jacobcarson877

For the second straight season, the Malmo Nighthawks have followed up a Victory Cup-winning season with a near-immediate playoff exit, eliminated in five games at the hands of the Moscow Menace. Running it back from S92 with a similar roster - switching out Henry Eagles and Jebediah Big Ol Doinks in Amish for Gregger McKeggegger and Eric Queefson - the Nighthawks got unfortunately similar results, too.
 
This off-season, McKeggegger, Queefson, and Phillip Rave will have their contracts expire and Yaroslav Bogatyrev retired. There is potential for more significant change, although it seems likely the team would prefer to have everyone back. After S94, the Nighthawks will have to attempt to re-sign franchise cornerstones Jacob Stone and Viktor Jensen as well as defenseman Reese McFleury, while franchise netminder Ash Sparks will retire. These next two off-seasons will represent a crossroads for the Nighthawks after back-to-back playoff disappointments. If they can bring back most or all of these key players, they will most likely be able to put together a competitive roster for a long time.
 
The Nighthawks will most likely be a playoff contender once again in S94, but if the Nighthawks fail to perform on the biggest stage for a third straight year, it's entirely possible that the team, their star players, or both will see it as time for a change. Despite the excitement, and ultimately disappointment, of the last two seasons in Malmo, the upcoming season may be the biggest yet.

teno
 

Playoff Tree:
DC and SEA tied at 1
LDN leads Moscow 2 zip

Player Information
Username: nurx
Player Name: An Actual Holy Cow
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 16
Position: RW
Height: 80 in.
Weight: 140 lbs.
Birthplace: Holy See

Player Page
@VHLM GM

For some transparency we were actually pretty set on a different candidate, but due to outside circumstances we had to switch late in the process, and wanted to make sure we put someone in we could rely on at short notice.

For some transparency we were actually pretty set on a different candidate, but due to outside circumstances we had to switch late in the process, and wanted to make sure we put someone in we could rely on at short notice.

Henry Eagles had one personal goal he wanted to achieve since he started the league. It wasn't winning personal awards or Continental cups.

He wanted to finish a season with 100+ points. It wasn't looking likely for the aging star as season after season he fell short. The closest he got was with Malmo in Season 91 where he hit 96 points, just 4 short. His other seasons varied from either 70-80 range or dismissal 50 point range.

Entering his final season there was much controversy surrounding the team he chose to sign with which was the Seattle Bears. Media and Gm's were asking Why did Eagles sign with Seattle? A team that wasn't slated to even make the playoffs or be very competitive this season. Now as the season has ended with the Bears finishing as the best team in North America and second overall in the league the picture has been made clear and the answer as to why he signed in Seattle has been answered.
 
Eagles had his best season of his career, setting personal bests in assists with 62, points 101, shots blocked with 45 and +/- of 45. The team revived his play and as Eagles and the team kept winning, trades went through to make the team that much better.
 
" I was starting to lose hope that I would ever break the 100 mark, I was usually around that 70-80 and just couldn't shake it" Henry said " Joining Seattle and then being surrounded by top notch players has helped me reach that goal. It was a great feeling to achieve this in my final season"
 
As his regular season career ends, you can say Henry had a pretty good career, maybe more was expected from a first overall pick but as a power forward it was good overall. While definitely not hall of fame worthy, he did finish his career with over a PPG. 648 games played, 301 goals, 365 assists for a final point total of 666. It also shows that throughout his career, Henry seemed to be on the ice when goals were scored and not against. Only once in his career did he finish with a negative +/- rating which was in his sophomore season. In his career he ended with a +170. 
 
While it doesn't seem like any awards are in the cards for his final season either, he does have one more opportunity to add another Continental cup to his name. Seattle has been playing well in the playoffs having just beaten the New York Americans 4-2 in the series and now they will face off against DC in the conference Finals.
 
"It would be a great retirement gift to end the season with a continental cup win and also as a exclamation point to all those that were shocked about me signing here" Henry said as he entered the locker room to get ready for another playoff series.
 
Will Henry lift another cup in his final playoffs run or will he come up short? Only time will tell
 
 

Nikolas Kauppi is my first-generation player, and I gotta say...I'm proud of what I built. Played 2 seasons in the M, 1 in the E, and the rest all in Prague for the VHL. Had a crazy sophomore slump and was denied the Funk trophy the following season by one vote (yeah I'm still hurt by it ). Continued to be ~80 point producer up until this season. I'll add it up to the slider changes that were implemented, but I'm not complaining. I'm just happy he was finally able to break the 100 point barrier and basically do cartwheels on the ice. I originally intended him to be a power forward, but his hits pale in comparison to those who have a more gritty build. Despite no individual awards (probably not this season either, but I'm not waiting to find out before posting this), Kauppi was a part of Oslo's back-to-back Renaissance Cup wins as well as Prague's first ever Continental Cup. I created Bobbus Dingus, an interviewer who had a strange friendship with Kauppi. I make more graphics than articles, but who's to say Bobbus won't be back for my Thorvaldsson era... It's bitter-sweet as I close out the final chapter of Kauppi, but now it's time for him to retire and learn how to use a 9 iron.

Hello there to our passionate JST fans and eagerly awaiting applicants to find out if you got the job! This season should be a very exciting one! If you are a GM that is selected please join the discord that will be linked below so that we can get your started with our offseason journey!

Your S93 JST GMs are:
 
The draft starts tomorrow! at 12 PM EST! If you would like to join the server, here's a link: https://discord.gg/g8cGy6FG

Hello, everyone!
 
