Mason

It's been a very uneventful couple of weeks spent in the VHLM so far for Damir Timofeyevich. After joining the league with high expectations of what he would be able to achieve, it's fair to say that over the last couple of weeks he hasn't done a great job of blowing anyone away. He's become a little distracted from his initial goal of taking over the league and establishing himself as a force in the VHL. It's inevitable that he might not be as strong as he had hoped given that he relocated from his familiar homeland of Russia to a new place halfway across the world to the US in order to train with new coaches and grab the attention required to secure a VHLM contract, but perhaps the bright lights of his temporary home have caused him to lose focus of what it is that he was working toward. The one thing that's on Damir's side is his age; it's still very early on in his career and you would think that there's still an abundance of time to correct this type of issue and force his career back on the track to success. He certainly believes that he's got the potential to be great in the league, and hopefully when he finds a team and is given some games in the league he will be able to evidence this. 232 words

#ReleaseTheHounds

Damir Timofeyevich - Junior Review Through his career so far, there has certainly been a lot of potential shown by Damir Timofeyevich to become a player who might just be able to enjoy a successful career in the VHL. He was born in Moscow, Russia and spent a large part of his childhood practicing his skills on the ice not as a hockey player, but as a figure skater. Coming from a family of skaters, the push to follow in the family career was strong and dominated a lot of his childhood, but before his 13th birthday he was able to watch a hockey game in person and it changed his perspective forever. From that point on he only wanted to devote himself to mastering the sport of hockey, and he began to obsessively work on his skills by practicing with an old stick he had found and anything he could find in the street to simulate a puck. It wasn't the best way of practicing and learning the game for a young player, but it only fuelled his desire to get a proper chance to play in the best possible setting when his time came around. After a few months of practicing in secret on the side of his figure skating work, Damir went to his father and told him that he would like to play hockey. Although it was not easy for him to bring him around and on side, when Damir showed his father how hard he had worked and the ability that he had gained, he allowed him to practice with a local team. Before long, he was signed as a prospect by Dynamo Moscow, one of the best hockey teams in the whole of Russia. Being around the kind of talent that was present with that team allowed Damir to really develop his ability and skills on the ice, and it wasn't long before he was really able to stand out among even the great players that he found himself alongside at his new team. Before long, calls began to come in from agents who believed he might have what it takes to make a career in the VHL. It was something that Damir had never really considered before, but realising that he had nothing to lose, he decided to go ahead and make the steps required to enter the VHLM. Damir is hoping to take all the lessons he has learnt so far in his career to the next level and apply them in a big way in the VHL. 425 words

Meet Damir Timofeyevich! Every season there are a lot of players who look to begin their VHL journey by making a name for themselves playing in the VHLM. One player who is hoipng that he is able to forge a new name for himself most recently is the young Russian centre, Damir Timofeyevich. Hailing from St Petersburg, the youngster has impressed scouts who have watched him play at the junior level and is hoping that now the time is right for him to be able to translate that success to the next level and forge a successful career for himself on the biggest stage possible. We have seen a lot of people with similar goals fail before they even get going, but Damir is hoping that his determination and will to succeed should be enough to get him to where he needs to be, when coupled with the natural talent and determination he possesses. Although there'll be a long wait for Damir to be involved in any drafts because of the timing with which he's made the decision to join the league, he's hopeful that by the time those important days come round he'll be more than ready to make an impact and help any team that sees him as worthy of acquiring. 210 words

Player Information Username: Mason Player Name: Damir Timofeyevich Recruited From: Returning Age: 18 Position: C Height: 74 in. Weight: 220 lbs. Birthplace: Russia Player Page @VHLM GM

