CowboyinAmerica

Davos, Switzerland -- A lot of people associated with the HC Davos Dynamo locker room and front office thought the final games of the season might be a bit stressful. But I'm not sure a single person expected the mess that has happened in the European Conference standings. Entering six games left in the season for much of the VHL, the Dynamo sit second in the conference standings at 83 points. That puts them five points ahead of Malmo in third... and just ten points ahead of Prague in seventh. Indeed, with just five points separating a first round bye to next-to-last in the conference, there will be some stressful times ahead for teams in the middle. Davos goalie Xavier Booberry said he's not thinking about that right now, however. All he sees in front of him is one game to win at a time. "I think it's easy to be overwhelmed by keeping up with the playoff race. That's why I just don't do it," Booberry said. "If we win out on the ice, then the standings will shake out as they will." He's aware that some teams may come at him harder than others, though. That includes his next opponent in Warsaw, who's currently just outside the playoff cut line. Still, Booberry feels confident. "Especially after [acquiring] Florida Man, we've been doing well. Real well," Booberry said. "Things are starting to gel ahead of a potential playoff bid, and I really just want to keep that momentum going."

I'm pretty sure your sig is from the initial iteration of the Cologne Express, which is pretty impressive considering they died then were revived 25 seasons later in the interim. Remembering that just means I'm also old, really. Welcome back!

1: Are you a lefty or a righty? Righty. It's tough to get pads and sticks and everything else you need the other way, man. 2: Which All-Star event do you think your player would have a chance of winning? Or would you want to compete in one? Anything that has to do with shooting the puck, of course. Yes I'm a goalie, what's that look for? 3: Which WWE superstar (Past or Present) would your VHL character want to team with for a match? Andre the Giant. Let's just have the largest people possible out there and see what happens. 4: Which VHL team is your favorite to play against? It's a friendly rivalry with my old mates in Helsinki, but it's still a rivalry. It's fun to go up against them every so often in Europe. 5: If you could replace one VHL team with a VHLM team, which teams would you choose? Let's swap the Americans with the Marlins. A unique but still large hockey market, and I like their color scheme that is pretty unrepresented in the VHL. 7: What was the first Videogame you played? Probably the original Mario Kart for SNES, because I'm old. I remember loving that game though, and think it might have led to a later love of cars.

1: We’re past the halfway mark in the season, are you happy with your player's performance so far? It's gotten better the past couple of sims, which I'm happy about. Save percentage up above .930, Davos first in the conference, can't complain too much. 2: If you were asked to rename Davos’ VHL team, what name would you choose? I'd want to keep it explicitly similar to Davos, without actually being the name of a real team. The city of Bern has a VHLM history and I think would work quite well for a Dynamo relocation. 3: What do you think of the Tarasenko trade? I have zero opinion of the actual hockey behind it. But generally I do enjoy the Rangers being good, just because a hopping MSG is unlike any other stadium on earth. So I hope he helps them go far for some NY playoff hockey. 4: What are your go-to Pizza toppings? Pepperoni, mushroom, green pepper was the move for a long time, but I've been on an Italian sausage kick recently. Just getting a Supreme is usually the plan. 6: Which NHL team(s) do you cheer for? This may be heresy, but don't really have a set one. It was fun rooting for the Blackhawks when I lived in Chicago, but I probably root for the Wild more now that I'm here. 8: Who is your favorite videogame character and why? I've got a soft spot for Yoshi. He's my main in Smash and Mario Kart, brings a lot of levity to the Mario series, and who's really going to argue with a green dinosaur?

I've been wondering what my recreate should be. Thank you for the inspiration for my center, named Team Player, coming in a few seasons.

I'll place the bet... then remind Vegas it's not my last season with the nine season careers

1: Which NHL team would you do a rebuild of in NHL23? I'd go with the hometown Wild. Have more of an emotional connection, and also it's fun to play around with a team that hasn't actually won anything. 2: Which VHL player has surprised you the most this season so far? Myself, but in a negative way. I really was hoping that I'd be playing better so far this season, but there's plenty of time to turn things around. 3: What name are you planning on using for your next VHL player? Don't have a name, but I do think I'm going to do a female gender identity. It's a different type of story that I haven't explored yet with a player, think it'd be fun. 4: How did you decide on your forum username? Very long story, but short version is that I was on a mock draft forum and wanted to say I was a Dallas Cowboys fan living outside Philadelphia. But then I haven't lived in Philly in a decade+, so... this. 5: How did you decide on your player's name? Just thought it'd be fun to say, honestly. Plus it's one of those names that seems a bit ridiculous, but not unfeasible (like former MLB player Daryl Strawberry). 7: Do you like The NHL All-Star Jerseys this season? Hadn't actually seen them, but they're... fine. Wouldn't buy one, but the retro style is not too busy like a lot of modern ASG jerseys tend to be.