It's time for the VHFL payout!
 
Please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions for next season. If you want more detail on this season's result see this post, https://vhlforum.com/topic/146747-s93-vhfl-updates/.
 
How to claim:
Claim Uncapped -> Fantasy -> VHFL
 
--
 
Rank Group 1 TPE 1 @Velevra 1565.8 6 2 @leandrofg (GM) 1474.5 5 + 1 3 @Kisslinger 1431.8 4 4 @Dadam30 1420.6 3 5 @Misty 1363.4 2 6 @FreshOceanCod 1216.7 1  
Rank Group 2 TPE 1 @Scurvy 1569 6 2 @Daniel Janser (GM) 1551.1 5 + 1 3 @Frank 1415.5 4 4 @Trazan 1306.1 3 5 @Thunder 1279.1 2 6 @Phil 1210 1
 
Rank Group 3 TPE 1 @scoop 1586.1 6 2 @jacobcarson877(GM) 1552.2 5 + 1 3 @leafsman 1395.1 4 4 @RJMW 1365.3 3 5 @GioSivo 1355.3 2 6 @Renomitsu 1333 1  
Rank Group 4 TPE 1 @Ricer13 (GM) 1568.3 6 + 1 2 @Ahma 1550.9 5 3 @VattghernCZ 1482.7 4 4 @Pifferfish 1414.8 3 5 @badcolethetitan 1366.6 2 6 @UghSike 1250.7 1  
Rank Group 5 TPE 1 @N0HBDY 1618.7 6 2 @youloser1337 1460.8 5 2 @Tetricide (GM) 1460.8 4 + 1 4 @Enorama 1404.1 3 5 @GoodLeftUndone 1318.1 2 6 @Grape 1315.3 1  
Rank Group 6 TPE 1 @Alex 1520 6 2 @tcookie 1510.6 5 3 @Smarch 1461 4 4 @Spartan (GM) 1453 3 + 1 5 @dstevensonjr 1310.5 2 6 @Schnee 1257.6 1  
Rank Group 7 TPE 1 @RileyL 1615.8 6 2 @Triller (GM) 1437.6 5 + 1 3 @Steve 1398.1 4 4 @Ktoms22 1386.4 3 5 @Mysterious_Fish 1235.4 2 6 @Zetterberg 1177.3 1  
Rank Group 8 TPE 1 @Sjin 1657.8 6 2 @v.2 (GM) 1525.4 5 + 1 3 @Lemorse7 1441.5 4 4 @KaleebtheMighty 1424.7 3 5 @sportexperts show 1261.4 2 6 @Baby Boomer 1240.9 1  
Rank Group 9 TPE 1 @Doomsday (GM) 1548.9 6 + 1 2 @kirbithan 1538.2 5 3 @Victor 1533.1 4 4 @Snussu 1377.1 3 5 @dlamb 1284.8 2 6 @SlapshotWrangler 1223.7 1  
Rank Group 10 TPE 1 @dogwoodmaple 1477.1 6 2 @samx (GM) 1443.3 5 + 1 3 @Banackock 1432.1 4 4 @ke1vi 1425.4 3 5 @FrostBeard 1381.6 2 6 @DarkSpyro (50%) 1144.9 1 -> 1  
Rank Group 11 TPE 1 @Gaikoku-hito 1536.8 6 2 @Beketov (GM) 1521.9 5 + 1 3 @Girts 1420.8 4 4 @AJW 1362.1 3 5 @Greg_Di 1315.4 2 6 @JCarson (50%) 1296.4 1 -> 1  
Rank Group 12 TPE 1 @Knight 1510.9 6 2 @CowboyinAmerica 1508.9 5 3 @Hogan 1463.2 4 4 @Patrik Tallinder 1406.3 3 5 @LucyXpher 1399.5 2 6 @Gustav (GM) 1321.5 1 + 1  
Rank Group 13 TPE 1 @hylands 1505.6 6 2 @MexicanCow123 1478.2 5 3 @Rhynex Entertainment (GM) 1435.9 4 + 1 4 @comrade cat 1434.1 3 5 @zepheter 1406.6 2 6 @STZ 1401.2 1
 
Rank Group 14 TPE 1 @rory (GM) 1534.8 6 + 1 2 @cLoWn 1497.7 5 3 @MubbleFubbles 1436 4 4 @Jubis 1412.8 3 5 @animal74 1407.5 2 6 @mattyIceman 1323.1 1

I promise this image made perfect sense in context.
 
 
The game of Mafia was invented in 1987 by a student at Moscow State University who has definitely never heard of the VHL. That student probably never envisioned Among Us the lengths to which the world would go to study the game, from profitable spin-offs to home-brew versions to even real mathematical research devoted to its analysis. Playing a game like Mafia requires intuition, wit, and lots of knowledge of game mechanics.
 
And running one takes even more.
 
My first exposure to Mafia came much earlier than I thought it was, when @Nykonax floated the idea of a game way back in May of 2019--this would have been S66. He ended up getting a decent-sized player list and making a game happen. At the time, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Not much that was being said in the game thread made much sense to me, and I walked away from the experience considering it largely forgettable. But, I was now aware that this was a thing that could be done on forums.
 
