tcookie

1) My fiance and I actually don't care much for Valentine's Day, so its pretty much just a regular old evening for us. 2) There are a lot of great people in this league. I've been here longer than half a season but... fromtheinside, fishy, spartan, ricer. you and sam are pretty great too 3) Less than 3 more days before the weekend would be nice lol 4) I've been into sim hockey in general for a while and the idea of being my own player is kind of cool. I also like the community here, even though I'm not as active in it as I used to be... there are a lot of great people that are part of this league. 5) Purdy's hedgehogs but they are super expensive 6) Dark mode and they're fine. It's only bad if you get dark font on dark background or light font on light background by accident, which you have avoided.

1) A little lower than I'd have liked, but not too shabby. 2) The GM's job isn't easy and I think Sam is doing a great job, no complaints here. 3) Yup, and I think it's a pretty lively group! We're doing good on that front. 4) Sorta the VHL since my player is in it, but other than that, not really. I know the VHL teams already and can't really choose at this time so I'm going to answer the second question, I've always liked Miami's logo. 5) I went in to work some OT applying a patch by myself on a stat holiday once. Was supposed to take 2 hours, things went wrong and I ended up being there for around 10. That wasn't much fun. Off the top of my head I'd have to go with that. 6) I was going to say Orlando, but upon reflection, I think St. John's Newfounland is actually further, so that one.

Game 39 Houston Bulls vs. Mexico City Kings The Houston Bulls, one of the early season VHLM favourites picked up a 5-2 win over the Mexico City Kings to improve their record to 6-2-0. Two goal nights from both Phoebe Bridgers and Scotty Sundin helped propel the Eastern Conference leaders to their second-straight win. Bridgers got the scoring opened 0:14 into the first period and had the primary assists on goals by Ayomide Ayodele and Scotty Sundin later in the period as Houston jumped out to a 3-1 lead. 6:00 into the second period, she made it a four-point night with a powerplay goal assisted by Cody Kapanen and Nine. Mexico City got one back midway through the period from Calen McKay, but three minutes later, Sundin's 9th of the year restored the three goal lead. It was an uneventful third period as the Kings were unable to muster much pressure to rally, being outshot 33-11 over the final two frames, leading to the 5-2 final score.

Game 35 Ottawa Lynx vs. Miami Marauders The Ottawa Lynx improved to 3-2-2 in a close-fought battle between the second and third placed teams in the VHLM Eastern Conference, defeating the Miami Marauders 3-2 on the strength of a 2-goal, 3-point night from Mikayev Ivanovitch. Igor Molotov got the scoring started early for Miami as he continued his incredible start to the season, tallying his 13th goal in just his 7th game. But Ivanovitch got the Lynx even about five minutes later, then added his second of the night before the first period was up. He then gave his team some insurance by setting up Manny Wilson's 4th of the season early in the 2nd period, and the Lynx were able to withstand some third period pressure to hang on for the 3-2 win.

4 games into his VHLM career, Joachim Bryngelson appears to be fitting in well as a member of the Halifax 21st. "I really like the city and I really like the locker room. My teammates and management are great and I'm happy with the decision to come here, for sure," said Bryngelson when asked how he was finding it so far. On the ice, the 21st have a 1-3-0 record although all three losses are to one of the early season VHLM favourites, the Philadelphia Reapers. They defeated Mississauga 5-2 today to earn their first win of the season. In that victory, Bryngelson was named second star with 3 assists, one of which set up Jack Riley for a hat-trick goal on the powerplay. Overall, Bryngelson has 4 assists in his first 4 VHLM games, playing third line minutes with some PP and PK time. He is living up to the scouting report as a defensively responsible pass-first player, having only taken 6 shots on goal, but leading Halifax forwards with 4 blocked shots. His 4 points also currently leads the team in scoring. It's been a successful first week for Bryngelson as he hopes to help the team push for the playoffs. "The goal is always to win and I'm happy I've been able to contribute so far. We know the Reapers are tough and although starting 1-3-0 is disappointing we have a lot of faith in the group here."