Uncapped TPE Package 5/5

Davos, Switzerland -- Four games ago, HC Davos Dynamo were on top of the European Conference and sitting pretty. Now, after one point over four games, they're sitting in fifth place in the conference, a play-in game position if the season were to end today. A bit of whiplash perhaps? That's certainly the sentiment among fans, who have started grumbling a bit after the tumble down the standings. In the Davos locker room, however, there remains a sense of calm that comes from a number of veterans having been in this situation before. "Look, we knew it's going to be a long season. There will be good spells and bad spells," said goalie Xavier Booberry after the team's most recent loss to Malmo. "If we blew it up after every little rough patch, there wouldn't even be a team left. And there are some good pieces we can take from these games too." Indeed, the team's one point came from an overtime loss to the league-leading Vancouver Wolves, and changes in the defensive rotation seemed to calm down the scoring barrage that plagued them against Moscow and Prague. Still, Booberry believes, this fluctuation up and down the standings may not be over yet. "We knew that every team in this league would be super tight, that's just the nature of the VHL right now with a tight salary cap," Booberry said. "The margins between winning and losing are so tight. We just have to hope that we're on the right side of the randomness at the end of the day."

Uncapped TPE Package 4/5

Davos, Switzerland -- Entering the season, there was a bit of uncertainty about what type of team HC Davos Dynamo would turn out to be. Internally, expectations were high as the front office and locker room thought they'd have a chance to go far in the playoffs. The official VSN preview, however, rated the team's defense much lower and thought they'd be a wild card team. So far, however, it's looking much more like the former than the latter. After the first sixth of the season, Davos sits first in the European Conference with a 9-3-0 record and 18 points in 12 games. That puts Davos ahead of Moscow by 1 points and Riga by 2 points, with a game in hand against both squads as well. It's been a mix of offense and defense that has helped the Dynamo. Forward Pete Mitchell is having a breakout year early one, leading the VHL with 21 points and tying for the league lead with 12 goals. Goalies Xavier Booberry and Lachlan Summers, meanwhile, have combined to allow just 25 goals against thus far, good for the second lowest total in the entire league behind the Vancouver Wolves. It's certainly still early in the season, and Davos will be tested very shortly with two of their next four games against that Riga team right on their heels. But according to goalie Xavier Booberry, the early play is still a sign that the team's optimism was not off-base. "We came in thinking we would be a title contender, and I don't see any reason to change that now," Booberry said after a recent shutout win against Toronto. "Anything can happen once we hit the playoffs, but we want to set ourselves up for the best chance for success when we're there. That largely means getting a top three seed, and I'm hoping that we continue our strong play to make that an easy consideration."

1: Davos has started strong this season, currently at the top of the European conference, do you think we will finish the season in that spot? It's so tough to predict finishing first with all of these teams so close. So with that said... OF COURSE WE'LL BE FIRST DAVOS 4 LYFE. 2: Pete Mitchell is currently leading Davos in scoring, Did you expect such a strong start from them? I didn't, if we're being honest. But that shows the strength of this team - we have so many different players who can be playmakers at any given time. 3: What or who do you think is responsible for Davos’ early success this season? Mitchell is the easy answer above, but I'm not overlooking Thunder's play so far either. He's been a wonderful facilitator from the blue line. 4: Who is your favorite active NHL player? Can't lie, it's fun watching McDavid do what he does. I don't really have a favorite I'm obsessed with, more enjoy watching great play, and he provides that in spades. 7: What was the first youtube video you remember watching? Probably one of the early meme videos, like the Badger Badger video. Definitely remember that being a thing during high school, and now I feel old so thanks. 8: Hypothetical question here. You’re teleported to a stage of a singing show, which song do you sing? I know I'm not a good singer, and I'm one of the people who's on the show to make a fool of myself in front of the judges. So Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" it is.

Uncapped TPE Package 3/5

Wherever the World Cup is Played -- Entering the Season 86 World Cup, Team USA had high expectations. Bolstered by a strong defensive corps and two excellent goaltenders, an official VSN preview article had even called the USA the team to beat. At the very least, people expected to see them in the medal rounds once again, following their S84 bronze. However, it wasn't meant to be. With a middling 4-5-1 record, Team USA finished fifth in the round robin, only ahead of Team World. The team then faced Canada in the quarterfinals and lost 3-1, in a game where they were outshot 39-28 and couldn't get anything going on offense. "It's a disappointment, for sure," said USA goalie Xavier Booberry after the Canada loss. "We only play a few games for our country every two years; this is something we look forward to. But this time around, things just never seemed to gel." Players didn't pass around blame after the loss, with many simply expressing sadness at the outcome. For Booberry, who isn't sure whether he will be retired before the next World Cup comes around, it's despair at the loss of opportunity. "A gold may just be something I never get to add to my resume, it is what it is," he added. "I'll be rooting for Team USA from the bench either way though, I want to see them get a win one of these years."