I must have retained that knowledge pretty soon after that, because I remember playing a game in the SBA right around the time of our affiliation fallout. That changed not much of anything about what I knew about the game, but I had retained the basic idea of talking during the day and doing things at night. I'd also joined the EFL (which I will openly admit was fueled by wanting affiliate checks), and in one of those affiliate leagues, I had my first exposure to Town of Salem--a game that you can find on Steam (although I've never played it) that is essentially just a fancy version of Mafia. It turns out that, as a fancy version of Mafia, Town of Salem (or ToS) is readily adapted to a forum game. I still didn't really know what I was talking about in the EFL, but they had a long rule thread and I was more comfortable hanging around there with it being a league that I knew had nothing against me being VHL-first.
 
By this point, it was clear to me that--even though I was clueless--the Mafia concept had managed to stick around for more than just a one-off in our affiliate leagues, and I'd also watched lots of people in those leagues play the games and like them a lot. It was something the VHL was missing, and I was bored--so I figured I should take matters into my own incompetent hands.
 
For those of you who are unfamiliar by this point, Mafia (in general) is a two-sided game consisting of an "informed minority," or an "evil" group of players who plot with each other behind the scenes to kill the others, and an "uninformed majority," or a "good" group who must use their own skills and find out who the bad ones are by talking out in the open (where the bad ones try to blend in and mess with their plans). There are lots of variations on this, many with more unique roles than others. I wasn't confident, so I eventually found myself digging through rule sets on some mafia game forum and settling on a game called Cult in the Jungle Republic where 12 of the 19 people who would end up playing were just residents of the town with no special abilities. We played the game, but most people didn't really like it for that reason--why would you want to play the game where you really couldn't do much aside from following votes? So, it was clear to me that to keep this thing going, we would need to go full Town of Salem--where every single player has a job to do and there are lots of layers to the game beyond just Town and Mafia.
 
Did I establish by this point that I had no clue what I was doing? Whatever. In any case, I relied on two things in equal measure to learn the game, without either of which the game would not be possible. The first was the Town of Salem Wiki, which has every possible role extensively documented with enough information that a game can be run if you read closely enough. The second was @omgitshim, who has every possible role also extensively documented in his head, as well as enough patience that a game can be run even if you're stupid. I spent lots of hours over lots of days dealing with both of those until I felt that I got the point, and then I finally put up the sign-up thread for the VHL's first-ever game of Town of Salem, just over a year after I joined the league and about four months after Cult in the Jungle Republic flopped. Check out the date on that one--is it really a surprise to anyone that we all had the time in our lives to get the game off the ground?
 
ToS #1 was a success, all in all. It took forever--no other game we've played has even started to approach Day 13--but it was a big learning experience for lots of people (myself included) and I had an absolute blast every time I started the night phase and got to see in real time who was taking shots at who. I stuck with asking OMG everything for the most part, but made it through my first game ever without a major crisis. 
 
I knew I'd run lots of games at the start, but I had no idea just how frequently I was doing it and I could never pull that type of thing off today. Within a week, I was signing people up for Game 2, and we'd run up 10 games between the end of March and the end of August--that's one game (which itself took just over a week on average between sign-up and last kill) about every two weeks over that time. I'm honestly shocked that we were able to maintain our player base that constantly, but I suppose that's all we had going on over the summer of 2020. In a way, I wouldn't doubt it if COVID was what gave us the amount of interested people to begin with, or if it was the reason why ToS caught on.
 
Regardless, lots of those interested people deserve my mentions. My handy-dandy stat tracking sheets give me all the info I need to tag those who have been involved the most--obviously OMG, but he and @eaglesfan036 have been considered our nastiest, most competent players from the very start. @Doomsday, @Ricer13, @jhatty8, and @Berocka can also all claim to have played just about every single game we've run (with Eagles, Berocka, and @Devise both running their own spin-off versions of ToS at one point or another). Some others who have stuck around consistently for a long time and are still active in our threads today are @Spartan , @Advantage, @N0HBDY, @rory, @Alex, and even @Ptyrell, who has never had a VHL player but has posted over 1,000 times on our forum for ToS and related games (including his own creative project, Town of Pallet). All of these and much, much more have made Town of Salem what it is, which is an awesome way for the community to really feel like a community. I've had so much fun watching everyone go at each other over the past four years (!) and I'm looking forward to a lot more.
 
To bring it back to being a point in the series about my own personal history, this wasn't the first time I decided to just do something fun for the community rather than waiting for it, but it was the most work I'd ever put into that. I think the league would be a much better place if it had more "just doing" in it, and Town of Salem is something I'll always be able to point to as an example of that. Even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the sim hockey part of the league (and therefore is just one of the "intangibles" on my record), I consider it one of my biggest VHL accomplishments and really feel that it deserves a solid place in this series.
 
 

Read my other articles for the full Gustav experience:
 
#1: Lightning Glory Gonna Be My Name
#2: Can't We All Just Get Along?
#3: Who Needs Cybersecurity Anyway?
#4: The House That I Built
#5: Can We Fix It?
#6: American Beauty
#7: The Kids Are Alright
#8: Dogs In A Pile
#9: I Just Wanna Grill For God's Sake
#10: This Old House

@Royski

Oslo Back In The Finals
 
The Oslo Storm have secured themselves a place in the Renaissance Cup final yesterday, with their 3-1 win over the Stockholm Vikings sealing a 4-1 series victory over the Swedish team. It marks the first time Oslo have made the final since Season 88, which was the last of four consecutive final appearances for the Norwegian side between Season 85 and Season 88. It will be interesting to see who will join them in the final; the Cologne Express are looking to make their fifth straight Renaissance Cup final appearance but they currently find themselves down 3-2 in their series with the Vasteras Iron Eagles.
 