1) check out the city, it's beautiful - take a walk down the boardwalk and given our team name, they should also check out Pier 21 2) you never like to lose, but have to have a short memory in this game, it happens to everyone. just hanging out with the team and having some fun, having a good locker room and team camaraderie helps get over those kinds of things 3) I'm comfortable playing in an underdog role, but I'm also not going to just accept that we're rebuilding and going to finish low. I'm going to give it my best effort and I think we can be a playoff team and see what happens there. 4) I joined right ahead of a big recruiting rush and signed with Miami for my first player. Rice did such a good job as a GM there and taught me and the other waiver players we got a lot about the league. We ended up sneaking in as the 8-seed, going on a run and winning the cup with myself, Cabe McJake, Sheldon Juniper and a couple others. So... that definitely helped the league make a good first impression on me 5) milkshakes, and I like vanilla 6) surface pressure from Encanto for some reason, its been stuck in my head for days? lol

go boats go and props for saying my player's name right

1) The waiver process is fun and difficult sometimes too - I think the first time I went through it was easier because I didn't know anyone - this time I was kind of sad to have to turn some places, and people that I know from my first player, down. But at the same time - when I started looking into things and felt like Halifax was a good fit, it was pretty hard to say no. 2) My first player was a waiver claim by Miami near the S75 trade deadline. We were out of the playoffs at the time and we had 4 or 5 hard-working players that came in as waiver claims, earned a bunch of TPE, fought our way up to a playoff spot. Then we pulled off a few upsets in the playoffs and won a Cup. If we work hard, we can surprise someone! 3) I'm a playmaker for sure and a guy that wants to take care of things in my own zone. I think I see the ice well and am good at creating space and opportunities for my teammates. 4) I don't really know, just want to see how this goes, get some experience and prepare for the VHL draft. From a team perspective, obviously a goal is to get into a playoff spot and then we'll see what happens once we're in. 5) I play a lot of video games. IRL I stream on twitch with my fiance and a friend of ours, and I'm also a competitive five-pin bowler. 6) Halifax

Joachim Bryngelson Centre | Karlstad, Sweden | 6’2” | 195 lbs Overview Bryngelson is a tremendously gifted skater and playmaker who’s game relies on using his strengths to create open ice and getting the puck to players who are equipped to take advantage of it. His hands are good but his shot and overall offensive packages does leave a lot to be desired. He has plenty of experience penalty killing and uses his speed to pressure the powerplay into making mistakes and generate the occasional shorthanded opportunity. He started hockey late so he’s always been a bit raw growing up but that skating has given him an advantage that has always been there for him and has allowed him to carve out a role every step of the way. He’s found his way for a Farjestad program that is traditionally strong. While he remains a project and is raw, what we have here is a solid energy player that flies around, has the ability to create for his teammates, play in many different roles for a team, and potentially has some offensive upside that can be tapped into. Is he a VHL player in the end? That may take a couple of seasons to find out. Pros Skating - It’s his calling card and boy, is he something to watch. You can see the figure skating and speed skating background because he gets going in the blink of an eye and there are few players in his age class in the world that can keep up with him. He uses his edges well, he can change speeds and directions on a dime and it’s just a miserable time for anyone trying to defend him in open ice. Passing - Bryngelson sees the ice well and has an uncanny ability to deliver good, receivable passes with the right amount of touch. That pairs up well with his skating as it makes him really good at generating room for his teammates. If he’s paired with a good scorer or two, rest assured they will be getting their opportunities. Two-Way Play - The skating has always made him a natural choice on the penalty kill and playing in defensive situations that often has really developed his ability to anticipate. He reads the play well, has an active stick, and is really good at getting into a puck carrier’s face, creating pressure and forcing mistakes. Cons Shooting - It’s more a matter of trust than having a poor shot, but Bryngelson has an over-reliance on his teammates and doesn’t like to shoot the puck. Being a latecomer into the game of hockey there’s always been a sense that his teammates are a little more advanced at the game than he is and right from the beginning he’s had a tendency to defer to them that hasn’t gone away. His shot is OK, but you’d like to see him use it more and improve it, too. Physicality - Make no mistake, he doesn’t like contact or going in the greasy areas. He’s at his best when he can fly around on the ice and use that speed and he doesn’t like getting into traffic. He doesn’t respond well to taking hits, he wants to stay out of those areas and if you’re coaching him, you know you need to get him to just get a little more involved physically if you want to get the most out of him. Puck Skills - It’s not necessarily a con - Bryngelson has good hands - but it’s a shame that they’re only good and not great. If he could handle the puck better at top speed he’d be a truly special player and it would surely help the problems he’s had with finishing. As it is, he creates a lot of chances with that speed that just leave you wanting something more.