D - AK92 Wit da Hoodie @nurx

1: What is your players Jersey number and why did you choose that number? I chose 88. Because if you turn the second 8 on its side, it kind of looks like Boo? 2: Which attribute do you intend on upgrading throughout this upcoming season? I'm in full depreciation saving mode now baby. Got one more season left after this one, and it's also going to be a good one. 5: Which NHL team do you think needs to change their Logo? "Needs" is a big ask, but I think it'd be absolutely hilarious if the Leafs decided they needed a rebrand and to watch everyone lose their minds. 6:Which cartoon was your favorite growing up and would you be upset if they re-made the series with new voice actors and upgraded animation? Nah, everybody should enjoy things in their own way, life's too short to get angry about something like that. So if there was like a re-made Hey Arnold or something - why not? Hope other people like it. 7: Seems like it’s been a while since we’ve had a good hockey movie come out, do you think we’ll ever get one that lives up to your favorite hockey movie? Everybody has nostalgia-tinged glasses occasionally, so while I'm sure there will be a fine hockey movie for kids again, it won't be The Mighty Ducks. Just no way. 8: If you only have to eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would you choose? The boring as hell answer that tells me I'm getting old: I need something that at least has some nutrients, because like 24/7 steak means the rest of my life is about 3 weeks. So give me salad and let me have versatility with types of salad.

For the next two weeks (ending 1/29 and 2/5), I guess. Originally was going to write this as a VHL.com, but kept going. And will claim the first tomorrow since I already did an article this week, but wanted to get it out since it was timely.

This is going to be a big wall of text. Here's a kitten as a palette cleanser. The Case for Ignoring Parity in the VHL Something’s been bugging me for a few days. I’ve seen a lot of arguments about the cap, but they largely revolve around one idea from VHL management side: We’re going to do everything in our power to protect parity. Every single argument revolves around the fact that there are teams who haven’t signed free agents, and as long as there are openings then parity hasn’t been achieved. To which I posit: Parity sucks for a sports league, sim league or real life. Parity shouldn’t be the goal if you’re trying to maximize enjoyment, which isn’t necessarily the same thing as maximizing immediate competition. Using an old trope, the dictionary defines parity as “the quality or state of being equal or equivalent,” with an example of “Women have fought for parity with men in the workplace.” In that context, of course, parity is a good thing - it helps the overall workplace if all employees are equal. But in the VHL context, does it actually help to have parity? I think you’re seeing something close to it right now: 13 teams are within $3M of the cap by signing only minimum contracts. Look at Hedgehog’s season preview: There’s actually very little separating the top six or so teams in each conference. To have something to write about, he’s needing to get into the minutia of player builds, or whether there is slightly more TPE at one position group than another. It’s largely a coin flip. And frankly even if GMs and players do everything perfectly, the guiding light of parity means that it doesn’t really matter - everybody’s going to be equal anyway, because restrictive salary caps will force everybody to have full rosters anyway. Rather than parity, I believe the goal should be modified: There should be a reasonable path to winning titles for every team and maximizing their chances of winning, if they take care of their business. Take a look at every salary cap-centric sports league. The NBA isn’t forcing mid-level exception guys onto the Pistons; they’re letting those teams play young players and tank if they choose, because that’s what’s in the best interest of the squad. The NHL has a $21 million disparity in team salaries, with a whole third of the league $8 million or more away from the cap. Even the NFL, which probably has the most restrictive cap of the three, has a thriving free agency market because teams have the flexibility and wherewithal to make moves. Each of those leagues has a cycle by which teams operate: they start rebuilding, they begin to grow their young players and get better, they have a golden period, then as that golden age declines they can either try and extend it for as long as possible or blow it up and begin again. But that path exists, and teams are cognizant of where they are in that cycle. Some will be in the golden period, others will be rebuilding, not everybody is equal. But the latter knows they have a chance to get there, assuming they make correct decisions on their players. And in doing so, the players remain engaged, knowing they have something to fight for, either now or in the future. I don’t think that path exists in the VHL. Hell, I could argue that each individual team has less of a chance to win a title, because once a team is on top, really only mismanagement kicks them down. The cycle for the VHL is this: The teams at the top just need to sell their old players for spare parts, let young players who have been germinating step in their place, and everybody’s equal anyway so they’ll always have a chance. Moscow has been a top team for literally 10+ seasons now, partially because of good management, but as much for me because for the past five seasons any potential contenders have needed to sell off their homegrown players before overtaking them because of a restrictive cap. In an actually competitive scenario, top teams would necessitate a period of rebuilding, giving others below them a chance. @Beketov has written in the league’s cap relief statement: “Before the VHL GM’s get too excited: no we are not increasing the cap. League leadership has already discussed our reasons for this, top of which is that there’s little proof it would do anything but make the teams continue to stack their top end, as it usually does.” To which I would answer: “Who the fuck cares?” Because that inherently comes with trade-offs if teams choose to go the top end route. Say Vancouver is a title contender and exchanges a S86 500 TPA forward for a S83 1000 TPA forward from Toronto, a rising team looking to rebuild, who then uses the extra cap to bring on a S84 600 TPA clicker. Does Vancouver instantly get a lot better than Toronto? Of course! But that will look a lot different in three seasons, when that S86 forward is now a top player, and Vancouver needs a rebuild after accelerating their timeline. And it’s a lot better than the current version of that scenario: Vancouver can’t afford a high-level player, keeping their S86 guy, and has less of a chance to win now (because everyone’s equal) but also will not age out so will never truly be knocked down. Toronto competes more this season, sure, but that’s not really what they’d prefer with rising top talent, and they won't have a higher chance when their new draft picks are in their own primes. And who really gets fucked is the extra player, who now doesn’t have a home because Toronto has no space by keeping their older player they don't need. I liked @JCarson’s philosophy post, but I disagree that it’s a binary. More flexibility would not necessarily mean that players wouldn’t have homes. Every dollar you’re giving a older top player you’re not giving to a young player, who can find their way to a team on a different part of that cycle. And because the number of players in the VHL is finite, high-TPE players moving from middle of the pack teams to top teams will create more interesting and fun openings for the mid-TPE players replacing them, rather than forcing those players onto rebuilding teams and inevitably increasing the chance that they leave entirely before a rebuild is completed. (Aside: Teams that want to compete will always spend on players rather than bonuses, that would make zero sense to do otherwise. It’s a bad argument to keep the cap as is.) TL;DR: Parity is boring. Every team being equal is boring. The system as constructed is more random number generator, partially constrained by a random person’s software whims (STHS), than it is a reflection of the work of GMs and players. If some teams are better than others with a higher cap, that’s fine. With the rotating nature of players and career spans, that would likely change in a few seasons anyway. And If the admins and BOG don’t want to raise the cap, that’s their prerogative. (I haven’t been in a decision-making capacity for a while because I don’t want to.) But I do hope they would come to that decision not with every team being equal as a goal, but with the ultimate enjoyment of all players in mind.

