Eynhallow

The Reign did it. They closed out their season strongly and booked their place in the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.
 
In all, the Reign finished S79 with a 37-30-5 record. The Latvian club will be disappointed that their form faltered around the trade deadline, as the Reign started the season as one of the hottest clubs in the VHL, sitting atop of the European Conference in the early stages of the campaign before they were overtaken by the Malmo Nighthawks.
 
Who are they up against? Well, the Warsaw Predators, one of the most impressive teams in the league over the second half of the season. The Polish club is blessed with depth throughout the roster and will look to offer a stern test for the Reign.
 
There were signs of optimism for the Reign in the final week of the season. The team's much-maligned second line suddenly burst into action, with Isau DaMoose having a career week, registering two hattricks in as many games.
 
Sophomore defenceman Jan Hlozek also turned on the style, scoring at over a point per game pace in the final 10 games of the season to finish the campaign with a new career high in points (11 + 43 – 54).
 
Speaking to CZHockey ahead of the start of the postseason, Hlozek said that he was excited to finally get to play in what many consider to be the pinnacle of global hockey.
 
"This is what we're here for right? We play to win titles, we play for glory, and there's no better place to do that in the playoffs, and I know that we are ready to put these two seasons behind us and do well this year.
 
"It was super disappointing to miss out on this opportunity last season. We knew we had to improve, and I think we still have a long way to go. However, I'm fully confident that this team has what it takes to mount a serious challenge," Hlozek said.
 
The Czech blueliner has experience of lifting champions before. A two-time Czech junior champion, Hlozek shone for the Miami Marauders in their S77 Founder's Cup win.
In that campaign, the Marauders faltered in their Quarter-Final match-up, requiring seven games to get past the San Diego Marlins. However, from then on, it was smooth sailing, as the South Beach club swept their opponents in both the Semi-Finals and the Final to win the VHLM title.
 
Reflecting on his past experiences, Hlozek said that winning this, as well as the World Junior Championships in S77, has given him valuable experience to take forward into this season.
 
"I'm a big believer in that you have to learn how to win. I mean, you have to know what it requires, the sacrifice, to win. It means that you have to learn how to play through injury, what it means to truly empty the tank. Not all guys know what it requires, so you have to know what it means to do the hard miles," Hlozek said.
 
 

Thought-Provoking Presser Questions
 
Some time ago I released the first of these media spots in which I try to deal with some of the interesting presser questions that have been posed.  I enjoy going through the various pressers just to see how imaginative the questions can get…….or the alternative.
 
Leading off are a few questions asked by  Eldredman @Eldredman  of the San Diego Marlins.
 
 How did you end up in the position you currently play?
 
This is interesting because in many cases, I think, the position chooses you as opposed to the other way around.  Your set of unique skills may be best utilized in a position that you would not necessarily consider.  Wendel Clark comes to mind.  Wendel played as an offensive defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades during his two year Junior career.  On joining the Toronto Maple Leafs he was quickly converted to a forward where he experienced great success. 
Red Kelly is another example of this.  Kelly played defense for the Detroit Red Wings earning first-team all-star honors six times in a seven-season stretch from 1950-51 to 1956-57.  After being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs he became a center where finished sixth in NHL scoring in 1960-61 and cracked the top 10 in Hart Trophy voting twice.
 
Do you have any game day superstitions?
 
Athletes are generally superstitious, but hockey players are the worst.  Sid Crosby was voted the most superstitious player in the NHL.  He takes the same roundabout route avoiding visitors in the locker room. He sets up his stall the same every game, tapes his sticks the same way every game, and eats a PB&J sandwich at 5 p.m. sharp EVERY. GAME. Jocelyn Thibault would pour water on his head six and a half minutes before a game.  Brendan Shanahan wore his junior hockey shoulder pads in Detroit, listened to Madonna pre-game.  Karl Alzner taps his stick exactly 88 times before the national anthems conclude.
 
Dressing “the Right Way” is a familiar superstition.  This superstition is quite common for most players as they are in the locker room getting dressed for the game. A lot of players say that they have to get dressed in the same order every time because they believe that doing that pre-game ritual every time brings them the good energy they need for the game. A well known goalie by the name of Patrick Roy, would lay out each piece of his gear on the floor and get dressed in the same order every time before he would head out of the locker room.  That certainly worked for him !!!
 
Brent Seabrook, defenseman for the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, had a laundry list of superstitions and was considered both the most superstitious player on the team as well as the most difficult to room with on the road. Seabrook’s meticulous habits mostly involved different eating and sleeping routines, including eating seven Hershey’s kisses before every game. The most mysterious, however, was his habit of reviewing nine words over and over in his head prior to each game – words that only he and the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach knew.
 
Why is the Sky blue?
 
Ya, well I thought this question fell into the same league as “Why are oranges round?” and “Why do puddles have bottoms ?”  However, on further research it appears that there is a scientific reason.  According to NASA sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
 
Of course ancient people did not have NASA around so they came up with a myth.  Long long ago, when Queen Athena ( Zeus's daughter) was born, Zeus blessed her with two boons for when she came of age. After almost 15 years, Athena was told to think up two things to ask for. The poor girl couldn't make up her mind.  You see, Athena wasn't what you would now call the goddess of wisdom and war, at 16, she was much more selfish and over- confident.
 
And I bet you can't guess what she asked for in the end!
1) To have a city in Greece named after her( Athens)
2) To have all the people of the world see her face every day of the year.( what you are seeing are only her eyes)
 
Thus, The sky is blue, just like the color of Athena's eyes…
 
Thank-you to youloser1337  @youloser1337of the Minnesota Storm for the following two questions:
 
What is the most inspiring thing you have seen / done?
 
Several years ago I went to visit my homeland, Scotland.  My wanderings took me to the Isle of Skye where I went on a hike to the Quiraing.  Talk about mystical.  You could almost hear the spirits talking to you.
 

 
Which NHL arena would you love to see a home game at?
 
This seems to be a straightforward question/answer, but it really isn’t.  Every NHL arena is loud, vibrant and filled with energy.  Back in the day I was able to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Gardens on a somewhat regular basis (my high school had box seats).  The Gardens rocked on a regular basis, but when the Habs came to town the place was insane.  I would like to, once again, see the Leafs and the Habs at Scotiabank Arena preferably during the playoffs.  That is unlikely to happen unless I win a lottery….a BIG lottery.
 
I would like to acknowledge hylands @hylands of the Malmo Nighthawks for the following:

 
Did you grow up watching hockey or have you recently gotten into it ?
 
I think that the answer to this in large part is determined by the culture in the area in which you grew up as a child. In small town Northern Ontario ( < 1000 pop.)  there were no gyms for basketball, no movie theatres, frequently no high speed internet….anyway you get the idea.  One thing that stands out in these hamlets was the outdoor ice rink and the baseball diamond.  You were pretty much expected to play both of these sports.  If you couldn’t afford the equipment, the community found it for you.  This is still true today.  There are communities in which hockey is the ONLY sport available for both boys and girls.  For me I grew up playing and watching hockey.  There weren’t too many Saturday nights that didn’t find me in front of a TV somewhere.
 
Do you enjoy rivalries within sports, or do you not care for them?
 
I generally agree with rivalries in sports.  As I alluded to earlier, in Toronto, when the Habs came to town, insanity reigned supreme.  Rivalries bring out some of the best performances from an athlete.  Unfortunately, sometimes rivalries can bring out the worst in both players being overly aggressive and fans resorting to violence.  This has been carried to extremes in the United Kingdom where hooligan firms have sprung up with the sole intent of creating mayhem, particularly when a close rival was visiting.  This chaos has been responsible for severe injuries and even death.
 
Any books that you would recommend?
 
So, OK, not a very complex question.  Just toss out a couple of titles (whether you have read them or not).  I, for one, don’t think it is that simple.  For example, if I were to suggest “Species of One” by Matt McMahon, people might think that I am an extremely sensitive person.  Or ”Wuthering Heights” might lead people to believe that I was a classic intellectual.  My EReader tells me that I have read about 475 books and have spent some 2500 hours reading them.  They are books that range from Louis L’Amour to Jane Austen,  classic fiction to the history of bootlegging.  A better question might be to provide a “playlist” of books.  That way the underlying message as to who you are might be a bit more accurate.
 
Thanks to my friend and Habs fan Ledge and Dairy @Ledge and Dairy from the Riga Reign for this one:
 
The team is having a NO; GOD PLEASE NO  moment, do you think  we will be able to turn around the situation?
 
 Ledge is referring here to the fact that Riga, who had been in first place, is now in third and being chased closely by the fourth place team.  In the past few seasons the Reign has had a playoff spot snatched (dare I say stolen) from them at the last moment.  In fact last season it came down to the number of goals scored or some such stat that determined the wild card berth.  I reflect once again on my pet whine, the ridiculous results frequently rendered by the sim engine, STHS.  Last season, on paper, Riga certainly had enough horsepower to make the playoffs.  But, for some unknown reason ALL of our Big Guns performed at an underwhelming level.  My own player, Isau DaMoose was getting second line minutes and a few power play minutes.  BUT, when you looked at the index, on several occasions, his Time On Ice was actually less than that of fourth line players.  How is that even possible !!!   Time to look for a new sim engine or retweak STHS so that it rewards players for grabbing up all that TPE.  The results and generated stats have to be a little more consistent for them to be realistic.
 
Greg_Di @Greg_Di of the Calgary Wranglers came up with this one:
 
If you could give one piece of advice to a rookie before the playoffs, what would it be ?
 
This is a frequently answered question.  And the answer is simple enough.  Being able to do it is another thing.  My advice would be “Relax.  Enjoy the moment.  It doesn’t come very often.”
 
Peace @Peace of the Toronto Legion must have been hungry when he asked:
 
 Hotdogs over a campfire or a barbeque?
 
My “go to” method would be to cook the hotdogs on a charcoal grill.  That way you get the control of a barbecue and the smokiness of a campfire.  BUT my true answer would be “at a baseball game”.  It has been a very long time since I was able to see one despite the fact that The Jays have been back in Toronto for a month.
 
Peace also posed this question:
 
 How do you keep yourself entertained on the VHL now that we've missed the playoffs?
 
I have been a proponent of some kind of off season activity for those of us who did not make the playoffs. There is the lottery tournament.  But I think there should be something more.  If a player misses the playoff, the lay off is a very long period of time.  The time it takes to sim the playoffs plus the off season.  I think that the league loses some players during this time.  So, from the point of view of retention, I think there should be some kind of other tournament introduced.  Perhaps an over/under 500 TPE with a few EXP points thrown in to sweeten the deal.
 
diamond_ace @diamond_ace  and Domg5  @Domg5of the Prague Phantoms collaborate on the questions in their pressers.
 