2.) This is a extremely stressful time of year , school, financial, midseason, trade deadline, and the holidays ! What do you like most and least about this time of year? There is a lot of stress at this time of the year but it is still a lot of fun to get into the Christmas spirit. I love the holidays and looking forward to them this year 4.) Have you looked into the S76 VHL draft pool ? Any players standout to you ? I really haven't looked at the draft class at all. Going to try and learn a little bit more about the players in there and looking forward to meeting anyone in it who joins the Wolves 7.) Vancouver is so famous for Whistler Mountain and the activities there, have you ever been if so how often and what is your favorite thing to do? I haven't had the chance to visit yet. I'm hoping that when the offseason comes I can make myself available and find the time to go and visit 9.) Last week the Wolves went on for 6 straight wins, what were the biggest contributing factors in this offensive onslaught? I think it's just team chemistry. Everyone worked really hard and was firing on all cylinders, it was a great run for everyone on the team and I'm really happy with the results. 10.) Do you check the Index, LR chat, Sim results chat, or the VHL Portal when looking at the teams post game results ? I usually check the portal for that stuff, easiest way of getting the full picture for me 12)Gabe Akerstrom @Mason has been on fire since coming out west and had the best game of his career against the team that drafted him last week scoring 2 goals and an assist. Who outperformed who who that game Emi or Gabe ? I'm going to be arrogant and say myself here. I was really surprised that I got traded earlier in the season so it was nice to be able to get my own back on my old team a little bit by laying hte hammer down

It's been an interesting first season playing in the VHL for young defenseman Gabriel Akerstrom. After having left the team that drafted him, the Helsinki Titans, in a trade to join the Vancouver Wolves, he wasn't really sure what he would be able to expect from his first season playing with the team. A lot goes into a move like that and it definitely took a lot of hard work from the young player in order to improve to the level that his team needed him to this season, but Gabriel is happy with the results for both him and his team. What was a really nice thing for him to see was that his scoring pace actually improved a significant amount having left the Titans. He was on a 0.5 PPG pace through the first 36 games of the season that he spent in Helsinki, but was able to push that pace up to 0.8 PPG through the remaining 60 games he played with the Wolves. It was a very nice feeling to end a season that had seen a lot of change take place in a strong way for the young player, and he's hopeful that over the next few seasons he's able to establish himself as an important piece for the Wolves. (219 words)

Traded It was definitely a little upsetting to come back to the site after taking a break from sim leagues and see that the team that had drafted me just a season before had made the decision to trade me to another team. I can understand why the move was made from Helsinki's perspective because I hadn't earned anything in some time and the team needs to make the move that works best for them, but at the same time I had hoped to spend my whole career with the Titans and become one of their best players of all time. That wasn't to be and instead, Gabriel Akerstrom will start again with a new team; the Vancouver Wolves. Vancouver is a long way from Helsinki but from what he can tell it seems like his career will be in good hands with the management in Vancouver, with the team currently being the cup champions at the time of writing. He hopes that he will be able to make a name for himself with the team and show them that they made the right move when they decided to trade for him; when one door closes another opens, and Gabriel hopes he can do everything he can to make the most of this new opportunity. (214 words)

damn

Pleasantly Surprised Coming into his rookie season, Gabriel Akerstrom was pretty clear in what his role with the Helsinki Titans was going to be. His primary role was going to be playing as the team's lowest priority defenseman, likely not seeing a ton of minutes and being used in a role where he was largely expected to just hold a spot down for the team and do what he could to avoid being a total liability. It has been a real surprise however, that through the first 12 games that have been played in the season he has in fact been able to come up with some offensive production, something he certainly wasn't expecting. Putting up 9 points, he's proven to be a pretty capable driver of offense from the blueline, particularly given the limited minutes he's been playing, something that has definitely not hurt the Titans as they've so far been able to post a 6-3-3 record, good enough for 3rd in the European Conference. It's certainly been a better start to the season for Gabriel than he had really allowed himself to hope for, and it's built a good foundation for him to go on and have the kind of productive rookie season that would really set his career off on a high note. 214 words

Starting Perfect If you read the title of this article before the actual content, you might think that the team I'm on won their first games of the year. Making this assumption would leave you sadly mistaken however, as we managed to lose the game and start the season with a 0-0-1 record. No, the perfect start that I'm referring to is the fact that I was able to score a goal in my VHL debut. It has given me the perfect start on my journey to scoring a goal in every single game that I play in during my career, and all I need to do from here on out is keep scoring these goals in all of the games that I play. Hopefully the team around me keeps getting me the puck and I can continue to keep the streak alive. Obviously it would be nice for the team to win some games but for now, we should all settle for me being able to score a goal in every single game. Long may the trend continue, and hopefully seeing my incredible success helps inspire everyone else to try and achieve the same thing, but maybe not quite the same because it's my original idea. (207 words)

