CowboyinAmerica

1. Will DAVID be a contender again next season?!
I think we've got a shot, though perhaps from attrition from other teams as much as anything. I do believe there's a large element of randomness in the VHL Playoffs, so especially if you're a top three seed in the conference you've got as much a shot as anyone else.
 
2. Now that we are deep into the Continental Cup playoffs, which team do you believe looks the strongest?
I was very curious how Europe would shake out, and I think London's looking very good. A strong goalie goes a long way, and Teno has the chance to go out with a bang.
 
3. Do you believe the regular season should be adjusted in any way in terms of amount of games (lengthened or shortened)? Or is 72 just the sweet spot?
72 games works well by me, but that's also partially because I like continuity in record-keeping. I don't think the sim season's too long on my end.
 
4. What was your player’s best stat this season?
I'm really happy how well Bucatini has developed as a playmaker. She was pretty much exclusively a scorer in the M, so having 48 assists in the regular season (and 6 so far in the playoffs!) makes me happy.
 
5. The Stanley Cup playoffs are also heating up! Was there a series outcome in particular that surprised you?
(Writing this from the future) Man, it was crazy how the Leafs came back to force a Game 7, took a two goal lead in the game, then blew it again. Never thought that would happen against the Bruins.
 
6. Other than hockey, what other sports do you enjoy watching?
Big fan of basketball, have season tickets to the local soccer team, and watch my fair share of college football as well. I'm a bit all over the place, but that's not a bad thing.

Yeah not a fan, especially if there's bonus points for champion associated (I don't know, I can't even see the form now). Posted 7 pm CT on a Friday, closes at 11 am the next morning.
 
My picks are Americans in 4, Moscow in 4, and Toronto for title, even ignoring if E and M were also here. And if they're not accepted, then that's dumb.

After a long, hard-fought battle with cancer, Mama Sike decided it was time to rest. Thank you VHL for providing an outlet for me in this difficult time.

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
I've still got Toronto. Europe is going to be a slog to get through, and the Legion have had such a strong team from day one.
 
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Oh captain my captain! And assistant captain! And other assistant captain! Here's to hoping it continues next season when I'm also up.
 
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
To be honest? Not really. There's going to largely be a new roster next season, so while it's been great to get a few wins, I think a lot of the game planning will start from square one.
 
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
You say people don't build players with fighting? Then let's change that - most fights won now gets an award. We're calling it the Rocky Award until we get a good VHL legend to name it after.
 
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
I swear I didn't see this question before answering the last one. Honestly, the reason that a lot of people play sports is to get some aggression out. As long as it's not causing lasting injuries, then yeah, let them have at it.
 
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
People focus too much on this question and not the alternative: I think every ham sandwich should be called a hot dog. Think about it - contains a pig-based meat, you typically want to eat it with condiments for flavor, comes within some sort of bun. Real geniuses have been saying this.

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
I've still got Toronto. Europe is going to be a slog to get through, and the Legion have had such a strong team from day one.
 
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Oh captain my captain! And assistant captain! And other assistant captain! Here's to hoping it continues next season when I'm also up.
 
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
To be honest? Not really. There's going to largely be a new roster next season, so while it's been great to get a few wins, I think a lot of the game planning will start from square one.
 
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
You say people don't build players with fighting? Then let's change that - most fights won now gets an award. We're calling it the Rocky Award until we get a good VHL legend to name it after.
 
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
I swear I didn't see this question before answering the last one. Honestly, the reason that a lot of people play sports is to get some aggression out. As long as it's not causing lasting injuries, then yeah, let them have at it.
 
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
People focus too much on this question and not the alternative: I think every ham sandwich should be called a hot dog. Think about it - contains a pig-based meat, you typically want to eat it with condiments for flavor, comes within some sort of bun. Real geniuses have been saying this.

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
I've still got Toronto. Europe is going to be a slog to get through, and the Legion have had such a strong team from day one.
 
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Oh captain my captain! And assistant captain! And other assistant captain! Here's to hoping it continues next season when I'm also up.
 
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
To be honest? Not really. There's going to largely be a new roster next season, so while it's been great to get a few wins, I think a lot of the game planning will start from square one.
 
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
You say people don't build players with fighting? Then let's change that - most fights won now gets an award. We're calling it the Rocky Award until we get a good VHL legend to name it after.
 
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
I swear I didn't see this question before answering the last one. Honestly, the reason that a lot of people play sports is to get some aggression out. As long as it's not causing lasting injuries, then yeah, let them have at it.
 
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
People focus too much on this question and not the alternative: I think every ham sandwich should be called a hot dog. Think about it - contains a pig-based meat, you typically want to eat it with condiments for flavor, comes within some sort of bun. Real geniuses have been saying this.

You thought I had milked all I could from my list of my most common last names in VHL history? Think again, for that list provides a wonderful alternative – most popular FIRST names in VHL history!
 
On this occasion I will not list out every player to have played in the VHL but instead focus on some of the big hitters. I will also caveat that I did not add any new VHL players who debuted in S93 so apologies if the totals for some of these popular names need to be adjusted slightly (although I'd be amazed if it was by more than 1 or 2). If you do want the full list, then it is available at the link below.
 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FsUQv-rCKu6bI3y0KCfQVUwJvcBlYH3mWl8iF2Kt5Js/edit?usp=sharing
 
Alex (20) and Alexander (21)
Well we have a clear runaway winner. 41 Alexs/Alexanders have graced the VHL (nearly 2% of all VHL players ever). 8 of them are in the Hall of Fame (approximately 5% of the Hall). 3 of them have trophies named after them – Chershenko in the VHLM and the Beketov and Valiq in the VHL. It's a pretty good name to have in hockey (see Ovechkin, Mogilny, and to a lesser extent Radulov). It's only the 44th most popular male name in the US in the last 100 years but as evidenced by the list above, it has a more international impact across Europe especially.
 