Joachim Bryngelson Centre | Karlstad, Sweden | 6’2” | 195 lbs Growing up in Karlstad, Joachim Bryngelson loved skating from an early age - he always wanted to be on the ice. It took several years for that to manifest into a budding hockey career - he simply wanted to be on the ice and in fact dabbled in competitive speed skating and figure skating first. Bryngelson first played hockey at the age of 12, and while coaches and teammates alike were in awe of his natural skating ability, he struggled to develop a feel for the game, tending to fly around the ice without doing . Gradually, his skill began to catch up to that skating ability, at least to the point where Farjestad’s junior program took note of him. He signed with their U16 squad two years later and as he worked with better coaching, Bryngelson began to be seen as a legitimate SHL prospect. Joachim made his debut with Farjestad’s U16 team near the end of his 15-year-old season, picking up 5 assists in 13 games. As his skills improved and players above him aged out of the system, he was given a shot in a first-line role to begin his 16-year-old season and flourished, scoring 7 goals and 27 assists in 30 games and earning a call-up to the U18 squad where he played one game. Bryngelson continued his ascent over the next couple of seasons, spending two years with the U18 squad compiling 11 goals and 35 assists in 57 games and the occasional call-up where he played limited minutes on the U20 team. He made Sweden’s team for the U18 WJC, but was the team’s 13th forward and played a very limited role, mostly limited to the penalty kill and 4-on-4 situations where his speed offered an advantage. As a 19-year-old, Bryngelson scored 4 goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 34 games with Farjestad’s U20 squad. Though pegged for a first-line role in his last season of junior eligibility, he decided to take on a new challenge and leave Sweden, sign with a VHLM team and declare for the VHL’s S83 draft. Throughout his career, Bryngelson has been regarded as a talented, but raw player, mainly due to getting a late start in hockey. This has also made him a bit over-reliant on teammates, as he doesn’t like to shoot and is a definite pass-first player. Still, he has blazing top-end speed and acceleration, elite edgework, and a good work ethic. That combination of attributes has made him a valuable penalty killer as he ascended the levels of junior hockey in Sweden. His skill level as a whole has come a long way in his seven year career, and offers a glimpse of untapped offensive upside as he attempts to make his name in the VHL.

Thanks for the warm welcome back everyone! I appreciate all the responses and I appreciate that everyone seemed to consider my post when offering. You all did good! It does kind of suck that I have to choose one. But I think there's a place I want to go based on a combination of the pitch, roster opportunity and the fact that I love the name and the city IRL. I'm gonna go to Halifax. #SETTINGSAIL

Word in Karlstad, Sweden today is that 20-year-old centre Joachim Bryngelson will be leaving the Farjestad J20 program effective immediately, heading to North America in pursuit of a VHL career. Bryngelson was expected to play on the first line for the Farjestad J20 squad this year and possibly have an outside shot at cracking Sweden’s roster for the IIHF U20 championships. However, he will instead opt for a change in his hockey career after spending five years in his hometown team’s junior program. Bryngelson is a supremely talented skater, effective passer and two-way forward though there are questions about his long-term offensive upside, especially if he does not develop a more effective shot. He’ll need some work on his face-offs as well if he’s going to stick at the centre position. VHLM scouts have indicated that with the current preference for shot-first players, Bryngelson may have some trouble adjusting to the league. Despite the question marks, he is a talented player who may find a way. Bryngelson’s agent has indicated that several VHLM teams have contacted him and that a decision will be made on his client’s short-term future this week. He also said that Bryngelson’s main priorities in picking a team are more about the opportunity to play in a system and with linemates that will give him an opportunity to succeed than anything else, but declined to comment on which teams were his primary options.

I want to mention a couple things so teams are aware ahead of time: - I'm not "fully" coming back at this time. I would love to get back to being as involved in the league as I once was, but I just finished moving, am planning a wedding and have some other stuff going on so I still have very little time. I have no idea week-to-week whether I'll be able to max earn or do nothing but claim welfare. - I'm not building a meta player, this guy will be pass-first with no intention of changing it and the main thing I will look at when deciding where to play is if there's an opportunity to play alongside a couple of good scorers, though team quality helps too.

