Block, Seabass Perrin and Wolf Stansson Jr. In the crease, they still have Virgil Ligriv in net for his last season but behind him is the young goalie Woody McPine, who was a force in the VHLM last year. Things can turn around for Prague really fast, with centre Andre LeBastard coming up from the VHLM next year. HC Davos Dynamo Last Season: 35-30-7 (7th in VHL) Lost in Conference Semi-Finals to RIG 4-0 HC Davos was absolutely steamrolled in the first round by the eventual champion Riga Reign in S72. This doesn’t change the fact they have a solid lineup, led offensively by SS Hornet, Jet Jaguar, Soren Jensen and Jerry Garcia. Davos’ defence remains mostly the same led by David O’Quinn and Roque Davis but Davos made a splash move to bring in Charlie Paddywagon from Calgary to round it off. Davos has the young up and coming Joakim Bruden in net who has a chance to have a great season. I see Davos returning to the playoff, but they can go farther than just playoffs. Moscow Menace Last Season: 35-29-8 (6th in VHL) Lost in Conference Finals to RIG 4-0 Just like Davos, a sweep at the hands of the eventual champion Riga Reign doesn’t take away how good the Moscow Menace was last season. Moscow still has a deadly first line with Nate Telker, Ryo Yamazuki II and Henrik Zoiderberg leading the way offensively but with upcoming stars Vin Calia and Lucas Brandt, those holes that come up once the first line leaves will be easy to fill. Defensively, they still have the deadly duo of Vladimir Pavlov and Oskar Lagesson but added the dangerous VHLM star Alex Letang to an already loaded back end. In net, they still have Raymond Bernard. This will be a tough Moscow team to beat this year and I expect them to be a cup contender. Helsinki Titans Last Season: 36-26-10 (5th in VHL) Lost in Conference Semi-Finals to MOS 4-2) Helsinki had a good season in S72, ending with a fantastic 6 game series against Moscow where they easily could have taken it. Helsinki is led offensively by a top line of Hiroshi Okada, Jim Bob and Erik Draven. They also have some solid 2nd line and depth pieces in Ben Hafkey, Jared Spaz and Valtteri Vaakanainen. Defensively, they have Erik Summers and Kyle Andersen leading the way along with rookie Spencer Elsby. In net, Helsinki has the two-headed monster in Zamboni Driver and Samuel Ross. Adding all of this with S73 draft picks Patrik Laine and Oh Sens coming in next season and Helsinki can easily win a Continental Cup. New York Americans Last Season: 38-26-8 (4th in VHL) Lost in Conference Finals to CGY 4-3 New York’s playoff run last year came to a heartbreaking end in game 7 against the Calgary Wranglers, giving up the game-winning goal with just 30 seconds to play. New York’s offence is still as dangerous as ever with a top-six forward group made up of Julius Freeman, Acyd Burn, Owen Nolan, Jerry Wang, Bjorn Scoringsonn and Richard Penisson. Defensively, they have the tenacious trio of Micheal Gary Scott, Lance Flowers and Hugh Jass. In net, it is also the same with A Red Guy being the starter. This team can easily make a cup run and I expect them to be a contender all season long. Riga Reign Last Season: 39-25-8 (3rd in VHL) Won S72 Continental Cup! The defending champion Riga Reign definitely have something to be proud of, going 12-1 throughout last year's playoffs and easily taking the Continental Cup and with a lineup like theirs, who says they can’t go back to back? They are led by the insane centre depth as you have Phil Marleau, Kyl Oferson, Pengu and Codrick Past roaming the middle. They also have Patrik Tallinder and Shush Nyko up the wings making this a dangerous team in the offensive zone. Defensively, they still have their top pair in Lincoln Tate and Guy Saskamoose. Those two will be just as dangerous this year. However, the biggest X-Factor in this team’s success lately, goaltender Greg Eagles. He was the big reason why Riga won the Continental Cup last spring and if he plays even close to the way he did in the postseason, I see Riga going back to back. Seattle Bears Last Season: 47-22-3 (2nd in VHL) Lost in Conference Semi-Finals to NYA 4-1 Just because Seattle lost in round 1 last season doesn’t mean anything. This team is still extremely dangerous, led offensively by veterans Scott Greene and Ambrose Stark as well as young stars Ola Vikingstad, Uhtred and Timothy Brown. Defensively, Seattle has Hulk Hogan, Berocka Sundqvist, Odin Omdahl and Randy Marsh rounding out an impressive top 4. In the net, Rayz Funk looks like he is going to play his final season, but Seattle was prepared and snagged top goaltender Jacob Tonn in the S73 draft to back him up and take the reigns once Funk retires. Seattle can easily go all the way back and win their 4th Continental Cup in 6 seasons. Calgary Wranglers Last Season: 49-16-7 (1st in VHL) Lost in Continental Cup Finals to RIG 4-1 Calgary went through a lot of games last season and ended up just short of a Continental Cup, but there isn’t any reason they can’t go back. They still have RJ Jubis, Kris Rice, Mikko Lahtinen, ACL TEAR and Willie Dredge leading offensively. Defensively, it is mostly the same, with Edwin THE Encarnacion and General Zod enforcing their will. Calgary traded Charlie Paddywagon this offseason, leaving a big hole there and it is expected that incoming rookie defender Kosmo Kramerev will fill that hole. Calgary still has Jacques LaFontaine in the net. The question for Calgary isn’t whether they can win a cup, the question is can they do it now? Their window is closing fast, the next 2 seasons are probably the best chances they will have at a cup run before they have to retool everything. Your move, Calgary. If you came here looking for a prediction, forget it. What I say now will either trigger one of three things and I will list them here. My predictions will be wrong by the trade deadline. I will predict the playoff picture correctly, but everything will just fall off at that point. My predictions will be wrong by the end of the first week. - VSN Writer Patrik Laine