The Spirit Of Competition
 
It sounds like LA are potentially looking at having their chances of winning first overall in the lottery slashed after starting LAS-G2 for 19 games this season. Those 19 starts are 11 starts over the current threshold for BOT goalies to start when a team already has a goalie over 250 TPE on their roster, which they have in the form of the active Matthew McCagg. I presume they’ll probably face similar punishments to that of Warsaw and Calgary following Season 90 and Seattle following Season 92, but an interesting note is the recurring problems that LA have had following this rule in comparison to the rest of the league. There have been nine instances since Season 83 of teams in the VHL breaking the spirit of competition threshold by three or more games and LA alone accounts for four of those instances (Six games over in Season 83, seven games over in Season 86, three games over in Season 89 and eleven games over this season). I don’t think there is any maliciousness here, but there does come a point where you need to figure out a system for submitting lines that makes your team compliant with the rules, especially given LA also has two Louth rule violations in that same timeframe.
 
Some Hidden Gems of The Season 94 Class
 
Figured I’d use the end of this article the same way I ended my last one by talking about the Season 94 class, but while last time focused more on the top guys, figured this time I’d highlight some players who could potentially be good value for a team later on in the draft. Ty Duke is currently sitting 29th in total TPE, but they’ve been displaying some good consistency recently in submitting for press conferences and trivia to help them consistently get around the 7-8 capped TPE mark each week. Dorji Khan currently sits in 25th place in TPE and, while they didn’t earn any capped TPE in their first four weeks in the league, they’ve more than made up for that over the last month, earning at least 9 capped TPE in each of the last four weeks. I’m also interested to see how high the highest earning First-Gen Andrew Skilton goes in this draft. Skilton has max capped in each of the last seven weeks, but this is a particularly strong top-end class as there are ten recreates in this class that have hit the 12 capped TPE mark every single week.

I could have been DC's GM if it weren't for you meddling kids--who knows what would have happened?
 
 
I also would have had way, way less to say about my time in the VHLM if I ended up being promoted in S68 with the addition of a couple new teams. The BoG toyed with the idea, but eventually they'd decided that they hated me some others were better fits at the time. But I was pretty darn good, after all...
 
 
...and my time was going to come eventually.
 
Cue @ShawnGlade fucking up.
 
I mostly joke because I think I would have been moved up sometime not far from S70 anyway. At one point, I was the one @Advantage wanted to take over Malmo eventually, and had the league known that he'd be giving up the team right after S70, they definitely would have waited a little bit on hiring me and done that instead. I almost could have flushed Malmo's hopes and dreams down the toilet too--could you imagine? At least two franchises should be glad I was unlucky.
 
But anyway, back to what I said earlier. When I joined the league, I knew Shawn as the builder of a solid player and a passionate GM in Davos who made a lot of moves that people questioned. Davos got made fun of a lot, even when they were good on paper. So did Shawn, by extension. Even when the team was good on paper, they just couldn't seem to piece it together. Which, by itself, wasn't a negative reflection on his management. With that being said, it certainly meant that when there was an actual shortcoming, the league picked up on it and ran with it.
 
After pinging Shawn, I hope I can keep it clear that I like him a lot while also fairly saying that I don't blame league leadership for considering it a red flag when he missed a couple drafts in a row without notice. Which is essentially all that presented a serious issue to the league. Things happen, and sometimes things matter a little more than this website--so when that runs to enough of an extent that the league has to BPA your picks and your players start leaving in free agency (future HoFer Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a big loss), it's enough for the league to also consider that maybe your team could use a bigger loser with more time and energy to devote.
 
I came across the BoG thread on the matter a couple seasons later when they let me in, and it actually started out as a discussion about (deservedly) removing Bushito as Calgary's GM after the Wranglers were functionally run by Dil and/or Blade for a few seasons on end. But S70's draft came and went with that thread up, and with Davos discourse becoming very public afterward, the topic quickly shifted. To be honest, things went into "who should we hire" pretty soon after that, and it was @Rin who pretty soon after that managed to avoid a lot of debate and lists and whatnot by recommending me specifically for the job. Really, the only bump in the road was Advantage bringing up that maybe I could run Malmo at some point--which he walked back later on saying that he wasn't sure what his plans were yet. So it was settled--I'd known myself that I was the heir to the Nighthawks and was a little bit disappointed to find out that it wouldn't be working out that way, but I've also mentioned before that S70 wasn't very happening in Mississauga and I was really excited when Beav contacted me to offer the big-league job. It was also cool to watch my then-both-former-and-future AGM @Berocka, who had just been hired in Halifax and made a questionable trade there, be moved over to run the Hounds because the personal connection we'd both built with the franchise was strong enough to warrant it.
 
With all the hype around me moving up, I was also a bit conflicted because I really didn't want it to happen the way it did. I'd seen Shawn's resignation post (the league asked him to quit instead of announcing it officially, but it was no secret) and subsequent discussion thread, and really did feel a bit bad. I also wasn't really sure how to approach the situation from my end. Here was someone I really had no issue with, whose team I'd inherited and would have to work with, who was a rostered player on that team, and who also probably was not a fan of me in that moment. I did reach out and we talked briefly, but we mostly gave each other some space at the start.
 