Player Information Username: tcookie Player Name: Joachim Bryngelson Recruited From: Returning Age: 20 Position: C Height: 74 in. Weight: 195 lbs. Birthplace: Sweden Player Page @VHLM GM

Since last season's trade deadline, it's been interesting times for the Toronto Legion. Nicholas Sunderbruch was traded away at the deadline last season, and so was Gunnar Odinsson. Then, Kristof Welch was shipped out in the off-season. Deals around last season's trade deadline also saw Jolly Green Giant and Oh Sens leave, with Addison McLaren and Han Jae Kuk joining the team. The departures of both Odinsson and Welch, reportedly, were not on great terms and given the Legion's struggles especially after a hot start, there were serious question marks surrounding the team. Their GM, however, was adamant that the team wouldn't be rebuilding. The Legion were able to get a solid return for Welch in the off-season and used those picks to help bring in Vick Fairchild, Aurelien Moreau, and Mikey Harris, leaving a much different but still pretty solid looking roster. Of course, after last season it'd be foolish to draw any conclusions after just a few games, but the Legion have to at least be encouraged that the early part of the season has gone well after some discouraging times going back to the massive slump the team endured in the middle of S78. They're getting scoring from everywhere in the lineup and are out to a 6-0 start. The next step for this new-look Legion squad will be keeping up the pressure and continuing to play good hockey the rest of the way.

Four years into the VHL career of Addison McLaren, the former first-round pick is hoping its finally time to make his mark on the league. McLaren has struggled to show much more than occasional glimpses of the potential teams thought he had entering the S75 draft, and was traded last season from the team that drafted him in Riga to the Toronto Legion. While the Legion had hoped McLaren might solve some of their goal-scoring woes, the blockbuster trade with Riga didn't really turn the team around. They played a little better down the stretch, but were not able to make the post-season. McLaren's production was similar both before and after the trade, with 14 goals and 34 points in 39 games pre-trade and 13 goals and 29 points in 33 games post-trade. This year with the Legion, McLaren will be the #1 guy on offense for Toronto, but it's a deep group overall and that should help both player and team. The Legion don't have any real weaknesses, with a good defense group and solid netminder as well. The biggest question mark for them is a lack of true star power. It'll be up to the high S75 picks, McLaren up front and Scotty Kaberle on the back end, to step up their games and provide that star power. "I've never played in the playoffs yet in the VHL and it's certainly not how I expected it to go... especially coming into the league after winning back to back Founders Cups in the VHLM - you want to compete, you want to be in the playoffs and you want to win," says McLaren. "I've been saying the same things every year and this is the year we have to just go out and do it." The Legion are doing a good job of that so far, out to a 6-0 start and leading the league with 32 goals for. For his part, McLaren is tied for 3rd in the league with 6 goals and tied for 9th with 11 points while also leading it with 39 hits. "I wanted to come into the league and make an impact like that. It's what I expect of myself and it's nice to be contributing. But it's 6 games and there's 66 more to go, then the playoffs, and I've got like three years worth of struggling to make up for so... I've got a lot to accomplish yet." Four Legion players have hit double digits in points so far (Kaberle, McLaren, Lester Green, and Phoenix Dawson), and almost the entire team is playing at a PPG pace - with the only exception being Mikey Harris who has 5 points in 6 games. A year after inexplicably struggling to score with a team that had plenty of talent, the Legion seem to be taking well to some changes made in the off-season. "It's nothing but a start," says McLaren. "But obviously, it's preferable to struggling out of the gate. It feels good to be playing good hockey and not feeling like you're struggling and just need to find a way to do more all the time."

1. What do you think about our roster (compared to other NA teams)? I think we're pretty good to be honest. Its a deep team with no real weaknesses. 2. Who do you think will see the most improvement this season? I mean, I'm hoping myself considering how much I've struggled to live up to my own expectations thus far in my VHL career. I think it's time for me to make my mark on the league. But we've got a lot of good breakout candidates on this team. 3. If you're comfortable making predictions... where do you think TOR finishes? 2nd or 3rd in the NA. 4. Do you think we make the playoffs? I definitely think we've got it this year. 5. Who do you think will be the leading goal scorer? This is another one where I'm going to say well, hopefully its myself, but we'll see how it goes. 6. Who do you think will finish with the most assists? Scotty Kaberle. He's a beast back there, knows when to jump up in the offense and is a great puck mover. I think he could be a contender to lead the entire league in assists if our offense performs at the level we're capable of.

