CowboyinAmerica

I own that franchise 

Content: 3/3 - Is "locker room presence" a euphemism? I think it's a euphemism. Solid breakdown overall,
 
Grammar: 2/2 - Right on the borderline of taking off here, but I decided to go with the full two since most of these are the same error. In the future though, beware to use the right tense for verbs. Read it out loud to yourself once before posting, and see if anything feels odd to your tongue before posting.
 
teams goaltending = team's goaltending
No teams likes = No team likes
Get use to = Get used to
Faraday celebrates goals = Faraday celebrate goals
he can makes = he can make
There's no questions = There are no questions
 
Presentation: 1/1 - So that's what Naomi looks like, huh?
 
Total: 6/6

For serious, I'm fine. I'm at the beginning of my career, I'll get my time. I think it would be more fun to certainly win (and get that sweet, sweet TPE)

Yeah, originally had you at 4 before I realized Jeltz was draft eligible. Whoops. I'll change that tomorrow.

“Mocks? Anyone know what the hell Frank's gonna do with 1st OVA?”
 - Michael Clardy, Hopeful VHLM player
 
Ask and you shall receive. Leading up to Thursday’s VHLM Draft, there has been very little on the discussion front in VHLM circles. However, the notion that this will be a boring draft couldn’t be further from the truth. Five different teams hold draft selections in the top six. Oslo, meanwhile, has been loading up on veteran players. Yukon and Bratislava have no picks but return players from Finals runs, and Turku and Saskatoon are still around to liven up the party.
 
Do you know what’s going to happen when the first name is called? I surely don’t, but it never hurts to make a guess. This is one man’s opinion of the Season 42 VHLM Dispersal Draft, with TPE figures accurate as of update pages at the time of this writing.
 

1. Brampton Blades (from Ottawa) – RW E’Twaun Delicious (103 TPE)
 
What is the centerpiece to a VHLM team? Is it a high scoring center, such as Bismarck Koenig, or a stalwart goalie, such as Jax Barnstormer? Normally I would say goalie, but Brampton represents an interesting case. The team has mid-level VHLM players at both wing (Willcox, Zug) and goalie (Klajums), but none of the current players on the roster are currently practicing. Given the prevalence of high-TPE inactive goalies such as David Blind and Gunnar Skosvgard, however, I think that grabbing a goalie from elsewhere may be easier than a top-flight scorer. You can never have enough offensive threats.
 

2. Bern Royals – G Hans Wingate (138 TPE)
 
Bern doesn’t have much going for it right now, and unlike Brampton, the team has no goalie to plug into the roster if all else fails. Hans Wingate and Blake Campbell – who is eligible to be drafted after being a waiver pick-up last season – are the clear candidates to be chosen here. I’m going Wingate just because of his new job in the league office and his overall potential. However, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Campbell went here either, especially with his new backing in the Stockholm league office.
 

3. Minot Gladiators – G Blake Campbell (133 TPE)
 
I personally will be surprised if both top-flight goaltenders aren’t gone in the first four selections. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Campbell, who spend the end of Season 41 with the franchise. Similar to Brampton, Minot does have a backup option in place with David Blind, but in my opinion, no winger or defenseman would provide the same value that an active goaltender would in this spot.
 

4. Moscow Red Wolves (from Oslo) – RW Vogon Jeltz (107 TPE)
 
The Red Wolves clearly traded up to this spot with somebody in mind, and given the presence of Gunnar Skosvgard on the team, it’s likely not a goalie. Jeltz is clearly the best player left on the board, holding a 40 TPE edge over every other winger. Moscow will need the firepower to replace Ziedins, and this sets them up for the season at the right wing slot with little worry.
 

5. Moscow Red Wolves – D Michael Clardy (43 TPE)
 
Having just taken the highest winger on the board, it wouldn’t surprise me if Moscow then turned its attention to the defensive side. It’s rare to see a player jump in with both feet in such a strong manner, but with a biography, rookie profile and even a podcast already completed, Clardy has certainly already made his name known in scouting circles. Pairing Merica with Clardy gives Moscow potentially two of the highest upside players heading into the Season 43 draft, an advantage they certainly couldn’t pass up.
 