Anyway, you guys want me to type out the full list? Of course you do. *deep breath*
 
Abraham, Beketov, Brandner, Buturlin, Carter, Chershenko, Davidson, Deslauries, the Great (good on him making it some 2,350 years after his death), Johnston, Kharlamov, Khavanov, Labatte, Letang, McNeil, Minion, Murphy, Parise, Pearson, Pepper, Povenofsky, Randoulov, Rawnsley (he was actually a CPU but it's not like any other name is particularly close anyway), Sauve, Sclafani, Staal, Stokes, Stoyanovich, Stroheim, Thrower, Torjano, Valiq, Watson, Yengeni, Young, and finally Kachur (twice), Gegeny (twice as well) and Bridges (also twice).
These guys will take some time to dislodge from the top.

 
David (22)
We do have a nearly one-man attempt to challenge the Alex/Alexander supremacy. In fact, if you split those two, they actually finish just below David, the name which former commissioner David @Knight uses to name all his players. He accounts for nearly half of the 22-man roster with 9 Davids – the Hall of Famers Smalling, Henman, Night, and Walcott and also Blind, Hamilton, Januzaj, Knight himself, and now Rashford. So long as he keeps going, the Alexanders can not get too complacent.

 
John (17) and Jon (9)
I'm going to stick this one below David because it's a bit more controversial than combining Alex and Alexander – Jon can be Jonathan and that's less likely to be John although these could be the same name sometimes. More importantly, despite 28 of Johns and Jons over the years, there is not too much quality in their ranks. There's just the 1 Hall of Famer – Locke and only a handful of notable players otherwise with Sleeman and Frostbeard in the level below Locke and Jameson who should be this group's second entry into the Hall.

 
Michael (15) , Mike (3), and Mikey (3)... and Mikael? (3)
Quite a mix here, depending on where you draw the line on what counts as a Michael – in any case it doesn't move them up or down from fourth place. The Michaels on their own don't have much star power but when you add in Mikes you get both Szatkowski and Szatkowski Jr and suddenly this group is looking a lot more glamorous.

 
Matt (13) and Matthew (7)
A more straightforward combination – Matthew straight from the Bible and the shorter version, Matt. We have the three most similarly sounding Hall of Famers here – Bentz, Bailey, and Bentley, and also Pogge, Thompson, and Defosse for a very strong ratio of Hall of Famers to players (6 out of 20). So clearly this is a good name to have if you want to make a real impact in the league.

 
Ryan (17)
The good thing about Ryan is that there isn't really any alternative so we know for a fact there are 17 of them not being grouped with anyone else. One of them is actually just called Ryan with no last name which I think is something unique for this article. There's no Gosling vs Reynolds dynamic in the VHL – the clear leader is lone Hall of Famer Sullivan (the original) although there is also erstwhile all-time TPE leader Kastelic and other noteworthy players.

 
Jeff and Jack – 15 each
These two names aren't actually the same name, but they're just joint seventh in this list (unless we add Jack together with John which we are not going to do). None of the Jacks have made the Hall of Fame or have been close with the most successful probably being Shephard, although O'Riley, Sound, and Kowalski were also above average players in their time. The Jeffs have a bit more sparkle with Hamilton and the second Downey in the Hall. Both names can more up quickly to catch up to the Ryans and the Matts in due course.

 
That's about as far down the list as I'm willing to go for my own sanity. Other points to note on the list are the David-like effort by his brother Phil to drag that name up the ranking, although unlike David, @Phil has had no help as I believe all 10 players are his (but we know an eleventh is just around the corner). The 10 Shawns in the meantime are primarily the work of TheLastOlympian (Brodeur, Gretzky, Howard, Muller, and Zyuzin) and 3 Shawn Glades. Mildly amusing is the fact “The” ranks in midtable with 9 appearances thanks to The Charm, The Loch Ness Monster, The Mediocre One, The Process, The Seabasstard, The Board Game Clue on Skates, The Terrible Trivium and current star The Frenchman who is en route to be their first Hall of Famer. I think that's as much content as I can get out of this list, for now anyway.

1. Happy TDL week! What trade surprised you most leading up to it, if any?
Not necessarily an individual trade, but Seattle trading so aggressively surprised me. They had the prospects and picks to do more of a slow build, but I guess they saw a whole. 
 
2. In your opinion, do you think putting TPE into the LD attribute has any impact on sims?
I know I'm in the minority here, but absolutely. Not for individual stats, but I believe LD and EX has an effect on a team's overall success rate. It's all anecdotal evidence but I've seen it work - and which is why I love to remind people to take the free EX points every year.
 
3. Which team do you believe has been Davos’ biggest rival this season?
Backup goalies. We've faced a lot of them, and damn it, it feels good to beat an overmatched bot.
 
4. Are you a member of any other sim leagues?
Just the SBA right now. I tend to be all or nothing in how I approach sim leagues but don't have unlimited time, so just the ones I have the most investment in already (like the VHL) are the most fun for me.
 
5. In the spirit of last week’s theme week: which VHL team is most due for a rebrand?
I really do think it's due for London, especially when even the GM is admitting it. I'll be really curious to see what they come up with.
 
8. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I'm noticing that I'm becoming a cliche - was definitely a night owl, but that's starting to drift as I get older. Also doesn't help that work often has me on early morning meetings with people from the UK, so it's a bit of a necessity.

1. Happy TDL week! What trade surprised you most leading up to it, if any?
Not necessarily an individual trade, but Seattle trading so aggressively surprised me. They had the prospects and picks to do more of a slow build, but I guess they saw a whole. 
 
2. In your opinion, do you think putting TPE into the LD attribute has any impact on sims?
I know I'm in the minority here, but absolutely. Not for individual stats, but I believe LD and EX has an effect on a team's overall success rate. It's all anecdotal evidence but I've seen it work - and which is why I love to remind people to take the free EX points every year.
 
3. Which team do you believe has been Davos’ biggest rival this season?
Backup goalies. We've faced a lot of them, and damn it, it feels good to beat an overmatched bot.
 
4. Are you a member of any other sim leagues?
Just the SBA right now. I tend to be all or nothing in how I approach sim leagues but don't have unlimited time, so just the ones I have the most investment in already (like the VHL) are the most fun for me.
 
5. In the spirit of last week’s theme week: which VHL team is most due for a rebrand?
I really do think it's due for London, especially when even the GM is admitting it. I'll be really curious to see what they come up with.
 
8. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I'm noticing that I'm becoming a cliche - was definitely a night owl, but that's starting to drift as I get older. Also doesn't help that work often has me on early morning meetings with people from the UK, so it's a bit of a necessity.

1. Happy TDL week! What trade surprised you most leading up to it, if any?
Not necessarily an individual trade, but Seattle trading so aggressively surprised me. They had the prospects and picks to do more of a slow build, but I guess they saw a whole. 
 
2. In your opinion, do you think putting TPE into the LD attribute has any impact on sims?
I know I'm in the minority here, but absolutely. Not for individual stats, but I believe LD and EX has an effect on a team's overall success rate. It's all anecdotal evidence but I've seen it work - and which is why I love to remind people to take the free EX points every year.
 
3. Which team do you believe has been Davos’ biggest rival this season?
Backup goalies. We've faced a lot of them, and damn it, it feels good to beat an overmatched bot.
 
4. Are you a member of any other sim leagues?
Just the SBA right now. I tend to be all or nothing in how I approach sim leagues but don't have unlimited time, so just the ones I have the most investment in already (like the VHL) are the most fun for me.
 
5. In the spirit of last week’s theme week: which VHL team is most due for a rebrand?
I really do think it's due for London, especially when even the GM is admitting it. I'll be really curious to see what they come up with.
 
8. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I'm noticing that I'm becoming a cliche - was definitely a night owl, but that's starting to drift as I get older. Also doesn't help that work often has me on early morning meetings with people from the UK, so it's a bit of a necessity.

Oslo, Norway -- Throughout the season, the fortunes of the Oslo Storm and first overall VHLE draft pick Antonia Bucatini have mirrored one another. In the beginning of the season, the Storm dropped a few easy games, were behind the Stockholm Vikings in the standings, and there were questions whether this team with title aspirations were a true contender. Similarly, Bucatini was averaging less than a point per game, not clicking with her linemates, and couldn't figure out the formula in moving up to the VHLE.
 
But now, time has changed both of those fortunes. After winning an astounding 15 of the team's last 16 games, the Storm have rocketed up the standings past a similarly hot Vasteras Iron Eagles to sit second in the VHLE, just four points behind the league-leading Cologne Express. At the same time, Bucatini has more than found her offense - her 67 points are tied for the league lead with teammate Wayne Gretzky, and her 30 goals are just one off the league lead held by Rome forward (and former Bucatini linemate in Houston) Nathan Ecker.
 
To Bucatini, it was a matter of time to put things together. "Cold snaps will happen, but it's always a bit concerning when those cold snaps start the season. I'm just glad team management was patient," Bucatini said after a recent win against Vasteras. "We're finally playing like the team I knew we'd be to start the season and it feels fantastic."
 
In order to have the best record in the league, though, a crucial stretch is coming up. Six of Oslo's next seven games are against either Cologne or Vasteras, the two teams they're competing against at the top of the standings. If they can get through that stretch with a winning record, the team says it will feel very good about its chances going down the stretch.
 
"I really want that one seed. It would be proof of what we've built here," Bucatini added. "But to get there, we know what we have to do. It's a 72 game season, and the home stretch starts now. For everybody in our locker room, it's go time."

Oslo, Norway -- Throughout the season, the fortunes of the Oslo Storm and first overall VHLE draft pick Antonia Bucatini have mirrored one another. In the beginning of the season, the Storm dropped a few easy games, were behind the Stockholm Vikings in the standings, and there were questions whether this team with title aspirations were a true contender. Similarly, Bucatini was averaging less than a point per game, not clicking with her linemates, and couldn't figure out the formula in moving up to the VHLE.
 
But now, time has changed both of those fortunes. After winning an astounding 15 of the team's last 16 games, the Storm have rocketed up the standings past a similarly hot Vasteras Iron Eagles to sit second in the VHLE, just four points behind the league-leading Cologne Express. At the same time, Bucatini has more than found her offense - her 67 points are tied for the league lead with teammate Wayne Gretzky, and her 30 goals are just one off the league lead held by Rome forward (and former Bucatini linemate in Houston) Nathan Ecker.
 
To Bucatini, it was a matter of time to put things together. "Cold snaps will happen, but it's always a bit concerning when those cold snaps start the season. I'm just glad team management was patient," Bucatini said after a recent win against Vasteras. "We're finally playing like the team I knew we'd be to start the season and it feels fantastic."
 
In order to have the best record in the league, though, a crucial stretch is coming up. Six of Oslo's next seven games are against either Cologne or Vasteras, the two teams they're competing against at the top of the standings. If they can get through that stretch with a winning record, the team says it will feel very good about its chances going down the stretch.
 
"I really want that one seed. It would be proof of what we've built here," Bucatini added. "But to get there, we know what we have to do. It's a 72 game season, and the home stretch starts now. For everybody in our locker room, it's go time."

Oslo, Norway -- Throughout the season, the fortunes of the Oslo Storm and first overall VHLE draft pick Antonia Bucatini have mirrored one another. In the beginning of the season, the Storm dropped a few easy games, were behind the Stockholm Vikings in the standings, and there were questions whether this team with title aspirations were a true contender. Similarly, Bucatini was averaging less than a point per game, not clicking with her linemates, and couldn't figure out the formula in moving up to the VHLE.
 
But now, time has changed both of those fortunes. After winning an astounding 15 of the team's last 16 games, the Storm have rocketed up the standings past a similarly hot Vasteras Iron Eagles to sit second in the VHLE, just four points behind the league-leading Cologne Express. At the same time, Bucatini has more than found her offense - her 67 points are tied for the league lead with teammate Wayne Gretzky, and her 30 goals are just one off the league lead held by Rome forward (and former Bucatini linemate in Houston) Nathan Ecker.
 
To Bucatini, it was a matter of time to put things together. "Cold snaps will happen, but it's always a bit concerning when those cold snaps start the season. I'm just glad team management was patient," Bucatini said after a recent win against Vasteras. "We're finally playing like the team I knew we'd be to start the season and it feels fantastic."
 