1. What do you think about the moves Toronto has made? (HSK/TOR + CGY/TOR) The 3 players we got are nice additions. 2. We've got a well balanced roster heading into S79. Do you think we make the playoffs? Yeah I like our team and I think we'll be able to pull it off this year. 3. There are numerous VHLE GM jobs available. Did you apply for one? Nope. I've got a lot going on, so I can't really commit to trying to run a VHLE team. 4. What is your general opinion on the S79 Draft Class? There's a lot of good talent at the top; a lot of big names and well known users. Seems like average or slightly above average depth overall but the top is better than normal. 5. There's been some GM movement this off season. Do you think there will be more GM changes soon? Probably - being a GM is a lot of work so it's natural that it's a bit cyclical in nature, especially with a lot of the world starting to open back up and people spending more time doing other stuff again. 6. What do you think should be Toronto's goal song for S79? I don't really have a good answer for this one

Happy birthday VHL! A league surviving for 14 years and still going strong is so impressive. Way to go everyone.

1. Yeah, I've been watching quite a bit 2. Tampa Bay. But I'll be cheering for Montreal, hope they can pull it off. 3. Not much. Pretty much my entire career I've been on teams that should have been better and fell just short so it's a bit frustrating. Just keep trying to work on my game so I can do what I can to help. 4. It's hard to get excited about playing in the lottery tournament when you feel like you're a playoff team, and even more so when you don't have your own pick. 5. Gotta consider all the options, if there's something out there that's best for the team that helps us out right away, you go for it but if not then be patient and build through the draft. 6. I've gotta do research for VSN a lot of the time and stuff like that but I also just take a little bit of a break in the off-season