6. Brampton Blades – RW Josh Merica (44 TPE)
 
Merica has been adamant that he should be the first overall pick, and based on the pure potential that he has shown in combines thus far, I’m not one to disagree with him. However, due to preexisting players that already held some TPE, Merica falls all the way down to the six slot. He’s certainly a steal there for Brampton, however, who may now have their right winger of the future for the next two seasons. Come playoff time, Merica may be one of the deadliest wingers in the league.
 

7. Minot Gladiators (from Turku) – RW Benjamin Zeptenbergs (67 TPE)
 
After going goalie earlier, it’s time for Minot to turn its attention elsewhere. Not just the most well-progressed winger currently on the board, Zeptenbergs is still an active member of the community, even putting in time on the practice rink just a few days ago. Getting drafted by Toronto, his preferred VHL destination, should presumably push him forward with an even greater velocity. Zeptenbergs is a safe pick for the franchise.
 

8. Ottawa Lynx (from Saskatoon) – D Golden Jedtsson (51 TPE)
 
I was tempted to put goalie Not Active in this spot knowing Ottawa’s need at the position, but he has not shown up much in the practice arena since declaring for the draft. Instead, I will go the best player available route. While I could certainly make an argument for Francis York Morgan as a higher upside defenseman, going the safe route with Jedtsson doesn’t seem to be a bad move. Already holding a job in the league office and with his player agency having placed players in the VHL before, Jedtsson should certainly know the ropes.
 

9. Bern Royals (from Yukon) – D Francis York Morgan (40 TPE)
 
Having just joined the VHLM just over two weeks ago, Morgan has already made a name for himself with some strong practices in the early going. This draft is all about potential, and Morgan has it in spades, providing Bern some strong protection for the already-selected Wingate. The Clardy v. Morgan battle may very well become the talk of the Season 43 VHL draft if both players continue on their current rate, and Morgan being taken lower than he should here provides excellent motivation.
 

10. Ottawa Lynx (from Bratislava) – C Severin von Karma (86 TPE)
 
The idea of a low-upside, high-TPE player fits in perfectly with Ottawa’s pre-existing team, which needs some sort of stablizing presence. But that’s not to say that von Karma will not improve. Eligible for the draft as a Season 41 waiver pickup, von Karma has progressed at a decidedly slower rate since the turn of the new year, but he has still progressed. Will his selection by Stockholm in the VHL Draft light a fire under him? It’s possible, but unless it shows itself by Thursday, it won’t be enough to put him up draft boards.

There was once a football sim team (GMed by YEAH!) based in my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. It makes about as much sense as Minot for a sports franchise, only with more chance of dying (Murder Town USA)! But there's precedent, so that's where my support is going.

Content: 3/3 - Three cheers for Harumpf! Definitely got some chuckles out of me, enjoyed reading it.
 
Grammar: 2/2 - Just one thing of note here, was well-written throughout
 
Harumpf enjoy spending time = Harumpf enjoys spending time
 
Appearance: 1/1 - Mainly just for Olga
 
Total: 6/6

Calgary (AP) -- With the Season 42 VHL Draft now behind us and games set to begin, VHL scouting departments have already begun to look at the prospects in the minors for the Season 43 draft. One of them is goalie Hans Wingate, who recently told the press some... startling news.
 
"I think I'm going to chance my name to Hans Gow. I need to get on somebody's good side," Wingate joked.
 
Upon being pressed further, Wingate acknowledged that he's looking to attract the attention of the management in both Calgary and Riga, which are managed by the Gow brothers. Entering this season, Calgary and Riga are the only teams without a clear-cut goaltender answer for Season 43, and both could be looking goalie in the next draft. When asked whether this name change is the correct way to go about attracting attention, the man currently known as Wingate demurred.
 
"Creepy? No, it's not creepy at all," the goalie said. "It's a term of endearment. At least, I hope they see it as endearment. Please don't take this the wrong way, Calgary and Riga! Please don't make me go to Davos and back up Sinclair again..."