Do you prefer outdoor hockey or arena hockey?
 

 
As a kid growing up in Northern Ontario, we only played on natural outdoor rinks.  When I moved to The Big Smoke for high school we played on outdoor artificial ice surfaces.  I really didn’t play on arena surfaces on a regular basis until I was 19 years old.  So, ya, I like playing hockey outdoors.  But that comes with its pitfalls, mostly related to weather.  If it snows you have to manually clear the ice surface on a regular basis, sometimes as often as every 20 minutes or so.  The other weather related problem can be the temperature. At -20 degrees C, or colder, it can be a little uncomfortable.
 
 Do you think it's better to build a team with good trades and good signings or building it with the draft over a few years?
 
I am not a GM, nor do I have anything to do with team management.  That being said, I think I would want to build my team with a blend of the above.  Building from within via the draft is essential.  But tempering that group with some veterans, or acquiring role players through a trade is important as well.  For example, let’s say you need a left wing, but there aren’t any of any quality available through the draft.  Then it becomes necessary to trade to fill out your roster well.
 
Word Count = 2109
 
Claiming for Weeks of Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26

Thought-Provoking Presser Questions
 
Some time ago I released the first of these media spots in which I try to deal with some of the interesting presser questions that have been posed.  I enjoy going through the various pressers just to see how imaginative the questions can get…….or the alternative.
 
Leading off are a few questions asked by  Eldredman @Eldredman  of the San Diego Marlins.
 
 How did you end up in the position you currently play?
 
This is interesting because in many cases, I think, the position chooses you as opposed to the other way around.  Your set of unique skills may be best utilized in a position that you would not necessarily consider.  Wendel Clark comes to mind.  Wendel played as an offensive defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades during his two year Junior career.  On joining the Toronto Maple Leafs he was quickly converted to a forward where he experienced great success. 
Red Kelly is another example of this.  Kelly played defense for the Detroit Red Wings earning first-team all-star honors six times in a seven-season stretch from 1950-51 to 1956-57.  After being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs he became a center where finished sixth in NHL scoring in 1960-61 and cracked the top 10 in Hart Trophy voting twice.
 
Do you have any game day superstitions?
 
Athletes are generally superstitious, but hockey players are the worst.  Sid Crosby was voted the most superstitious player in the NHL.  He takes the same roundabout route avoiding visitors in the locker room. He sets up his stall the same every game, tapes his sticks the same way every game, and eats a PB&J sandwich at 5 p.m. sharp EVERY. GAME. Jocelyn Thibault would pour water on his head six and a half minutes before a game.  Brendan Shanahan wore his junior hockey shoulder pads in Detroit, listened to Madonna pre-game.  Karl Alzner taps his stick exactly 88 times before the national anthems conclude.
 
Dressing “the Right Way” is a familiar superstition.  This superstition is quite common for most players as they are in the locker room getting dressed for the game. A lot of players say that they have to get dressed in the same order every time because they believe that doing that pre-game ritual every time brings them the good energy they need for the game. A well known goalie by the name of Patrick Roy, would lay out each piece of his gear on the floor and get dressed in the same order every time before he would head out of the locker room.  That certainly worked for him !!!
 
Brent Seabrook, defenseman for the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, had a laundry list of superstitions and was considered both the most superstitious player on the team as well as the most difficult to room with on the road. Seabrook’s meticulous habits mostly involved different eating and sleeping routines, including eating seven Hershey’s kisses before every game. The most mysterious, however, was his habit of reviewing nine words over and over in his head prior to each game – words that only he and the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach knew.
 
Why is the Sky blue?
 
Ya, well I thought this question fell into the same league as “Why are oranges round?” and “Why do puddles have bottoms ?”  However, on further research it appears that there is a scientific reason.  According to NASA sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
 
Of course ancient people did not have NASA around so they came up with a myth.  Long long ago, when Queen Athena ( Zeus's daughter) was born, Zeus blessed her with two boons for when she came of age. After almost 15 years, Athena was told to think up two things to ask for. The poor girl couldn't make up her mind.  You see, Athena wasn't what you would now call the goddess of wisdom and war, at 16, she was much more selfish and over- confident.
 
And I bet you can't guess what she asked for in the end!
1) To have a city in Greece named after her( Athens)
2) To have all the people of the world see her face every day of the year.( what you are seeing are only her eyes)
 
Thus, The sky is blue, just like the color of Athena's eyes…
 
Thank-you to youloser1337  @youloser1337of the Minnesota Storm for the following two questions:
 
What is the most inspiring thing you have seen / done?
 
Several years ago I went to visit my homeland, Scotland.  My wanderings took me to the Isle of Skye where I went on a hike to the Quiraing.  Talk about mystical.  You could almost hear the spirits talking to you.
 

 
Which NHL arena would you love to see a home game at?
 
This seems to be a straightforward question/answer, but it really isn’t.  Every NHL arena is loud, vibrant and filled with energy.  Back in the day I was able to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Gardens on a somewhat regular basis (my high school had box seats).  The Gardens rocked on a regular basis, but when the Habs came to town the place was insane.  I would like to, once again, see the Leafs and the Habs at Scotiabank Arena preferably during the playoffs.  That is unlikely to happen unless I win a lottery….a BIG lottery.
 
I would like to acknowledge hylands @hylands of the Malmo Nighthawks for the following:

 
Did you grow up watching hockey or have you recently gotten into it ?
 
I think that the answer to this in large part is determined by the culture in the area in which you grew up as a child. In small town Northern Ontario ( < 1000 pop.)  there were no gyms for basketball, no movie theatres, frequently no high speed internet….anyway you get the idea.  One thing that stands out in these hamlets was the outdoor ice rink and the baseball diamond.  You were pretty much expected to play both of these sports.  If you couldn’t afford the equipment, the community found it for you.  This is still true today.  There are communities in which hockey is the ONLY sport available for both boys and girls.  For me I grew up playing and watching hockey.  There weren’t too many Saturday nights that didn’t find me in front of a TV somewhere.
 
Do you enjoy rivalries within sports, or do you not care for them?
 
I generally agree with rivalries in sports.  As I alluded to earlier, in Toronto, when the Habs came to town, insanity reigned supreme.  Rivalries bring out some of the best performances from an athlete.  Unfortunately, sometimes rivalries can bring out the worst in both players being overly aggressive and fans resorting to violence.  This has been carried to extremes in the United Kingdom where hooligan firms have sprung up with the sole intent of creating mayhem, particularly when a close rival was visiting.  This chaos has been responsible for severe injuries and even death.
 
Any books that you would recommend?
 
So, OK, not a very complex question.  Just toss out a couple of titles (whether you have read them or not).  I, for one, don’t think it is that simple.  For example, if I were to suggest “Species of One” by Matt McMahon, people might think that I am an extremely sensitive person.  Or ”Wuthering Heights” might lead people to believe that I was a classic intellectual.  My EReader tells me that I have read about 475 books and have spent some 2500 hours reading them.  They are books that range from Louis L’Amour to Jane Austen,  classic fiction to the history of bootlegging.  A better question might be to provide a “playlist” of books.  That way the underlying message as to who you are might be a bit more accurate.
 
Thanks to my friend and Habs fan Ledge and Dairy @Ledge and Dairy from the Riga Reign for this one:
 
The team is having a NO; GOD PLEASE NO  moment, do you think  we will be able to turn around the situation?
 
 Ledge is referring here to the fact that Riga, who had been in first place, is now in third and being chased closely by the fourth place team.  In the past few seasons the Reign has had a playoff spot snatched (dare I say stolen) from them at the last moment.  In fact last season it came down to the number of goals scored or some such stat that determined the wild card berth.  I reflect once again on my pet whine, the ridiculous results frequently rendered by the sim engine, STHS.  Last season, on paper, Riga certainly had enough horsepower to make the playoffs.  But, for some unknown reason ALL of our Big Guns performed at an underwhelming level.  My own player, Isau DaMoose was getting second line minutes and a few power play minutes.  BUT, when you looked at the index, on several occasions, his Time On Ice was actually less than that of fourth line players.  How is that even possible !!!   Time to look for a new sim engine or retweak STHS so that it rewards players for grabbing up all that TPE.  The results and generated stats have to be a little more consistent for them to be realistic.
 
Greg_Di @Greg_Di of the Calgary Wranglers came up with this one:
 
If you could give one piece of advice to a rookie before the playoffs, what would it be ?
 
This is a frequently answered question.  And the answer is simple enough.  Being able to do it is another thing.  My advice would be “Relax.  Enjoy the moment.  It doesn’t come very often.”
 
Peace @Peace of the Toronto Legion must have been hungry when he asked:
 
 Hotdogs over a campfire or a barbeque?
 
My “go to” method would be to cook the hotdogs on a charcoal grill.  That way you get the control of a barbecue and the smokiness of a campfire.  BUT my true answer would be “at a baseball game”.  It has been a very long time since I was able to see one despite the fact that The Jays have been back in Toronto for a month.
 
Peace also posed this question:
 
 How do you keep yourself entertained on the VHL now that we've missed the playoffs?
 
I have been a proponent of some kind of off season activity for those of us who did not make the playoffs. There is the lottery tournament.  But I think there should be something more.  If a player misses the playoff, the lay off is a very long period of time.  The time it takes to sim the playoffs plus the off season.  I think that the league loses some players during this time.  So, from the point of view of retention, I think there should be some kind of other tournament introduced.  Perhaps an over/under 500 TPE with a few EXP points thrown in to sweeten the deal.
 
diamond_ace @diamond_ace  and Domg5  @Domg5of the Prague Phantoms collaborate on the questions in their pressers.
 
Do you prefer outdoor hockey or arena hockey?
 

 
As a kid growing up in Northern Ontario, we only played on natural outdoor rinks.  When I moved to The Big Smoke for high school we played on outdoor artificial ice surfaces.  I really didn’t play on arena surfaces on a regular basis until I was 19 years old.  So, ya, I like playing hockey outdoors.  But that comes with its pitfalls, mostly related to weather.  If it snows you have to manually clear the ice surface on a regular basis, sometimes as often as every 20 minutes or so.  The other weather related problem can be the temperature. At -20 degrees C, or colder, it can be a little uncomfortable.
 
 Do you think it's better to build a team with good trades and good signings or building it with the draft over a few years?
 
I am not a GM, nor do I have anything to do with team management.  That being said, I think I would want to build my team with a blend of the above.  Building from within via the draft is essential.  But tempering that group with some veterans, or acquiring role players through a trade is important as well.  For example, let’s say you need a left wing, but there aren’t any of any quality available through the draft.  Then it becomes necessary to trade to fill out your roster well.
 