Gabriel Akerstrom - Rookie Experience There's no denying that the prospect of playing his rookie season in the VHL is something that’s been weighing on the mind of Gabriel Akerstrom during the recent weeks. After having been a surprise first round pick for the Helsinki Titans in the S74 draft, he spent the previous season back playing in the VHLM before finally getting the chance to try and show them that he was worth the draft choice that they used on him. When it comes to setting expectations for the season, Gabriel has made a point of trying to be as realistic as possible. Being a defenseman at the professional level is a hard task to grow into, and in order to avoid falling into a trap of self doubt if he cannot reach overly lofty expectations, Gabriel decided that a more pragmatic approach would be in his best interest. His most basic goal is to not make his team worse than they would be without him. If he can avoid making mistakes and being a liability when he’s out on the ice, that’s enough for Gabriel at this stage of his career. The chance to learn from those around him and work hard on improving with every game is something that he’s certainly looking forward to. Gabriel has also decided that it’s important for him to make sure that any mistakes he does make are used as opportunities to learn and improve in the future, that’s fine with him. Nobody comes into the league knowing everything, and the most important thing for him at this stage is building a foundation for future success. I wouldn’t say that Gabriel has any reservations about making the jump to the big league at this point. He’s spent a lot of time mentally preparing for this moment and the pressures that come along with it, and as such, he’s glad that he had the extra season spent in the VHLM to improve on various aspects of his game before being thrown to the wolves. He isn’t the biggest name player we’re going to see make their debut this season, but he’s hoping that he’ll be able to help his team out and show just a little bit of the flair that lead to them drafting him. He’s got a lot to learn, but everyone has to start somewhere and Gabriel Akerstrom is incredibly excited to face the challenges that his rookie season is going to bring. (408 words)

Helsinki Titans Roster Preview I don’t really think that anyone can argue that the Helsinki Titans have historically been one of the VHL’s finest franchises. Enjoying a celebrated history that’s seen them win multiple Continental Cups since entering the league, they’ve consistently been able to compete as one of the league’s best and they’ll be hoping that this upcoming season sees them continue on this path. The roster that the team will be fielding puts them in an interesting spot, as they bring a few rookie players into the fold and will be hoping that they’re able to compete at the kind of level that’s needed to ensure the team remains in the picture to challenge the best teams in the European Conference. There’s also some players on the team who are really starting to enter their prime seasons, none moreso than Ola Vikingstad, who the team acquired in a trade last season and looks as if he will be the focal point of the team’s forward group this season. The team sports a healthy goalie pairing that is also approaching its prime seasons in the league, with both Calvin Harvey and Zamboni Driver being relatively young and should be a very effective one-two combination for the team as they go into the season. What makes a team capable of winning a championship is the players that teams are able to surround their superstar talent with, and I think that the Titans have done a very good job of adding the kind of pieces who can really make an impact and help those around them. Alongside Vikingstad in the forward group are Valtteri Vaakanainen, an S72 player who should be at the level this season where he’s able to contribute and have a legitimate breakout season. He’s ably supported by Jared Spaz, Hiroshi Okada and Patrik Laine, who are all the type of elite talent who have great careers ahead of them while still being threatening on the ice in this season. The forwards that Helsinki are able to put out may not feature the big names that some other teams have, but they’re certainly a very capable unit and it’s going to be interesting to see the way that they’re able to perform this season. When it comes to talent behind the blueline, the Titans are a little bit thinner on the ground, but they do have a serious star of the future to work with in Spencer Elsby. Already having broken the 700 TPE barrier as an S72 player, Elsby has a lot of potential and despite being so young will be looked at as the team’s leader on defense this season. My own player, Gabriel Akerstrom will be making his VHL debut this season and I’m excited to see what he can bring to the table; I’m not expecting much, and as long as I’m not a total liability for the team I’ll honestly be happy. There’s a lot of storylines to follow on the Titans this season, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we get on. I think we’re capable of achieving a lot, just have to hope now that the sim gods are feeling generous and our luck decides to come in. 538 words