“Mocks? Anyone know what the hell Frank's gonna do with 1st OVA?”
 - Michael Clardy, Hopeful VHLM player
 
Ask and you shall receive. Leading up to Thursday’s VHLM Draft, there has been very little on the discussion front in VHLM circles. However, the notion that this will be a boring draft couldn’t be further from the truth. Five different teams hold draft selections in the top six. Oslo, meanwhile, has been loading up on veteran players. Yukon and Bratislava have no picks but return players from Finals runs, and Turku and Saskatoon are still around to liven up the party.
 
Do you know what’s going to happen when the first name is called? I surely don’t, but it never hurts to make a guess. This is one man’s opinion of the Season 42 VHLM Dispersal Draft, with TPE figures accurate as of update pages at the time of this writing.
 

1. Brampton Blades (from Ottawa) – RW E’Twaun Delicious (103 TPE)
 
What is the centerpiece to a VHLM team? Is it a high scoring center, such as Bismarck Koenig, or a stalwart goalie, such as Jax Barnstormer? Normally I would say goalie, but Brampton represents an interesting case. The team has mid-level VHLM players at both wing (Willcox, Zug) and goalie (Klajums), but none of the current players on the roster are currently practicing. Given the prevalence of high-TPE inactive goalies such as David Blind and Gunnar Skosvgard, however, I think that grabbing a goalie from elsewhere may be easier than a top-flight scorer. You can never have enough offensive threats.
 

2. Bern Royals – G Hans Wingate (138 TPE)
 
Bern doesn’t have much going for it right now, and unlike Brampton, the team has no goalie to plug into the roster if all else fails. Hans Wingate and Blake Campbell – who is eligible to be drafted after being a waiver pick-up last season – are the clear candidates to be chosen here. I’m going Wingate just because of his new job in the league office and his overall potential. However, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Campbell went here either, especially with his new backing in the Stockholm league office.
 

3. Minot Gladiators – G Blake Campbell (133 TPE)
 
I personally will be surprised if both top-flight goaltenders aren’t gone in the first four selections. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Campbell, who spend the end of Season 41 with the franchise. Similar to Brampton, Minot does have a backup option in place with David Blind, but in my opinion, no winger or defenseman would provide the same value that an active goaltender would in this spot.
 

4. Moscow Red Wolves (from Oslo) – RW Vogon Jeltz (107 TPE)
 
The Red Wolves clearly traded up to this spot with somebody in mind, and given the presence of Gunnar Skosvgard on the team, it’s likely not a goalie. Jeltz is clearly the best player left on the board, holding a 40 TPE edge over every other winger. Moscow will need the firepower to replace Ziedins, and this sets them up for the season at the right wing slot with little worry.
 

5. Moscow Red Wolves – D Michael Clardy (43 TPE)
 
Having just taken the highest winger on the board, it wouldn’t surprise me if Moscow then turned its attention to the defensive side. It’s rare to see a player jump in with both feet in such a strong manner, but with a biography, rookie profile and even a podcast already completed, Clardy has certainly already made his name known in scouting circles. Pairing Merica with Clardy gives Moscow potentially two of the highest upside players heading into the Season 43 draft, an advantage they certainly couldn’t pass up.
 

6. Brampton Blades – RW Josh Merica (44 TPE)
 
Merica has been adamant that he should be the first overall pick, and based on the pure potential that he has shown in combines thus far, I’m not one to disagree with him. However, due to preexisting players that already held some TPE, Merica falls all the way down to the six slot. He’s certainly a steal there for Brampton, however, who may now have their right winger of the future for the next two seasons. Come playoff time, Merica may be one of the deadliest wingers in the league.
 

7. Minot Gladiators (from Turku) – RW Benjamin Zeptenbergs (67 TPE)
 
After going goalie earlier, it’s time for Minot to turn its attention elsewhere. Not just the most well-progressed winger currently on the board, Zeptenbergs is still an active member of the community, even putting in time on the practice rink just a few days ago. Getting drafted by Toronto, his preferred VHL destination, should presumably push him forward with an even greater velocity. Zeptenbergs is a safe pick for the franchise.
 

8. Ottawa Lynx (from Saskatoon) – D Golden Jedtsson (51 TPE)
 
I was tempted to put goalie Not Active in this spot knowing Ottawa’s need at the position, but he has not shown up much in the practice arena since declaring for the draft. Instead, I will go the best player available route. While I could certainly make an argument for Francis York Morgan as a higher upside defenseman, going the safe route with Jedtsson doesn’t seem to be a bad move. Already holding a job in the league office and with his player agency having placed players in the VHL before, Jedtsson should certainly know the ropes.
 

