CowboyinAmerica

New York, NY -- Last season didn’t turn out the way the New York Americans had hoped, missing the playoffs in a tough North American Conference. Defenseman Lance Flowers received some accolades for his play, however, picking up a nod for Second-Team All-VHL and a few votes for the top Defensive Defenseman award. Now, entering Flowers’ fifth season in the VHL, he’s hoping this is the year it all comes together—both for the Americans and for him personally. “For the team, well, it’s obvious. Our core is entering their primes and will be moving out of it quickly. To use a popular phrase recently, it’s very possible this is our Last Dance,” Flowers said at the team’s preseason Media Day in Manhattan. “But for me too, I feel like Father Time is going to catch up to me quickly. I need to continue to prove myself at a high level.” Indeed, Flowers hasn’t won an individual accolade since his first year in the VHL, when he was both Rookie of the Year and top Defensive Defenseman. Season 71 was his best season in three years, though, and shows that he’s continued to have growth throughout his time in the league. Now, Flowers feels it’s time to prove it on the ice. “We’ve got a tough first line, and me and [Michael Gary] Scott might very well be the best defenseman duo in the whole league. I hope it shows in our play this season, but as we’ve learned the past couple of years, you never know what’s going to happen in the VHL.”

Flowers +5

F - Hunter Hearst Helmsley @Sonnet

1. Did you tune into the VHL Draft on Saturday? If so, what was the biggest highlight to you? I didn't particularly after we traded out, but I'm glad to see it went well. Welcome to all the new players joining the Americans! 2. We were able to draft 3 rookies on Saturday. What advice would you give them as a player who has been around the league for at least a season? Don't be afraid to ask for some help if you need it. Especially as a younger player it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but both the Americans and your minor league team are always happy to give advice and chip in. 3. What are your thoughts on the quality of Esso's streams? Haven't been able to catch too many unfortunately, but I hope to soon. So I'll say for now that they're absolutely spectacular and I wouldn't change a thing. 4. Training Camp officially opens up today. What are you looking forward to working on the most while on ice for the first time this season? It's been a while since I've worked on my Checking ability, but forget it, I'm going all in. 200 penalty minutes, here I come. 5. If you haven't already, sign up for the VHFL here! Which player would you definitely try to draft for your fantasy team? Well, considering that hits and shots blocked are always at a premium, I'd pick somebody who's great at both. You know, like Lance Flowers. 6. Victor posted a poll asking which team would miss the playoffs in each conference. Who do you think they'll be and why? Not us, that's for sure. For North America (which is who I pay more attention to), I'll pick Seattle, just because I think it'd be funny.

Got a few Labatte votes and second-team All-VHL, I'll take it. Thanks to all who voted for me!

Sure I'm in

1. Who on the team would you want to host a summer barbecue and why? It's gotta be the guy with the most money, right? So I'm going MGS - he's been getting those high salaries for a while now. 2. Who on the team would you keep as far away from the grill as possible? If we're being real, the answer is me. I have a status as a large goon to uphold, thank you. 3. What would you toss on the grill as your own contribution? Since I'm British, there's nothing like some fresh fish to throw on there. Grilled fish and chips? Yes please. 4. At this summer barbecue, what's your go-to drink? It has to be light and refreshing since it's summer, so a whiskey lemonade should do the trick. 5. What's one food item you absolutely hate seeing on the grill and why? What is kale supposed to be anyway? Isn't it just a weed? And why would you have that when there are so many other good veggies to choose from? 6. If you had a hot dog eating contest at this barbecue, who would win? You know - if I could hold my nose and do it, sure. But actually not much of a hot dog guy, get me in a burger contest instead and I'll take you down. I'll give it to Hugh Jass in this case.

SBA +6

1. In honor of the day, who is your favorite Star Wars character? I'm going to go with Han Solo. He's a main character, sure, but he comes with an edge. And I'm all for anybody who has witty one liners. 2. Since we've been officially eliminated from the playoffs, how are you killing the time? Between that and quarantine, it's not the most fun time in New York right now. Just a lot of Netflix and ice cream, which probably isn't great for our training... 3. Now that the season is over, which player on our team really needs to get a fresh set of equipment? A Red Guy saw a lot more pucks against him than I would've liked this year, might need a new pad or two. 4. Looking ahead to the offseason, what is one thing you're actively going to avoid doing? Watching the playoffs. It's just a bit too much right now, I don't want to see what could have been. 5. What's a song you've been listening to recently that you would recommend to others on the team? In my sad about missing the playoffs state, it's been a lot of emo. I'm not sure how many other players want to listen to The Cure, but sure. 6. If your VHL player had to get a summer job, what would it be and why? I think I'd be a pretty good body guard. I certainly have the penalty minutes and the goon status for it.