Word Count = 2109
 
Claiming for Weeks of Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26

Thought-Provoking Presser Questions
 
Some time ago I released the first of these media spots in which I try to deal with some of the interesting presser questions that have been posed.  I enjoy going through the various pressers just to see how imaginative the questions can get…….or the alternative.
 
Leading off are a few questions asked by  Eldredman @Eldredman  of the San Diego Marlins.
 
 How did you end up in the position you currently play?
 
This is interesting because in many cases, I think, the position chooses you as opposed to the other way around.  Your set of unique skills may be best utilized in a position that you would not necessarily consider.  Wendel Clark comes to mind.  Wendel played as an offensive defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades during his two year Junior career.  On joining the Toronto Maple Leafs he was quickly converted to a forward where he experienced great success. 
Red Kelly is another example of this.  Kelly played defense for the Detroit Red Wings earning first-team all-star honors six times in a seven-season stretch from 1950-51 to 1956-57.  After being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs he became a center where finished sixth in NHL scoring in 1960-61 and cracked the top 10 in Hart Trophy voting twice.
 
Do you have any game day superstitions?
 
Athletes are generally superstitious, but hockey players are the worst.  Sid Crosby was voted the most superstitious player in the NHL.  He takes the same roundabout route avoiding visitors in the locker room. He sets up his stall the same every game, tapes his sticks the same way every game, and eats a PB&J sandwich at 5 p.m. sharp EVERY. GAME. Jocelyn Thibault would pour water on his head six and a half minutes before a game.  Brendan Shanahan wore his junior hockey shoulder pads in Detroit, listened to Madonna pre-game.  Karl Alzner taps his stick exactly 88 times before the national anthems conclude.
 
Dressing “the Right Way” is a familiar superstition.  This superstition is quite common for most players as they are in the locker room getting dressed for the game. A lot of players say that they have to get dressed in the same order every time because they believe that doing that pre-game ritual every time brings them the good energy they need for the game. A well known goalie by the name of Patrick Roy, would lay out each piece of his gear on the floor and get dressed in the same order every time before he would head out of the locker room.  That certainly worked for him !!!
 
Brent Seabrook, defenseman for the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, had a laundry list of superstitions and was considered both the most superstitious player on the team as well as the most difficult to room with on the road. Seabrook’s meticulous habits mostly involved different eating and sleeping routines, including eating seven Hershey’s kisses before every game. The most mysterious, however, was his habit of reviewing nine words over and over in his head prior to each game – words that only he and the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach knew.
 
Why is the Sky blue?
 
Ya, well I thought this question fell into the same league as “Why are oranges round?” and “Why do puddles have bottoms ?”  However, on further research it appears that there is a scientific reason.  According to NASA sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
 
Of course ancient people did not have NASA around so they came up with a myth.  Long long ago, when Queen Athena ( Zeus's daughter) was born, Zeus blessed her with two boons for when she came of age. After almost 15 years, Athena was told to think up two things to ask for. The poor girl couldn't make up her mind.  You see, Athena wasn't what you would now call the goddess of wisdom and war, at 16, she was much more selfish and over- confident.
 
And I bet you can't guess what she asked for in the end!
1) To have a city in Greece named after her( Athens)
2) To have all the people of the world see her face every day of the year.( what you are seeing are only her eyes)
 
Thus, The sky is blue, just like the color of Athena's eyes…
 
Thank-you to youloser1337  @youloser1337of the Minnesota Storm for the following two questions:
 
What is the most inspiring thing you have seen / done?
 
Several years ago I went to visit my homeland, Scotland.  My wanderings took me to the Isle of Skye where I went on a hike to the Quiraing.  Talk about mystical.  You could almost hear the spirits talking to you.
 

 
Which NHL arena would you love to see a home game at?
 
This seems to be a straightforward question/answer, but it really isn’t.  Every NHL arena is loud, vibrant and filled with energy.  Back in the day I was able to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Gardens on a somewhat regular basis (my high school had box seats).  The Gardens rocked on a regular basis, but when the Habs came to town the place was insane.  I would like to, once again, see the Leafs and the Habs at Scotiabank Arena preferably during the playoffs.  That is unlikely to happen unless I win a lottery….a BIG lottery.
 
I would like to acknowledge hylands @hylands of the Malmo Nighthawks for the following:

 
Did you grow up watching hockey or have you recently gotten into it ?
 
I think that the answer to this in large part is determined by the culture in the area in which you grew up as a child. In small town Northern Ontario ( < 1000 pop.)  there were no gyms for basketball, no movie theatres, frequently no high speed internet….anyway you get the idea.  One thing that stands out in these hamlets was the outdoor ice rink and the baseball diamond.  You were pretty much expected to play both of these sports.  If you couldn’t afford the equipment, the community found it for you.  This is still true today.  There are communities in which hockey is the ONLY sport available for both boys and girls.  For me I grew up playing and watching hockey.  There weren’t too many Saturday nights that didn’t find me in front of a TV somewhere.
 
Do you enjoy rivalries within sports, or do you not care for them?
 
I generally agree with rivalries in sports.  As I alluded to earlier, in Toronto, when the Habs came to town, insanity reigned supreme.  Rivalries bring out some of the best performances from an athlete.  Unfortunately, sometimes rivalries can bring out the worst in both players being overly aggressive and fans resorting to violence.  This has been carried to extremes in the United Kingdom where hooligan firms have sprung up with the sole intent of creating mayhem, particularly when a close rival was visiting.  This chaos has been responsible for severe injuries and even death.
 
Any books that you would recommend?
 
So, OK, not a very complex question.  Just toss out a couple of titles (whether you have read them or not).  I, for one, don’t think it is that simple.  For example, if I were to suggest “Species of One” by Matt McMahon, people might think that I am an extremely sensitive person.  Or ”Wuthering Heights” might lead people to believe that I was a classic intellectual.  My EReader tells me that I have read about 475 books and have spent some 2500 hours reading them.  They are books that range from Louis L’Amour to Jane Austen,  classic fiction to the history of bootlegging.  A better question might be to provide a “playlist” of books.  That way the underlying message as to who you are might be a bit more accurate.
 
Thanks to my friend and Habs fan Ledge and Dairy @Ledge and Dairy from the Riga Reign for this one:
 
The team is having a NO; GOD PLEASE NO  moment, do you think  we will be able to turn around the situation?
 
 Ledge is referring here to the fact that Riga, who had been in first place, is now in third and being chased closely by the fourth place team.  In the past few seasons the Reign has had a playoff spot snatched (dare I say stolen) from them at the last moment.  In fact last season it came down to the number of goals scored or some such stat that determined the wild card berth.  I reflect once again on my pet whine, the ridiculous results frequently rendered by the sim engine, STHS.  Last season, on paper, Riga certainly had enough horsepower to make the playoffs.  But, for some unknown reason ALL of our Big Guns performed at an underwhelming level.  My own player, Isau DaMoose was getting second line minutes and a few power play minutes.  BUT, when you looked at the index, on several occasions, his Time On Ice was actually less than that of fourth line players.  How is that even possible !!!   Time to look for a new sim engine or retweak STHS so that it rewards players for grabbing up all that TPE.  The results and generated stats have to be a little more consistent for them to be realistic.
 
Greg_Di @Greg_Di of the Calgary Wranglers came up with this one:
 
If you could give one piece of advice to a rookie before the playoffs, what would it be ?
 
This is a frequently answered question.  And the answer is simple enough.  Being able to do it is another thing.  My advice would be “Relax.  Enjoy the moment.  It doesn’t come very often.”
 
Peace @Peace of the Toronto Legion must have been hungry when he asked:
 
 Hotdogs over a campfire or a barbeque?
 
My “go to” method would be to cook the hotdogs on a charcoal grill.  That way you get the control of a barbecue and the smokiness of a campfire.  BUT my true answer would be “at a baseball game”.  It has been a very long time since I was able to see one despite the fact that The Jays have been back in Toronto for a month.
 
Peace also posed this question:
 
 How do you keep yourself entertained on the VHL now that we've missed the playoffs?
 
I have been a proponent of some kind of off season activity for those of us who did not make the playoffs. There is the lottery tournament.  But I think there should be something more.  If a player misses the playoff, the lay off is a very long period of time.  The time it takes to sim the playoffs plus the off season.  I think that the league loses some players during this time.  So, from the point of view of retention, I think there should be some kind of other tournament introduced.  Perhaps an over/under 500 TPE with a few EXP points thrown in to sweeten the deal.
 
diamond_ace @diamond_ace  and Domg5  @Domg5of the Prague Phantoms collaborate on the questions in their pressers.
 
Do you prefer outdoor hockey or arena hockey?
 

 
As a kid growing up in Northern Ontario, we only played on natural outdoor rinks.  When I moved to The Big Smoke for high school we played on outdoor artificial ice surfaces.  I really didn’t play on arena surfaces on a regular basis until I was 19 years old.  So, ya, I like playing hockey outdoors.  But that comes with its pitfalls, mostly related to weather.  If it snows you have to manually clear the ice surface on a regular basis, sometimes as often as every 20 minutes or so.  The other weather related problem can be the temperature. At -20 degrees C, or colder, it can be a little uncomfortable.
 
 Do you think it's better to build a team with good trades and good signings or building it with the draft over a few years?
 
I am not a GM, nor do I have anything to do with team management.  That being said, I think I would want to build my team with a blend of the above.  Building from within via the draft is essential.  But tempering that group with some veterans, or acquiring role players through a trade is important as well.  For example, let’s say you need a left wing, but there aren’t any of any quality available through the draft.  Then it becomes necessary to trade to fill out your roster well.
 
Word Count = 2109
 
Claiming for Weeks of Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26

Thought-Provoking Presser Questions
 
Some time ago I released the first of these media spots in which I try to deal with some of the interesting presser questions that have been posed.  I enjoy going through the various pressers just to see how imaginative the questions can get…….or the alternative.
 
Leading off are a few questions asked by  Eldredman @Eldredman  of the San Diego Marlins.
 
 How did you end up in the position you currently play?
 
This is interesting because in many cases, I think, the position chooses you as opposed to the other way around.  Your set of unique skills may be best utilized in a position that you would not necessarily consider.  Wendel Clark comes to mind.  Wendel played as an offensive defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades during his two year Junior career.  On joining the Toronto Maple Leafs he was quickly converted to a forward where he experienced great success. 
Red Kelly is another example of this.  Kelly played defense for the Detroit Red Wings earning first-team all-star honors six times in a seven-season stretch from 1950-51 to 1956-57.  After being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs he became a center where finished sixth in NHL scoring in 1960-61 and cracked the top 10 in Hart Trophy voting twice.
 
