JigglyGumballs

Oh DAMN Congratulations to @Advantageand welcome back @InstantRockstar!!

Yes pls

Congrat @Ricer13!!

Claiming for week (1/2)

So as some of you who do care know, there's no LVA progress report this season. Why? Well it's because it's gotten repetitive. One big formulaic article at the start of the season, then after four weeks comes another big article with the same formula comes out. Rinse and repeat for the another season then it's just going to be the same shit over and over again. That's why I decided to stop the progress reports as of now. So I can explore new ideas instead of just doing the same thing over and over. It wouldn't be interesting to be the guy who does the same shit every time right? Anyways, this article is going to be more of a story time article. A look back on my thoughts and recollection of this season and what to expect next. This might be long, might not be long, but nevertheless let's get on with it. The Beginning The start of this season was honestly a bit of a milestone season, well for me at least, as I was heading into my third season as an AGM. VHLM AGMs from what I've noticed, tend to not have very long tenures. Some last for only 1-2 seasons before they step down due to mostly personal reasons. So heading into my 3rd, it was honestly interesting for me. I didn't expect to be an AGM for this long, heading into my 3rd VHLM draft as an AGM. It also felt weird. I remember thinking how fast the seasons go for me to already be in my 3rd season as an AGM, and yet I found myself feeling like I've been a part of Vegas since the start. Another thing of note was Vegas itself. The team after two dominant seasons, was starting to look like it's in decline. Ever since @Spartan took over Vegas, the team has never missed the playoffs season after season. Now, it honestly looked a bit bleak. Playoff hopes were slim, and I remember talking about what to do in this draft. Especially regarding the need of acquiring picks for the future. Which resulted in trading one of our first round picks to Houston for a couple of seconds and a 4th. Post draft, I felt a little better about the team, but I didn't think we were going to make the playoffs with only one defensive line and 2.5 forward lines. We had a goalie in @aksuko though, yet again I felt that playoffs were a bit bleak. There was optimism, but there wasn't much to work with. Early Season Woes Early on in the season, I can remember that we've struggled a lot. Things weren't clicking and every game seemed like an uphill battle. I was honestly expecting it. Our draft seemed to be pretty successful at first glance, however it was just taking a bit of time for things to gel. Especially since only a select handful of our players were capped, or close to that area. My mentality during this time was mostly the same. We're rebuilding, so a loss isn't going to be too big of a deal. Though not having a first round pick was definitely a big handicap. In honesty, not having a first rounder is a bit of a good thing in the long term. Unless you overreach for a player, that first rounder is probably going to stay for one season, and if you wanna contend in the long term in the VHLM, drafting a player who won't cap out after one season will be a much more better situation. Now before you go "Isn't the VHLM all about player retention and not winning cups?" and all that shit. Hear me out. I personally feel like a team that's always contending is a lot better for retaining players in this league. A rebuilding team, is definitely much harder to be active on when you're a new player. Of course that's not always the case, the S72 Houston Bulls rookie gang (which includes me) can attest to that. However, the reputation of a perennial contender plus the amount of activity generated from always making some noise will better help retain players into the VHL. You can debate with me all you want, but it's my personal opinion. Mid-Season Turnaround and Postseason As the season went on, and the players start earning more and more TPE. Things looked brighter. Though with a bit of the rebuild mentality still lingering, we did end up trading @Domino Draws to Minnesota for an couple of picks. Which in hindsight, was honestly justified. We were still losing more games than winning games, so it was more better for us to fully commit to the tank by trading a career LVA player and a capped player to a team that's likely to go far in the playoffs. However, as fate would have it, around the middle of the season, we had a complete turnaround. We started winning games. Now with 11 forwards and 6 defenseman, things were getting better and better. A big win against Houston further boosted our hopes and optimism. It's like Vegas and playoffs were always meant to be. Even if we were rebuilding, we still had hopes that we would sneak in as the 4th seed in our conference. Around the middle of the season, I'm pretty sure Saskatoon was in that position, however near the end of the season, and amazing performances by @Syzygy, @Bouncyelf, @inflastud, and again @aksuko. We ended up forming a considerable lead and a comfortable spot at 4th in the conference. We were able to toss around with the top teams of the league, but we weren't able to actually win games against them. It was a bit of a limbo to me, purgatory if you will. We weren't good enough to beat the better teams of the league, but we were too good to not lose against the bottom of the league. We were in this Goldilocks zone of mediocrity. One question still lingered to me at the time, what will happen in the playoffs? Well the answer to that was to go to the postseason and see. I'll be blunt. We fucking got swept. In the end, we weren't up to the task. We kept Mexico on the edge for a couple of games, but we just weren't able to fully finish with a win. I remember thinking of doing a sort of playoff preview for this week since it was the playoffs, but I got lazy and then we got swept. Now we have this thing which is a good substitute. Right? Conclusion This season was an interesting story. From rebuilding to a surprise, but ultimately short postseason appearance. We were also riding a bit of a waiver warrior wave as most of our defensive core was waivers. Though yet again, the season was now over and all I can do now is look ahead in the future. With the promotion of Hylands into the VHL and an open spot in Mexico, I honestly wonder if I will ever take the helm of a VHLM team in the near future. Nevertheless, there's now one goal to focus on for me, and that is the draft. Vegas needs a big draft to remain in contention, and whether that means more trades or good scouting, it'll definitely be interesting here on out. Just as it was throughout this season. To end this off, I wanna give a big thanks to @Spartan and all of Vegas again for a rather unique little season for me. I really hope we can do much more next season, and finally end the long cup drought this team has been suffering from. (1290 words)

