DreMin15

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
 
 

@DreMin15 I hope you enjoy My version of Drew You are the heart of our team and I hope this shows how much love we have for our goalie in Houston  
 
 

HELLO HOUSTON, I HAVE RETURNED.
Also hello to any Los Angeles fans that might be tuning in to see their new draft pick. My name is Drew Minott, starting goalie for the Houston Bulls, and this is Minner Minute. Here, I try to answer as many fan-submitted questions as I can in one minute or less. Let's get started!
 
Submitted by User: HomelessGuyinLA: Hey Minner, how did you feel when you saw that you were picked up by LA in the draft?
A) Well, I was excited to say the least. It was incredibly flattering that they traded up for me. Though I didn't get super excited until I saw Jiggs get taken the pick after mine. I was ecstatic!
 
Submitted by User: Back2Backlosses: Drew, with your teammates from last year leaving, what do you see in some of their futures?
A) Well, I wish them all the best. Especially Patty and Jiggs. I know that Patty can (and will) tear up the VHL when he gets the call-up. As for Jiggs, well I just hope he doesn't allow too many breakaways on me when we get to LA. 
 
Submitted by User: FUckCovid2059: Are there any new teammates in particular that you are excited to be playing with? 
A) Of course, there are quite a few. To start, I'm very excited to have Markus Schauer on the team. I've heard great things about him, and I can't wait to see it for myself. Another teammate I'm excited for is Venus Thightrap. She's incredibly fast, one of the fastest skaters I have ever seen. I can't wait for her to get a load of breakaways, leaving the defender in the dust. 
 
Submitted by User: DamnSonThicc: How are your interactions with your ex-teammates going to be going forward? Do you all still talk or hang out?
A) Of course, especially with the season we had the only thing we could do was bond. I was told by Jiggs that he took a visit to Finland to mess with Patty. So we plan to keep the traditions alive. Just wait until Jiggs and I play again.
 
Thank you for coming, and I hope to see you all next week!
People Mentioned: @JigglyGumballs  @PatrikLaine  @BladeMaiden @Plate

Damn, a Jiggs alt isn't featured on this one. Nice article tho!

Miss you bro

HELLO HOUSTON, I HAVE RETURNED.
Also hello to any Los Angeles fans that might be tuning in to see their new draft pick. My name is Drew Minott, starting goalie for the Houston Bulls, and this is Minner Minute. Here, I try to answer as many fan-submitted questions as I can in one minute or less. Let's get started!
 
Submitted by User: HomelessGuyinLA: Hey Minner, how did you feel when you saw that you were picked up by LA in the draft?
A) Well, I was excited to say the least. It was incredibly flattering that they traded up for me. Though I didn't get super excited until I saw Jiggs get taken the pick after mine. I was ecstatic!
 
Submitted by User: Back2Backlosses: Drew, with your teammates from last year leaving, what do you see in some of their futures?
A) Well, I wish them all the best. Especially Patty and Jiggs. I know that Patty can (and will) tear up the VHL when he gets the call-up. As for Jiggs, well I just hope he doesn't allow too many breakaways on me when we get to LA. 
 
Submitted by User: FUckCovid2059: Are there any new teammates in particular that you are excited to be playing with? 
A) Of course, there are quite a few. To start, I'm very excited to have Markus Schauer on the team. I've heard great things about him, and I can't wait to see it for myself. Another teammate I'm excited for is Venus Thightrap. She's incredibly fast, one of the fastest skaters I have ever seen. I can't wait for her to get a load of breakaways, leaving the defender in the dust. 
 
Submitted by User: DamnSonThicc: How are your interactions with your ex-teammates going to be going forward? Do you all still talk or hang out?
A) Of course, especially with the season we had the only thing we could do was bond. I was told by Jiggs that he took a visit to Finland to mess with Patty. So we plan to keep the traditions alive. Just wait until Jiggs and I play again.
 