In order to have the best record in the league, though, a crucial stretch is coming up. Six of Oslo's next seven games are against either Cologne or Vasteras, the two teams they're competing against at the top of the standings. If they can get through that stretch with a winning record, the team says it will feel very good about its chances going down the stretch.
 
"I really want that one seed. It would be proof of what we've built here," Bucatini added. "But to get there, we know what we have to do. It's a 72 game season, and the home stretch starts now. For everybody in our locker room, it's go time."

Player Information
Username: Phil
Player Name: Phil Sakic
Recruited From: Member (Knight)
Age: 17
Position: LW
Height: 71 in.
Weight: 195 lbs.
Birthplace: United Kingdom

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Player Information
Username: der meister
Player Name: Konstyantyn Shevchenko
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 17
Position: RW
Height: 79 in.
Weight: 214 lbs.
Birthplace: Ukraine

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Player Information
Username: Kendrick
Player Name: Miles Bryant
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 18
Position: D
Height: 74 in.
Weight: 201 lbs.
Birthplace: Tuvalu

Player Page
@VHLM GM

VHL: The Sister Cities Rebranding
 
Because I’m a bit of a nerd, I get fascinated by random things. One that grabbed me recently is the idea of Sister Cities, or Twin Towns as they’re known in the U.K. As the story (on Wikipedia) goes, there has long been collaboration between cities in various locales. But the idea of a formal arrangement began during World War II, when the English city of Coventry began exchanging telegrams with the Soviet city of Stalingrad. Both cities had experienced tragic bombings, and sent aid and friendship back and forth to foster peace and reconciliation between the former rivals. A tablecloth embroidered with “Little help is better than a lot of pity” was sent with money to rebuild Stalingrad following the Nazi invasion of the country; the tablecloth still hangs at the Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad today.
 
Following this example, a number of cities joined the organization Sister Cities International. Cities of all sizes now have “sisters” in countries around the world. This caught my attention because if you walk to the train station connected to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, banners commemorating these sister cities hang prominently - Chicago alone has more than a dozen sister cities across the globe.
 
So what does this mean for the VHL? Well, I figure it’d be good to spread the wealth. If VHL teams were to move from their current locations, I think it’d be helpful to move them to a Sister City of their current location. That way, they could have new branding, but still maintain a connection (and fans) with the previous team. Plus, it could help the VHL expand hockey’s reach in areas that might not have a current NHL team - a problem that afflicts the current VHL roster.
 
With that in mind, here’s my pick for the city and team name that would result from moving current VHL franchises to their sister cities. Team names are chosen based on something interesting about the city, so ignore if it sounds ridiculous (which it probably does).
 
Calgary Wranglers -> Jaipur Roses
Team colors: Pink and black
 
The largest city in the northwest Indian state of Rajasthan, Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” due to a large number of pink buildings in its old city. This would not only provide a very unique color combination to the VHL spectrum, but it would also introduce VHL hockey to South Asia - no VHL/VHLE/VHLM franchise has ever played in the country. The Roses name fits with the pink theme, but it could also provide some interesting graphical opportunities and something a bit more flowery (pardon the pun) to what can sometimes be a standard choice of logos.
 
Chicago Phoenix -> Mexico City Quetzal
Team colors: Teal and red
 
As mentioned above, there is a whole host of options that I could choose for Chicago’s sister city, from Athens to Shanghai to two existing VHL cities in Prague and Toronto. So why am I choosing a pre-existing VHLM city in Mexico City? Because I think the synergy in going from the Phoenix with the Quetzal - or specifically to Quetzalcoatl - is too great. The Aztecs believed the god Quetzalcoatl helped create the earth; Quetzalcoatl was likely formed from the majestic Quetzal birds that still roam the earth today. It’s a nice piece of synergy between the two franchises.
 
D.C. Dragons -> Brussels Dinos
Team colors: Yellow and black
 
The D.C. Dragons are named after a creature of myth and legend. Well, if we’re moving from the capital of the U.S. to the capital of Belgium, why not take a cue from myth and legend once again? According to Wikipedia, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences houses the world's largest hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs, with its collection of 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons. I don’t know what color Iguanodons were supposed to be, but I do know that yellow and black is part of the Belgian flag and would be a unique mix for our teams here, so that’s our selection.
 
Los Angeles Stars -> St. Petersburg Knights
Team colors: Black and white
 
We’re eventually going to be moving a team away from Moscow in this series, but I don’t want to ignore Russia entirely. As a result we’re ending up in St. Petersburg, the country’s second largest city, which obviously has a large KHL presence but our team will be cooler. For branding, I’m staying away from overtly pro-Russia imagery, but I do find it interesting that the chess title of “grandmaster” was first given at a 1914 international tournament within the city from the czar to five players. Queens and kings don’t work here, but Knights would look cool - and give a nod to VHL history.
 
New York Americans -> Tokyo Mecha
Team colors: Silver and blue
 
I strongly considered picking London here just for the memes. I wanted to stay away from Jerusalem with a 39 and a half foot pole. And while taking a VHL team back to Madrid was tempting, I like the idea of some East Asian representation here as well. With Godzilla-like monsters off the board, I loved the idea of going something futuristic and tech-y - and my mind immediately went to Gundam-like robots. I went Mecha here to avoid copyright, but there’s a lot you could do with large robot-like logos and sharp colors that stay similar to what current Americans fans know and love.
 
Seattle Bears -> Reykjavík Glaciers
Team colors: Light blue and maroon
 
I don’t want to go away from the large Nordic influence on the VHL entirely, but I didn’t necessarily want to go to Bergen, Norway either. So this is my compromise, particularly as Iceland has become a major tourist destination for many from North America. Naming a team after volcanoes also seemed mean, so I’m going with a different geological formation in the glaciers. Not particularly fearsome but still imposing, the red would also present a bit of volcanic danger, tie into the Icelandic flag, and give a nod to the former Bears franchise. 
 
Toronto Legion -> HC Forza Milano
Team colors: Red and yellow
 
Milan, Italy, has a renowned sporting heritage, particularly with the football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan. But it’s a nearby attraction that I’m taking inspiration from for the name - the Monza racing circuit is right outside the city, home of Italy’s primary Formula 1 race and the epicenter of Ferrari’s global influence. With colors inspired by Ferrari and a similar stallion-inspired logo, the Forza Milano franchise would bring in a lot of crossover fans. Or maybe I just have Italy on the brain with Bucatini as my current player.
 