SBA +6

17 Calgary Wranglers @ Vancouver Wolves 18 D.C. Dragons @ Seattle Bears 19 Malmo Nighthawks @ Moscow Menace 20 Riga Reign @ Prague Phantoms

Seattle 3-2

Yeah, not the strongest point in there. But I'd still argue that you're talking about teams that would finish 13th-16th overall anyway in the NHL. With fewer teams in the VHL, finishing 6th or 7th overall absolutely would mean you'd have a championship chance, especially with the parity you have now.

I mean, when there's absolutely zero actually tying a franchise to a single location, yeah. I think the parity has as much to do with fuller teams than in the past too, combined with a restrictive cap. But I do hope changes come. And if that means I miss out on the playoffs by being 9th overall but 4th in North America next year, I'd be happy.

When I take a look at the standings in the VHL portal, a few things jump out to me upon first glance. For instance, take a look at these for Season 70: What strikes me first is something that may be apparent to outsiders: The whole league is listed. Sure, this only makes rational sense, you would think. There are 12 teams in the league, and the distinctions between them are rather arbitrary. In fact, here's a breakdown of the number of times that a random squad - say, the New York Americans - faced each other team during the S70 season: Arbitrary and uneven? You bet ya! But what would be even worse is if those arbitrary distinctions would somehow result in the competitive balance of the league shifting. Well, good news: That's exactly what happened. See those standings above? The seventh place team, New York, did not make the playoffs, because four other "North America" teams finished ahead of them. Helsinki and Prague, meanwhile, made the playoffs with five fewer points, just because they were arbitrarily placed in Europe. As you can see by the games played, there wasn't even uniformity in scheduling: New York somehow played two North American teams (D.C. and Toronto) fewer times than they played European teams. This is where the BOG comes in. On its face, the entire reason to have a Board of Governors is to ensure fairness and balance in the league. They're a balance to the commissioners from making decisions unilaterally, a balance in different job titles and positions to bring different perspectives, and - from the fact there are so darn many of them - to bring up points for discussion based on what are obvious fixes to make the VHL better. This, as given above, would seem to be a rather obvious fix for the BOG to get done: There is no reason to have the conferences separated and to have worse teams making the playoffs for arbitrary reasons. It might have been forgiveable the first season or two after expansion to 12 teams, but certainly not three seasons in. But the league did nothing. And it would be a shame if it happened again. Especially if it happened again to the same damn team. Enter Season 71: Enjoy the playoffs, Malmo. Hope you enjoy your time off, New York. Those 9 extra points you got don't mean shit. For funzies, here's the teams that New York played this season. At least that's more balanced by conference this time - though in a perverse way, it actually shows how much stronger of a team New York is, given the tougher schedule. And I sure wouldn't have minded one of those games against Calgary being against Toronto. Conferences function in real life for two primary reasons: to cut down on travel, and to protect regional rivalries. Well, it's safe to say there is no travel element at play here, though it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that it's coded into the recesses of STHS's dark arts. And it's hard to say that there's regional rivalries either, given that four of the league's 12 teams are less than 8 seasons old, and there aren't exactly fans of these teams to push for more games against one another. Simply put, in the VHL, there is no reason to have conferences at all. It does not work; it has never worked. And yet, it remains. To me, this is a dereliction of duty. If you see something not working and don't fix it, that's a problem. If this happened in the real world, where real dollars were at play, heads would be rolling. So, while my headline is tongue-in-cheek, I think it's entirely reasonable to not be happy about being screwed out of two prime years of a player I put a lot of time into. And even moreso for Esso, given the work he puts into making the team work to the best of his ability. So, I leave with this: Do something.

1. After the past week of up and down results, do you still think we can sneak into the playoffs? I know that a lot of people are feeling optimistic, but I just can't quite get there. It's a large mountain to climb. 2. If we got into the playoffs, which team would you absolutely not want to play? If we got in, it would mean an unprecedented hot streak. So honestly, nobody would really scare me in that case. 3. If we don't make the playoffs, what will this offseason look like for you? I think New York is going to go for it one more time regardless, so don't think many changes. Now the year after that, we'll see. 4. If you could learn one new hobby during the upcoming offseason, what would it be and why? I've always wanted to cook better, and now seems like the perfect time. New York's a great place for chefs, so many different cuisines to try. 5. Looking a little ahead to the VHL Draft, which upcoming prospect would you most like to play with and why? I'm always for more offensive firepower, and a couple guys in the mid-first range like Jungkok, Su and Brandt could easily step in to help right away. 6. If you set a goal before this season, reflect on it. Did you meet it? If you didn't set a goal, what would be your goal by the beginning of next season? That's a good question - I think I might have. I wanted to be in competition for Best Defenseman, and I'm now second in defenseman hits and third in defenseman points. That's a plus in my book.