Around the VHL: S78 Playoff Preview - June 25th, 2021 NA Wildcard Round // It’s an exciting matchup between two offensively gifted teams that both struggle defensively, so we should see a lot of goals in this series! The Dragons finished 4th in the VHL in goals for while the Americans finished 9th, however, both teams were in the bottom-5 defensively. Led by Groovy Dood up front, who had 42 goals, 96 points, and 337 hits, the Dragons are back in the playoffs after a one year hiatus and looking to do some damage, making the playoffs by 2 points ahead of the Los Angeles Stars with a 34-30-8 record. DC’s balanced attack features 10 players who hit the 50-point mark this season - although Dood is the only one who broke 30 goals. Though it was a bit of a down year between the pipes for Stone Wolski, he’s a generally very reliable netminder that should help give DC a chance to improve on their lacklustre defense in the regular season. The Americans may not have anyone quite as dominant up front as Dood, but they have two dynamic offensive forwards who each finished the year above PPG in Red Lite and Rhynex Entertainment. Entertainment, in particular, is a player that DC will need to be wary of coming off a career-low 76 point campaign. On one hand, that’s still a darn good season but on the other, you know he holds himself to a higher standard and will be motivated this postseason. New York actually relies heavily on their defense to generate offense - they have just three other players who hit 70 points, and all of them are defensemen - Kosmo Kramarev, Zeedayno Chara, and Latrell Mitchell. With that group, it’s a little surprising the Americans leaked shots so badly in the regular season (allowing 41.3 per game), and they may need to forego some of that offense in favour of defense to keep DC off the board. Prediction: DC in 5 EU Wildcard Round // An intriguing matchup between two teams that have recently been EU contenders, though Helsinki is weaker than they have been the last few seasons while Malmo is a bit of a surprise to make it this far with a rebuilding squad. They held off a late season charge from the Riga Reign to nab the 5th playoff spot on a tiebreaker (35 wins to 32), in what was almost an exact repeat result of last season’s EU playoff race at the wire. If experience matters come playoff time, Helsinki has a decided edge here. Valtteri Vaakanainen, Ola Vikingstad, Patrik Laine, Zamboni Driver, and trade deadline pickup Erik Killinger have all been around for a while. They are Helsinki’s best players and will need to be against an upstart Malmo team. Vaakanainen matched his career high with 42 goals this season (he’s been remarkably consistent, with 40, 42, 39, and 42 over the last four years). The captain is the undisputed leader both on and off the ice. Ola Vikingstad (39 goals, 83 points) provides complimentary offense while Patrik Laine (29 goals, 68 points) hopes to rebound a bit in the playoffs. This will be the final season for Killinger and Vikingstad, while Vaakanainen and Driver have at most one more. Malmo is the contrast to Helsinki’s experience, a young team that exceeded expectations and they have breakout contributions from two youngsters: Muffbeav (45 goals, 85 points) and Brendan Telker (43 goals, 90 points) to thank for that. In Telker’s second season in the league, he took a huge step forward and established himself as a force to be reckoned with offensively. Arthur Dayne (31 goals, 86 points) is the veteran of the line and played a key role in setting up those two for success. Malmo’s defense is a bit of a weak spot outside of veteran Randy Marsh (in his final VHL season, Marsh looked as rough and tumble as ever, adding 312 hits and 260 PIM to his 68 point season). Fortunately, Artem Tretiak has been a force in net with a 0.924 SV% this season, helping cover up some of those shortcomings. It’s a battle of young vs. old in this EU Conference Wildcard series, but the Titans have too much talent and experience in this one. Look for them to be a possible surprise contender in the EU as they have a lot of players on the team that know how to win in the playoffs. Prediction: Helsinki in 4 NA Conference Semifinals 1 // The Seattle Bears have really been a flagship franchise for well over a decade now in the VHL, and coming off of a Continental Cup title, they are back with a team that led the league in wins, though falling a point behind Warsaw and Chicago for the best record overall. Seattle ranks third in the VHL in goals (271) and goal differential (+34) and while they are more middle-of-the-pack defensively, they are no slouches there either. The league knew Isabella Campbell was good but it was a breakout year for her even then, scoring 47 goals and 99 points and setting career highs across the board. Seattle has six players who hit the 80-point mark, so you know this team can score. Campbell’s linemates Timothy Brown (37 goals, 87 points) and Venus Thightrap (45 goals, 86 points). James Rose finished second in the VHL with 72 assists. While Rara Rasputin probably didn’t have the statistical success he wanted this year, he was good enough to post a 40-17-7 record. Seattle will be a team to watch once again in these playoffs. Calgary had some success this season, but they are still a squad coming into their own. Luke Thornton and Nathan Perry both hit 40+ goals and 80+ points on the season while Andrew Su, a splash pickup from Vancouver in the off-season, put up 82 points this season - but for a player who has scored 447 points over the previous four, that might be a little disappointing. Calgary has depth - eleven 40 point players and that’s not even including the always-improving Nils Tallinder, who finished his rookie year with 22 points but is plenty talented and capable of holding his own at this level. Tyler Walker came over at the trade deadline and added some stability to a young back end. That Calgary top-four of Walker, Cowboy Prout, Rolf Fizzlebeef Jr., and Tom Eagles will be put to the test in this series. What’s remarkable though is how young they are. The key players on this Calgary team have their best years in front of them, and they aren’t going anywhere. That being said, we expect Seattle to be just a little too strong for them to overcome this time around. Prediction: Seattle in 6 NA Conference Semifinals 2 // <winner of DC Dragons vs. New York Americans> The Chicago Phoenix have risen to the top of the VHL in a short time, and for the third-straight year they are a top contender. They may be the most balanced team in the league - the second-best offense (285 goals), second-best defense (225 goals against), and best overall goal differential (+61) in the league. All season long, Chicago’s top forward line of Lee Xin, Robin Winter, and Christian Mingle has been a force to be reckoned with. All three set career-highs across the board this season and all three finished over the 100-point mark. It was a line that clicked