9. Bern Royals (from Yukon) – D Francis York Morgan (40 TPE)
 
Having just joined the VHLM just over two weeks ago, Morgan has already made a name for himself with some strong practices in the early going. This draft is all about potential, and Morgan has it in spades, providing Bern some strong protection for the already-selected Wingate. The Clardy v. Morgan battle may very well become the talk of the Season 43 VHL draft if both players continue on their current rate, and Morgan being taken lower than he should here provides excellent motivation.
 

10. Ottawa Lynx (from Bratislava) – C Severin von Karma (86 TPE)
 
The idea of a low-upside, high-TPE player fits in perfectly with Ottawa’s pre-existing team, which needs some sort of stablizing presence. But that’s not to say that von Karma will not improve. Eligible for the draft as a Season 41 waiver pickup, von Karma has progressed at a decidedly slower rate since the turn of the new year, but he has still progressed. Will his selection by Stockholm in the VHL Draft light a fire under him? It’s possible, but unless it shows itself by Thursday, it won’t be enough to put him up draft boards.

Calgary (AP) -- With the Season 42 VHL Draft now behind us and games set to begin, VHL scouting departments have already begun to look at the prospects in the minors for the Season 43 draft. One of them is goalie Hans Wingate, who recently told the press some... startling news.
 
"I think I'm going to chance my name to Hans Gow. I need to get on somebody's good side," Wingate joked.
 
Upon being pressed further, Wingate acknowledged that he's looking to attract the attention of the management in both Calgary and Riga, which are managed by the Gow brothers. Entering this season, Calgary and Riga are the only teams without a clear-cut goaltender answer for Season 43, and both could be looking goalie in the next draft. When asked whether this name change is the correct way to go about attracting attention, the man currently known as Wingate demurred.
 
"Creepy? No, it's not creepy at all," the goalie said. "It's a term of endearment. At least, I hope they see it as endearment. Please don't take this the wrong way, Calgary and Riga! Please don't make me go to Davos and back up Sinclair again..."

“Mocks? Anyone know what the hell Frank's gonna do with 1st OVA?”
 - Michael Clardy, Hopeful VHLM player
 
Ask and you shall receive. Leading up to Thursday’s VHLM Draft, there has been very little on the discussion front in VHLM circles. However, the notion that this will be a boring draft couldn’t be further from the truth. Five different teams hold draft selections in the top six. Oslo, meanwhile, has been loading up on veteran players. Yukon and Bratislava have no picks but return players from Finals runs, and Turku and Saskatoon are still around to liven up the party.
 
Do you know what’s going to happen when the first name is called? I surely don’t, but it never hurts to make a guess. This is one man’s opinion of the Season 42 VHLM Dispersal Draft, with TPE figures accurate as of update pages at the time of this writing.
 

1. Brampton Blades (from Ottawa) – RW E’Twaun Delicious (103 TPE)
 
What is the centerpiece to a VHLM team? Is it a high scoring center, such as Bismarck Koenig, or a stalwart goalie, such as Jax Barnstormer? Normally I would say goalie, but Brampton represents an interesting case. The team has mid-level VHLM players at both wing (Willcox, Zug) and goalie (Klajums), but none of the current players on the roster are currently practicing. Given the prevalence of high-TPE inactive goalies such as David Blind and Gunnar Skosvgard, however, I think that grabbing a goalie from elsewhere may be easier than a top-flight scorer. You can never have enough offensive threats.
 

2. Bern Royals – G Hans Wingate (138 TPE)
 
Bern doesn’t have much going for it right now, and unlike Brampton, the team has no goalie to plug into the roster if all else fails. Hans Wingate and Blake Campbell – who is eligible to be drafted after being a waiver pick-up last season – are the clear candidates to be chosen here. I’m going Wingate just because of his new job in the league office and his overall potential. However, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Campbell went here either, especially with his new backing in the Stockholm league office.
 