1.) Did you tune into the draft? If so what did you think of it? I wasn't able to watch, but shoutout to all of the guys Helsinki picked. Excited to have the chance to play with all of you 2.) Did you expect the Draft to be so long? What do you think about have a deep pool of prospects and How it will potentially effect the team? I didn't really have any idea about how it would be, it's something that's interesting and I'm curious to see the way that it affects the team in the long run 4.) What did you do as a player to welcome a new titan into the fold? If You are the new player what did someone do to welcome you? I'm a new player on the team this season (even though I wasn't just drafted). Everyone's been really nice and supportive so far and done a lot to make me feel welcome. 5.) The season is about to begin on Wednesday, are you ready? (What have you been doing to make sure you are at your best come Wednesday when the puck drops both physically and mentally? I'm ready. I've been putting the work in since the last season finished, hopefully it pays off when I step onto the ice 6.) Do you have any goals for your upcoming season? You gonna be a hit machine or a passing god?? I am dying to know where you think you will shine. Hopefully can put up some assists. I'm probably going to be a third pairing defenseman but hoping I can do enough to drive some offense from the blueline. 7.)Predictions, predictions... do you think Helsinki will be a top contender this season? Where do you think we are ranked in the Euro Conference? I think we've got this. Hopefully we can be a top two team in the conference, would be great to see us go on a playoff run too

Moving To Helsinki After a couple of seasons that have seen him move across the world and the country more times than he would really have liked to, Gabriel Akerstrom should now be able to make something of a more permanent change in location. After having spent the most reason season playing in Halifax and the season before playing in Las Vegas, his recent call up to the VHL means that he is once again required to relocate to join his team, the Helsinki Titans as he begins his career in earnest. Gabriel sees this move as hopefully the last one he'll ever have to make; he's very excited to have the opportunity to join a team that's as historically successful as Helsinki and thinks that the opportunities he'll be able to get from playing there would be hard for any other franchise to match. After so many seasons of moving around based on what the game demands of him, the chance to finally establish somewhere to call home and put down some roots is a nice feeling Everyone has been very welcoming of him since he made the move to join the Titans, and he can't wait to get started on his rookie season with the team. (208 words)

1) Its draft week! How excited are you to welcome new faces to the team? Can't wait! Looking forward to not being the newest guy on the team anymore. 2) World cup gets underway this week. Who do you think takes the medals this time around? Not really following it too closely but my guess would be Canada. 3) What will you be working on during the off-season? Going to try and get my checking up a little bit. Hoping to get some hits out there on the ice this season, also going to be hitting the gym to work on improving my strength too. 4) What relaxing activity do you like to take part in during the off-season? I like to spend some time doing some yoga. Helps my body recover and get back to full strength and lets me relax my mind a bit too. 5) Are you eager to put the skates back on and get back out on the ice? Can't wait! Looking forward to getting back into it and playing some games in the VHL. 6) We were sad to see Erik Draven off to retirement. What closing remarks would you send his way? Sucks to see him go, would have loved the chance to play alongside him but hope he enjoys his retirement!

1. How did you feel about the finals? I would have felt a lot better about them if I was in them 2. What are your player's plans for the upcoming seasons? I think I'm going to the VHL next season. Need to step up what I've been doing if it's going to go well tho 3. How are you planning to update your build going forward? I think immediately I'm going to try and get a little better offensively. Would be nice to see some more production next season 4. It's getting colder as we get to mid autumn, what is your player doing to keep warm? Gabriel being Swedish means he's used to the cold, he'll probably throw another layer on if it gets too bad 5. What is your player's favourite autumn snack or beverage? Pumpkin spice latte 6. If you had to swap your player's role on the ice rink, 5 minutes before a game, where would you play? I think it could be fun to play goalie, maybe that's where he'd go

Farewell Halifax After a season that is very hard to look back and conclude on definitively, my time in the VHLM has come to a close. The Halifax 21st were without a doubt the best team in the league the whole season, steamrollering their way to the best record in the regular season but when it mattered and it came to the playoffs, they simply weren't good enough. A shocking first round exit has left the team reeling, and with a large amount of turnover due with players graduating to the VHL, the feelings of disappointment are very real. On a personal level, I would have loved to have had the chance to win a cup and make my way to the big league as a champion. Unfortunately, it just wasn't to be and Akerstrom played terribly all throughout the playoffs, failing to help the team out in the way that they would have needed to have gotten into the second round. To go through 7 games without scoring a single point is simply indefensible, and I'm upset with what my player brought to the table during the season. I feel terrible that Halifax had the confidence to use a high pick on my player only for him to turn into such a waste. I wish the team the best going forward, and maybe it's for the best that I won't be there to drag them down anymore? (237 words)