Vancouver Wolves -> Edinburgh Nessies
Team colors: Blue and green
 
What, you thought we were supposed to be moving London to Edinburgh? Forget that, let’s just cut out all of the middle men and move Vancouver halfway across the globe. The reasons for a team in Edinburgh have been well-stated, and I love the idea of naming a team after the Loch Ness Monster. In my mind’s eye I envision the branding as similar to the collegiate baseball team the Vermont Lake Monsters, just with a Scottish spin that really highlights the blue. I also wouldn’t be opposed to the Highlanders or something with similar colors if the Nessies would be too close to the Dinos.
 
HC Davos Dynamo -> Colorado Aspens
Team colors: Dark green and white
 
Davos only has three sister cities. Unhelpfully, two of them are a ski town in France, and a suburb of Nagano, Japan. But the third one may be somewhat helpful - Aspen, Colorado, USA. Known as another ski town, I didn’t want to make the branding too similar to the nearby NHL’s Avalanche. But by making a reference to the Aspen tree instead, we can add in a little more nature imagery as well as a green color palette that would be distinct from the Avalanche’s maroon. Thankfully the rich Davos fans have another ski town to visit to watch some hockey.
 
Helsinki Titans -> Gothenburg Lions
Team colors: Blue and yellow
 

 
Well shit. I knew I might run into this, but I didn’t think it’d be a city the size of Helsinki. With that in mind, I turned to sister cities for Turku, which had a VHLM franchise back in the day. There, I found a bunch of other historical VHL cities, including two current VHLE cities in Bratislava and Cologne. But it’s a city that was also briefly VHL-affiliated that caught my eye: Gothenburg, Sweden. Gothenburg was founded by Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who was known as "the Lion from the North" from his involvement in the Thirty Years War. The seal of arms for the city also similarly features a lion, in the blue and yellow Swedish colors. Works for me.
 
London United -> Bogotá Warriors
Team colors: Emerald green and gold
 
As far as I’m aware, there has never been a VHL franchise located in South America. We’re changing that by placing the London franchise in the third largest city on the continent, Bogotá, Colombia. For the branding, I’m taking a cue from the Muisca people, whose confederation of peoples that founded the city were one of the best organized indigenous peoples on the continent. The Muisca warriors known as güeches were chosen by merit and attitude rather than class, and often adorned in the emeralds and gold that characterize the region. Given the colonialism England’s done in its day, it feels right to give something back.
 
Malmo Nighthawks -> Tallinn Rally
Team colors: Maroon and white
 
There aren’t too many options for Malmo’s sister city, but I think we’ve got a great one in Tallinn. The capital of winter sports-loving Estonia, Tallinn has also produced its fair share of rally and racing drivers, dating back to the country’s Soviet Union days in which many of the USSR’s rally drivers would hail from the region. It’s from that tradition that we draw this name, and in doing so introduce a new color to the VHL color palette - maroon (almost brown), drawing from the dirt that’s kicked up from the rally cars. Maybe not the most pleasing to the eye, but I think can be a good color in the right designer’s hands.
 
Moscow Menace -> Dubai Thoroughbreds
Team colors: Gold and red
 
There are a couple different ways I could go with Moscow’s sister city, particularly in Asia with Seoul, Beijing and Manila. But let’s be real, every good league needs to have a villain. It’s why I called for Vasteras to be returned to the VHL for so many years. And if you put a team in Dubai, you’re going to have a villain quickly - something that the Moscow fans may be used to anyway. We’re really going to lean into it with an expensive racehorse logo, with an accompanying gold and red color scheme. You might not want to, but I think it’d be fun to play here and thumb my nose at the rest of the VHL.
 
Prague Phantoms -> Phoenix Outlaws
Team colors: Tan and black
 
If we’re moving so many teams out of North America, then it stands to reason that we need to move a few back in. Plus, it’s not like the Phoenix area has an NHL team or anything (cue laugh track). I don’t want to go full Coyotes here, but I do think I can draw from the old American West heritage with a cowboy theme. The tan that is part of the wardrobe isn’t a color you see in sports logos too often either, and could stand out with so many reds and greens in the palette so far.
 
Riga Reign -> Dallas Kings
Team colors: Orange and blue
 
Similar to the last team, we’re headed back to the U.S. here. This time, we’re erasing the Dallas Stars from memory similar to how they erased the Minnesota North Stars from memory (not that Minnesota fans are bitter or anything). I want to stay away from the Cowboys imagery here for obvious reasons to American football fans, but we can take some cues from the Reign’s former branding. The Kings are already a hockey team as well, sure, but if you don’t think we can steal that too, you’ve never been to Texas.
 
Warsaw Predators -> Rio de Janeiro Toucans
Team colors: Orange and green
 
We’re ending this by creating a South American rivalry, which I think would be a lot of fun. We’re also going to take the Predators, which I find to be a pretty generic name, and give them the exact opposite by calling a team the Toucans. There aren’t many orange and green combinations out there but I really like the colors, and the Toucans would be a unique team name that isn’t used anywhere else. Maybe Brazil isn’t a hockey center yet, but I plan on making it one through the new Toucans dynasty.
 

1. Happy theme week, everyone! What do you think of this season’s theme: rebrand?
I'm a fan, I think it's something that both writers and graphics experts can do a lot with. And that's coming from somebody who's been critical of theme weeks in the past.
 
2. Now that we’re halfway through the season, are we performing as you’ve expected?
I mean, it sounds bad... but maybe better? The first line has been holding strong, and being so far clear of L.A. at the bottom isn't what I expected.
 
3. The rebuild is still going strong. Any draftees in the upcoming class catch your interest to add to our squad?
I don't think it's too much of a secret to be looking at defense after the forwards and goalie of the S93 class. Woods and Hardy are both very interesting, but we'll see what happens in the lottery.
 
5. How many goals and assists has your player scored this season?
Bucatini's got 22/23 splits right now, which has me top 10 in both goals and points in the VHLE! It was a bit of a slow start to the season, so glad things are coming around and can maybe make a run for most goals.
 