Thank you for coming, and I hope to see you all next week!
People Mentioned: @JigglyGumballs  @PatrikLaine  @BladeMaiden @Plate

HELLO HOUSTON, I HAVE RETURNED.
Also hello to any Los Angeles fans that might be tuning in to see their new draft pick. My name is Drew Minott, starting goalie for the Houston Bulls, and this is Minner Minute. Here, I try to answer as many fan-submitted questions as I can in one minute or less. Let's get started!
 
Submitted by User: HomelessGuyinLA: Hey Minner, how did you feel when you saw that you were picked up by LA in the draft?
A) Well, I was excited to say the least. It was incredibly flattering that they traded up for me. Though I didn't get super excited until I saw Jiggs get taken the pick after mine. I was ecstatic!
 
Submitted by User: Back2Backlosses: Drew, with your teammates from last year leaving, what do you see in some of their futures?
A) Well, I wish them all the best. Especially Patty and Jiggs. I know that Patty can (and will) tear up the VHL when he gets the call-up. As for Jiggs, well I just hope he doesn't allow too many breakaways on me when we get to LA. 
 
Submitted by User: FUckCovid2059: Are there any new teammates in particular that you are excited to be playing with? 
A) Of course, there are quite a few. To start, I'm very excited to have Markus Schauer on the team. I've heard great things about him, and I can't wait to see it for myself. Another teammate I'm excited for is Venus Thightrap. She's incredibly fast, one of the fastest skaters I have ever seen. I can't wait for her to get a load of breakaways, leaving the defender in the dust. 
 
Submitted by User: DamnSonThicc: How are your interactions with your ex-teammates going to be going forward? Do you all still talk or hang out?
A) Of course, especially with the season we had the only thing we could do was bond. I was told by Jiggs that he took a visit to Finland to mess with Patty. So we plan to keep the traditions alive. Just wait until Jiggs and I play again.
 
Thank you for coming, and I hope to see you all next week!
People Mentioned: @JigglyGumballs  @PatrikLaine  @BladeMaiden @Plate

I’ll miss you here in Houston buddy, but I’ll see you soon in Hollywood ?

I’ll miss you here in Houston buddy, but I’ll see you soon in Hollywood ?

So the past couple of days have been eventful for the Canadian defenseman and occasional locker room prankster. Having been selected by the Ottawa Lynx 10th overall in the Dispersal Draft and recently taken by the LA Stars 28th overall in the VHL Draft, I would personally like to say that I am excited to play for Ottawa for the upcoming season and I intend to play the full season there for the mean time. Getting drafted by LA is also a huge honor so thanks to Ottawa's @DoktorFunk and LA's GM @Josh for taking a chance at me! Glad to be part of an expansion team, and I hope I can help bring a cup to my country's capital. Also want to thank the Houston Bulls organization and @Sonnet for giving me an opportunity to play in this league and giving me a great experience. Hope y'all are having a great day!

With me being eligible for both the VHLM Dispersal Draft and VHL Draft, I have a lot to consider about my future and what I might do depending on who I end up with. So forgive me for writing this so late. I'm excited for the drafts. I feel like it's simply the next big step to take. My plans currently is for me to stay in the VHLM for at least one more season. The goal is simple: To win. So there's a good guarantee that whichever team the picks me in the dispersal draft is sure to get my services for at least the entirety of S73. Now maybe I should put some pros and cons perhaps on what I can serve? My biggest pros have to be well, my defense and skating. Those are 71 and 70 respectively. Safe to say I can hold my own in the back end. Biggest con has to be in the locker room. If you don't like pranks well...I am the self proclaimed Sun Tzu of pranks... so sorry. Anyways, so yeah. I'm excited and to those scouts out there, I ain't making the big league yet. I'm still looking for a championship here. Though I'll be happy to play for whichever team that drafts me in the Dispersal Draft.