Congratulations @Erik Summers @Jubo07 @Jbeezy76

PATRIK LAINE PRE-CAMP INTERVIEW MIAMI - We are only one day away from Marauders training camp here in Miami and there have been a number of players already out on the ice including a scrimmage played last week spearheaded by Patrik Laine and Andre LeBastard. We were able to catch up with Laine for this thoughts on training camp through a video call he did in his hotel in Miami. Reporter: Thanks for joining us, Patrik. Laine: It is my pleasure. Reporter: So, how has the first week been in Miami for you? Laine: It's been pretty good. I've been on the ice for 6 hours every day getting ready for the season. Even back home in Finland I had a lot of ice time so I can't wait for tomorrow. Reporter: Are you going to stay in a hotel the entire season? Laine: I'm not sure yet. I could always rent an apartment or I could move in with one of the guys like LeBastard or Lamb for the year. Reporter: The lines for the Marauders were released this morning and they have you play on the second line. Do you have any comment about that? Any disappointment? Laine: Well, I'm not upset at all. Sens is a good winger as well. If we win more with me being on the second line, then that is what it takes. I'm on the first power play unit so that okay. Lamb and Thornton are good guys to play with so I'm still pretty excited. Reporter: We heard many reports about you possibly going VHL which scared teams off during the VHLM draft. What ultimately made you stay down? Laine: After I went to Helsinki in the VHL draft, I had a talk with Jubo after the draft and he told me it would be best for my development, so I decided to stay down after talking with him and he knows what is best for me so those are my kind of comments. Reporter: What do you think of Miami so far? Laine: It is a nice city honestly. The people are nice and love the Marauders. Everywhere I go, kids are approaching me for autographs and of course I say yes. I sign sticks and gear for them. Nice hockey town. Reporter: What do you think about the team and what do you expect? Laine: I think we have a solid forward core with Lamb, Thorns, Sens, Andre and Willis. Defensively, we have a solid starter in net with Bacon and the top 4 of Socks, Grachev, Stansson and Byrne so I think we can be a contending team. We'll know when Tuesday comes? Reporter: We heard whispers about other teams picking you up in the draft. Can you give us some comments about that? Laine: Well in total, 8-9 teams had contact with me and Calgary's GM told me if I was still on the board at 11 they would have chose me so I knew a bit of where I was going and kept the talks between me and the GMs secret. Reporter: How excited are you for training camp? Laine: Really excited, ready to go out there with the boys and get to know the team. Reporter: I seen a report that you will be bringing back you Mennonite beard from a few years ago. Are those reports true? Laine: Yeah, I lost another bet with my cousin so I am growing it out again. It worked well last time so hopefully it works again. Reporter: Last question here. If you were to share a hotel room with anyone on the team during road trips, who would you share it with? Laine: Uh.....Probably Lamb. Me and him have become pretty good friends this past week. We have a lot in common so it would be fun. Reporter: Kiitos. Laine: Kiitos. 643 words, 3307 characters written by @PatrikLaine