Something that was really important to me was the buildup of team culture. Davos was not in any position to win games in S70, and I'd heard a lot about how the team's community needed work. I didn't really want to deal with figuring out what that meant or how true that was, so I almost immediately created a new team server altogether. I followed the same exact strategy I had in building a locker room in Mississauga (which was mostly a carryover from my first season in Houston), which was to try to focus discussion into publicly accessible channels as much as possible and try to create a mutually beneficial environment for the team and the rest of the community. With the Hounds, I'd never had the need to bring in people who weren't affiliated with the team (and there were some cases where people would join the team for this reason!), but with a gutted and mostly demoralized roster, and no alumni network in my newly-created server, I decided to invite a handful of people who had been particularly good to me up to that point. I especially remember people like @Doomsday, @GlowyGoat, @McWolf, and @Esso2264 at the start, some of which would stay active in that server through my entire tenure even if they never made it onto my roster. On the roster itself was...really not much. We had the ever-reliable @Ahma on defense, and right around the time I was hired was when @Brrbisbrr (one of the nicest people I've ever met on this website) decided to make a comeback. Samuel Ross was my first Davos goaler, and he faced the absolute barrage of pucks faithfully in S70.
 
As you might guess, the biggest event of S70 was my hiring. I won't act like we won much of anything (we finished last, of course). My GM tenure had gotten off to a rocky start. I could have just thrown lines together and checked out until I finally got to draft in S71. But I felt that it was worth putting the time and effort into making a team run, at least a little bit, and I felt that our server benefited from that. I was really proud of some of the ways I felt appreciated by my new team, and haven't quite forgotten this article that's over 4 years old at this point. 
 
My first year with Davos reinforced a lot of what I already knew--that running your VHL team like a VHLM team and actually trying to see that your players have a positive experience instead of zoning them out and doing your lines when you have to is something that pays off. I'd much rather have the record I did in S70, and know that my team had a good time getting there, than have no connection with them and win a bit more. And while it's unfortunate that I couldn't do both of those things at once, you'll see as I cover the rest of my GM tenure that I don't regret it.
 
 

Read my other articles for the full Gustav experience:
 
#1: Lightning Glory Gonna Be My Name
#2: Can't We All Just Get Along?
#3: Who Needs Cybersecurity Anyway?
#4: The House That I Built
#5: Can We Fix It?
#6: American Beauty
#7: The Kids Are Alright
#8: Dogs In A Pile
#9: I Just Wanna Grill For God's Sake

I think the leadup to the VHL Draft is probably one of my favourite portions a career. Considering how the last draft cycle went for me, with me spending a large portion of my career with the team that drafted me, building a dynasty with them and eventually winning our Continental Cup together, my hopes are high.
 
Looking forward to my VHL career, my goal this time around is being in the right place at the right time for my personal career. I had a blast riding on Daniel Janser’s coattails last time around, and I still hold that time very dear to me. But this time I’m giving myself the best odds to get myself a legendary personal career. I will be communicative, I will be helpful, I will give my all to whichever franchise has my contract currently. But I will have no objection to hitting FA or working towards trades. With that in mind, I want to outline my current thoughts toward each of the VHL Franchises and how I think they will fit my player, Jillian Woods.
 
Calgary Wranglers
 
Funnily enough, this is the only VHL Franchise to have drafted me. Never played for them the first time around, as they seem to have just picked BPA and then ended up with a bunch of random VHL-ish goalie prospects and shipped me off. Landon Wolanin obviously played a large chunk of time there. Seeing how Strasmore, McFleury and Stauffer have struggled to put up offense though, I am not sure this is a good fit right now.
 
Chicago Phoenix
 
Cole is a GM that I’ve always wanted to play for, and there are a decent amount of young prospects that should have a good amount of success. I’m not sure they have a Janser-level talent here, but this feels very reminiscent of what Calgary looked like coming into S84. I fear that I would probably ride along with Lamb and Collberg for a long while before I could ever step into my own. It would be a great ride, but I wonder if there are better options for my personal success.
 
 
D.C. Dragons
 
D.C is an interesting scenario. They’re very obviously putting their efforts into winning right here, right now. They’ve got the next couple of seasons lined up, assuming they can find a Tucker Jr replacement, but this could be a great shot for someone like me to shine. Sure, they’ve got Calaway and some really solid supplementary defenders, but a second defender here could get some really strong usage on a team that will certainly score goals.
 
 
HC Davos Dynamo
 
Davos has very little on their roster, but a ton of draft capital and prospects. This was an expertly planned rebuild, and should be a very potent team. They’ve secured Bucatini and Forum Content up front that should be high TPA players, some decent goaltending prospects, but their main lack here is on defense. Getting to be the player who can take advantage of some high-potential players, especially while the talent level is still low, would give me a great shot of shooting out the gate hot.
 
Helsinki Titans
 
I’m not really sure what to make of Helsinki at this point. This season was obviously not supposed to have happened this way for the team, they had lots of talent, but were a piece or 2 short of the rest of the insanity that is Europe at the moment. They have a lot of prospects, but very few in VHLE territory and none above 300TPA. Most of the team will be aging out by the time I’d be getting around, but for a couple seasons, maybe we could get up to some trouble. Not hugely optimistic though.
 
London United
 
... hi guys. If you’ve been paying attention to the United roster over the last few seasons, I am a high-TPA defender hater. I much prefer to dump my cap into forwards and goaltenders, which yes, is ironic since I made a defender. I’m sure if I was on the board for myself I would take myself, but we both know that won’t happen, and I’ll be okay without that happening.
 
