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)