Super excited for the opportunity!

I like the style of the writing. Breaking down each of the picks individually also helps not just expand the word count but expands it content wise as well. You even talk about some of the late rounders which I think is pretty cool. Mix that in with the setup at the beginning going into the draft and this is a good read. Well done! 9/10

Very well written with the style and equally divided into the 4 phases you guys have had so far. The suspense in the writing also makes it a good read. Keep it up Rice! 9.5/10

1) I want to be the leading goal scorer in the VHLM. I also want to develop my physicality a bit more. If it is the smart option to pass though I will do that. 2) Well, we have a contending team but we won't know until puck drop where we are at. 3) I think we are still an underdog, but I embrace the new identity. I'm going to make 11 other GMs wish they had picked me in round 5. 4) Well, I don't necessarily know but I hope so. I got a lot of great forwards and defensemen on this team that I have made fast friends with throughout this pre-camp time in Miami. 5) I think the Houston Bulls and the Ottawa Lynx. Both of those teams had solid lineups. I used to play for Houston and my buddy Drew Minott plays goalie over there. Gonna score a lot of him. Ottawa also built a good team, they got my buddy Jiggly Gumballs on defense so gotta try extra hard to beat those teams. 6) I love media spots because it brings out my creative freedom in my writing and helps keep me sharp for school.

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Gear with Patrik Laine So, I had an idea for an article that would be extremely unique. What if I showed everyone the gear that I use? I decided that it would be a good idea to also show some pieces of gear and how they perform against others, so here we go. HELMET: For my helmet, I wear the Bauer RE-AKT 150. It provides solid protection as I have been using it since I played in the WJC back in Finland. It also can let me clip my visor on so it is perfect. Nice clear visor on there gives me better vision and helps me protect my eyes. SHOULDER PADS: For my shoulder pads, I use the Bauer Supreme S29 set of shoulder pads. They fit nice and snug under my jerseys, super comfortable and help protect from my shoulders all the way down to my rib cage. STICK: For my stick, I use the Bauer Vapor X1 Lite Grip 87 Flex. It has an 87 flex which is great because I can get a slot of bend on it for more power on my shots. I also do my own tape job. I have a video of me doing my taping job from a few years ago. I'll link it here. GLOVES: For my gloves, I use a pair of Bauer Vapor X1 Lite to match my stick. Hands feel free in them and I can paint them to match my team colours. Also gives me the ability to handle the puck smoothly. PANTS: For pants, I just use a standard pair of Bauer pants with my team's colours and logo on them. nothing special. SKATES: For skates, I wear a pair of Bauer Vapor X2 Pros. These feel good on my feet and are great for my skating style. Also easy to get on and off with the flap which is a nice plus.

Well written article! GO MARAUDERS!

I remember when I was 13. I was watching the Winnipeg Jets 2018 Playoff Run just before I turned 14. Was an extremely fun time for me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VHL!