“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.” -Sun Tzu
 
One might think that since it is the offseason and a player like me is supposed to be worrying about both the Dispersal and VHL drafts, I would the use the offseason to train or prepare for what's to come. Though that would be far from the truth. War does not take breaks for you. In addition, not doing something in the offseason would be a betrayal to myself. SO with that in mind, I spent a nice vacation in Tampere, Finland. I generally had a great time there. It was a fun experience in Finland and exploring the different places. However, I wasn't there for the sake of mere tourism. I ended up paying Patty Laine a nice visit. Of course I ended up having a nice time with Patrik, but that was all just a ruse of my true intentions. I needed him to think I was there for training and having fun. I left telling him that I needed to return to the hotel. When in reality, I bought a nice amount of plastic wrap and sticky notes. Then I would return some time later when he wouldn't know I would be anywhere near. During our trip to the gym, he gave me a ride in his nice car. I felt that his car was too nice to be damaged. So I figured that I should protect it. I ended up wrapping his whole car with plastic wrap and also covered it in sticky notes. So when he found out about it, he would be hit with a double whammy. No one, and I mean NO ONE , would go out of there way to do something like this other than me.Well it was a message that needed to be sent: There are no breaks in war. Plus I expect there would be retaliation anyways. Which is something I wanted. Of course this prank is meant to be harmless. I did not slash his tires. Sure it would be tedious to remove but it would be the perfect prank to pull. After that I visited other place like Helsinki, and Turku. I generally had a wonderful time and at least made my money worthwhile even more apart from the prank. Trying out the cuisine, learning some history, I made sure to enjoy my stay in Finland. Almost forgetting that I pulled the prank in the first place. I have to say, the seafood is some of the best here. The fish are so fresh and it's all just amazing. I then went home back to Winnipeg, having made my entire off season worth it. I enjoyed the contrast between Houston and Finland. It was something different and I enjoyed it. Sure Patrik Laine might be pissed at me, but it's all fun and games in prank warfare. And with the drafts coming up, perfect opportunities would come. But alas, I have nothing planned. The draft is a serious occasion and I truly don't want to ruin it for anyone. But I do have ideas for post draft though. I'll leave that in the next edition~
 
 

 
(570 words. Sorry @PatrikLaine XD)

Introduction:
As you may know, the VHL draft is tomorrow night and we were able to catch up with first-round prospect Patrik Laine in Finland for an interview before the draft and we had quite a few questions for him. Here is what he had to say:
 
PL
 
How has the training been in Finland:
PL: You know, it has been good. Miss going to the rink with Minott and Jiggs every morning but in Finland I am around a lot of friends and family so I get to have some fun while I am busy preparing for next season.
 
We have heard rumours on you going as high as 8th overall, what do you think about that?
PL: Well, it certainly is an honour to be touted as such a high pick in the VHL draft, but I gotta remember just because I am drafted doesn't mean I can take my foot off the gas. If anything, I have to push the pedal all the way down as there are hundreds of other players trying to be better then me which will help me play at my best.
 
You announced last weekend you are hoping to make the jump to the VHL right away, what thinking went into that decision?
PL: Yeah, I put quite a bit of thought in and talked over it with my family. I thought it was the right move in my mind because if I am playing against tougher competition in the VHL, I can improve faster and it would be great to be in a VHL locker room.
 
How many teams have you maintained steady contact with up until now?
PL: I have talked with quite a few teams. I won't say any names just for the privacy of GMs. It's been good talking with some of them and getting to know them but I know I will only go to 1 team in this draft.
 
What have you been developing lately?
PL: I've been improving on my physicality and shooting the most. I want to be able to use my frame to steal the puck away and with a quick release and one-timer, I want to have a dangerous shot from all over the ice.
 
Will you be in the building for the draft?
PL: Yes. Me and my family will be at the draft venue for the big event tomorrow. I'm excited but nervous at the same time and can't wait.
 

 
Patrik Laine (pictured above) after scoring his first VHLM goal.
 