Los Angeles Stars
 
Not much here to talk about. Much like Helsinki they have a lot of prospects but not many that are near the VHL roster. I wouldn’t mind being one of the first pieces, but I’d probably prefer being the second draft of a rebuild.
 
Malmo Nighthawks
 
This has always been a very D-heavy franchise, and I’m sure Kaleeb knows how to sling D around by now. McFleury will be gone, and Stone aging out, could be a great chance for me to step inat the perfect time to become the next guy. The question is whether there will still be a contending team by that point.
 
Moscow Menace
 
Who keeps giving Moscow picks? Yeah this team is already a contender and has a boatload more picks coming. There’s no room for me I’m afraid, even if it would be a great ship to ride along on.
 
New York Americans
 
This team has been built from the back, and should be set there for the first half of my career. I don’t really think this is the spot that gets me the best start. I will cheer them on in their attempt to break the curse though, as I do always love a curse-breaker. If I were a forward, this would be a prime target for me.
 
Prague Phantoms
 
Prague is on a heater here in their last-ditch effort to get another Cup. By the time I’m up, there won’t much left from the current roster, if anything. They may not have much to sell and this may be a long rebuild. Much like the Stars, could be fun to be a first piece, but I’d much prefer to be in the second draft of a rebuild.
 
Riga Reign
 
Riga will have a new GM coming in for the first time in forever. This core didn’t really turn out, but some pieces could carry over, or some real assets could be recouped and a great team created. This is a really enticing spot for me, and I’m hoping that a great GM can be put in to run this rebuild.
 
Seattle Bears
 
I have always been a Seattle hater, as a Wranglers fan. But hey Leandro and Ricer have both done a stint there, so surely it can’t be that taboo. I can never really project what Seattle will be with Bana’s unique ability to just decide to compete and then it just happens. If I were to pick a positional need now though, it would be on defense and with a lot of talent retiring shortly, I could certainly find a spot in their retool, along with Mina.
 
Toronto Legion
 
Toronto is another team all in, and have a lot of talent retiring in the next couple of seasons. If they choose to ride to the end, this could be a tough rebuild, but they could also be the best team in the league for a couple more seasons. Really depends on what their plan is as to whether I would want to be in on this team. Could either be a really convenient timing on my part, or being the worst defender on a stacked, aging roster.
 
Vancouver Wolves
 
This is pretty much the same situation as Moscow, but a couple seasons behind. This team is loaded, will probably secure their final pieces this draft and move on to kick our asses until we change the rules again. Some things never change my friends and Vancouver winning in the finals against Moscow may once again be on the cards for the next 5 seasons. Oh, and there’s no room for me in this inn.
 
Warsaw Predators
 
This is the oldest, youngest team out there. I fear they may be perpetually cursed to have 3 good pieces forever. What it does mean is that the top couple of players on this squad rack up major success, but the team ends 5th or 6th. Would be a great launching point for me, and maybe I can help break the cycle! I have fond, distant memories of Warsaw, and would love to be back at some point.
 
 
Anyways, that’s about it. Some final disclaimers here for legal purposes. This article does not replace a draft interview. This article does not exclude anyone. I will sign with whichever team drafts me. I may not extend beyond that, but this article does not imply the results of that future decision. This article is not meant to sway opinion, encourage tomfoolery, or break any rules. Any names and likenesses are purely circumstantial. I am not liable for any decisions made from here on out. This is not legal advice. Talk to your doctor before drafting Jillian Woods. Not available to citizens in Quebec, Texas, Florida and Nova Scotia.
 
Also shoutout to this ridiculous S94 Class, and this wave of defenders who will inevitably kick my ass my whole career.

Following two consecutive losses on home ice to begin their second round series against the Saskatoon Wild, reports are coming out that some kind of strange ritual took place in the Halifax locker room.  This story comes from sources close to the team who say that following a 3-1 game two loss in the VHLM Playoff Semi-Finals, the Halifax locker room door was locked to all media members and strange noises could be heard echoing through the walls.  When asked to comment about what went on in the dressing room, team representatives called it a simple "team meeting".  By all accounts, this was no ordinary team meeting and many of the reporters who heard the noises were left quite shook.
 
"After the game we saw the management team come down to the locker room.  They went straight in and locked the door behind them.  At first we thought it was just a team meeting like they told us, you know, to tell the players to keep their heads up and stick to the game plan going into game three, but after a few minutes we started hearing odd sounds coming from the room-- stuff that would keep you up at night.  It's hard to describe, honestly." (Larry LeRoy, The Halifax Morning Star)
 
"It sounded like screaming-- not like a coach yelling at the players though, but like blood-curdling screams, and wailing.  Nothing like I've every heard in a hockey rink before." (Logan Lawrence, The Low Down)
 
"At first I thought maybe they were playing some music in there, but they were chanting.  It was very odd and kind of unnerving.  It started softly and they kept getting louder.  That's when the shrieking started.  After a while it stopped, but they still wouldn't let us in, though I'm not sure any of us really wanted to go in at that point." (Lacy Lewis, Fire On Ice)
 
When the door was finally opened, an equipment manager was seen scurrying off with one of the big garbage bins while the rest of the team seemed to resume business as usual as though nothing had happened.  
 