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: So, lately I have seen a lot of people from the S73 draft class doing a draft experience thing and well I read a few of them and thought they were kind of cool and decided to do my own. So, without further ado, let us begin: PATRIK LAINE: MY DRAFT EXPERIENCE I was quite nervous heading into the draft, especially how last season in Houston went. Despite us being terrible for 80% of the season, I had averaged a point per game lead the team in goals. I had heard for quite a few teams with first round selections but was anticipating to go in round 2. I had a few of my fellow Miami Marauders around my draft range like Dakota Lamb, Andre LeBastard and O Sens and I was just as excited for them to be drafted as I was for myself. I had my family and close friends around with me, including Jiggs and Minotaur who were just a row above us. They were projected to go in the second round and I thought that they'll do great wherever they went. I got real nervous around pick number 9. Helsinki was one of the club that talked to me and they were my childhood favourite growing up. I remember when Helsinki's front office guys were walking up to make the selection and their GM, Jubo shot me a wink. I thought to myself "Am I really about to get drafted by my childhood team?". No better time to find out. Jubo walked up to the mic. "With the 9th overall pick in the S73 VHL Draft, the Helsinki Titans are proud to select from the Miami Marauders of the VHLM, Patrik Laine!" I got up with the biggest smile on my face and hugged my mom and dad. As I made my way down my row hugging my family and friends, Minott and Gumballs were waiting for me at the end. I embraced Jiggly in a bro hug and he told me "Going back to Finland, eh? You'll do great there. Congraulations Patty!" and Minott chuckled and said to me "Congratulations Patty. Just don't score too many goals on me." and we both laughed. I walked down the stairs and across the draft floor to the stage. As I walked up to the steps on the stage, The VHL Commissioners Quik and Beaviss were waiting for me. Quik and Beaviss both shook my hand and said "Welcome to the VHL. Best of luck playing for Helsinki and congratulations on getting drafted. Go meet the front office of Helsinki up ahead on stage." I proceeded to shake the hands of many Helsinki executives until I got to Jubo, who said to me "I have high hopes for you, congratulations and welcome to the Helsinki Titans." and handed me my Helsinki draft uniform. I posed on stage for pictures and that is something I would never forget. I kept doing interviews throughout the night and watch my boys Jiggly and Minner get drafted. Very happy for them as they will be playing in LA together, but I am ready to score on them. Over those few hours, I realized that I had made it. Made it to the VHL. 543 words, 2828 characters

Miss you bro

Had a good season over here for my rookie year. Congratulations to all of the award winners and best of luck to those moving on to the VHL

Super interested! I like writing and have a lot of time before I go back school and even then I can make time for a weekly article so I'm in!