SBA +6

391 D.C. Dragons @ Helsinki Titans 392 New York Americans @ Riga Reign 393 Seattle Bears @ Moscow Menace 394 Toronto Legion @ Vancouver Wolves

3-2 Moscow

Ah man, RIP. Talked with him a decent amount when Wingate played for Minot, I enjoyed firing him up but always thought he was a good dude. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

It's Theme Week, Huh? In Season 63, the VHL brought back its Theme Weeks. Each with a distinct theme, they allow the VHL’s members to write articles or create graphics in line with the theme. All in all, I think it’s a positive development - it’s a fun way to think outside the box and have members engage with weekly content in a different way. However, not all Theme Weeks are created equal. Here’s my rundown of each season’s theme, from best to worst. As you’ll soon find, there is a reason I’m doing this. And remember, this is one guy's dumb opinion. 1. Season 67: VHL Expansion: Timed to be right before D.C. and Prague were introduced in Season 68, this theme was an excellent way to get members’ creative juices flowing, both in articles and in graphics. This isn’t a theme that’s easily replicable, but it provided some ideas the league could turn to in another round of expansion as well. It’s also a bit more broad than Season 64 below. 2. Season 69: Unsung Heroes: This was the perfect type of esoteric theme to me: It provided enough wiggle room that everyone’s definition of an unsung hero could be a little bit different, but still enough boundaries to make the content targeted and interesting. I really enjoyed reading/looking at this season’s entries. 3. Season 66: Playoffs: The playoffs are always what the member base shoots to be involved in, and I welcome the celebration of those playoffs. This allows for both VHL and VHLM playoffs as well, giving a little shine to the minor league division for potential exploration. 4. Season 64: League Expansion: This one is similar to Season 67’s above, but it was limited specifically to the teams imminently coming into the VHL (Moscow and Malmo) and VHLM, recently relocated franchises, and upcoming expansion drafts. Being so limited knocks this one a little bit, but I do like the potential for creativity. 5. Season 70: Potential Hall of Famers: I like the topic a lot for me personally and to promote engagement, but out of all of these, it’s probably the one that took the most work. Identifying potential Hall of Famers in an actual sense takes at least more than a passing knowledge of league history; that’s why a lot of people ended up with potential Hall of Famers that weren’t really HOF-worthy. 6. Season 63: Sponsor’s Shield Tournament: The Sponsor’s Shield Tournament didn’t last too much longer beyond this theme week, so I think that’s a good indicator of how people felt about it. It’s a fine enough topic on its own, and I understand the impetus of using the theme week to get people interested, but it doesn’t stand the test of time well. 7. Season 65: Season 66 Draft: I’m all for getting newer players a new platform, but having the entire league focus specifically on one draft doesn’t give much variation in what people are writing. It’s mock drafts, player profiles, potentially team needs, and… not much else, really. 8. Season 68: League History: As already explored, I’m all for themes that allow newer players to engage with the league’s history in a way that they never thought. This one was a bit broad for me though. Going too narrow can be an issue, but so too can giving new players 60+ seasons of a canvas with no palette. 9. Season 71: Recruitment: There’s just nothing new and novel to write about this. None whatsoever. Chances are, most of the topics that will be put up have already been debated in some form, or if they haven’t been, they’re likely too ludicrous to even be seriously considered. I’m all for the increased exchange of ideas, but there has to be a better way to solicit suggestions from the wider VHL user base that doesn't involve a number of people throwing things at the wall, right? Maybe I’m wrong, and an idea generated during this week will provide a boost to carry this wonderful league right into triple digit seasons, or we'll stumble upon the perfect infographic to generate engagement. But judging by the preponderance of “So. About Recruitment.” topic titles already, and it’s only Monday, I feel like many are in the same no-idea boat that I was in.

This might have been the single most predictable result in the history of the VHL.

1. What are your thoughts on the new AGM hire? Getting up a press conference early in the week is a good start by me, so I'm happy! 2. Do you think we can make a push to sneak into the playoffs this year? Honestly, I'm still skeptical. North America is so strong this year, and that's a lot of points to make up in 20 games. But never say never. 3. If you had to be stuck with one player on this team during quarantine, who would it be and why? I'd want to get to know one of the new guys. Especially since my own facial hair is lacking, I could get some tips from Frostbeard about that magnificent mane. 4. Which player/GM would you absolutely not want to be stuck with during quarantine and why? I value my couch space, and having Hugh Jass's, um, formidable posterior would get old with me quickly. 5. With the upcoming All-Star skills competition, who would you nominate to go from our team? Is there a competition for biggest hits and most penalty minutes? I nominate myself there. 6. Lastly, if you could prank one player on the team, who would it be and why? Soren Jensen is the nicest guy, a hard worker who mostly stays quiet. But I also can see him having a big reaction to a prank, which would be great to see.

331 Helsinki Titans @ Malmo Nighthawks 332 D.C. Dragons @ Calgary Wranglers 333 Toronto Legion @ Vancouver Wolves 334 Riga Reign @ Moscow Menace