"When they finally let us in it was very eerie.  Everyone in the room seemed to be in good spirits, you know, laughing, joking, they had the blutooth going.  It was like nothing had happened, but we all know what we heard.  Oh, and there was a weird smell, I can't really put a finger on it... maybe bleach?" (Larissa Lacroix, The Crux of the Pucks)
 
Obviously, this is not the kind of story one takes lightly and there is only one question on everyone's lips-- what the hell was going on in there?  For my part, I wasn't present to hear the noises first hand, though I arrived at the room after it had been opened again.  It smelled like a locker room, sure, but there was something else lingering in the air.  It could have been bleach, but it definitely smelled like some kind of strong cleaning agent.  Looking around, I noticed that the floor was wet on top of the big Halifax logo in the center of the room.  I didn't see a mop anywhere, but it seemed like that area had just been cleaned.  Some of the other reporters I was with commented that a number of players seemed to have blood splattered on their white jerseys, though it is hard to say where it came from.  This is the playoffs, after all, and we know things can get pretty brutal on the ice. It's a noteworthy observation, nonetheless.
 

 
I reached out to Halifax General Manager Lexie Leitner for comment.  She didn't seem eager to reveal much about the "meeting" except to say that the team was in good spirits and ready for the next game.  I pressed on and asked her to comment on the reports of screaming and strange chanting coming from the room.  Her answer to this question was very interesting indeed.
 
"Well, you know, we just needed to take care of a few things.  It's an infernal-- excuse me-- internal matter so I can't comment on details, but I think the bottom line is the team is going to come out next game and play like they're possessed, you know?  If we're going to have a chance at coming back in this series, we're going to need our players smelling blood." (Lexie Leitner, Halifax 21st GM)
 
Out of context, perhaps we might think nothing of this statement from the rookie GM, but with everything that transpired in the postgame and the ominous signs-- the writing on the wall, so to speak-- her choice of words was a little hair raising, to say the least.  Was something truly nefarious happening in the Halifax locker room?  Could they have been engaged in some kind of occult ritual, perhaps even some kind of sacrifice?
 

 
I did some more follow up with a few others around the team who claimed to have heard the noises and they had more to say.  By way of a caveat, I don't know these witnesses well enough to certify their credibility so I can only offer their  testimony with a grain of salt-- that's blessed salt just so we're clear.  One source said they heard a name being chanted over and over-- Simon.  If true, who is Simon?  Nobody on the team or in the organization goes by that name so I really can't say what that could mean.  Another source said that the same equipment manager who ran off with the garbage bin was seen midway through the 3rd period carrying some kind of animal and that they saw what looked like horns sticking out of the bin as he ran off with it.  Another source seemed convinced that something had happened to John Season @dylanjj37 since the last time he was seen was when the team left the ice after the final horn.  I can confirm that Season was not present with the team in the locker room once the doors opened, but anything more is pure speculation.  Suffice it to say, there are more questions than answers and Jeopardy seems to be the jeu du jour.
 
...And now that I think of it, here's one more question: did you read the story about Maple Dogwood's Sauna Snafu?  According to the article's author, Dogwood @dogwoodmaple "accidentally" melted the ice surface in Halifax before the start of round two, mistaking the ice temperature control panel for the sauna thermostat.  The result was massive flooding across the lower levels of the building.  Luckily, the arena crew was able get the water under control and re-freeze the ice surface in time for game one, but I've yet to hear an explanation for why the tunnel leading from the 21st locker room to the ice surface has become an honest-to-god pond full of frogs.  Look, I've seen my fair share of horror movies and I don't need to be told that creepy secret rituals and frog infestations are bad omens.  This thing has the 10 plagues of Egypt written all over it and I don't want to stick around for when Azrael decides to show up!  
 

 
Okay, okay, it's possible we're sensationalizing this and blowing it all out of proportion.  Who knows, maybe it's nothing more than a quirky team-bonding exercise, an unfortunate flood, and a few rapidly breeding amphibians.  On the other hand, maybe it's something much more sinister...  Games three and four between the Halifax 21st and the Saskatoon Wild go tomorrow and only time will tell if something evil is afoot!  
 
༻⛧༺
Lauren Lambert for VHL.com

Dearest Pombo,
 
     I hope this correspondence finds you comfortable and happy even with the far too early exit caused by your playoff foes, the Bulls from Houston.  My name is Triller and I am representing the Titans of Helsinki as the Assistant to the General Manager.  You may recall our first interaction after your team's home game win against those pesky fish from San Diego in which your Aces supplied their gracious fans with a very impactful 7-3 win.  You had received the second star of the game for providing your team with a fabulous first period goal along with three wonderful helpers.  After your interview with the off-ice correspondent of the respectable Victory Sports Network, I was able to get your attention hoping to chat with you in regards to the upcoming S94 Victory Hockey League Entry Draft.  Though scouting is not my official job title, it does fall into the purview of my duties and there is no one I had wished to meet more than yourself, but I digress - in the confusion of the post game excitement you must have mistaken me as one of your team's equipment keepers and saw my outstretched arms as the caring location to which your sweat drenched gloves could be dried, sanitized and detailed for the Aces second game in the back to back meeting with the Marlins.  Though the meeting did not go the way I had dreamed it would, I did manage to get out of the arena with your magical mitts tucked gently under my waistcoat without attracting any attention.  
 