Evaluating Akerstrom's VHLM Career It's likely that at the conclusion of this season's VHLM playoffs, Halifax 21st defenseman Gabriel Akerstrom will have played his last game in the league. He has expressed a keen desire to make the jump to the VHL next season, and after two seasons playing in the league it's understood that he's looking to try and face some new challenges. The defenseman was drafted in the first round by the Helsinki Titans in last season's VHL Entry Draft, and is one of the team's most valuable prospects so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the team look to incorporate him into their lineup as soon as they can. The time that Gabriel has spent in the VHLM over the last two seasons has been ultimately very frustrating. The sense that he could have performed a lot better with the opportunities that were given to him is something that he can't get away from, and even though he was able to play as part of a great team in Halifax this season, there were several occasions when he felt like the weak link and that he wasn't living up to his draft spot or his hype. Gabriel played his first VHLM games in S73, when he joined the Las Vegas Aces as a free agent pickup for the majority of the season. Playing in 61 games, Gabriel was a useful contributor for the team, scoring 5 goals and tallying 48 assists for a 53 point season that seemed to hint at him being capable of notable production offensively. The Aces were an upstart team that season who were able to play far beyond the expectations that had been set for them, and Gabriel enjoyed being a part of the overachieving group. It was a great season for Gabriel in all facets, as he was able to produce eye catching numbers defensively too, with 92 shots blocked in the 61 games played. It all pointed to a breakout season being on the cards when he returned to the league the following season, with some additional experience and development. It didn't quite work out like that however. After being selected by the Halifax 21st with the second overall pick in the S74 VHLM Dispersal Draft, Gabriel joined a team with a clear goal of winning a championship. The roster certainly had the strength to do it, evidenced by the team's ability to earn the best overall regular season record in the league. Based on the strength of the players around him and the success of the team, you'd think that Gabriel would have recorded some monster numbers, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Tallying just 51 points in the 72 games played, Gabriel's production fell off a cliff. His shot blocking numbers declined sharply also, leading the frustrated young defenseman to wonder where it had all gone wrong. I think ultimately, I'll look back on this season as a positive because it's been fun to be able to be part of such a competitive squad, but I'm a bit mystified about how adding TPE to my player's build has lead to him playing worse. It is what it is, I'm looking forward to facing a new challenge next season and can't wait to see how Gabriel adapts to playing in the VHL. (555 words)

1. A strange eerie feeling has been in the air this week, what has really been spooking your player inside the stadium? The only thing spooky in the arena has been how bad Gabriel has been playing, truly terrifying 2. If some weird rule suddenly came into Ice hockey where we needed 40 players, which team in the VHLM should we partner up with? And what would it become? I have a soft spot for Vegas, so would be good to join up with them 3. What are your thoughts on the playoffs? Glad we won the first series, shame I'm not doing shit but as long as we keep winning 4. What are your player's plans of the off season? Hopefully get a lot better at the game of hockey no matter what else it is I do 5. Our mascot actor has become sick, who would you volunteer to take on the role for a day? What would be their dance moves? I will step up to be the new mascot, can't be any worse at that than I am playing on the ice 6. Your player has been chosen to sponsor a product in a new commercial? What product is is, and what is your slogan? I'm going to choose to sponsor my own product, some kind of alcoholic beverage. The slogan will come to me later

Akerstrom Struggling It feels like I'm back here again telling the same story that I have been all season, but there really is no other way to spin things here; Gabriel Akerstrom's playoff campaign so far has been absolutely terrible. Through the first 5 games that the Halifax 21st have played in the postseason this year, he has not been able to put up a single point; for a player who has consistently been marketed as an offensive defenseman this is something that certainly wouldn't be expected and will leave more than a few people disappointed. The 21st have been able to win the first series that they've played, but it's disappointing for Gabriel to not make any sort of tangible contribution. Being drafted with the second overall pick, the team would have had high expectations of what he's able to do and it's certainly not unfair to say that he's struggled to live up to those expectations so far. It's not too late for things to get back on track but based on what we've seen from Gabriel so far this season, it's unlikely that things are going to change that much in the remaining games of the season. We'll see where things go from here, but I think it might be best to forget this season ever happened and simply move on. (224 words)