from the very beginning and gave opponents fits. Having five-time 80-point scorer Kyl Oferson on your second unit doesn’t hurt, either, though he dropped off a bit this season to 68 points. Regardless of whether they end up playing against DC or New York, it’s hard to envision them not being the favourites. There aren’t very many teams in the league that have the firepower to slow down this offense. Throw in a defense that features Spencer Elsby, Matty Socks, and L and netminder Jean Pierre Camus, and it’s pretty easy to see why this team tied with Warsaw for the best record in the VHL and why they are among the favourites to win it all. Prediction: Chicago in 5 (over either team) EU Conference Semifinals 1 // London and Prague are two teams that finished with very similar records, separated by just a point in the regular season standings, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out over the course of a 7-game series. One area to watch will be the London defense, which suffocated opponents in the regular season. Usually, that’s important in playoff hockey. London scored the fewest goals of any playoff team this season; fourth-fewest in the VHL overall, but posted the fourth best record in the league thanks to having the league’s best defense. General Zod and Micah Adrienne head up that group as a fantastic shutdown pairing. Offensively, much of the load will be shouldered by Kevin King, who finished just shy of his first 50-goal season this year. One does get the feeling that London was aware of their need to produce more offense, as they brought in Onde Sandstrom from Vancouver during the season, but Sandstrom struggled in London (13 points in 20 games, compared to 84 in 52 before the trade). Something will probably need to give if London is to make a serious run. You wouldn’t be surprised at who’s leading the charge in Prague if you looked at their roster - it is guys like Thomas Landry II (37 goals, 86 points), Dan Baillie Jr. (30 goals, 74 points), Robert Bouchard (35 goals, 74 points), and Dominic Gobeil (30 goals, 71 points) - they’re all career Phantoms, and Landry is looking to go out on top. Grekkark Gyrfalcon has only been here three seasons, but it feels like he’s been here longer… he’s really established himself as a reliable last line of defense in Prague. Prague’s defensive unit, at least behind Battre Sandstrom, is going to be a question mark but it might only become a problem as the playoffs go on if London can’t get their offense going. The United are a team that could be scary, and their offense has more talent than the regular season showed. You’d have to give them the edge on paper - but we all know hockey isn’t played on paper. London has to figure out how to score goals, and based on what we’ve seen from both teams so far, Prague has been the better team. Prediction: Prague in 6 EU Conference Semifinals 2 // <winner of Helsinki Titans vs. Malmo Nighthawks> Warsaw, like Chicago, is simply a stacked, well-built team. They’ve been a VHL contender for many seasons now and this year is no different. Aloe Dear has built on her outstanding career so far by leading the league with 74 assists and 118 points this season, helping linemate Chris Reynolds put up his first 100-point season while Dakota Lamb had a 34-goal, 96-point season of his own. Chris Hylands led VHL defensemen with 87 points this season (it was his first full season as a defenseman, and clearly he hasn’t lost any of the offense in his game), but also placed 8th in blocked shots with 187. He’s transitioned seamlessly to the position, and he’s got a fantastic partner in Victor Grachev. Tim Waters helps out on the back end too - he’s certainly a less dynamic player than Hylands or Grachev, but he’s elite defensively as well. Ajay Krishna was, not long ago, one of the best young up and coming goalies in the league. But a couple of seasons have passed without much development on his part to the point where it would be the one area you have to look at as a weakness on this Warsaw team. Looking down the line, it’s one that Chicago doesn’t have, and it might even become a problem for them in this series - especially against a team as battle-tested as Helsinki. If the Predators end up playing Malmo here, we expect them to just be too much for a young team like the Nighthawks, who are likely a season or two away from their real window as a contender. On the other hand, if it’s Helsinki, this could be a drawn out affair with plenty of upset potential. Nevertheless, we do expect the Predators to advance either way. Prediction: Warsaw in 7 (vs. Helsinki) / Warsaw in 5 (vs. Malmo) The Rest of the Way We’re predicting conference final matchups of Warsaw vs. Prague and Chicago vs. Seattle, which might be going a little too “according to chalk” but those top three teams are just so well built that it’s hard to bet against them, even if it’s likely that an upset will happen somewhere. Warsaw and Prague met last season in the conference semifinals, with Warsaw winning the series in 5. Truthfully, we also think Helsinki could be a team to watch make one last push here. They’ve got a lot of veterans, a lot of experience and made a huge pickup when they added Erik Killinger at the trade deadline. If they can make it through Malmo and upset Warsaw, they could go on a run. If the series is indeed a Warsaw / Prague matchup, we’d expect a similar result to last season. Prague pushes it a bit further this time, but Warsaw still comes out ahead. A Chicago/Seattle series might very well be the crown jewel of the S78 playoffs, if it happens. Chicago looks like the best team in the league on paper and the Bears aren’t far behind, plus they’re, well, the Bears - they always bring it come playoff time. But Chicago will be hungry after a stunning sweep at the hands of Los Angeles in last season’s playoffs, and our prediction here is that they come out ahead in a hard fought 7-game series. Ultimately, if this is the series we do see, we’re picking whoever wins it to win it all. Going with our predictions so far, we see a Chicago / Warsaw final. These two teams have a lot to work with, both boasting elite offenses and elite defenses. The biggest difference here is between the pipes, where we give a significant edge to JP Camus over Ajay Krishna. That being the case, we go with Chicago in 6 as our final Continental Cup prediction. ---- Players Mentioned: @bigAL @DollarAndADream @Rhynex Entertainment @Tate @Mongoose87 @Jubis @dasboot @Jubo @Dil @PatrikLaine @Tape-to-Tape @Peace @.sniffuM @Telkster @Infernal @oilmandan @Molholt @Banackock @a_Ferk @MattyIce @Victor @BladeMaiden @Jtv123 @Da_Berr @tinafrombobsburgers@Patrik Tallinder @Advantage @Prout @TacticalHammer @Greg_Di @Blazzer @Sonnet @Nykonax @Quik @fishy @gorlab @Spence King @solas @Matt_O @Poptart @IamMOOSE @fonziGG @wcats @Domg5 @Gaikoku-hito @Acydburn @Sharkstrong @Doomsday @dlamb @Renomitsu @Hooperorama @hylands @KaleebtheMighty @Hooperorama @Crstats23