S73 VHL DRAFT: FIRST ROUND REVIEW By: Patrik Laine Now, after reading @Advantage's mock draft article, I would be lying if I said I wasn't extremely impressed by what he did, so I had a thought. Why don't I do something like his, but with the actual draft board? I decided it would be good to display my thoughts and have some talk in the comments about the draft so thanks to @Advantage for inspiring this article. Even though I was a part of this draft class, I will be completely unbias about every pick and talk about it from my point of view. I will be showing the same thing as Advantage did, but also showing how far they rose or fell. Now without further ado, let us begin! NOTE: TPE Totals will be the one that appears on the draft board, but AVG will remain the same from the previous list made by Advantage. Teams have been updated as well after the VHLM draft. ---------------- ROUND 1 1. D.C Dragons select C/LW Groovy Dood (Minnesota, 257 TPE, 12.0 Average) @bigAL Remained in the same spot as mock I think DC knew what they were doing here. Dood doesn't have the highest TPE in the draft class, but his activity will be a big role in DC. Dood recorded 57 points in 72 games with Minnesota last year, but only 9 goals. He is more of playmaker though, known for his silky smooth hands and terrific defensive play. He also recorded 88 hits and 3 shot blocks. Not exactly dying to get in front of shots but is willing to throw his body around out on the ice. I think DC will get a good player out of Dood but time will tell. 2. Malmo Nighthawks select D Tyler Walker (Saskatoon, 348 TPE, 11.0 AVG) @Advantage Remained in the same spot as mock With DC in need of forward help, Malmo gets arguably the best defender in the draft with Tyler Walker. Walker is known for his incredible defensive ability and great skating. He put up terrific offensive numbers, with 21 goals and a lead-leading 94 assists for 115 points in 72 games along with 60 hits and 101 shot blocks. He has to be the most pro-ready player out of this draft class along with Frostbeard and I see him being a contender for Rookie of the Year next season in the VHL. 3. Vancouver Wolves select D Micah Adrienne (Las Vegas, 322 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @Poptart Remained in the same spot as mock Walker may be the most pro-ready defender, but Adrienne is right behind him as the best pure shutdown defender in this draft. Despite him playing pure lockdown, he put up a point per game last season with the Las Vegas Aces, scoring 72 points in 72 games and tacking on an incredible 250 hits and 104 blocked shots in that timeframe. Vancouver gets a really good player at 3 without really having to move and I think Adrienne will be a big player for the Wolves going forward. 4. Seattle Bears (from Prague) select G Jacob Tonn (Mississauga, 334 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @MexicanCow123 Remained in the same spot as mock This is a steal of a pick here for Seattle if things go according to plan. Seattle will need a new starter in a few years with Rayz Funk set to hang up the skates soon and Tonn is the perfect replacement for Funk. Tonn doesn't exactly have the best statistics but is a great goalie never the less, with great rebound control and smart with his glove and block helped him win 45 out of 72 starts in Mississauga in S72. I think if Seattle can set up a team around him, he will be a X-Factor for a cup run in a few seasons. 5. Toronto Legion select C John Merrick (Mexico City, 250 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @Steve Moved up 3 spots (8 to 5) Toronto gets a good VHL-Ready forward here at the 5th spot. Merrick didn't play a lot in the VHLM, only playing 26 games in the league for Mexico but put up 16 points and in 18 games in the playoffs had 10 points. He is known for a good shot, defensive ability, skating and great hands. He needs to continue to work on his faceoffs but I think he will be a great player for Toronto down the line. I see him later in his career being a first line forward. 6. Malmo Nighthawks (from Davos) select G Grekkark Gyrfalcon (Saskatoon, 282 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @Sharkstrong Remained in the same spot as mock With their second pick in the top 10 and with Jacob Tonn off the board, Malmo snags their franchise goalie in Grekkark Gyrfalcon. Gyrfalcon was great in S72, winning 37 out of his 51 starts in Saskatchewan and recording 7 shutouts. In the playoffs, he was fantastic, going 12-4-2 and leading the Wild to a Founder's Cup victory. Gyrfalcon has great rebound control, glove and blocker control and is very agile in net. He will be a big part of the future of the Nighthawks. 7. Chicago Phoenix select G Jean Pierre Camus (Yukon, 265 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @solas Remained in same spot as mock With the first pick in franchise history, Chicago nabs their first franchise goalie. With a huge 6'8 frame and great glove and blocker skills, Camus looks like the future in net for the Phoenix through their first few seasons and beyond. He needs to improve his skating and other aspects of his game, but those can easily be worked out and I think he will be a great pick for Chicago looking back on this draft. 8. Los Angeles Stars select LW Jeffrey Pines (Mexico City, 274 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @rory Falls 3 spots (5 to ? LA opts to go with a forward for their first pick. Pines was anticipated to go at 5 to Toronto but fell down three spots before LA scooped him up at 8th overall. Pines is the best defensive winger in the draft and also has a great shot, hands and skating ability. If he develops into a top tier forward, this can end up as a steal for LA very quickly. I expect him to show something in his rookie year after scoring 91 points in 72 games last season and leading Mexico City all the way to the Founder's Cup Finals. 