G - Xavier Booberry. I wanna believe @Dabnad

D - Hammar Voss @nurx

F - Saku Kotkakoivu @Dabnad

F - Nico Pearce @nurx

F - Vinny Detroit @Dabnad

What problems does it create? Seriously, if everybody's getting signed and members are engaged, personal opinion is that I don't see teams not signing free agents as a bad thing. I default to the rule of fun here: The ability for GMs to build as they please and cycle between rebuilding/contending, players to have more flexibility to move where they want, and actual contenders and pretenders in a given season is more fun for me. And generally members have more fun if they have a chance to win versus being mandated seventh-season cap casualties. At the very least I prefer it to uber-parity, where teams are forced to sign cast-off players who don't want to be there, playoffs are a crapshoot between ~12 teams all squeezed against the cap, and everybody is looking to optimize build construction and there isn't much freedom left for players to do as they please (see: Vinny Detroit trying to have a fun build and being bounced around the league for doing so). A lot of this cap crunch was predictable from way back, which I know you know. But it seems like a bit of a band aid over a wound. $2M over the life of the 9-season career shift is essentially four $500k salary bracket bumps - when an extra season of earning gives people 100-150 more APE for the back half of their career, meaning 1-2 bracket bumps per individual on a team of 11. (Depreciation changes mitigate that slightly, but not totally.) Plus with players spending their first season or two post-draft in the VHLE, there are fewer rookie scale contracts in the VHL as well, making that cap even tighter. It's also going to get even worse next offseason when S80 players don't retire. It's never going to be perfect, and I appreciate the work you've put in to try and get this crazy system up and running. But I almost wish you'd be doing less - it seems a bit like y'all are letting perfect be the enemy of good here. That's the point I was making about analysis paralysis - you can do all the testing in the world, but at some point you've gotta make a change if things aren't working. And perhaps our opinions differ here, but I don't think the tight cap is working.

But seriously, I would genuinely would like someone to explain to me why the cap hasn't been raised with the nine season careers inflating TPE totals. I just can't grasp the logic, unless it was just analysis paralysis that prevented it. Flexibility for GMs is good! Options for players being able to move where they wish is good! A super tight system where literally 80% of the league is right against the cap and it all comes down to who can manipulate STHS the best isn't great! You don't want a completely open system that allows for super teams, but the mix right now seems very far to the other end.