1. Halloween is fast approaching us, what event would you like to see Halifax hold for it's team members in celebration? Let's get the whole team going out trick or treating together 2. If you had to guess your GM's favourite Halloween candy or treat, just based on his personality, what would it be and why? Hard to guess but I'm going to say something like a butterfinger? Really don't know 3. Will your player be wearing a costume on the ice next week? What will it be? I will be wearing a costume of my favorite hockey player, Gabriel Akerstrom 4. What would you like to see our captain Rick Osman wearing? Keep in mind he is a tall guy. I think he could dress up as Lurch from the Addams Family 5. What area do you think your player is succeeding in the most? He isn't really succeeding anywhere tbh, maybe in getting water for his teammates? 6. What area is your player's weakness, can you work towards improving this? Definitely putting up any kind of production whether offensive or defensive is his weakness. Need to earn some more TPE I guess

as someone not in the vhl discord i'm a fan of this move

Playoff Mode There's only three games left in the regular season of the VHLM, and for the Halifax 21st it's definitely a season to celebrate. After a terrible year for the team last go around, loading up on talent at the most recent VHLM Dispersal Draft has given them the opportunity to put together a very competitive squad which was able to secure the best regular season record in the entire league. The next goal now of course, is to translate what they were able to do during the regular season into a successful post season run. There'll certainly be some competition from some of the other teams in the VHLM, but I think at this point that Halifax have to be quietly confident about what it is they'll be able to do. The squad they've put together has enjoyed an incredible amount of success, and I think there has to be some serious optimism about what they can go on to do when all is said and done. I'm excited to be a part of the team's playoff run this year, and although my player didn't really have the kind of success in the regular season I'd been hoping for, if he can get it done when it really matters that'll more than make up for things. 216 words

Western Conference Focus: Las Vegas Aces Carrying on with my series of Media Spots writing about the teams that make up the Western Conference of the VHLM, the team I'm going to be focusing on today is the team that holds the top spot; the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces are a team that I'm personally very familiar due to spending my rookie season in the VHLM with them, and it seems like in the season since then they've really been able to put all the pieces together to make them a legitimate contender. Let's look into what it is that's allowed them to step up in the way that they have this season. The Aces have been able to put up a 45-13-6 record through the 64 games that they've played so far this season. This is good for third in the entire VHLM, and it certainly speaks to the level of play that the current roster has been able to maintain through the length of the season. Out of all the players, the one who most obviously stands out on the scoresheet is forward Gary Rush. Tallying a highly impressive 112 points on the season, he's been the focal point of Las Vegas's offense, and a pivotal reason for their success in the season so far. He's been ably assisted by a strong supporting cast too, with second year forwards Chris Reynolds and Rhynex Entertainment both crossing the 100 point threshold too, with 107 and 103 respectively. All three players on a line having over 100 points with a few games left to go certainly speaks to the offensive potency of them as a unit, and their success is undoubtedly a major factor in the strong performance that their team has put together so far this year. There's also been some good support from the blueline in the form of returning player Kasper Kankkunen. Able to drive offense from his own zone to a high level, Kankkunen has been a sparkplug on defense for the Aces who has really been able to put up the kind of points that have helped his team be as competitive as they have been. Add into the mix a strong performance on the season from starting goaltender Drew Minott, and you're left with a team that has a serious claim at being a legitimate contender for the cup this season. While it might not be easy for the Aces to go up against some of the powerhouse teams we've seen in the Eastern conference this season, they will certainly go into this season's playoffs believing themselves to be a team that is a real threat for anyone else. With the season slowly running out of games, it's going to be interesting to see how much momentum the team can build up in the final week of the season. Regardless of what happens, it's been great to see my former team have such a successful season this time around, and I really do wish them all the best going into the playoffs this season. They're a great group who really deserves their success. 519 words