RMiner57

$20, 2x 5 TPE

Does this post express logic in any capacity to you?

Wow, people actually like this? I'm honestly surprised.

Being a newb here I thought to myself, what could I possibly write that's relevant to everyone, and could possibly educate people about the VHL? Well, the answer is quite short and as uninteresting as this post is: nothing. So instead of taking a swing at looking intelligent while writing about stuff I have no clue about, I'm going to try my hand at looking dumb while writing about stuff I have no clue about. So for everyone's benefit, I'm going to review the thing that's least relevant to the league: the logos. European Conference: Okay. First off, the Cologne Express. The first thing I notice is the record that looks like is spinning. Or atleast, I'd have to guess. Then second of all, this train has no visible wheels. What's going on here? Is it going off the rails on a crazy train? I have no idea. All I know is, this team is on an express. With no wheels. Which isn't very fun. Grade: Where's the cologne bottle? So, apparently there's a city that's called "HC Davos." So where's the HB Davos? Or the Davos City? And those mountains. Or pyramids. Or triangles. Whatever those are. Are those "Dynamos"? Do the players wear triangles on their heads? So much mystery. Maybe they just want to be at the top of the food pyramid. Maybe they're on the way to the top. Either way, they've got me confused. Which, as you may find out is common in this media spot. Grade: You may be the Dynamo, but you aren't greatamo. So, apparently they're Titans. What kind of Titans? Are they 'Titans of Stone'? I'd worry about their shooting. Come to think of it, being made of stone wouldn't bode well for hockey. If they were really big and menacing, they might not fit into an arena. Safe to say this team name is a sham. Plus, what kind of titan looks like some Joe Shmoe in a helmet? Needs more chiseled roman body. That's what this needs. This isn't going to boost a team. Grade: No hands of stone for me, bro. In fact, stay stoned. I'm going home. So, there's Titans and a Reign. Maybe they're just reins. Wouldn't that be a terrible name? The Riga Reins? So you can get ridden every night, and have a team name that just summarizes how you played. Like a pile of Riga. Wait, what kind of point was I trying to make at the start there? Maybe the Reign control the Titans. Well, that would make sense, since they're playing hockey while stoned. Not hard to beat a stoned hockey player. Believe me. Grade: Latvia is cool. My player is Latvian. But getting ridden is not cool. So I don't approve. Wait, did I even review this logo? Vasteras. What a cool name. Then you've got this bird, who's clearly not made of iron. In fact, that's probably a good thing because, as I said in regard to the Helsinki Stoned Titans being made of a mineral doesn't bode well when you want to play the game of hockey. Nevertheless, I suppose they make do with such an awesome home city name. They're all like, "Yeah. We're the Vasterasses. Suck it." Grade: Pure gold. Or yellow. I hope you didn't lose as many brain cells reading this as I did writing this. If this is a hit, I'll write part two for the North American conference. Actually, I don't even care. I'll do it anyway. This is important stuff. STAY TUNED FOR MORE EXPERT ANALYSIS OF TEAM LOGOS NEXT WEEK.

Ahh, gotcha. Was a little confused about that.