3. Minot Gladiators – G Blake Campbell (133 TPE)
 
I personally will be surprised if both top-flight goaltenders aren’t gone in the first four selections. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Campbell, who spend the end of Season 41 with the franchise. Similar to Brampton, Minot does have a backup option in place with David Blind, but in my opinion, no winger or defenseman would provide the same value that an active goaltender would in this spot.
 

4. Moscow Red Wolves (from Oslo) – RW Vogon Jeltz (107 TPE)
 
The Red Wolves clearly traded up to this spot with somebody in mind, and given the presence of Gunnar Skosvgard on the team, it’s likely not a goalie. Jeltz is clearly the best player left on the board, holding a 40 TPE edge over every other winger. Moscow will need the firepower to replace Ziedins, and this sets them up for the season at the right wing slot with little worry.
 

5. Moscow Red Wolves – D Michael Clardy (43 TPE)
 
Having just taken the highest winger on the board, it wouldn’t surprise me if Moscow then turned its attention to the defensive side. It’s rare to see a player jump in with both feet in such a strong manner, but with a biography, rookie profile and even a podcast already completed, Clardy has certainly already made his name known in scouting circles. Pairing Merica with Clardy gives Moscow potentially two of the highest upside players heading into the Season 43 draft, an advantage they certainly couldn’t pass up.
 

6. Brampton Blades – RW Josh Merica (44 TPE)
 
Merica has been adamant that he should be the first overall pick, and based on the pure potential that he has shown in combines thus far, I’m not one to disagree with him. However, due to preexisting players that already held some TPE, Merica falls all the way down to the six slot. He’s certainly a steal there for Brampton, however, who may now have their right winger of the future for the next two seasons. Come playoff time, Merica may be one of the deadliest wingers in the league.
 

7. Minot Gladiators (from Turku) – RW Benjamin Zeptenbergs (67 TPE)
 
After going goalie earlier, it’s time for Minot to turn its attention elsewhere. Not just the most well-progressed winger currently on the board, Zeptenbergs is still an active member of the community, even putting in time on the practice rink just a few days ago. Getting drafted by Toronto, his preferred VHL destination, should presumably push him forward with an even greater velocity. Zeptenbergs is a safe pick for the franchise.
 

8. Ottawa Lynx (from Saskatoon) – D Golden Jedtsson (51 TPE)
 
I was tempted to put goalie Not Active in this spot knowing Ottawa’s need at the position, but he has not shown up much in the practice arena since declaring for the draft. Instead, I will go the best player available route. While I could certainly make an argument for Francis York Morgan as a higher upside defenseman, going the safe route with Jedtsson doesn’t seem to be a bad move. Already holding a job in the league office and with his player agency having placed players in the VHL before, Jedtsson should certainly know the ropes.
 

9. Bern Royals (from Yukon) – D Francis York Morgan (40 TPE)
 
Having just joined the VHLM just over two weeks ago, Morgan has already made a name for himself with some strong practices in the early going. This draft is all about potential, and Morgan has it in spades, providing Bern some strong protection for the already-selected Wingate. The Clardy v. Morgan battle may very well become the talk of the Season 43 VHL draft if both players continue on their current rate, and Morgan being taken lower than he should here provides excellent motivation.
 

10. Ottawa Lynx (from Bratislava) – C Severin von Karma (86 TPE)
 
The idea of a low-upside, high-TPE player fits in perfectly with Ottawa’s pre-existing team, which needs some sort of stablizing presence. But that’s not to say that von Karma will not improve. Eligible for the draft as a Season 41 waiver pickup, von Karma has progressed at a decidedly slower rate since the turn of the new year, but he has still progressed. Will his selection by Stockholm in the VHL Draft light a fire under him? It’s possible, but unless it shows itself by Thursday, it won’t be enough to put him up draft boards.

I was being self-deprecating, but OK. That first guy I didn't really have interest in the league outside of a passing fancy, that's why I did one PT and promptly left. Other than the fact that you were the VHLM GM that claimed me, doubt anyone else remembers that player existed. With Olsen, once I committed myself, I'd argue that 850 TPE over six seasons before I went inactive from all sim leagues with life things (which I made well known) isn't exactly a failure? Beat all but Boom, Boubabi and Jericho from that super hyped S33 draft class at the very least.