Do you have any game day superstitions?
 
Athletes are generally superstitious, but hockey players are the worst.  Sid Crosby was voted the most superstitious player in the NHL.  He takes the same roundabout route avoiding visitors in the locker room. He sets up his stall the same every game, tapes his sticks the same way every game, and eats a PB&J sandwich at 5 p.m. sharp EVERY. GAME. Jocelyn Thibault would pour water on his head six and a half minutes before a game.  Brendan Shanahan wore his junior hockey shoulder pads in Detroit, listened to Madonna pre-game.  Karl Alzner taps his stick exactly 88 times before the national anthems conclude.
 
Dressing “the Right Way” is a familiar superstition.  This superstition is quite common for most players as they are in the locker room getting dressed for the game. A lot of players say that they have to get dressed in the same order every time because they believe that doing that pre-game ritual every time brings them the good energy they need for the game. A well known goalie by the name of Patrick Roy, would lay out each piece of his gear on the floor and get dressed in the same order every time before he would head out of the locker room.  That certainly worked for him !!!
 
Brent Seabrook, defenseman for the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, had a laundry list of superstitions and was considered both the most superstitious player on the team as well as the most difficult to room with on the road. Seabrook’s meticulous habits mostly involved different eating and sleeping routines, including eating seven Hershey’s kisses before every game. The most mysterious, however, was his habit of reviewing nine words over and over in his head prior to each game – words that only he and the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach knew.
 
Why is the Sky blue?
 
Ya, well I thought this question fell into the same league as “Why are oranges round?” and “Why do puddles have bottoms ?”  However, on further research it appears that there is a scientific reason.  According to NASA sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
 
Of course ancient people did not have NASA around so they came up with a myth.  Long long ago, when Queen Athena ( Zeus's daughter) was born, Zeus blessed her with two boons for when she came of age. After almost 15 years, Athena was told to think up two things to ask for. The poor girl couldn't make up her mind.  You see, Athena wasn't what you would now call the goddess of wisdom and war, at 16, she was much more selfish and over- confident.
 
And I bet you can't guess what she asked for in the end!
1) To have a city in Greece named after her( Athens)
2) To have all the people of the world see her face every day of the year.( what you are seeing are only her eyes)
 
Thus, The sky is blue, just like the color of Athena's eyes…
 
Thank-you to youloser1337  @youloser1337of the Minnesota Storm for the following two questions:
 
What is the most inspiring thing you have seen / done?
 
Several years ago I went to visit my homeland, Scotland.  My wanderings took me to the Isle of Skye where I went on a hike to the Quiraing.  Talk about mystical.  You could almost hear the spirits talking to you.
 

 
Which NHL arena would you love to see a home game at?
 
This seems to be a straightforward question/answer, but it really isn’t.  Every NHL arena is loud, vibrant and filled with energy.  Back in the day I was able to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Gardens on a somewhat regular basis (my high school had box seats).  The Gardens rocked on a regular basis, but when the Habs came to town the place was insane.  I would like to, once again, see the Leafs and the Habs at Scotiabank Arena preferably during the playoffs.  That is unlikely to happen unless I win a lottery….a BIG lottery.
 
I would like to acknowledge hylands @hylands of the Malmo Nighthawks for the following:

 
Did you grow up watching hockey or have you recently gotten into it ?
 
I think that the answer to this in large part is determined by the culture in the area in which you grew up as a child. In small town Northern Ontario ( < 1000 pop.)  there were no gyms for basketball, no movie theatres, frequently no high speed internet….anyway you get the idea.  One thing that stands out in these hamlets was the outdoor ice rink and the baseball diamond.  You were pretty much expected to play both of these sports.  If you couldn’t afford the equipment, the community found it for you.  This is still true today.  There are communities in which hockey is the ONLY sport available for both boys and girls.  For me I grew up playing and watching hockey.  There weren’t too many Saturday nights that didn’t find me in front of a TV somewhere.
 
Do you enjoy rivalries within sports, or do you not care for them?
 
I generally agree with rivalries in sports.  As I alluded to earlier, in Toronto, when the Habs came to town, insanity reigned supreme.  Rivalries bring out some of the best performances from an athlete.  Unfortunately, sometimes rivalries can bring out the worst in both players being overly aggressive and fans resorting to violence.  This has been carried to extremes in the United Kingdom where hooligan firms have sprung up with the sole intent of creating mayhem, particularly when a close rival was visiting.  This chaos has been responsible for severe injuries and even death.
 
Any books that you would recommend?
 
So, OK, not a very complex question.  Just toss out a couple of titles (whether you have read them or not).  I, for one, don’t think it is that simple.  For example, if I were to suggest “Species of One” by Matt McMahon, people might think that I am an extremely sensitive person.  Or ”Wuthering Heights” might lead people to believe that I was a classic intellectual.  My EReader tells me that I have read about 475 books and have spent some 2500 hours reading them.  They are books that range from Louis L’Amour to Jane Austen,  classic fiction to the history of bootlegging.  A better question might be to provide a “playlist” of books.  That way the underlying message as to who you are might be a bit more accurate.
 
Thanks to my friend and Habs fan Ledge and Dairy @Ledge and Dairy from the Riga Reign for this one:
 
The team is having a NO; GOD PLEASE NO  moment, do you think  we will be able to turn around the situation?
 
 Ledge is referring here to the fact that Riga, who had been in first place, is now in third and being chased closely by the fourth place team.  In the past few seasons the Reign has had a playoff spot snatched (dare I say stolen) from them at the last moment.  In fact last season it came down to the number of goals scored or some such stat that determined the wild card berth.  I reflect once again on my pet whine, the ridiculous results frequently rendered by the sim engine, STHS.  Last season, on paper, Riga certainly had enough horsepower to make the playoffs.  But, for some unknown reason ALL of our Big Guns performed at an underwhelming level.  My own player, Isau DaMoose was getting second line minutes and a few power play minutes.  BUT, when you looked at the index, on several occasions, his Time On Ice was actually less than that of fourth line players.  How is that even possible !!!   Time to look for a new sim engine or retweak STHS so that it rewards players for grabbing up all that TPE.  The results and generated stats have to be a little more consistent for them to be realistic.
 
Greg_Di @Greg_Di of the Calgary Wranglers came up with this one:
 
If you could give one piece of advice to a rookie before the playoffs, what would it be ?
 
This is a frequently answered question.  And the answer is simple enough.  Being able to do it is another thing.  My advice would be “Relax.  Enjoy the moment.  It doesn’t come very often.”
 
Peace @Peace of the Toronto Legion must have been hungry when he asked:
 
 Hotdogs over a campfire or a barbeque?
 
My “go to” method would be to cook the hotdogs on a charcoal grill.  That way you get the control of a barbecue and the smokiness of a campfire.  BUT my true answer would be “at a baseball game”.  It has been a very long time since I was able to see one despite the fact that The Jays have been back in Toronto for a month.
 
Peace also posed this question:
 
 How do you keep yourself entertained on the VHL now that we've missed the playoffs?
 
I have been a proponent of some kind of off season activity for those of us who did not make the playoffs. There is the lottery tournament.  But I think there should be something more.  If a player misses the playoff, the lay off is a very long period of time.  The time it takes to sim the playoffs plus the off season.  I think that the league loses some players during this time.  So, from the point of view of retention, I think there should be some kind of other tournament introduced.  Perhaps an over/under 500 TPE with a few EXP points thrown in to sweeten the deal.
 
diamond_ace @diamond_ace  and Domg5  @Domg5of the Prague Phantoms collaborate on the questions in their pressers.
 
Do you prefer outdoor hockey or arena hockey?
 

 
As a kid growing up in Northern Ontario, we only played on natural outdoor rinks.  When I moved to The Big Smoke for high school we played on outdoor artificial ice surfaces.  I really didn’t play on arena surfaces on a regular basis until I was 19 years old.  So, ya, I like playing hockey outdoors.  But that comes with its pitfalls, mostly related to weather.  If it snows you have to manually clear the ice surface on a regular basis, sometimes as often as every 20 minutes or so.  The other weather related problem can be the temperature. At -20 degrees C, or colder, it can be a little uncomfortable.
 
 Do you think it's better to build a team with good trades and good signings or building it with the draft over a few years?
 
I am not a GM, nor do I have anything to do with team management.  That being said, I think I would want to build my team with a blend of the above.  Building from within via the draft is essential.  But tempering that group with some veterans, or acquiring role players through a trade is important as well.  For example, let’s say you need a left wing, but there aren’t any of any quality available through the draft.  Then it becomes necessary to trade to fill out your roster well.
 
Word Count = 2109
 
Claiming for Weeks of Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26

Thought-Provoking Presser Questions
 
Some time ago I released the first of these media spots in which I try to deal with some of the interesting presser questions that have been posed.  I enjoy going through the various pressers just to see how imaginative the questions can get…….or the alternative.
 
Leading off are a few questions asked by  Eldredman @Eldredman  of the San Diego Marlins.
 
 How did you end up in the position you currently play?
 
This is interesting because in many cases, I think, the position chooses you as opposed to the other way around.  Your set of unique skills may be best utilized in a position that you would not necessarily consider.  Wendel Clark comes to mind.  Wendel played as an offensive defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades during his two year Junior career.  On joining the Toronto Maple Leafs he was quickly converted to a forward where he experienced great success. 
Red Kelly is another example of this.  Kelly played defense for the Detroit Red Wings earning first-team all-star honors six times in a seven-season stretch from 1950-51 to 1956-57.  After being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs he became a center where finished sixth in NHL scoring in 1960-61 and cracked the top 10 in Hart Trophy voting twice.
 
Do you have any game day superstitions?
 
Athletes are generally superstitious, but hockey players are the worst.  Sid Crosby was voted the most superstitious player in the NHL.  He takes the same roundabout route avoiding visitors in the locker room. He sets up his stall the same every game, tapes his sticks the same way every game, and eats a PB&J sandwich at 5 p.m. sharp EVERY. GAME. Jocelyn Thibault would pour water on his head six and a half minutes before a game.  Brendan Shanahan wore his junior hockey shoulder pads in Detroit, listened to Madonna pre-game.  Karl Alzner taps his stick exactly 88 times before the national anthems conclude.
 
Dressing “the Right Way” is a familiar superstition.  This superstition is quite common for most players as they are in the locker room getting dressed for the game. A lot of players say that they have to get dressed in the same order every time because they believe that doing that pre-game ritual every time brings them the good energy they need for the game. A well known goalie by the name of Patrick Roy, would lay out each piece of his gear on the floor and get dressed in the same order every time before he would head out of the locker room.  That certainly worked for him !!!
 