RIGA, Latvia --- Klajums, #50 makes a pad save for the Latvian U20 international team Late Blooming For Ivars, his childhood was a blur. "It was hard. Grew up with four other rascals, and being the oldest you obviously have to be the 'third parent'. My dad worked out in a mine and my mother had the least envious job, taking care of us. We weren't well off, but life was okay. I worked as soon as I could, and tried to do my best with my work and schooling." For him, at the age of eleven is when he learned he loved hockey. He moved to Canada with his parents so they could pursue further work. They settled down in Smithers, BC. "Down the block the kids set up games pretty much every other day of street hockey, I was a pretty shy kid so I just watched, but my dad came home with a hockey stick and it just happened from there. I played D the first time I think, I was so bad that they, kindly, persuaded me to go into the net. I was pretty terrible, as you can expect." For him, it was his best friend, a kid he met from his school that helped him get better. "At first I wasn't a huge fan of hockey, but I visited his house all the time," he recalled his times with a laugh, "He was a rabid Canucks fan. I believe that's the season when Luongo was traded from Florida to the Canucks, and watching him was astounding. He was a stone wall, and I started to model him when we played. Without padding, may I add. Lots of scraped knees." He wouldn't get into organized hockey until he was fourteen, starting first as a defenseman. He only played goalie at the age of 16 when he subbed in for his local junior team when their goaltender came down with the flu. "I think it was kind of natural. I was a defenseman and I'd always wanted to try goaltending on ice." He remembered a very lost locker room as he recalled his first game on the ice in an exhibition as a wide eyed rookie with a smirk, "We all had fun with it. A few of the vets on our team had left so we knew it wasn't going to be too great of a season. I think the score was around 8-2." He chuckled while remembering the game, "8 goals may be generous." Though that season he turned out a sub-.900 SV%, he felt he had a strong season afterwards, playing a few games as their de-facto backup from then on. "We nearly made the playoffs but lost two straight at the end and ended up missing. But I learned a lot. And I matured a lot," When I asked him about his decision to join the Victoria Royals he said, "It was another one of those big moves for me, but not as bad as moving from Latvia to Smithers. It was a lot larger of a town." In the WHL is where the young Ivars really made his mark. Posting a .932 SV%, 1.74 GAA in the WHL, the 114th overall CHL Import Draft selection was named to the J20 Latvia team and continued to prosper in his campaign. He has continued on his torrid pace in his second season in the WHL, posting a .962 SV% and a .84 GAA in his first 8 starts. He has expressed interest in the VHLM and has since been on Waivers with the Bern Royals already in line to claim him, "I certainly feel lucky. There's a lot of goaltenders in that league and it certainly provides a logjam, though I see an opportunity in Bern to really make an impact right out of the gate and that's what excites me. They're a pretty good team, though they're obviously missing the two stars they traded. I hope I can step in and turn it around, or atleast make an impact. I'll probably have some struggles out of the gate and I'll have to accept that, but I feel through my experiences I can add something to the team." When I asked him about the draft he told me that he wasn't worried about it, he has his first game in the VHLM to take care of. From there, who knows where he'll go. Player Assessment Pros Size The first thing you see when you watch Ivars is clearly his size. He stands tall at 6'4", and he uses his big frame to his advantage. He keeps his shoulders high and his legs far apart so his lower half looks wide and his upper half looks tall. In this sense he is a pure butterfly, but his fast reflexes allow him to cheat up a little to take away the top half of the net and leave his five hole open a little only to shut it quick with his pads. Positioning Klajums understands the game extremely well, following the play and predicting the play in a way similar to NHL goaltender Ryan Miller. This allows him to recognize what players are about to do, often making cross-crease plays look easy and taking away rebound chances by recognizing where pucks are going and why they're put there the way they are. Reflexes Just as he reads the play well, he reacts to the play well. Some around him say that he sees the game a second faster than the average player, and he's very agile with his pads, glove and blocker. He maneuvres the crease very well with his strong, springy legs and most pucks along the ice don't pass through him. Cons Discipline He is a slow starter to both seasons and games, his 1st periods are reputably his worst. Sometimes he is on and off during games much to the frustration of coaches, but one thing that goes his way is when it's a close game or a pressure situation, he usually seems to shine. When he is at his best he is in a light, humorous mood, and sometimes even dances to the game. When he is at his worst he lets stinkers frustrate him and that often leads to more stinkers. Glove Side As with many pure butterfly goaltenders, he sometimes cheats low too much and lets in a high side glove shot that shouldn't get past him. Good shooters sometimes pick him apart and that's when you'll see him struggle most. One-on-Ones He is an atrocious shootout goalie, and he's not too great in breakaways either. He comes out far and sometimes if he cheats on a movement by the shooter he's unable to recover. He's prone to try the flashy save and sometimes he could stand to simplify things on a breakaway.