7. I went to a San Diego Gulls game last weekend! Have you ever gone to a professional hockey game live? 
Been to a few, most recent was actually the home opener for the Minnesota PWHL team. Was a lot of fun, I really want to get back to some more of their games when I've got time.
 
8. How well would your player fare in an Easter egg hunt?
I'd be way, way too competitive about it. You know, pushing people out of the way for an egg, angry when I only get a single hershey's kiss, that sort of thing.

Alright @Frank, you move Vancouver to Scotland and I'll move London to Quebec, and then we'll trade teams. Deal?

VHL: The Sister Cities Rebranding
 
Because I’m a bit of a nerd, I get fascinated by random things. One that grabbed me recently is the idea of Sister Cities, or Twin Towns as they’re known in the U.K. As the story (on Wikipedia) goes, there has long been collaboration between cities in various locales. But the idea of a formal arrangement began during World War II, when the English city of Coventry began exchanging telegrams with the Soviet city of Stalingrad. Both cities had experienced tragic bombings, and sent aid and friendship back and forth to foster peace and reconciliation between the former rivals. A tablecloth embroidered with “Little help is better than a lot of pity” was sent with money to rebuild Stalingrad following the Nazi invasion of the country; the tablecloth still hangs at the Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad today.
 
Following this example, a number of cities joined the organization Sister Cities International. Cities of all sizes now have “sisters” in countries around the world. This caught my attention because if you walk to the train station connected to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, banners commemorating these sister cities hang prominently - Chicago alone has more than a dozen sister cities across the globe.
 
So what does this mean for the VHL? Well, I figure it’d be good to spread the wealth. If VHL teams were to move from their current locations, I think it’d be helpful to move them to a Sister City of their current location. That way, they could have new branding, but still maintain a connection (and fans) with the previous team. Plus, it could help the VHL expand hockey’s reach in areas that might not have a current NHL team - a problem that afflicts the current VHL roster.
 
With that in mind, here’s my pick for the city and team name that would result from moving current VHL franchises to their sister cities. Team names are chosen based on something interesting about the city, so ignore if it sounds ridiculous (which it probably does).
 
Calgary Wranglers -> Jaipur Roses
Team colors: Pink and black
 
The largest city in the northwest Indian state of Rajasthan, Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” due to a large number of pink buildings in its old city. This would not only provide a very unique color combination to the VHL spectrum, but it would also introduce VHL hockey to South Asia - no VHL/VHLE/VHLM franchise has ever played in the country. The Roses name fits with the pink theme, but it could also provide some interesting graphical opportunities and something a bit more flowery (pardon the pun) to what can sometimes be a standard choice of logos.
 
Chicago Phoenix -> Mexico City Quetzal
Team colors: Teal and red
 
As mentioned above, there is a whole host of options that I could choose for Chicago’s sister city, from Athens to Shanghai to two existing VHL cities in Prague and Toronto. So why am I choosing a pre-existing VHLM city in Mexico City? Because I think the synergy in going from the Phoenix with the Quetzal - or specifically to Quetzalcoatl - is too great. The Aztecs believed the god Quetzalcoatl helped create the earth; Quetzalcoatl was likely formed from the majestic Quetzal birds that still roam the earth today. It’s a nice piece of synergy between the two franchises.
 
D.C. Dragons -> Brussels Dinos
Team colors: Yellow and black
 
The D.C. Dragons are named after a creature of myth and legend. Well, if we’re moving from the capital of the U.S. to the capital of Belgium, why not take a cue from myth and legend once again? According to Wikipedia, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences houses the world's largest hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs, with its collection of 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons. I don’t know what color Iguanodons were supposed to be, but I do know that yellow and black is part of the Belgian flag and would be a unique mix for our teams here, so that’s our selection.
 
Los Angeles Stars -> St. Petersburg Knights
Team colors: Black and white
 
We’re eventually going to be moving a team away from Moscow in this series, but I don’t want to ignore Russia entirely. As a result we’re ending up in St. Petersburg, the country’s second largest city, which obviously has a large KHL presence but our team will be cooler. For branding, I’m staying away from overtly pro-Russia imagery, but I do find it interesting that the chess title of “grandmaster” was first given at a 1914 international tournament within the city from the czar to five players. Queens and kings don’t work here, but Knights would look cool - and give a nod to VHL history.
 
New York Americans -> Tokyo Mecha
Team colors: Silver and blue
 
I strongly considered picking London here just for the memes. I wanted to stay away from Jerusalem with a 39 and a half foot pole. And while taking a VHL team back to Madrid was tempting, I like the idea of some East Asian representation here as well. With Godzilla-like monsters off the board, I loved the idea of going something futuristic and tech-y - and my mind immediately went to Gundam-like robots. I went Mecha here to avoid copyright, but there’s a lot you could do with large robot-like logos and sharp colors that stay similar to what current Americans fans know and love.
 
Seattle Bears -> Reykjavík Glaciers
Team colors: Light blue and maroon
 
I don’t want to go away from the large Nordic influence on the VHL entirely, but I didn’t necessarily want to go to Bergen, Norway either. So this is my compromise, particularly as Iceland has become a major tourist destination for many from North America. Naming a team after volcanoes also seemed mean, so I’m going with a different geological formation in the glaciers. Not particularly fearsome but still imposing, the red would also present a bit of volcanic danger, tie into the Icelandic flag, and give a nod to the former Bears franchise. 
 
Toronto Legion -> HC Forza Milano
Team colors: Red and yellow
 
Milan, Italy, has a renowned sporting heritage, particularly with the football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan. But it’s a nearby attraction that I’m taking inspiration from for the name - the Monza racing circuit is right outside the city, home of Italy’s primary Formula 1 race and the epicenter of Ferrari’s global influence. With colors inspired by Ferrari and a similar stallion-inspired logo, the Forza Milano franchise would bring in a lot of crossover fans. Or maybe I just have Italy on the brain with Bucatini as my current player.
 