Congrats!!

If only smh

Las Vegas Aces Press Conference 22/2 - 28/2 Answer these questions for 2 Capped TPE 1) We've made the playoffs! Our first opponent will be none other than Mexico. How pumped are you for the playoffs? 2) We'll be riding our momentum into the postseason after a strong finish. How do you feel coming into the playoffs? 3) What other current playoff match-ups interest you? It can be both VHL and VHLM. 4) What kind of tea do you like? (Green tea, earl grey, etc.) 5) @Syzygyfinished this season 6th in the league in points with an outstanding 54 goal season. @Bouncyelf also quietly made his way to 7th in points among defenseman. Finally @aksuko finished the season 4th in SV% and 9th in GAA, and has become one of this season's better starters. What do you think about these guy's accomplishments this season? How will the translate into the playoffs? 6) Looking ahead, it looks like there's going to be a lot of work to do with LVA come next season. We have a lot more waiver players who are draft eligible compared to previous seasons and a few of our current star players will probably move up as well. So with that in mind, is this season truly our do or die moment?

Another season, another missed playoff berth. This article is probably going to be quick since this was supposed to be done yesterday but I got lazy so... It's also probably going to be a bit of a vent? Well I'm commenting on how well I did this past season so at least I'll put out some good points. We were honestly close to somewhat getting the franchise's first playoff berth at one point. Most of this season I honestly had hope that we might make it. Especially since it was Nygren's last season. Ultimately because LA voodoo magic, we missed out again. Which kinda sucks but, I'll probably be sticking around for next season. Coming off this one with nearly 700 TPE. Stats wise, this season was once again a step up from the last one. 9 goals, 54 assists for 63 points in 72 games. A 0.875 point per game pace. Defensively it was another thing. 216 hits thanks to my 94 checking and 179 shots blocked. For the majority of the season I was actually the leader for shots blocked. Until of course @Beaviss cucked me. At this point it was an inevitability for me to get cucked by Beav. If not someone else. I honestly wish that things really start turning around. We have a better prospect pool, the best we've had as of late, and I'm heading into the prime of my career (if I'm not already in). I honestly think we have all the pieces we need. Maybe STHS can not be a bitch for one season so we can win games. Anyways, so sorry for this shameless attempt at earning TPE, I'll do something Vegas related this week I swear. (286 words)

Side note: Yeah there's no LVA progress report this season. Need new material rather than the same stuff every season. Los Angeles, California With the VHL heading into the tail end of its 76th season, the LA Stars once again find themselves out of a playoff picture. Earlier this season, LA had displayed a fair amount of hope and was at one point within reach of a playoff berth. However, as the season went on, and especially after a rather rough back half, LA has now once again found themselves near the bottom of the league in standings. Davos being the only team between them and last place. So what happened? How did this team go from potentially making the playoffs to being relegated back to the basement? Well the best way to describe how they've played can be best represented by their own defenseman Jiggly Gumballs. Gumballs in the last ten games has only amassed six points. With five of them being assists. One might find this pretty good production coming from a defenseman. However, considering that Gumballs is the team's highest TPA defenseman and this being his 3rd season in the VHL, one might assume that he would make a much bigger impact. Especially in terms of setting an example with his fellow teammates. His point production as of late is quite similar to his production from the entirety of last season. And although Gumballs has once again broken personal offensive records, the lack of production and more so the inability to step up as a player is very representative of LA as a whole. Surely they would have the talent to make the playoffs. With forwards like Jeffrey Pines, Pistil Stamen, veteran Markus Nygren, and new acquisition John Merrick all key contributors to the offense, the aforementioned Gumballs and rookie Hulk Hogan Jr on defense, and goaltender Doug Dimmadome on the back end. All of these players have the potential to contribute to a playoff berth on paper and yet nothing comes to fruition. Maybe things are just taking time in LA. Something seems to be brewing, and like a slow roast, more time is needed for things to be perfect. Though with the veteran Nygren announcing his retirement at the end of the season. We shall see whether this team takes it to the next step. Gumballs was asked to do a post game interview regarding his recent production. He described his recent production as "just not being in his game." Making an analogy with music and being out of rhythm. "Yeah I'm not proud of it either. I should be better but... It's like things just aren't clicking for me. Y'know that situation where you make a band with your friends and you become the drummer? And then you all go to that one guys' house to practice in their garage right? You start playing and you realize that you are way out of sync with the music and your bandmates. Like you're playing the beats either too fast or too slow, you're out here hitting the cymbals too many times so it becomes almost nonsensical. Well that's basically how I'm playing right now. Just out of rhythm. Maybe I just need a metronome and get back in beat. Hopefully that'll come soon." (548 words)

Congrats @Hylands!!!