Final prediction: Stockholm boat becomes too crowded. Boat sinks.

Oh, yes.. I just said the same thing. Nicely put!

I think this is the important point of this I'd like to see argued a bit more. I've been Head Grader in leagues before, and I think it's fairly easy to objectively respond to a complaint as long as the complainer actually makes a valid point. I know Bushito is well-versed enough in these things to have a solid place from which to base his opinion as well. The whole point of a Head Grader is objectivity - in managing how strict they grade, hiring/firing them based on performance, and fielding complaints. And if a Head Grader isn't objective, then go higher up the ladder to raise that point and replace if necessary.
 
Basically, I just want to hear the argument why a jury trial would be more beneficial than a judge. Because to me, the time wasted waiting for a decision and the bureaucracy of it all isn't worth what I think would be incremental benefits at best.

To celebrate (?) the 5th organization I've been a part of, I made a thing.
 

That's racist, and there are no natives in this draft

I'm gonna actually do that because it sounds awesome

Hey guys, if there's anyone here who's interested in beer, music, or me, then can you do me a huge favour and check out my new podcast on iTunes.
 
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/brews-n-tunes/id965015471
 
Basically each week I sample craft beer with different musicians that I interview. If you feel like doing me a real solid, you can rate and review it on iTunes. 
 
Thanks VHL, you guys are da best.

Whether you guys care or not, is really up to you, but I felt like this is a moment I'd like to share with the people I feel I've become friends with since I joined way back when. 
 
I struggled with eating disorders, depression, bullying and just neglect from people. I never liked going outside, I never liked who I was, and I was truly just disgusting looking back at old pictures. At my highest weight, I was 300lbs, well maybe like 296lbs, but still, a disgusting weight. 
 
Today I went to the doctors, and after a hard, long fought journey, I've officially lost 100lbs and maintained a 200lbs weight for just over a month now. With all of that weight lost, I just found what seems to be a new meaning in life. 
 
Again if you don't care, I completely understand. This is more to share with the people on here that never judged me and knew what I had been dealing with. 
 
 

Hope this isn't tampering, but Ottawa is really nice this time of year. 

You underestimate how much all of the league's fortune turned with the creation of Jarkko Olsen in S33.
 
S34, Riga: Riga in the playoffs, Davos not.
S35, Davos: Davos in the playoffs, Riga not.
S36, Davos: Davos wins the Cup, Riga misses playoffs.
S37, Davos: Davos eliminates Riga, makes a Cup appearance.
S38, Davos: Davos eliminates Riga, wins Cup.
S39, Davos: Davos eliminates Riga, makes a Cup appearance.
S40, Riga: Riga wins the Cup, Davos misses playoffs. 
 
In short, Olsen determined the success/failure of Davos and Riga over a 7 year span - and that good karma is benefitting them this year as well, a lingering presence until a successor is born.

Draft destination rankings seem to be all the rage in the Victory Hockey League these days. One look at league-sponsored media, and you can see where Devin Sundberg, or Tyler Cote, or E’Twaun Delicious may look to be headed in the coming seasons. However, all of these rankings and speculator articles have one thing in common: They’re based off of feelings, and where the players think that they may be happy in the future.
 
Hans Wingate is not a pansy who relies on emotions. Wingate is a man of hard, cold practicality — the type of player that would make Bill Belichick cry out in ecstasy. When Wingate looks at his future, he doesn’t even look at the VHL, as there are simply too many variables to determine where he may end up. Instead, the level-headed monster decides to look at the VHLM, particularly the S42 VHLM Draft, to pontificate about his future.
 
With draft-eligible goalies such as Callum Sinclair and Jax Barnstomer a near lock to be moving up a level next season, and with Blake Campbell just about neck-and-neck with Wingate in practice hours but with the added risk of being called up to the majors, it’s quite likely that Wingate will be selected with a lottery draft selection. That means that, barring trades, the first four of Ottawa, Bern, Oslo and Minot may all have a shot at him.
 
Wingate will not have his choice of team; that will be selected for him in the draft. But if he did have his choice, what would be the rundown? Here it goes.
 