Brent Seabrook, defenseman for the 2013 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, had a laundry list of superstitions and was considered both the most superstitious player on the team as well as the most difficult to room with on the road. Seabrook’s meticulous habits mostly involved different eating and sleeping routines, including eating seven Hershey’s kisses before every game. The most mysterious, however, was his habit of reviewing nine words over and over in his head prior to each game – words that only he and the Blackhawks’ mental skills coach knew.
 
Why is the Sky blue?
 
Ya, well I thought this question fell into the same league as “Why are oranges round?” and “Why do puddles have bottoms ?”  However, on further research it appears that there is a scientific reason.  According to NASA sunlight reaches Earth's atmosphere and is scattered in all directions by all the gases and particles in the air. Blue light is scattered more than the other colors because it travels as shorter, smaller waves. This is why we see a blue sky most of the time.
 
Of course ancient people did not have NASA around so they came up with a myth.  Long long ago, when Queen Athena ( Zeus's daughter) was born, Zeus blessed her with two boons for when she came of age. After almost 15 years, Athena was told to think up two things to ask for. The poor girl couldn't make up her mind.  You see, Athena wasn't what you would now call the goddess of wisdom and war, at 16, she was much more selfish and over- confident.
 
And I bet you can't guess what she asked for in the end!
1) To have a city in Greece named after her( Athens)
2) To have all the people of the world see her face every day of the year.( what you are seeing are only her eyes)
 
Thus, The sky is blue, just like the color of Athena's eyes…
 
Thank-you to youloser1337  @youloser1337of the Minnesota Storm for the following two questions:
 
What is the most inspiring thing you have seen / done?
 
Several years ago I went to visit my homeland, Scotland.  My wanderings took me to the Isle of Skye where I went on a hike to the Quiraing.  Talk about mystical.  You could almost hear the spirits talking to you.
 

 
Which NHL arena would you love to see a home game at?
 
This seems to be a straightforward question/answer, but it really isn’t.  Every NHL arena is loud, vibrant and filled with energy.  Back in the day I was able to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in Maple Leaf Gardens on a somewhat regular basis (my high school had box seats).  The Gardens rocked on a regular basis, but when the Habs came to town the place was insane.  I would like to, once again, see the Leafs and the Habs at Scotiabank Arena preferably during the playoffs.  That is unlikely to happen unless I win a lottery….a BIG lottery.
 
I would like to acknowledge hylands @hylands of the Malmo Nighthawks for the following:

 
Did you grow up watching hockey or have you recently gotten into it ?
 
I think that the answer to this in large part is determined by the culture in the area in which you grew up as a child. In small town Northern Ontario ( < 1000 pop.)  there were no gyms for basketball, no movie theatres, frequently no high speed internet….anyway you get the idea.  One thing that stands out in these hamlets was the outdoor ice rink and the baseball diamond.  You were pretty much expected to play both of these sports.  If you couldn’t afford the equipment, the community found it for you.  This is still true today.  There are communities in which hockey is the ONLY sport available for both boys and girls.  For me I grew up playing and watching hockey.  There weren’t too many Saturday nights that didn’t find me in front of a TV somewhere.
 
Do you enjoy rivalries within sports, or do you not care for them?
 
I generally agree with rivalries in sports.  As I alluded to earlier, in Toronto, when the Habs came to town, insanity reigned supreme.  Rivalries bring out some of the best performances from an athlete.  Unfortunately, sometimes rivalries can bring out the worst in both players being overly aggressive and fans resorting to violence.  This has been carried to extremes in the United Kingdom where hooligan firms have sprung up with the sole intent of creating mayhem, particularly when a close rival was visiting.  This chaos has been responsible for severe injuries and even death.
 
Any books that you would recommend?
 
So, OK, not a very complex question.  Just toss out a couple of titles (whether you have read them or not).  I, for one, don’t think it is that simple.  For example, if I were to suggest “Species of One” by Matt McMahon, people might think that I am an extremely sensitive person.  Or ”Wuthering Heights” might lead people to believe that I was a classic intellectual.  My EReader tells me that I have read about 475 books and have spent some 2500 hours reading them.  They are books that range from Louis L’Amour to Jane Austen,  classic fiction to the history of bootlegging.  A better question might be to provide a “playlist” of books.  That way the underlying message as to who you are might be a bit more accurate.
 
Thanks to my friend and Habs fan Ledge and Dairy @Ledge and Dairy from the Riga Reign for this one:
 
The team is having a NO; GOD PLEASE NO  moment, do you think  we will be able to turn around the situation?
 
 Ledge is referring here to the fact that Riga, who had been in first place, is now in third and being chased closely by the fourth place team.  In the past few seasons the Reign has had a playoff spot snatched (dare I say stolen) from them at the last moment.  In fact last season it came down to the number of goals scored or some such stat that determined the wild card berth.  I reflect once again on my pet whine, the ridiculous results frequently rendered by the sim engine, STHS.  Last season, on paper, Riga certainly had enough horsepower to make the playoffs.  But, for some unknown reason ALL of our Big Guns performed at an underwhelming level.  My own player, Isau DaMoose was getting second line minutes and a few power play minutes.  BUT, when you looked at the index, on several occasions, his Time On Ice was actually less than that of fourth line players.  How is that even possible !!!   Time to look for a new sim engine or retweak STHS so that it rewards players for grabbing up all that TPE.  The results and generated stats have to be a little more consistent for them to be realistic.
 
Greg_Di @Greg_Di of the Calgary Wranglers came up with this one:
 
If you could give one piece of advice to a rookie before the playoffs, what would it be ?
 
This is a frequently answered question.  And the answer is simple enough.  Being able to do it is another thing.  My advice would be “Relax.  Enjoy the moment.  It doesn’t come very often.”
 
Peace @Peace of the Toronto Legion must have been hungry when he asked:
 
 Hotdogs over a campfire or a barbeque?
 
My “go to” method would be to cook the hotdogs on a charcoal grill.  That way you get the control of a barbecue and the smokiness of a campfire.  BUT my true answer would be “at a baseball game”.  It has been a very long time since I was able to see one despite the fact that The Jays have been back in Toronto for a month.
 
Peace also posed this question:
 
 How do you keep yourself entertained on the VHL now that we've missed the playoffs?
 
I have been a proponent of some kind of off season activity for those of us who did not make the playoffs. There is the lottery tournament.  But I think there should be something more.  If a player misses the playoff, the lay off is a very long period of time.  The time it takes to sim the playoffs plus the off season.  I think that the league loses some players during this time.  So, from the point of view of retention, I think there should be some kind of other tournament introduced.  Perhaps an over/under 500 TPE with a few EXP points thrown in to sweeten the deal.
 
diamond_ace @diamond_ace  and Domg5  @Domg5of the Prague Phantoms collaborate on the questions in their pressers.
 
Do you prefer outdoor hockey or arena hockey?
 

 
As a kid growing up in Northern Ontario, we only played on natural outdoor rinks.  When I moved to The Big Smoke for high school we played on outdoor artificial ice surfaces.  I really didn’t play on arena surfaces on a regular basis until I was 19 years old.  So, ya, I like playing hockey outdoors.  But that comes with its pitfalls, mostly related to weather.  If it snows you have to manually clear the ice surface on a regular basis, sometimes as often as every 20 minutes or so.  The other weather related problem can be the temperature. At -20 degrees C, or colder, it can be a little uncomfortable.
 
 Do you think it's better to build a team with good trades and good signings or building it with the draft over a few years?
 
I am not a GM, nor do I have anything to do with team management.  That being said, I think I would want to build my team with a blend of the above.  Building from within via the draft is essential.  But tempering that group with some veterans, or acquiring role players through a trade is important as well.  For example, let’s say you need a left wing, but there aren’t any of any quality available through the draft.  Then it becomes necessary to trade to fill out your roster well.
 
Word Count = 2109
 
Claiming for Weeks of Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSejo0vX397FVi3vTvCrQfNLJKW4JohJNfW0Ub0HPmoxlCBorA/viewform?usp=sf_link
 
Each correct answer is worth 1 capped TPE at the end of the week. Don't reveal the answer in public, but if you're not sure, ask around, here, or in the special trivia Discord channel.

@Eynhallow here we go! A hat trick for two games in a row, that's what the scoring doctor was prescribing for having a healthy position in standings.

RIGAREIGN
PRESSER!!!!!!
1 the team is having a NO; GOD PLEASE NO (yes this is a the office reference) moment, do you think  we will be able to turn around the situation? 
 
Technically, there is no reason why we can't pick up the pace.  I have a lot of faith in my team mates to step up.  However, shades of Christmas (Seasons) Past where STHS has robbed us of playoff spots.  Anything can happen with this damned sim engine.
 
2 With the trade deadline ending in some days, do you think that Riga will make any moves or the team will remain the same as always?
 
I am not sure that trading away assets at this point will do us much good.  We have tried that in past seasons and the moves have been mediocre to say the least.  No offence to the players involved, but there just wasn't much chemistry.
 
3 Which player would you love to see with a Riga Reign jersey? ( it can be a real life player but also a VHL player, your choice)
 
Doug Gilmour and/or Wendell Clark.  Both skilled guys that play with heart and grit.
 
4 If you had to pick a song for the goal horn of RIga, which song would you pick?
 
Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come
 
5 If hockey had never existed, how would your life be like?
 
I gotta admit that it would be somewhat boring.
 
6 If you had to choose, in which other country would you like to move to? 
 
St. Lucia.....in a heartbeat.  Great weather, 1% unemployment, low crime rate, english speaking......etc.

RIGAREIGN
PRESSER!!!!!!
1 the team is having a NO; GOD PLEASE NO (yes this is a the office reference) moment, do you think  we will be able to turn around the situation? 
 
Technically, there is no reason why we can't pick up the pace.  I have a lot of faith in my team mates to step up.  However, shades of Christmas (Seasons) Past where STHS has robbed us of playoff spots.  Anything can happen with this damned sim engine.
 
2 With the trade deadline ending in some days, do you think that Riga will make any moves or the team will remain the same as always?
 
I am not sure that trading away assets at this point will do us much good.  We have tried that in past seasons and the moves have been mediocre to say the least.  No offence to the players involved, but there just wasn't much chemistry.
 
3 Which player would you love to see with a Riga Reign jersey? ( it can be a real life player but also a VHL player, your choice)
 
Doug Gilmour and/or Wendell Clark.  Both skilled guys that play with heart and grit.
 
4 If you had to pick a song for the goal horn of RIga, which song would you pick?
 
Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come
 
5 If hockey had never existed, how would your life be like?
 
I gotta admit that it would be somewhat boring.
 