9. Helsinki Titans select RW Patrik Laine (Miami, 214 TPE, 11.5 AVG) @PatrikLaine Moved up 2 spots (11 to 9) The funny thing about Laine is that he didn't appear in the top 2 rounds until the trade deadline. Laine came out of nowhere and had 59 points in 58 games with the Houston Bulls last season. He is known for his great shot, defensive IQ and silk hands. Off the ice, he is known for his personality and is a great guy in the locker room. Helsinki may need to change his style to be more physical with his 6 foot 5 inch frame being perfect to battle in the corner, but right now he will staying the VHLM. I expect him to be a big player for the Miami Marauders this season. 10. Warsaw Predators select C Dakota Lamb (Miami, 226 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @dlamb Moved up 5 spots (15 to 10) Warsaw gets a possible franchise centrepiece in Lamb. Lamb had 93 points in 72 games last season for the Miami Marauders and helped them make the playoffs in their inaugural season. He will stay in Miami this season playing alongside another first-round pick in Patrik Laine. Lamb has a great shot, defensive ability and is an excellent skater. If he pans out for Warsaw, this would be a great pick for the 10th spot in the draft. 11. Calgary Wranglers (from London) select D Kosmo Kramerev (Miami, 234 TPE, 10.25 AVG) @Mongoose87 Remained in same spot as mock Many signs pointed to Laine falling into Calgary at 12, but Calgary played it safe and traded to 11th. Laine was chosen as you remember, so they get another solid player in Kramerev. Kramerev was an absolute force in the VHLM last season, recording 106 points, 94 hits and 142 shot blocks through 72 games last season. He has a booming slapshot, great defensive ability and IQ along with his great skating ability makes for dangerous results. 12. London United (from Seattle via Prague via Calgary) select C Alex Volchenkov (Saskatoon, 214 TPE, 11.5 AVG) @SirRupertBarnes Moved up 5 spots (17 to 12) London dropped down a pick and still got the guy they wanted in Volchenkov. Volchenkov is a great passer, despite only putting up 15 points in 60 games last year with Saskatoon. He also has great hands, great skating and is a great defensive forward. He may be small at only 6 feet, but does a good job protecting the puck down low. This may turn into a late first steal for London, but he wasn't projected to go until round 2. Time will tell. 13. Moscow Menace select D Wolf Stansson (Miami, 226 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @ahockeyguy Fell 5 spots (8 to 13) Stansson is a solid pick at this range. An absolute catalyst for Miami last season, he recorded 30 goals, 53 assists and 83 points in 72 games. Yes, you heard that right. 30 goals as a defenseman! For comparison, Patrik Laine who went on the board where many people predicted Stansson would go, had only 27 goals last season. Stansson also recorded 133 hits and 138 shot blocks adding to already impressive numbers. He could turn into the best defensive prospect in this draft if Moscow can coach him right. 14. Vancouver Wolves (from New York) select D Shawn Glade III (Mississauga, 239 TPE, 6.0 AVG) @ShawnGlade Fell 4 Spots (10 to 14) Here is where we start to see the top defensemen come off the board. Glade had a great season in Mississauga last year, recording 83 points, 21 hits and 69 shot blocks in 72 games. Armed with great defensive IQ and ability, along with a lethal slapshot, excellent skating and puck handling, Glade can be an X-Factor for the Wolves if things go right. 15. Prague Phantoms (from Calgary) select C Andre LeBastard (Miami, 228 TPE, 10.25 AVG) @Andre LeBastard Fell 1 spot (14 to 15) GIven that this is a late first round pick, the Phantoms get a lot of value from LeBastard. The playmaking centre had 22 goals and 54 assists last season. Good for 76 points along with 105 hits and 36 shot blocks. LeBastard is armed with great hands, playmaking ability, faceoff skill and defensive IQ making for a challenge planning for him every game. If Prague can get a lot from LeBastard, this could end up being a steal. 16. Malmo Nighthawks (from Riga) select Marshall James Frostbeard (Mississauga, 345 TPE, 12.0 AVG) @FrostBeard Remained in same spot as mock The obvious choice for Malmo, as Frostbeard is the selected player of the general manager. MJF had a great season last year, recording 39 goals, 87 points, 259 hits and 18 blocked shots. Put him up there with Walker and Gyrfalcon and Malmo came of this first round like bandits on paper. Time will tell, but it expect Frostbeard to be a franchise piece for Malmo moving forward. ------------------ Conclusion: The first round was really exciting. We seen a few trades take place before draft day. We seen a few players jump like Laine, Volchenkov and Merrick, but quite a few players dropped like Glade III, Stansson and Pines. This isn't all of it though. The true way to evaluate a draft is when the class is all retired and we can take a look back and do a redraft a few years down the road to see what happens. It will certain be an exciting time for franchises like Malmo and Vancouver, who have made moves to solidify their rosters with multiple first rounders, but also for the expansion teams, who got quality players to start their franchise with. (2040 words, 10951 characters written by @PatrikLaine) PS: If anyone wants to do the second or third rounds, feel free to.