4.  Ottawa Lynx
 
The team with the first overall pick comes last? While that may be the case, there are a number of complicating factors in play. Currently, the team does not have a general manager, and while the league is expected to appoint one before the draft, that type of instability worries Wingate. Also, there is the question of potential talent, as Ottawa only stands to have two of the first 15 picks of the draft (No. 1 and No. 11) to add to a roster that is almost bare and gained just nine points last season. Few extra S43 draft picks means less room to maneuver as well. The biggest reason for Wingate, though, may be the chance to build something new. Ottawa, Bratislava and Yukon have combined for every single VHLM championship in the past ten seasons. Wingate wants to spread the love and give another side a shot at glory.
 

3. Oslo Storm
 
Perhaps I was wrong; maybe Hans Wingate does have a tiny bit sentimentality left in him. The only other hockey player from the Warren agency, former VHLM defenseman Karsten Olsen, was a star for the Oslo Storm, playing on the first line that sent the team to its most recent championship (and the last title not won by Bratislava, Ottawa or Yukon) in Season 32. In fact, the Warren agency even controlled the team for a while, taking the helm for a rebuilding effort in Seasons 33 and 34. When it comes to immediate winning prospects, though, Oslo leaves much to be desired. The draft pick required to select Wingate would be its only selection in the first two rounds, and there are no defensemen of any worth currently on the roster. As constituted, it would be tough for Wingate to win here, and nostalgia would be the only reason to go.
 

2. Minot Gladiators
 
In terms of current roster construction, it would be hard to beat the current Minot team. While Blake Campbell will be draft-eligible once again as a waiver signee, the core of the team, including Paul Ready, Cap’n Crunch and Jacques Grand, will return once again. Added to that mix will be three of the top 14 selections in the VHLM draft, as Minot will also receive the eighth overall selection from Turku in addition to its own third and 14th overall picks. All told, especially with Saskatoon and Yukon seeing a number of defections to the VHL, Minot could be the frontrunner in the North American Conference with a solid goalie next season. But does the franchise already believe it has that solid goalie? Minot already has David Blind currently on the roster, and although Wingate would indeed be an upgrade, the team may find larger upgrades elsewhere on the roster.
 

1. Bern Royals
 
The cupboard may be bare in Bern – Atticus Finch is the only player of any note expected to make a return next season – but the pieces are in place for sustained success. In addition to the second overall selection in the draft, Bern will also feature the No. 9/10, No. 12, No. 13, and No. 18 picks in the draft. Bern also has five draft picks in the first two rounds of the S43 draft, which can provide excellent ammo if the team decides to make a run. Only two other European Conference teams have a top 15 draft pick (Oslo at No. 4, Moscow at No. 5 and 15), and no other returning goalie in the conference is expected to be above Moscow’s Coca Cola at 110 practice hours. Couple all of this with an active general manager, and the time is ripe for Bern to make its first championship run since way back in Season 20, the second-longest winless streak for any VHLM team. The only question is whether Wingate will have the chance to be a part.

Turku, Finland (AP) -- Things were going so well for the Turku Outlaws of the VHLM. Up 3-2 in the European Conference finals against the Bratislava Watchmen, the streaking team only needed one win to reach the VHLM Finals against a similarly tough Yukon Rush team. Having beaten Bratislava three times, however, the Outlaws felt confident that this would be their year.
 
You know what happened next.
 
Following strong performances by Jax Barnstormer and a complete collapse of the Turku offense, Bratislava moved on to face Yukon in the VHLM Finals. There, with Bratislava now up 3-1 in the series, one of the former VHLM expansion teams will win yet another championship. And the Turku Outlaws, which have not won a title since they were known as the Kolari Panthers in Season 30, are left begging once again.
 
Through it all, Wingate stayed on the bench, but he was more than outspoken following the loss. "Of course it's disappointing," Wingate told reporters. "Next season is going to be my stats-filled season in the VHLM, but all I wanted this year is to win. It's tough to go in with that as the only goal and still lose. This may take a while to get over."
 
Next up for Wingate will be the VHLM Draft and possibly a bid for a Super Cup position, but before that, he has a little time off while the Finals finish up. Wingate expects to use that time to freshen up and prepare a strong run to the S43 VHL Draft, where he hopes to be one of the top players off the board.