6 If you had to choose, in which other country would you like to move to? 
 
St. Lucia.....in a heartbeat.  Great weather, 1% unemployment, low crime rate, english speaking......etc.

Chris Hylands has announced their retirement.

Is this a stock photo? You're darned right it is.
 
"I Don't Have Much Free Time. How Do I Maximize My Sim League Experience?"
 
I wish I had a clever intro for you, good reader. But I want to cut to the point: with limited free time, what strategies work to make sim leagues and their vibrant communities enjoyable?
 
1) Be intentional about WHEN you engage with sim leagues.
I know that the busier I am with work, the less I want to do it. It's tempting to try to alt-tab to or pop the app open for Discord depending on whether I'm sitting at my laptop or trying to escape to my phone while I'm in the hospital or in clinic. As a result, it's not uncommon for me to ditch my phone in the team room while at work, or just close out of Discord entirely if I know I have work to do remotely.
 
Whether you're an adult with a job or a student with a particularly busy schedule, it's important to set expectations for when you can access sim leagues. I'm firmly of the opinion that adults are just big kids with more responsibility – and as much as I'd like to goof off at work, I know constantly distracting myself with sim leagues will make me more anxious about the work I already have to do (to say nothing of incoming calls or consults I'll eventually need to make). The quick dopamine burst I get from interacting with sim communities for a few seconds during the day is nothing compared to the dread I feel if I fall behind what I need to do, whether that's at home or in a clinical setting. If I get my work done, I feel infinitely freer knowing that the time I spend on sim leagues is mine to enjoy without anyone else suffering.
 
2) Know your boundaries – don't be afraid to set league servers to MUTE when you need to get a lot of work done.
Access to recreational activities is often the largest driver of whether they're used or not. In my case, seeing the little white tab next to a league that's currently active almost feels mandatory to check (for those of you in a ton of servers that might not be the case). And I know I'm not great at completely ignoring the big red dot on Discord on desktop or push notifications on my phone when I get a chance to check the screen during the day. So what do I do? I turn all of it off.
 
At the end of the day, whether I respond to a PM, locker room message, or main server message in 1 minute or 1 day won't change the course of my experience in a league – or at least it hasn't thus far. I do like being prompt in responding to DMs (as it avoids any likelihood of me forgetting about said message, as I've done a handful of times). I've actually extended my mutes to just about everything in sim leagues, though I still do get a good chance to respond to them when I'm off work. While that means I haven't been seen as much around sim leagues – even on my 'off' days – it means I have a much healthier relationship with how and whom I choose to engage sim leagues and users. Not everything has to be on my terms, but it's awfully helpful when I can feel a semblance of control.
 
As I said in my last bullet, adults are just big kids with more responsibility. Nothing about age necessarily makes you more mature, even if you get more chances to express your maturity and grow from your experiences. When I taught 4th grade math and science a half-dozen years ago or so, I learned the importance of setting expectations with my students. I do the very same for myself and it's helped my relationship with and enjoyment of sim leagues immensely. It helps me understand the gravity of my actions and the opportunity cost I pay if I violate the expectations I set.
 
3) Find a single day (or a primary day + backup day later in the week) to get all of your updating done.
This might be the most helpful bit of advice. My schedule is a little more amorphous than it was during my schooling, primarily because I don't know 1) which day each week I'll have off and 2) modifiers like clinic half-days, medical education, cross-coverage of admissions, or 24 hour shifts until perhaps a month or so before they happen (and it's not always easy to remember perfectly without a calendar). Having a singular day during the week when you do your updates is nice, but not always perfect if there are time-sensitive, non-weekly tasks (it also applies to leagues that have rolling update approval like the VHL!). If you know you'll always have a given day 'off' each week where you can get your tasks done, a single day can be enough. But if you have a schedule that shifts from week to week like me, sometimes it's nice just to have a backup day to make sure you can get your updates in. For me, writing point tasks happens on Saturday. As a matter of fact, I've got several lengthy articles stored up because I knowingly dedicate a specific amount of time on a specific day to writing them.
 
If I don't have Saturday off (as is the case this week), I default to Sunday. Since I have several articles going at once, I can usually get weekly claims done in about 15 minutes by doing sim attendances (as applicable), press conferences, and job pay as needed. Similarly, I have a specific time each day (while working days) to check sim leagues who update with weekly point tasks that are time-limited to the same week – for example, EFL's weekly games or VHL Fantasy at the start of each season. Sometimes this check is 10 seconds long, but I always allocate a very limited amount of time to them (5 minutes at maximum). Does that mean my answers are always the best-researched and perfect? Well, no. I don't get many VHL or EFL predictions correct. But it does mean I tend to earn even more than most capped earners, as many don't participate in extras (or occasionally forget practice facility – oops!).
 
But really, these three points are more or less the same. Set boundaries and expectations for yourself and it's pretty hard to go wrong once you get into a routine.
 
4) Keep people in the loop; communication is key.
There are few users GMs like more than those that are responsible, high earners, and good communicators – or at least that's what I've garnered from GMing in the EFL. For example – I drafted Frostbeard's defensive back and J.Dragon's running back to the Minnesota Frontier early on in my tenure. The former of the two went inactive within a couple of seasons to pursue real-life aspirations, and the latter said "hey, this is the month I'm going to stop being active." Getting communication early on in that period helped me glean their true draft value, and both understood that their role would be reduced in Minnesota (though I still stand firm that Frostbeard's defensive back deserved DRotY – 5 INTs is no joke at safety!).
 
I've tried to be as clear as possible with my intentions, both with Aloe Dear this offseason, as a GM, and with any role that I've taken. When being hired as a mod, for example, I was exceedingly clear with Fong that my set end date coincided with entering residency. For Historian in EFL, I wanted to be clear about what I set out to accomplish with respect to seasonal & career records, and I wanted to be transparent about limited activity with regards to awards committee over there, too. Giving others a baseline understanding of what to expect from you helps them make informed decisions about hires for jobs; if you stick with the baseline you set, it's difficult to be disappointed with the work you do. If you exceed expectations with regards to activity and contribution, great! Everyone's happy. Eventually, as is the case in the real world, your track record starts to speak for itself. If you stick to your plans, others understand they can take you at your word even if life happens.
 
5) Make your off-time productive! Multiclaiming is your friend.
This has been a real lifesaver for me. I would not be active in sim leagues anymore if I had to make a new 500 word article every single week (sometimes you just wanna write 2,000 words, amirite?). Some people consider writing articles to be a drag; it's not for everyone and nobody should be judged for avoiding writing media. But for me, getting words out on the page is infinitely easier than expending creative energy on graphics – especially since I'd want to hold myself to a given standard and would burn out of making graphics comparatively quickly (all the more power to you if you can regularly make quality graphics).
 
As I said above, setting aside a specific time of the week for updating and getting point tasks written is key. I just sit down for about 45 minutes or so to write each week, and that's made it very easy for me to stockpile media. This doesn't really apply to students on summer break or anyone with a ton of free time (again, this applies to people struggling with work hours and other obligations), though it can be helpful for making your time on sim leagues more productive if that's your goal. Even if I stopped working on sim league material permanently and could only dedicate 10 minutes a week, I'd still be able to claim 6-point PTs for a while at the very least.
 
6) If it feels like a chore, don't do it.
Sim leagues are meant to be fun – at least from my perspective, they should never feel like an obligation or a job unless that's what you want (or you really don't want to hand off your precious sim league to someone else as an individual in a position of authority). GMing in the EFL – which I truly did enjoy many aspects of – began to feel like a chore a handful of seasons in, though I still do see it as a job with a ton of positive aspects. But after a certain point, I stopped having fun with GMing. It wasn't my team's fault, as I had a lot of really nice users in my locker room; I don't think it was entirely my fault, though I should certainly shoulder some of the blame; and I don't think it was the league leadership or the users at large that were responsible. But it was eating into how I experienced other parts of the league: I didn't really pay attention to my players' success (individual statistics or team success), updating felt like an duty rather than a recreational activity, and I always worried about what decision I made that might hurt my team's long-term success.
 
Some of that is expected and even in the job description. But I felt less and less inclined to do the other parts of sim leagues that kept me initially motivated to take the job in the first place. That's not the case for other GMs, commissioners, moderators, etc. – that was specific to my experience. And when I realized that was the case, I made it clear that I intended to step down. I continue to appreciate all of the fun sim leagues have to offer all the more tangibly when I made it less of an obligation.
This bullet point might mean that you take a break for a week… or a month… or a few years until you find yourself in the right mental space to really enjoy doing it again. I did as much with the VHL between my first and second, as well as between my second and third players. It's also part of the reason why I retired my first EFL players when I did. That doesn't mean do everything you want on a whim (as tempting as that is) – I still tried to give my GMs a heads-up well in advance of retiring my players, usually a couple of seasons. Occasionally that luxury of far-in-advance notice isn't possible, especially when real life crops up. And I'd like to think that's okay, too.
 
[2,101 Words; Claimable for 4 Weeks; Claim 1 of 4 for Week Ending 7/25/21 (7/24/21 in EFL)]

1). Make salaries matter somehow.  I'm now on my third player and have always taken minimum salary as rather have a better team as I could still have enough cash for depreciation fighter. I have no idea how to do this other than more options in the player store.
 
2) Player builds are very similar but that seems like a sim issue.  All players have very similar builds due to how the sim works.  Seems stupid that passing makes a forward less successful.  I don't know what other sims are like for this type of league but would be great if there were more attributes to make diverse players.
 
3) A mock draft like event like PBE does where you make predictions on over under things such as and number of players at certain position drafted in top round.  Get a certain number of TPE per correct answer.  Might make draft more interesting for those not involved in it.

1. More friendly competitions. like the banner contest after every season. Have some other ones in different areas as well. They are fun to have but not everyone can make graphics well. so some more diverse competitions would be cool.
 
2. Possibly use a different sim engine? sths can be very unrealistic and it gets frustrating when you should be doing really well and you are not.
 