Who do you think will pick you?
PL: I have an idea, but I will keep that to myself for now. You will find out tomorrow.
 
Rumour has it that after the draft, you are going to train with Tappara. Can you give us any information on that?
PL: Yeah. I'll be training with Tappara starting on Thursday after the draft. I played U-14 through U-18 there and me and the director are pretty good friends so he thought he could help me train with their U-20 team and also give them some tips and tricks on how to play better. I love helping out young players and training so it is a win-win for me. As soon as I heard the invite, I was all for it. I will only be out there for a little while though as training camps start soon.
 
Okay, last question. What do you think is the best part of your usual hockey game day?
PL: I love making memories with the fans. I'll tell some kids near the glass to stick around after the game and I'll sign sticks and pucks for them. Autographs on jerseys, you name it. I also gift some pucks away in warmup. I love making memories with the young fans. To all of the young hockey players out there, you can be a pro too if you just put your mind to it.
 
People mentioned: @JigglyGumballs @DreMin15
(655 words, 3235 characters written by @PatrikLaine)
 

You’re makin me tear up here Patty. I’ll miss ya bud.
 
 
But don’t think for a damn second I won’t still prank you. Watch your back kid, you’ve got at least me and Jiggs comin after you.
 
❤️

You’re makin me tear up here Patty. I’ll miss ya bud.
 
 
But don’t think for a damn second I won’t still prank you. Watch your back kid, you’ve got at least me and Jiggs comin after you.
 
❤️

You’re makin me tear up here Patty. I’ll miss ya bud.
 
 
But don’t think for a damn second I won’t still prank you. Watch your back kid, you’ve got at least me and Jiggs comin after you.
 
❤️

I didn't originally think about making a second part but I thought I would. I have some people I need to thank. I want to thank @Sonnet for giving me my first contract with Houston and to thank my teammates: @JigglyGumballs @MattyIce @DreMin15 @KnightRiley @d3vilsfire @Enorama and I wish the best of luck to @rjfryman who is the new GM in Houston!
 
Cheers!
- Patrik Laine

Love ya Patty, good luck bud!

Love ya Patty, good luck bud!

Now, I know that my future isn't certain and I've spent about a week thinking about what I will do next season and I would like to make them clear here. The biggest question I have is will I be playing in the VHLM or VHL next season and given the circumstances of expansion and all that, I have decided next year will be my 1st season in the VHL. I will no longer be playing in the VHLM unless something arises which in that case, I would. I wish everyone in the VHLM the best of luck next season and same with all of this year's VHL draftees.
 
Cheers!
- Patrik Laine

Good luck in your venture bro!!

Hello everyone, welcome back to the third installment of Minner Minute! I'm Drew Minott, starting goalie for the Houston Bulls (currently on vacation, thank you very much), and this is Minner Minute, where I answer as many submitted questions as I can in one minute! Let's do this.
 
Submitted by User Giggly_Ballz: Do you think you'll ever be a hall of famer one day?
 
I don't think I'll ever achieve that level, though who ever thought they would? I would like to be for sure, but in the end of the day I need to focus on what's directly in front of my instead of that far off in the future. 
 
Submitted by User CottonEyedFred: What are your feelings on the upcoming VHL and VHLM drafts?
 
Well, let me take that in two different parts. First the VHLM, I'm very anxious about it. More nervous than about the VHL draft. That sounds odd, but I'm at least spending one more season in the M, so I'm more focused on the next upcoming season.I would love to stay in Houston, but I guess I can't control what happens. As for the VHL draft, I don't have much of a connection, so I'm excited to see where I'm going in the next few years, but it has less significance to me right now. All I can do is wait and see.
 
Submitted by User UndercoverGM: Hey Minner, have you heard from any teams, and how do you feel about it?