Draft destination rankings seem to be all the rage in the Victory Hockey League these days. One look at league-sponsored media, and you can see where Devin Sundberg, or Tyler Cote, or E’Twaun Delicious may look to be headed in the coming seasons. However, all of these rankings and speculator articles have one thing in common: They’re based off of feelings, and where the players think that they may be happy in the future.
 
Hans Wingate is not a pansy who relies on emotions. Wingate is a man of hard, cold practicality — the type of player that would make Bill Belichick cry out in ecstasy. When Wingate looks at his future, he doesn’t even look at the VHL, as there are simply too many variables to determine where he may end up. Instead, the level-headed monster decides to look at the VHLM, particularly the S42 VHLM Draft, to pontificate about his future.
 
With draft-eligible goalies such as Callum Sinclair and Jax Barnstomer a near lock to be moving up a level next season, and with Blake Campbell just about neck-and-neck with Wingate in practice hours but with the added risk of being called up to the majors, it’s quite likely that Wingate will be selected with a lottery draft selection. That means that, barring trades, the first four of Ottawa, Bern, Oslo and Minot may all have a shot at him.
 
Wingate will not have his choice of team; that will be selected for him in the draft. But if he did have his choice, what would be the rundown? Here it goes.
 

4.  Ottawa Lynx
 
The team with the first overall pick comes last? While that may be the case, there are a number of complicating factors in play. Currently, the team does not have a general manager, and while the league is expected to appoint one before the draft, that type of instability worries Wingate. Also, there is the question of potential talent, as Ottawa only stands to have two of the first 15 picks of the draft (No. 1 and No. 11) to add to a roster that is almost bare and gained just nine points last season. Few extra S43 draft picks means less room to maneuver as well. The biggest reason for Wingate, though, may be the chance to build something new. Ottawa, Bratislava and Yukon have combined for every single VHLM championship in the past ten seasons. Wingate wants to spread the love and give another side a shot at glory.
 

3. Oslo Storm
 
Perhaps I was wrong; maybe Hans Wingate does have a tiny bit sentimentality left in him. The only other hockey player from the Warren agency, former VHLM defenseman Karsten Olsen, was a star for the Oslo Storm, playing on the first line that sent the team to its most recent championship (and the last title not won by Bratislava, Ottawa or Yukon) in Season 32. In fact, the Warren agency even controlled the team for a while, taking the helm for a rebuilding effort in Seasons 33 and 34. When it comes to immediate winning prospects, though, Oslo leaves much to be desired. The draft pick required to select Wingate would be its only selection in the first two rounds, and there are no defensemen of any worth currently on the roster. As constituted, it would be tough for Wingate to win here, and nostalgia would be the only reason to go.
 

2. Minot Gladiators
 
In terms of current roster construction, it would be hard to beat the current Minot team. While Blake Campbell will be draft-eligible once again as a waiver signee, the core of the team, including Paul Ready, Cap’n Crunch and Jacques Grand, will return once again. Added to that mix will be three of the top 14 selections in the VHLM draft, as Minot will also receive the eighth overall selection from Turku in addition to its own third and 14th overall picks. All told, especially with Saskatoon and Yukon seeing a number of defections to the VHL, Minot could be the frontrunner in the North American Conference with a solid goalie next season. But does the franchise already believe it has that solid goalie? Minot already has David Blind currently on the roster, and although Wingate would indeed be an upgrade, the team may find larger upgrades elsewhere on the roster.
 

1. Bern Royals
 
The cupboard may be bare in Bern – Atticus Finch is the only player of any note expected to make a return next season – but the pieces are in place for sustained success. In addition to the second overall selection in the draft, Bern will also feature the No. 9/10, No. 12, No. 13, and No. 18 picks in the draft. Bern also has five draft picks in the first two rounds of the S43 draft, which can provide excellent ammo if the team decides to make a run. Only two other European Conference teams have a top 15 draft pick (Oslo at No. 4, Moscow at No. 5 and 15), and no other returning goalie in the conference is expected to be above Moscow’s Coca Cola at 110 practice hours. Couple all of this with an active general manager, and the time is ripe for Bern to make its first championship run since way back in Season 20, the second-longest winless streak for any VHLM team. The only question is whether Wingate will have the chance to be a part.