3. During offseason when new players create I notice that most don't stick because they are having to wait to join a team and be taught how to properly play etc and then they just never get active. So some sort of way to be able help them get aquainted with the leauge during off season to hopefully keep those players active and around 

VHL Awards : Theme Week
 
I think I may have delivered a suggestion about revitalizing the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy some time in the past.  Originally, I found it odd that there wasn’t a Lady Byng Trophy or it’s VHL equivalent.  But, on looking a bit harder, I found The Mikka Virkkunen which had been retired after Season 58.  I could not determine why this happened.  Perhaps some of our more senior members would be able to shed some light on this.  My thinking, though, was that it was too hard to define the criteria for winning the trophy.  There wasn’t an easy quantitative measure as there is with the Kevin Brooks Trophy, for example.  From what I can gather from the Virkkunen winners, it seems that the criteria were very few penalty minutes, few hits and yet a point producer.  Well, OK.  But doesn’t that sort of sound like the Pansy Trophy, or as I suggested before, maybe the Madonna Trophy.  I , for one, am not so sure that I would want/like to be the Madonna of the league though.
So, if this trophy, or another iteration of it, were to be rejuvenated my suggestion would be that the GM, AGM or designate would select one player from each of their respective rosters and submit that name to a trophy selection committee to decide on the eventual winner.  The criteria would have to be varied.  The player selected must have a meaningful point contribution, have a relatively low number of penalty minutes and, yet, have a significant number of hits.  That means that the player is aggressive and, yet, his hits are generally clean.   To give you an example of such a player, let’s take a look at the top 10 players (points) from the Riga Reign for Season 78.

 
Player Name
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
HIT
SHT%
SB
GW
(75) C - Cabe McJake
72
39
48
87
-3
61
111
10.32%
29
7
(75) D - Linus Zetterstrom
72
16
70
86
0
20
25
9.04%
176
1
(75) RW - Justin Lose
72
37
45
82
-7
17
67
8.22%
27
6
(75) C - Isau DaMoose
72
41
40
81
-10
111
266
9.88%
22
6
(75) RW - Artair McCloud
72
30
36
66
-11
16
42
6.8%
42
4
(74) D - Matt thunder
72
8
52
60
-17
189
218
3.98%
137
1
(77) D - Jan Hlozek
72
14
36
50
-8
26
73
8.54%
115
2
(75) LW - Addison McLaren
39
14
20
34
-6
78
181
8.33%
22
1
(73) D - Han Jae Kuk
39
5
28
33
-7
24
43
6.25%
80
0
(73) RW - Oh Sens
33
12
11
23
6
43
35
9.68%
8
1
 
In my model, Justin Lose would be the nominee for the Riga Reign.  He has 82 points, only 17 minutes in penalties and still managed 67 hits.  My player, Isau DaMoose, although very close in terms of point production would not be considered because of his goon-like tactics with 266 hits and 111 minutes spent in the box (contemplating his sins, no doubt !).
In addition, there also should be some kind of recommendation by whoever submits the players name which would indicate the players activity level and contributions to the team in ways that cannot be quantitatively measured.  With this dimension, I think, one would get an overall feeling for a player that is the most sportsmanlike both on the stats sheet and in the locker room.
Now, I realize that determining a winner for this award would be very difficult and open to controversy due to its subjective nature and how well the player is written up for the panel to judge, but, in my opinion, it would be a worthwhile effort and give some recognition to those builds that are truly team and league oriented.
Thanks for reading my wee suggestion.  As always, one hopes that these things are taken, at least partially, seriously, and if not, hopefully it will provoke a bit of thought.
 
Word Count 679
Claiming Week of Aug. 29 due to ongoing multi-week claim

OK, sorry about that.  I will repost it next week as I am in the middle of a multi-week.  Thanks.

Great color scheme.  I also really like the design in the background.  It certainly fits with the player lifting the Cup.  Nice logo swap.  I also like the excitement and joy shown by the player...great dynamic.  The text for the players name could be a bit more clear, but that is a minor issue.  Great work !  9/10

1.  A roller coaster of a season so far. What are your thoughts on that?
 
Without getting started on the vagaries of STHS, I think that we have played consistently well.  The last three wins came at an opportune time for us and we have had great leadership from Driver @Tape-to-Tape and Cabe McJake @Red
 
2. The top 3 of our conference seems to be Malmo, Us, and Davos. Who do you think will come out on top?
 
It looks like Malmo is staring to pull away a bit.  However with more than 50% of the season left. I would think that top spot is there for the taking.  It will likely come down to the last 10 games to decide.
 
3. Cabe McJake and Linus Zetterstrom have been lighting it up in the goals and assists as they lead those categories. Do you think they are the keys for our success so far?
 
Ya, definitely, but I also think that it has been a total team effort.  Also, as I mentioned above, we would be remiss if we did not include Driver @Tape-to-Tape in this conversation.  When you look at the next 5 guys on our scoring sheet, they have combined for 128 points.........like I said.....team effort.
 
4. Anze Miklavz is 4th in rookie scoring. Do you think they can sneak in and get the top rookie this season?
 
With the large number of games left, and how Anze @McKelvie has been playing, sure it is a distinct possibility.
 
 
5. Early season pick for the cup in the VHLM, who do you got?
 
As a former Reaper I gotta go with my heart on this one.  Hopefully the Reapers will get it done, but they are in tough competition !!!
 
6. What is your ideal summer vacation?
 
Several weeks at my cottage, fishing, puttering, cold beverages, high calorie food.

1.  A roller coaster of a season so far. What are your thoughts on that?
 
Without getting started on the vagaries of STHS, I think that we have played consistently well.  The last three wins came at an opportune time for us and we have had great leadership from Driver @Tape-to-Tape and Cabe McJake @Red
 
2. The top 3 of our conference seems to be Malmo, Us, and Davos. Who do you think will come out on top?
 
It looks like Malmo is staring to pull away a bit.  However with more than 50% of the season left. I would think that top spot is there for the taking.  It will likely come down to the last 10 games to decide.
 
3. Cabe McJake and Linus Zetterstrom have been lighting it up in the goals and assists as they lead those categories. Do you think they are the keys for our success so far?
 
Ya, definitely, but I also think that it has been a total team effort.  Also, as I mentioned above, we would be remiss if we did not include Driver @Tape-to-Tape in this conversation.  When you look at the next 5 guys on our scoring sheet, they have combined for 128 points.........like I said.....team effort.
 
4. Anze Miklavz is 4th in rookie scoring. Do you think they can sneak in and get the top rookie this season?
 
With the large number of games left, and how Anze @McKelvie has been playing, sure it is a distinct possibility.
 
 
5. Early season pick for the cup in the VHLM, who do you got?
 
As a former Reaper I gotta go with my heart on this one.  Hopefully the Reapers will get it done, but they are in tough competition !!!
 
6. What is your ideal summer vacation?
 
Several weeks at my cottage, fishing, puttering, cold beverages, high calorie food.

Outstanding graphic.  I really like the color caste (fire ?)  Your text is easily read and very evident in the overall graphic composition.  Makes me want to try Affinity Photo.  9.5/10

1. It's finally happening! The Reign are first in the league! What are your thoughts?
 
As many of us have, we been through the STHS Wars and are approaching regression.  So.....IT'S ABOUT TIME !!  Go Reign !!
 
2. What has been the key to our success? Is it depth or a locker room factor or what?
 
I definitely think that Driver makes a difference, but also there is a core group that have matured together and hung in there during the lean times.  Its now paying off.
 
3. We all know that Driver has been an absolute force between the pipes, but is there anyone else who sticks out with their performance?
 
I think this success is a team effort.  Take a look at the point production from our team.  It is really quite balanced.  That means we are all chipping in.
 
4. What is your favourite kind of sugary cereal?
 
Don't eat sugary cereals.  Never did.
 
5. if you follow the NHL, what was the best free agent signing from the past few days?
 
Grubauer signing with the Kraken.  Gives them solid goal tending.
 
6. What is your favourite breed of dog? 
 
Black Lab.

@InstantRockstar thoughts on someone trying to assume your identity?

Isau’s Mid-Career Thoughts
 
Every now and then I wax a bit philosophical about the VHL and the site as a whole.  I will attempt to get together some of my thoughts that have occurred to me over the last 10 months of my being here.  Firstly, let me tell you how I very much enjoy the site, the people, and the overall operation of the VHL.  If it wasn’t a lot of fun, I would have abandoned this a very long time ago. Having said that, there are some pitfalls that can pop up periodically.
 
The Flame Wars
 

 
I enjoy reading the forums and go to the new content as much as possible.  There are some really good articles and graphics produced by our members.  But with every open forum:
 

 
They happen.  When they do, despite what I KNOW about this stuff, I am inevitably drawn to them like a moth to a “FLAME”.  I look at flame wars as a source of entertainment.  I have to read what everybody says and snicker at a lot of the opinions that are aired.  It is sometimes a real struggle not to participate.  I try to hide my keyboard somewhere until the feeling passes.  If a person MUST say his/her/its piece then be prepared to be squished like a bug on a windshield.  We have some very brilliant, quick-witted folks here who can do the “one up” stuff very, very well.  The wisest move is to stay uninvolved and watch the soap opera play out to its inevitable end, or at least until the next episode.  Maybe instead of the off-season “Town of Salem” games, there should be an open “Flame Off”.  Good for those who love that stuff both as a participant or as a lurker.
 
Patience is a Virtue
 

 
Joyce Meyer said that patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.  So how does this apply to the VHL ???  Well,  I know how some folks want their newly created player to be an instant rockstar.  That attitude may very well be a product of our times...instant gratification and the like.  It doesn’t work like that in the VHL.  There is only a limited number of TPE that a person can earn at any one time.  Even with donations and purchases from the Player Store, your new superstar centre just is not going to be an overnight success.   Hence patience.  You have to max your earnings each and every week.  Apply the TPE in such fashion that your player will succeed in the role in which you cast him/her.  If things have gone horribly wrong, you can always retire your player and recreate a new one, of course trying at this point not to fall into the same traps as you did before.  There are also some very knowledgeable GM’s out there that can help you get your player off on the right track.  Not every player will score 100 points a season nor will every player make the Hall of Fame.  Have fun with what you got. 
 
Participate
 
Over and above doing the things that get you max TPE, I think a person must participate in some of the other social aspects of the game to really get full enjoyment from their time spent here.  Offsite there is Discord should you wish to participate there, or there are the on-site Locker Rooms which can be equally as busy as Discord. Most teams post the TPE earning opportunities on their Discord channels, so you won’t miss an opportunity or forget to do something that is time sensitive (i.e. Training Camp).
 
Of course, if you are interested in team organization or a role with the league as a whole, there are opportunities for jobs such as these posted as they become available.  Although I am not interested in doing these jobs, I certainly appreciate all the work that goes into making the VHL run.  Heartfelt appreciation to all those individuals, from the Commish to all the AGM’s.  A job well done !!
 
The Whiner
 
Don’t be THAT GUY.  All too often I have come across a newer player who wants it all right now.  That person has just joined the league and expects his player to win the scoring title.  Now, having expectations is OK, but THAT GUY will whine about it.  THAT GUY will say, “Why can’t my player perform and score just like Aloe Dear right now ???”  It all goes back to what I said earlier about patience.
 