Vancouver Wolves -> Edinburgh Nessies
Team colors: Blue and green
 
What, you thought we were supposed to be moving London to Edinburgh? Forget that, let’s just cut out all of the middle men and move Vancouver halfway across the globe. The reasons for a team in Edinburgh have been well-stated, and I love the idea of naming a team after the Loch Ness Monster. In my mind’s eye I envision the branding as similar to the collegiate baseball team the Vermont Lake Monsters, just with a Scottish spin that really highlights the blue. I also wouldn’t be opposed to the Highlanders or something with similar colors if the Nessies would be too close to the Dinos.
 
HC Davos Dynamo -> Colorado Aspens
Team colors: Dark green and white
 
Davos only has three sister cities. Unhelpfully, two of them are a ski town in France, and a suburb of Nagano, Japan. But the third one may be somewhat helpful - Aspen, Colorado, USA. Known as another ski town, I didn’t want to make the branding too similar to the nearby NHL’s Avalanche. But by making a reference to the Aspen tree instead, we can add in a little more nature imagery as well as a green color palette that would be distinct from the Avalanche’s maroon. Thankfully the rich Davos fans have another ski town to visit to watch some hockey.
 
Helsinki Titans -> Gothenburg Lions
Team colors: Blue and yellow
 

 
Well shit. I knew I might run into this, but I didn’t think it’d be a city the size of Helsinki. With that in mind, I turned to sister cities for Turku, which had a VHLM franchise back in the day. There, I found a bunch of other historical VHL cities, including two current VHLE cities in Bratislava and Cologne. But it’s a city that was also briefly VHL-affiliated that caught my eye: Gothenburg, Sweden. Gothenburg was founded by Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who was known as "the Lion from the North" from his involvement in the Thirty Years War. The seal of arms for the city also similarly features a lion, in the blue and yellow Swedish colors. Works for me.
 
London United -> Bogotá Warriors
Team colors: Emerald green and gold
 
As far as I’m aware, there has never been a VHL franchise located in South America. We’re changing that by placing the London franchise in the third largest city on the continent, Bogotá, Colombia. For the branding, I’m taking a cue from the Muisca people, whose confederation of peoples that founded the city were one of the best organized indigenous peoples on the continent. The Muisca warriors known as güeches were chosen by merit and attitude rather than class, and often adorned in the emeralds and gold that characterize the region. Given the colonialism England’s done in its day, it feels right to give something back.
 
Malmo Nighthawks -> Tallinn Rally
Team colors: Maroon and white
 
There aren’t too many options for Malmo’s sister city, but I think we’ve got a great one in Tallinn. The capital of winter sports-loving Estonia, Tallinn has also produced its fair share of rally and racing drivers, dating back to the country’s Soviet Union days in which many of the USSR’s rally drivers would hail from the region. It’s from that tradition that we draw this name, and in doing so introduce a new color to the VHL color palette - maroon (almost brown), drawing from the dirt that’s kicked up from the rally cars. Maybe not the most pleasing to the eye, but I think can be a good color in the right designer’s hands.
 
Moscow Menace -> Dubai Thoroughbreds
Team colors: Gold and red
 
There are a couple different ways I could go with Moscow’s sister city, particularly in Asia with Seoul, Beijing and Manila. But let’s be real, every good league needs to have a villain. It’s why I called for Vasteras to be returned to the VHL for so many years. And if you put a team in Dubai, you’re going to have a villain quickly - something that the Moscow fans may be used to anyway. We’re really going to lean into it with an expensive racehorse logo, with an accompanying gold and red color scheme. You might not want to, but I think it’d be fun to play here and thumb my nose at the rest of the VHL.
 
Prague Phantoms -> Phoenix Outlaws
Team colors: Tan and black
 
If we’re moving so many teams out of North America, then it stands to reason that we need to move a few back in. Plus, it’s not like the Phoenix area has an NHL team or anything (cue laugh track). I don’t want to go full Coyotes here, but I do think I can draw from the old American West heritage with a cowboy theme. The tan that is part of the wardrobe isn’t a color you see in sports logos too often either, and could stand out with so many reds and greens in the palette so far.
 
Riga Reign -> Dallas Kings
Team colors: Orange and blue
 
Similar to the last team, we’re headed back to the U.S. here. This time, we’re erasing the Dallas Stars from memory similar to how they erased the Minnesota North Stars from memory (not that Minnesota fans are bitter or anything). I want to stay away from the Cowboys imagery here for obvious reasons to American football fans, but we can take some cues from the Reign’s former branding. The Kings are already a hockey team as well, sure, but if you don’t think we can steal that too, you’ve never been to Texas.
 
Warsaw Predators -> Rio de Janeiro Toucans
Team colors: Orange and green
 
We’re ending this by creating a South American rivalry, which I think would be a lot of fun. We’re also going to take the Predators, which I find to be a pretty generic name, and give them the exact opposite by calling a team the Toucans. There aren’t many orange and green combinations out there but I really like the colors, and the Toucans would be a unique team name that isn’t used anywhere else. Maybe Brazil isn’t a hockey center yet, but I plan on making it one through the new Toucans dynasty.
 

I have been feeling pretty idealess for a while when it comes to writing topics and while I had other “series” that I ran in the past (and ultimately dropped) I have wanted to look at the infamous Hall of Very Good talents who were just not quite great enough to be in the VHL HOF, but still found their way on the ballot for a number of years.  This isn’t going to be some major deep dive into their entire career, but rather a simple reflection on their career and perhaps touching on some of the reasons they should and/or shouldn’t be in the HOF.
 
I don’t necessarily think I will discover many talents where we all of a sudden look at them again, and consider putting them back in the HOF, as I do think the BOG does a good job generally with this aspect.  With that being said, I think it’s cool to shine a light on some of the great players that shaped our league, that are perhaps not remembered as well as those who graced the VHL’s version of Cooperstown.  Without further ado, I bring you to our first player…Nikolai Lebedev.
 