Well, I have only heard from one team. I'm a bit disappointed really, a few of my teammates who are right around my draft ranking have heard from quite a few, but I've been waiting for my phone to go off and I've been left waiting. I hope to hear from more GMs before the draft comes up, especially with how high I'm expected to go in the M draft. I understand with the VHL draft, me being in the 3rd-4th round. 
 
 Okay thank you everyone for joining me with this week's episode. If this happens to be my last episode with the Houston Bulls, then it has been an honor to play for you Houston, and it's been a pleasure to play with the guys in the locker room. Thank you all, and have a good day.

Hello everyone, welcome back to the third installment of Minner Minute! I'm Drew Minott, starting goalie for the Houston Bulls (currently on vacation, thank you very much), and this is Minner Minute, where I answer as many submitted questions as I can in one minute! Let's do this.
 
Submitted by User Giggly_Ballz: Do you think you'll ever be a hall of famer one day?
 
I don't think I'll ever achieve that level, though who ever thought they would? I would like to be for sure, but in the end of the day I need to focus on what's directly in front of my instead of that far off in the future. 
 
Submitted by User CottonEyedFred: What are your feelings on the upcoming VHL and VHLM drafts?
 
Well, let me take that in two different parts. First the VHLM, I'm very anxious about it. More nervous than about the VHL draft. That sounds odd, but I'm at least spending one more season in the M, so I'm more focused on the next upcoming season.I would love to stay in Houston, but I guess I can't control what happens. As for the VHL draft, I don't have much of a connection, so I'm excited to see where I'm going in the next few years, but it has less significance to me right now. All I can do is wait and see.
 
Submitted by User UndercoverGM: Hey Minner, have you heard from any teams, and how do you feel about it?

Well, I have only heard from one team. I'm a bit disappointed really, a few of my teammates who are right around my draft ranking have heard from quite a few, but I've been waiting for my phone to go off and I've been left waiting. I hope to hear from more GMs before the draft comes up, especially with how high I'm expected to go in the M draft. I understand with the VHL draft, me being in the 3rd-4th round. 
 
 Okay thank you everyone for joining me with this week's episode. If this happens to be my last episode with the Houston Bulls, then it has been an honor to play for you Houston, and it's been a pleasure to play with the guys in the locker room. Thank you all, and have a good day.

Hello everyone, welcome back to the third installment of Minner Minute! I'm Drew Minott, starting goalie for the Houston Bulls (currently on vacation, thank you very much), and this is Minner Minute, where I answer as many submitted questions as I can in one minute! Let's do this.
 
Submitted by User Giggly_Ballz: Do you think you'll ever be a hall of famer one day?
 
I don't think I'll ever achieve that level, though who ever thought they would? I would like to be for sure, but in the end of the day I need to focus on what's directly in front of my instead of that far off in the future. 
 
Submitted by User CottonEyedFred: What are your feelings on the upcoming VHL and VHLM drafts?
 
Well, let me take that in two different parts. First the VHLM, I'm very anxious about it. More nervous than about the VHL draft. That sounds odd, but I'm at least spending one more season in the M, so I'm more focused on the next upcoming season.I would love to stay in Houston, but I guess I can't control what happens. As for the VHL draft, I don't have much of a connection, so I'm excited to see where I'm going in the next few years, but it has less significance to me right now. All I can do is wait and see.
 
Submitted by User UndercoverGM: Hey Minner, have you heard from any teams, and how do you feel about it?

Well, I have only heard from one team. I'm a bit disappointed really, a few of my teammates who are right around my draft ranking have heard from quite a few, but I've been waiting for my phone to go off and I've been left waiting. I hope to hear from more GMs before the draft comes up, especially with how high I'm expected to go in the M draft. I understand with the VHL draft, me being in the 3rd-4th round. 
 
 Okay thank you everyone for joining me with this week's episode. If this happens to be my last episode with the Houston Bulls, then it has been an honor to play for you Houston, and it's been a pleasure to play with the guys in the locker room. Thank you all, and have a good day.