Another source for whiners are those who don’t read a bit and think things through before creating their first player.  Most notably those who create goalies.  The whine is always “Why isn’t my player starting or playing more games?”  Those people haven’t yet realized that there is less opportunity for a starting goalie than there are for any other position.  For example, a team will start their backup goalies 6 times and play their starter 66 times.  Whereas, that same team will carry 6 defenseman who will all play in 72 games. Choose wisely, grasshopper !!
 
Another great source for the occasional whine or rant are the vagaries of the sim engine, commonly referred to as STHS (SimonT Hockey Simulator).  This is the sim engine we use and that’s all there is to it.  It is unpredictable in a lot of ways, but that is, perhaps, how it duplicates the unpredictability of real life.  I personally whined and ranted about this when my player who was playing on the second line was actually on the ice less than our fourth line guy.  All to no avail.  Nothing was going to change, so why waste a lot of time complaining ?  (Unless, of course, its for a bunch of TPE !!)
 
The Facilitator
 
Be THIS DUDE !! Now here is the kind of player you want to be.  It seems every team has a p[layer that reminds others of all the TPE earring possibilities there are each week.  It reminds you to make those season predictions that you can easily forget. This same person will always help you out with trivia answers and, most likely, will post the answers on Discord.  In addition, this person is likely in charge of your team’s weekly Press Conference. Overall, The Facilitator works for the good of the team all week, every week.  I can see where this role can be time consuming and lead to burn out quite quickly.  Perhaps we should make an effort to help reduce the workload that The Facilitator takes on and not just take it for granted that someone will do all this.
 
The TPE Whore
 
This means trying to wring evry last TPE from the system that you possibly can.  I do this for two reasons.  Firstly, as mentioned above, to make my player as competitive as possible.  Allowing him to benefit his team in the best possible way.  Secondly, when your player retires and you want to create a second player, you get a 4% TPE carryover from Player # 1.  The maximum carryover is 50 TPE.  To get the max it seems that you have to retire with 1250 TPE.  I missed this thinking early on in my VHL career and didn’t do very much for the first 6 weeks or so.  This has cost me at least 60 TPE.  I have a feeling that this will come back to haunt me at retirement.
 
The Reactor
 
There are quite a number of articles and graphics posed on the forum.  Ya, you can choose to ignore them and just do what you have to do in order to get from week to week.  However, some people have put a LOT of effort and thought into what they have created.  Because of this I try to read or view as many of these submissions as possible.  Sometimes I might make a comment, but at the very least, for those good articles or graphics I will hit that “REACTION” button.  I think people like to be recognized for what they do outside of just the TPE earnings.  I don’t know if those reactions count for anything in particular, but it is a nice touch !
 
So to conclude my thoughts about belonging to the VHL.  I have to say that I had a lot of fun creating the legend behind Isau DaMoose, Nikki Starr and Gale Force.  If you managed to read the interviews with Isau, Moose Tracks (or Droppings !!)  you would know that all of the places mentioned are, in fact, real places here in Northern Ontario.  I used mostly ghost town sites that I had visited at one time or another.  Nikki Starr (under another name) is, in fact, my partner and many of the stories about Nikki are (embarrassingly) true.  The Gale Force character was pure fiction.  But I needed her as an agent to present the interviews with Isau and Nikki. 
 
Despite a few wobbles, this is a well run site with many great people.  Thank-you.
 
Word Count:  1507

Yup, it appears that the Riga Reign has turned the corner and has started to experience the success that GM Hedgehog @hedgehog337 had anticipated when he drafted a stellar Season 75 group.  From not making the playoffs in the past few years to standing second overall in the league, the Reign has certainly made a vast improvement. The addition of Zamboni Driver @Tape-to-Tape in net is the first obvious change.  He is having a a great season with a a 14-7-1 record, a 2.38 Goals Against Average and a Save Percentage of 0.928.  His performance is important as the Reign have only scored a total of 63 goals.  This is quite low as compared to other teams.  Their Goals Against, however is only 54.  The best in the league. Other than Cabe McJake @Red who has 29 points, the team scoring seems quite well balanced.  This means that everyone is chipping in with timely offense.  Only time will tell if the Reign can keep up the pace.  I am very confident in this group and expect to see them make a deep playoff run. 

Isau’s Mid-Career Thoughts
 
Every now and then I wax a bit philosophical about the VHL and the site as a whole.  I will attempt to get together some of my thoughts that have occurred to me over the last 10 months of my being here.  Firstly, let me tell you how I very much enjoy the site, the people, and the overall operation of the VHL.  If it wasn’t a lot of fun, I would have abandoned this a very long time ago. Having said that, there are some pitfalls that can pop up periodically.
 
The Flame Wars
 

 
I enjoy reading the forums and go to the new content as much as possible.  There are some really good articles and graphics produced by our members.  But with every open forum:
 

 
They happen.  When they do, despite what I KNOW about this stuff, I am inevitably drawn to them like a moth to a “FLAME”.  I look at flame wars as a source of entertainment.  I have to read what everybody says and snicker at a lot of the opinions that are aired.  It is sometimes a real struggle not to participate.  I try to hide my keyboard somewhere until the feeling passes.  If a person MUST say his/her/its piece then be prepared to be squished like a bug on a windshield.  We have some very brilliant, quick-witted folks here who can do the “one up” stuff very, very well.  The wisest move is to stay uninvolved and watch the soap opera play out to its inevitable end, or at least until the next episode.  Maybe instead of the off-season “Town of Salem” games, there should be an open “Flame Off”.  Good for those who love that stuff both as a participant or as a lurker.
 
Patience is a Virtue
 

 
Joyce Meyer said that patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.  So how does this apply to the VHL ???  Well,  I know how some folks want their newly created player to be an instant rockstar.  That attitude may very well be a product of our times...instant gratification and the like.  It doesn’t work like that in the VHL.  There is only a limited number of TPE that a person can earn at any one time.  Even with donations and purchases from the Player Store, your new superstar centre just is not going to be an overnight success.   Hence patience.  You have to max your earnings each and every week.  Apply the TPE in such fashion that your player will succeed in the role in which you cast him/her.  If things have gone horribly wrong, you can always retire your player and recreate a new one, of course trying at this point not to fall into the same traps as you did before.  There are also some very knowledgeable GM’s out there that can help you get your player off on the right track.  Not every player will score 100 points a season nor will every player make the Hall of Fame.  Have fun with what you got. 
 
Participate
 
Over and above doing the things that get you max TPE, I think a person must participate in some of the other social aspects of the game to really get full enjoyment from their time spent here.  Offsite there is Discord should you wish to participate there, or there are the on-site Locker Rooms which can be equally as busy as Discord. Most teams post the TPE earning opportunities on their Discord channels, so you won’t miss an opportunity or forget to do something that is time sensitive (i.e. Training Camp).
 
Of course, if you are interested in team organization or a role with the league as a whole, there are opportunities for jobs such as these posted as they become available.  Although I am not interested in doing these jobs, I certainly appreciate all the work that goes into making the VHL run.  Heartfelt appreciation to all those individuals, from the Commish to all the AGM’s.  A job well done !!
 
The Whiner
 
Don’t be THAT GUY.  All too often I have come across a newer player who wants it all right now.  That person has just joined the league and expects his player to win the scoring title.  Now, having expectations is OK, but THAT GUY will whine about it.  THAT GUY will say, “Why can’t my player perform and score just like Aloe Dear right now ???”  It all goes back to what I said earlier about patience.
 
Another source for whiners are those who don’t read a bit and think things through before creating their first player.  Most notably those who create goalies.  The whine is always “Why isn’t my player starting or playing more games?”  Those people haven’t yet realized that there is less opportunity for a starting goalie than there are for any other position.  For example, a team will start their backup goalies 6 times and play their starter 66 times.  Whereas, that same team will carry 6 defenseman who will all play in 72 games. Choose wisely, grasshopper !!
 
Another great source for the occasional whine or rant are the vagaries of the sim engine, commonly referred to as STHS (SimonT Hockey Simulator).  This is the sim engine we use and that’s all there is to it.  It is unpredictable in a lot of ways, but that is, perhaps, how it duplicates the unpredictability of real life.  I personally whined and ranted about this when my player who was playing on the second line was actually on the ice less than our fourth line guy.  All to no avail.  Nothing was going to change, so why waste a lot of time complaining ?  (Unless, of course, its for a bunch of TPE !!)
 
The Facilitator
 
Be THIS DUDE !! Now here is the kind of player you want to be.  It seems every team has a p[layer that reminds others of all the TPE earring possibilities there are each week.  It reminds you to make those season predictions that you can easily forget. This same person will always help you out with trivia answers and, most likely, will post the answers on Discord.  In addition, this person is likely in charge of your team’s weekly Press Conference. Overall, The Facilitator works for the good of the team all week, every week.  I can see where this role can be time consuming and lead to burn out quite quickly.  Perhaps we should make an effort to help reduce the workload that The Facilitator takes on and not just take it for granted that someone will do all this.
 
The TPE Whore
 
This means trying to wring evry last TPE from the system that you possibly can.  I do this for two reasons.  Firstly, as mentioned above, to make my player as competitive as possible.  Allowing him to benefit his team in the best possible way.  Secondly, when your player retires and you want to create a second player, you get a 4% TPE carryover from Player # 1.  The maximum carryover is 50 TPE.  To get the max it seems that you have to retire with 1250 TPE.  I missed this thinking early on in my VHL career and didn’t do very much for the first 6 weeks or so.  This has cost me at least 60 TPE.  I have a feeling that this will come back to haunt me at retirement.
 
The Reactor
 
There are quite a number of articles and graphics posed on the forum.  Ya, you can choose to ignore them and just do what you have to do in order to get from week to week.  However, some people have put a LOT of effort and thought into what they have created.  Because of this I try to read or view as many of these submissions as possible.  Sometimes I might make a comment, but at the very least, for those good articles or graphics I will hit that “REACTION” button.  I think people like to be recognized for what they do outside of just the TPE earnings.  I don’t know if those reactions count for anything in particular, but it is a nice touch !
 
So to conclude my thoughts about belonging to the VHL.  I have to say that I had a lot of fun creating the legend behind Isau DaMoose, Nikki Starr and Gale Force.  If you managed to read the interviews with Isau, Moose Tracks (or Droppings !!)  you would know that all of the places mentioned are, in fact, real places here in Northern Ontario.  I used mostly ghost town sites that I had visited at one time or another.  Nikki Starr (under another name) is, in fact, my partner and many of the stories about Nikki are (embarrassingly) true.  The Gale Force character was pure fiction.  But I needed her as an agent to present the interviews with Isau and Nikki. 
 
Despite a few wobbles, this is a well run site with many great people.  Thank-you.
 
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