     Your gloves now rest on my office shelves in the Titans Complex and remain a constant motivator and reminder that I will achieve one of my life's greatest goals by bringing you into the Helsinki organization through the draft and returning these tools of destruction to the hands that best wield them.  Your performance this season came as no surprise to anyone who knows the game of Puck Stick like I do.  Your hockey IQ and bloodhound-like nose for the net makes you the pinnacle of your class and topping the scoring race is the most basic way of helping the plebeians of the sport understand, through simple numbers, that you should be their focus if they want to bring a new level of attention to their teams and cities.  However, they fail to read and recognize the spirit of a true goal scorer beyond the stats sheet.  Someone who never simply shoots for the back of the net, but shoots with the mindset of putting the puck THROUGH the back of the net.  You don’t, “tickle the twine”, “pop the bottle” or “light the lamp”.  You “eviscerate the twine”, “devastate the bottle” and “engulf the lamp in endless flame” with your ability to make defending goalies second and third guess their life choice to be in opposition of you.
 
     Helsinki and its people are wonderfully accommodating and provide an amazing place for our players and our team to grow and prosper.  We are building for the future and never more do I need my transition glasses than when I peer into that bright, lens flared future with you as one of the main set pieces of our leadership group.  We have amazing players currently associated with our team and they will be leaned on to represent the organization and grow into a team that will be ready when our other prospects and yourself emerge to carve a deep path into the Victory Hockey league as you represent all those wonderfully accommodating people of Helsinki.
 
     Other, less equipped, Assistants to General Managers may reach out to you with weak, limp wrists and soft, oddly moist hands in hopes that you will build a preference for their organizations but remember, I have the means for you to avoid the wet, wilting pieces of lettuce that they call hands…your gloves.  Join us as a Titan of Helsinki and let the name of Pombo rise into the elegant spruce rafters that house our passionate and dedicated fans.  Hear them chant your name and let it echo to the peaks of the mighty Loukkumaki.  Become a Titan.
 
Thank You
AGM to Helsinki, Triller

@samx

 
694 Words

Hey!

This was mostly kinda my fault so I'll give my explanation!

You're in a small group of not a standard first-gen (like actual first players), but you're coming back from inactivity (woohoo!). So you ARE eligible for the First Gen benefits, but you can't ALSO have the recreate carryover.

First Gen benefits are 21TPE (10 for hitting 100, 5 for The First Generation in the player store, and 6 from First Gen Doubles)
Your Recreate TPE was 19TPE

So you can spend 1.5M for the extra 2TPE, or we can revoke the First Gen Doubles Week and keep the carryover TPE.

Let me know what you choose and I'll get it all sorted for you. And of course if you have any more questions let me know!

With Mexico City’s post season coming to a quick end, Ahsoka Tano is officially on break and looking for her next home. Maybe it’ll be Mexico City? But who knows. With the VHLM draft coming up, and the buzz around the young defenseman minimal, who knows where she will end up next season. 
 
Ahsoka had finished the season off with 1 goal and 10 assists over 15 games with a -7. Her one goal did come on a power play. While not great, it isn’t really enough to reflect her potential. Given the lack of active teammates around her, it’s not surprising that Tano struggled to make much in her start. 
 
In the short-lived post-season, Tano did manage 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points over 5 games and was -4. Surprisingly, one of her goals was a game winner.
 
“We all know I didn’t have a chance to really show what I can do so I hope that whichever team decides to draft me knows that I’m a hard worker and I’ll do whatever I can to make a difference. Also I’ll try and figure out how to stop getting penalties.”
 
193 words for week ending 5/5/2024
 

After a long, hard-fought battle with cancer, Mama Sike decided it was time to rest. Thank you VHL for providing an outlet for me in this difficult time.

What an end to the season!
 
London grabs 100 points for the first time in a while. Wann Kerr leads the league in goals, a first in London history. He also leads the league (alongside John Jameson) in points, with a whopping 127! Leonard Triller breaks 100, Sjin and Lloyd Braun break 90. Teno finishes of their regular seasons with one that should no give no doubt to voters that they belong in the Hall of Fame. The team allowed the second fewest goals, scored the third most, and ended with the best goal differential in the league.
 
Jillian Woods ends the season as the highest scoring defender in the VHLM, and leader in assists as well. Ottawa gets 50 wins, 100+ points, and leads the league in the standings. Best goals against by a decent margin, and best goal differential.
 
The Regular season was a thing of wonder for me and my people, which means I’m surely in for some playoff disappointment, but I call this season a win regardless, and I’m excited to see where the next season takes us!

Points
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/17444707/
 
Goals
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/17707463/
 
Plus/Minus
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/17707480/
 
Penalty Minutes
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/17707510/
 
 

CALGARY - The season is nearing a close and Wranglers center Raimo Tuominen is far from satisfied with his regular season. However, one thing that he was able to get off his back was finally cracking the 20 goal milestone in his third season of the VHL. That was a major concern for Raimo whose offensive numbers have been weak to start his career. With only 8 goals his first season and 17 in his second, he has been far from being the center he feels he should be.
 
“I mean, I was drafted at such a high position and I’m supposed to be a big piece of this team moving forward. Unless the mentality of the higher ups changes, that seems like the plan going forward.” Raimo said after his second season. “I need to at the very least be a solid 20 goal scorer by the end of the regular season. Of course, my focus is always on the championship but I need to progress in the regular season before I even think about the playoffs.”
 
He finally hit the 20 goal plateau earlier this season. He even got his first career hat trick. When he finally hit the 20 goal mark, he simply smiled.
 
“Good to see I was able to actually pull it off. As much of a relief it is, I can’t afford to relax now.”
 
The forward ended up hitting the 30 goal mark a few games ago.
 
“Great. I’m glad I hit the mark. Now time to score goals when it matters the most.”