Hall of Very Good - Nikolai Lebedev (S25-31) – @probably not noah
 
RS: 504 GP, 318 G, 335 A, 653 P, +280, 771 HIT, 63 GW, 1.30 P/G
PO: 61 GP, 29 G, 32 A, 61 P, +9, 74 HIT, 4 GW, 1.00 P/G
 
Accomplishments
S28 Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S28 Lemieux Trophy (Most Points in VHL)
S28 Joe Malone Memorial Trophy (Most Goals in VHL)
S28 Dustin Funk Trophy (Most Improved Player)
One Continental Cup (S28)
Member of Triple Gold Club
4th All-Time in Seattle Bears Goals
6th All-Time in Seattle Bears Points
 
Season-by-Season Finishes
Goals - 1st, 6th, 9th, 9th
Assists - 6th
Points - 1st, 8th
 
All-Time Rankings
Goals: 65th
Assists: 311th
Points: 122nd
P/G: 94th
 
If we handed out the HOF based on a single season, Nikolai Lebedev would have a pretty strong argument for his tremendous Season 28 campaign.  Heck, it pretty much built his entire resume that earned him a ticket on the ballot from S32 to S35, before he was swiftly removed when the Board of Governors did its rehaul of the ballot.
 
Lebedev was a consistent player who never once had below a point-per-game, which is a pretty impressive feat even in an era where it was easier to have a consistent talent like that.  His rookie season was his worst offensive performance with a still very respectable 74 points in 72 games, to lead all rookies.  While his Season 28 tally was a dominant 128 points, taking the scoring race by 4 points over Hall of Fame pivot, Leeroy Jenkins.  Capping off that impressive year in style, Lebedev would score the GWG in the deciding Game 6, the only one in a tight 1-0 win.
 
Nikolai doesn’t exactly jump off the board when you look at his all-time placements, but a lot of that has to do with his seven season career.  Unlike many of the VHL’s best players, he only played 504 games but was an offensive juggernaut throughout those seasons, finishing top ten in goals four different times.  With that being said, one has to remember that this was only an eight team league at the time, and the top teams typically fielded no more than two lines of players, meaning it was a lot easier to be in the top ten than it is in the present day.  With that being said, Lebedev still has a pretty eye popping 318 goals and 653 points in 504 games, and while there are definitely players that fall closer to the HOF line (Tyson Kohler comes to mind), Lebedev still ranks among non-HOF players as fourteenth all-time in goals.  Add his tremendous hardware and consistent overall play, and Lebedev showcases just how solid he was for his seven year tenure in the Victory Hockey League.
 
Lebedev would play 434 of his regular season games with the Seattle Bears; a team that the user was pretty familiar with over his time in the league with multiple players.  To this day, Lebedev sits 4th all-time for Seattle Bears players in goals, 6th all-time in points and even 2nd in Game-Winning-Goals.  While I do agree with the decision to have not put him in the Hall of Fame, his dedication and consistent strong play (and even playoff heroics) made him someone who deserved to have their number retired by the organization and sadly that seems to have been missed.  While perhaps not the highest profile player in team history, he absolutely was an important one in the contribution to the franchises overall history.

Davos, Switzerland -- Naturally, a lot of the focus in the VHL through one-third of the season is at the top of the standings, with teams like D.C., Toronto, Moscow, Malmo and London all in the mix for the top record. But at the same time, there's an important arms race happening at the bottom of the standings - except these arms are perhaps less nuclear warheads and more squirt guns.
 
Yes, I'm talking about L.A. vs. Davos, the race to the bottom for the top odds in the lottery. The Stars won their second game of the season, then have promptly lost 24 straight games to still sit with 2 points. The Dynamo, meanwhile, have managed to double up the Stars - a whopping 4 points, with 3 of those funny enough coming against top teams in Malmo and Toronto.
 
But there remains one big key to this slap fight that hasn't yet occurred: the head-to-head games. In fact, Davos and L.A. will not face each other until Game 327, at which point they'll face each other 4 times between Games 327-455 (roughly between halfway and 75% through the season).
 
So what can you expect out of those games? It won't be the most exciting hockey for the neutral, to be fair. But to Davos prospect Antonia Bucatini, who will be joining this Davos team next season, there's still some positives that can come from a strong showing.
 
"Look, I'm not naïve. I get the whole tanking deal. But we're still competitors at the end of the day," Bucatini said. "I've been through training camp with Walker, with MacAvoy. I know it's not fun to lose, and when they have a chance to prove themselves, I think they're going to take it."
 
And if that means lessened lottery odds with Davos wins? Bucatini isn't as concerned about that. "We're talking a 5% difference here, maybe one slot lower. I'll be getting a good teammate regardless of where we sit in the draft, I think. And who knows? Maybe second is the slot to be - the VHL gods respond in mysterious ways sometimes."

Davos, Switzerland -- Naturally, a lot of the focus in the VHL through one-third of the season is at the top of the standings, with teams like D.C., Toronto, Moscow, Malmo and London all in the mix for the top record. But at the same time, there's an important arms race happening at the bottom of the standings - except these arms are perhaps less nuclear warheads and more squirt guns.
 
Yes, I'm talking about L.A. vs. Davos, the race to the bottom for the top odds in the lottery. The Stars won their second game of the season, then have promptly lost 24 straight games to still sit with 2 points. The Dynamo, meanwhile, have managed to double up the Stars - a whopping 4 points, with 3 of those funny enough coming against top teams in Malmo and Toronto.
 
But there remains one big key to this slap fight that hasn't yet occurred: the head-to-head games. In fact, Davos and L.A. will not face each other until Game 327, at which point they'll face each other 4 times between Games 327-455 (roughly between halfway and 75% through the season).
 
So what can you expect out of those games? It won't be the most exciting hockey for the neutral, to be fair. But to Davos prospect Antonia Bucatini, who will be joining this Davos team next season, there's still some positives that can come from a strong showing.
 
"Look, I'm not naïve. I get the whole tanking deal. But we're still competitors at the end of the day," Bucatini said. "I've been through training camp with Walker, with MacAvoy. I know it's not fun to lose, and when they have a chance to prove themselves, I think they're going to take it."
 
And if that means lessened lottery odds with Davos wins? Bucatini isn't as concerned about that. "We're talking a 5% difference here, maybe one slot lower. I'll be getting a good teammate regardless of where we sit in the draft, I think. And who knows? Maybe second is the slot to be - the VHL gods respond in mysterious ways sometimes."