Las Vegas Aces Press Conference 15/2 - 21/2 Answer these questions for 2 Capped TPE 1) Talk about winning! We've won the last 5 games and is now in a comfortable playoff position at 4th of the conference. We also have a considerable lead against Sasky. What does that say about the team?? 2) Which VHL team are you routing for? (Apart from your own VHL team if you're already drafted) 3) What do you think is needed for good locker room activity? 4) If you think about it, we're sorta stuck in the middle. We're not bad enough to not be in a playoff picture, but we're also likely not good enough to be a top competing team? How do you feel about this dilemma? 5) How do you like your steak? 6) Do you think we'll be able to take on the big teams like Houston come playoffs?

Applying

Looks like another 7 shots blocked for me. Also holy shit I've been scoring goals and not getting assists.

uhhhh

Y'know I may have unintentionally made Jiggs a freak of nature like Phil Kessel. Maybe that's why he can block so many shots. Too big to get past

Yeet

So lets say you were given a few days off to relax. You've been working hard for the past who knows how long and you were finally given a break. One might think that this is the perfect opportunity to go out on a vacation. Go to somewhere away from home and explore a bit. Just y'know, enjoy life. For our ol' pal Jiggs on the other hand, vacation is a lot more different for the LA Stars Defenseman. The first day of vacation. Jiggs would wake up at one in the afternoon. Seemingly sleeping in as there's no games or practice. He would hop off of bed onto a rather messy room, still wearing an old wrinkly shit and some shorts. Jiggs was too lazy to clean, especially when he has at least a few days off. He'll probably clean the house eventually, but for now, he'll leave it as it is. He would then make it to the kitchen, from there he would grab some red bull off the fridge, opening it and taking a good swig. He cooked up a couple of eggs, sunny side up, done over easy. Then some bread in the toaster. Once the toast was done, he'd add a bit of butter and that would be breakfast. Or brunch rather. The weather would be wonderful, the sun shone brightly under the streets of LA, but the temperature was bearable. Perfect for a day on the beach. However, Jiggs has other plans. He would then go to another room. In that room was a large flat screen TV with an assortment of consoles. Surrounding the room was a large collection of games old and new, and in the corner was a state of the art custom built gaming PC. A dual 27 inch curved monitor setup, a custom PC case that had a light up LED logo of the LA Stars. Of course the keyboard, mouse, and the rest of the actual room were lit up in multicolored LEDs. So much variety, so much to choose from. The only reason Jiggs was able to afford such a large collection of games was because of the money he earned from the VHL and his Hollywood career, plus a few brand deals as well. Now that he has some time off, he finally had the opportunity to play the large amount of games he's acquired. First he went to the consoles, blasting through a variety of games from COD, to Mario, to Final Fantasy and more. Next he moved onto the PC. He played mostly tactical shooters and battle royale type games. Of course he did take a couple of breaks to eat, drink, and use the restroom, but before he knew it, it was 5am. He would decide to call it a day and sleep. The next day will be much of the same, and the next, and finally on the last day. He finally decided to do some cleaning and made the house spotless. He also decided to order some proper food as well rather than the scuffed simple cooking he normally would do. Did it seem like an unhealthy lifestyle? Yeah sure. Did it feel like a vacation? Probably not. Though Jiggs is still a solid player in the VHL, and if he's able to maintain that lifestyle while playing the best he can, then damn he might be pretty good at his job. (571 words)

STANKY

Las Vegas Aces Press Conference 8/2 - 14/2 Answer these questions for 2 Capped TPE 1) Looks like things are starting to look bright for us! We're currently 4th in our conference in terms of standings, meaning that as of now, we're in a playoff position. Do you think we'll be able to maintain this for the rest of the season? 2) Just over half of this season has been played. How well do you think you are doing? 3) A big trade sent @Domino Draws to Minnesota for various amounts of draft picks. A trade like that would often signify that we're rebuilding, and yet we're in a playoff position as of writing this. What do you think about this? Should we commit to the postseason, or pull out the tank? 4) What genre of games do you like playing? First-person shooters, RPGs/JRPGs, Strategy, etc. If you don't really have a preference, what's that one game you play the most? 5) Star Wars or Star Trek? 6) Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? Also what do you think of the halftime show?

HOLY SHIT