CowboyinAmerica

Didn't realize how many centers there were among the top prospects. Sets up some nice rivalries moving forward.

Eh. Holiday weekend and one of the first nice weekends of the here where I've been in the U.S. Think it might just be one of the busier times.

First after six games! Skye's kicking ass and our first line is on point.

Scandinavia* Weeee first goal!

Damn, hell of a goalie battle though

Great way to start! And an assist for me to boot

Eh, I've watched a lot of Twins since I moved up this way. The defense alone should get them to about .500 - Buxton is legit, even if he can't hit. Sano and Santana will fall off a bit, but with Berrios pitching the full way, I at least don't think they're going to suck. It's all about the physical toll it takes on the catcher's body. Catchers normally play about 130-140 games a year anyway because they need more breaks than other position players - now factor in age (Mauer's in his 30s), and it gets worse. If the Twins want Mauer to bat all 162 games, makes more sense to put him at 1B, which is the easiest of all defensive positions to learn and switch to.

For as much as rivalries exist in the VHL right now with the two player system, it's probably entirely due to the conference setup. That alone makes it more interesting to me.

We made it entertaining and fun, and that's what I wanted in the end. Well done my Saskatoon teammates, and congrats to Vegas.

User Name: CowboyinAmerica THE FINAL Nashville vs. Pittsburgh Winner: Nashville # of Games: 6 Player that Scores Cup Winning Goal: Subban, because it'd be fun and I won't win anyway

If you're able to pick it up, let me know if you need help with any context or anything.

Mooching off my mom's HBO account since 2008, no regrets

I think I'm gonna start a Season 5/6 re-watch in mid-June. Don't have the books to remind me what happens anymore

Lol McAllister should have picked McAllister for my leading goalscorer prediction

I think it was that S44 championship run for me too. Those Calgary/Quebec teams, best VHL rivalry in recent memory? (Unlikely to change soon with the two player system and so much crossover either.)

Damn, close. But at least it's nice to see Scheel racking up the assists.

Interesting definition of "clearly" you have there, considering everything other than shots.

Welcome! If you have any questions go ahead and ask here. We're just starting the finals of Season 54 today, and soon the offseason will begin and you'll be drafted to a team!

Welcome back!

Tagging @Higgins for having preemptively done a WC article

Hell yeah! We've got a series.

Saskatoon -- The Season 54 World Cup rosters have been announced other than the Mercenaries, and for Team USA, who are among the favorites in the tournament, there was one big surprise. Saskatoon Wild left winger Gabriel McAllister, who will not even be eligible to join the VHL until the Season 56 draft, has been named to the team, playing alongside VHL stars in Travis Gowecny and Brock Dragonslayer in what will presumably be the team’s second line. For that positon, McAllister was picked over numerous players with VHL service time and that have more practice hours invested, including Vincent Adultman, AK47 and Daryl Dortch. He was also selected ahead of Wild linemate Bo Boeser. From a look at the potential roster pool, it seems GM Zimmerman wished to have another natural left winger alongside John Locke, and McAllister was the only one available. Not that he’s complaining. Even with his relative lack of playing time historically, McAllister thinks he can keep up with the more experienced VHL players dotting World Cup rosters. “If I want a chance to prove what I can do, now is it,” McAllister said. “Team USA has put its trust in me early in my career, and now’s the chance to work hard and show them what I can do.”

So far, five of the six Season 54 World Cup teams have been announced, with only the Mercenaries left to decide. And as somebody who loves the World Cup, I couldn’t be more excited – it’s a chance to shake up the teams, get players an opportunity to play with other they would normally be against, and give some newcomers or those stuck on rebuilding teams a time to shine. This World Cup should be particularly interesting, because of the parity present among the teams. Sure, some have more packed rosters than others, but taking an early look I wouldn’t call any of these teams a surefire champion in the making. In fact, they each have strengths and weaknesses that could propel them to victory or knock them out early. Team Canada Strength: The First Line – The backbone of the past two championship teams is the Tom Lincoln and Unassisted connection, while the backbone of this year’s European Conference champion is Black Velvet. There’s a reason Canada won it all in Season 52, and it’s this trio that has dominated the World Cup since they came into the league about seven seasons ago. Add in King Lee Snatch and Vincent Virtanen, and they probably have the highest first line by TPE in the tournament. Weakness: The Second Line – But those five players can’t go 60 minutes on the ice. One you get past that star power, no other defenseman or winger on the team has a higher TPE than Xander Finn’s 372. Canada does have a few young players, but assuming this is Lincoln, Unassisted, Velvet and Virtanen’s final World Cup, there may be some lean years ahead for Team Canada. That will be tested here. Team USA Strength: In Goal – Quebec’s Apollo Skye broke out this season, leading Quebec to the best record in the North American conference with a .933 save percentage and 17 shutouts. We also know he’s good under pressure, given Quebec’s run to the VHL finals this season. When your backup is last year’s VHL championship goalie, you know you have strength between the pipes. Weakness: Offensive Depth – Everybody knows Diana Maxwell is a star, but beyond her, Team USA may have trouble finding goals. Centers William Covington III and Travis Gowecny both underperformed their TPE this season, finishing with 71 and 68 points respectively, and the team features VHLM winger Gabriel McAllister in a role that’s probably over his head. In the end, the team may only go as far as presumptive Rookie of the Year John Locke takes them. Team Scandinavia Strength: Youth – In the Season 56 and 58 World Cups, Team Scandinavia is going to be a terror. With Mattias Forsberg, Torstein Ironside, Verner Reinholdt and others just beginning to grow as players, this team will come into its own in time. While this World Cup may be a bit early in their lifecycles to begin making noise, this is an event where we’ve seen people break out for the first time. Weakness: Roster Pool – Simply put, fewer players are coming from the Scandinavian region these days. While USA and Canada have a multiple of players to choose from, and Western Europe and the World have a multitude of countries, Scandinavia has probably the weakest pool of any non-Mercenaries team this year. And unless youth development begins to rise there, we won’t see a return to the 30’s glory days of Scandinavia in the World Cup. Team Western Europe Strength: Offensive Firepower – If there’s one team that can rival Canada’s first line, it’s this one, particularly when it comes to puck movement. Kohler, Shankly and Ravenwing are all pass-first specialists, meaning that any team without solid defense (most of them) will be caught lunging as their trio moves the puck through the zone. And that’s not even counting 102-point man Lukas Muller, who might be the best second-line forward in the whole tournament. Weakness: Goalie – There’s no other way around it; Western Europe’s goalie situation is poor, likely even worse than the Mercenaries’ Team World cast-offs. Key Perought hasn’t even yet played a game in the VHL, and even though this is his draft year, he’ll likely be back in the VHLM next season as well. He may be a good one in time, but for now he’s raw, and certainly not on the level of other VHL goalies. Team World Strength: In Net – Team World has the opposite issue of Western Europe, with an astounding six goalies above 400 TPE from which to choose. Jakab Holik is the presumptive starter, as even in his old age, he put up an almost MVP-worthy showing in his first season with the Americans. The second goalie selected was Edwin Reencarnacion, which is interesting to me – used to being the backup, he’ll get a chance to show his stuff on the big stage. Weakness: Offensive Depth – It says something when Team World is forced to roster four different centers, one of which (Rudy Ying) is still in the VHLM. Outside of Pietro Maximoff, the only other winger rostered is Conrad Jenkins, who finished with 68 points for the high-powered Vikings. Franchise Cornerstone and Maximoff should be able to hold the team’s offense over, but if the defense focuses on shutting them down, watch out.