4-2 Wild

Who can resist the Latvia effect.

For some time the Latvian netminder has been plugging away in the Juniors trying to pave a way to the big leagues and now he might get his chance, the S42 draft eligible goalie has since qualified for waiver pickup in the VHLM and looks ahead to the draft and the opportunity to make an impact on a team in the minors, to develop on his way to a lengthy career in the VHL. "I've tried to improve on my weaknesses this season. It's all been about rounding out my game so I can compete day in and day out with the more experienced guys and I think I'm heading in the right direction." he told an interviewer Tuesday. Faced with the question of goalie depth in the draft he said, "There's certainly some studs there, no doubt. But my goal here late in the season is to try to be a sleeper here and where ever I go I'm going to make sure I'm not a wasted pick. I think I've got lots to build on so I'll keep plugging away and hopefully I'll be as optimistic a mood coming into the draft."

Claim 2

Titans Meute Reign Meute

Watchmen Gladiators Lynx Storm Not that I'm guessing or anything...

Claim 10

http://www.vhlforum.com/index.php?/gallery/image/98-klajums/ Full Name: Klajums, Ivars Birthdate: April 3, 1995 (Age 19) Catches: Right Hand Height(inches): 6'4.5" Weight(pounds): ~185lbs. Birthplace: Daugavpils, Latvia Nationality: Latvia Junior Team: Victoria Royals Comparable Player: Pekka Rinne A late bloomer, he broke into his native hometown's minor league team at the age of 17. Since then he's shown scouts of various leagues what his 6'4", 180 frame can do. He hails from the 2nd largest city in Latvia, and has since moved to North America to play with men and continue to ply his craft. Strengths: Lateral Movement He is a big goalie, but he is quick in butterfly and on his feet, able to manoeuvre cross-crease very quickly. He doesn't open too many holes low and he keeps his shoulders high in butterfly, often making saves without having to move his arms excessively. He tends to be aggressive in his crease and looks big, swallowing point shots and taking tips rather simply. Positioning As his fast movement allows him to get where he needs to go, his awareness of the ice allows him to place himself in the best position to take a shot off the crest. He tends to be aggressive in his crease and looks big, swallowing point shots and taking tips rather simply. Reflexes He plays like a small goalie, which can be a weakness and a strength. When reacting to a shot, he is quick to react to a shot and can catch/direct shots effectively. He is sometimes caught exaggerating his saves but when he stays in control his 6'4" body can cover a lot of net, and he is quick to react with his long legs and quick blocker/glove. Weaknesses: Athleticism He lacks in flexibility at times and is rather clunky when scrambling, leading to good chances that otherwise could be eliminated if he could use his long legs to cover the bottom of the net, though with good coaching he can work out this kink. Discipline He doesn't always take adversity well and often when he's going through tough stretches he gets away from what makes him successful; positioning and using his big frame. When he's off his game he is beaten under his arms and doesn't control rebounds well, and sometimes doesn't seal his post, leading to weak goals. Consistency is also an issue, some scouts criticise him for his streakiness through games. Glove Side His quickness to go to butterfly occasionally lends to his glove side being left open, since his goaltending style leads him to seal off his underarms and above the pad he is often beat cheating for a low shot, though his size often hides this flaw. One concern scouts have is if he faces stiffer competition how he'll be able to adjust. Overall: He is a big goalie with a lot of raw talent, with good coaching he has a very high ceiling and could turn into a very good goalie. Like most young goaltenders, he will be a long-term project before he makes the big leagues. In the future he will need to keep working on his mental game and his overall game will take major strides in the right direction. When he is at his best he is quick to the shooter, square and makes saves look easy. When he plays calm he can be dominate, and that is what has potential teams excited about in this young netminder. EDIT: Added more since I wasn't pleased with how unfinished it felt.