Addison McLaren was somewhat expecting it when he got the call that he'd been traded to Toronto, but it came as a shock nonetheless. "It was something I knew was a possibility, and I spoke of it the week before the deal... things weren't going well in Riga and you understand that they have to make a move. The GM let me know they were having some talks. So I wasn't surprised to get the call but it's still something that just hits you a bit when it's actually real, if you know what I mean," he said to the media. After saying his final goodbyes to his teammates, McLaren joined his new Legion teammates for a game in Malmo that night. "I wish nothing but the best for those guys," McLaren said. "We had a good locker room that all got along well. Lose, McJake, Zetterstrom, Thunder, Hlozek, they were all around and they're all good dudes. I want to see them do well. I hope we see those guys in the finals one day." Then he added, "Of course, I hope we beat them when that happens, too." McLaren is friends with Legion defenseman Scotty Kaberle, a player who almost ended up in Riga at the S75 draft too before the Legion traded up to take him at #11 right before Riga. He says he's somewhat familiar with a lot of the other faces in the room, too. "I think it's a good fit for me, and there are a lot of guys there that I like. I'm looking forward to playing there and hopefully being a part of the solution. I know I said it about Riga, too, but I think these guys are too good to keep struggling."

I mean, I was pulling for you guys to get in anyway, but this is very cool. Go Riga!

With the Riga Reign continuing to struggle in the European Conference, and the Toronto Legion suffering a similar fate in the North American Conference, the two teams hooked up for a blockbuster mid-season deal that both teams hope will change their fortunes. The Reign sent winger Addison McLaren (the S75 8th overall pick) along with defenseman Han Jae Kuk and two 3rd round picks in the S80 draft to Toronto, in exchange for defenseman Jolly Greene Giant (the S75 2nd overall pick), forward Oh Sens, and an S79 2nd round pick. It's a deal that makes sense for both sides on the surface, as Riga boasted a slightly forward-heavy lineup while Toronto's was slightly defenseman-heavy. Both teams are a little more balanced with the main premise of the trade being the McLaren/Giant swap. Giant and McLaren were teammates on the Founders Cup winning Philadelphia Reapers squad in S75, then made their VHL debuts in S76. Since then, Giant has put up 158 points, 462 hits, and 464 blocked shots in 196 games with a -25 rating on the back end of the Legion. McLaren has piled up 119 points, 751 hits, and 81 blocked shots in 195 games with a -34 rating, playing multiple roles and an effective defensive game, but has left something to be desired offensively. As for the other pieces, Oh Sens, heading to Riga, is a veteran winger in their final VHL campaign who has three point-per-game seasons and 321 points in 342 career games to their credit. They've struggled a little bit more offensively this season, but should still bring a spark to the Riga offense. Han Jae Kuk is a very good defensive defenseman but doesn't boast a ton of offense, also a VHL veteran who may have a little more left in them than Sens. "I'm sad it didn't work out in Riga," says McLaren. "I had it in my mind when I was drafted that it was the perfect spot, going there, reunited with Cabe, playing with some of the other guys from the S75 class, we were going to grow together, be a contender and win some Cups there and hopefully I'd spend my entire career there. Obviously, it didn't work out that way. I will say, though, that I'm excited for a fresh start and that Toronto wanted to bring me in, and I'm also excited to finally get to play with a good friend of mine in Scotty Kaberle, and I actually know quite a few of the guys there and I think it's also a pretty great group. Hoping I can be a part of the winning combination there and that we get this ship turned around." While the immediate returns for both teams haven't been impressive - both teams continue to struggle and have fallen to seventh in their respective conference - the roster switch is one that makes sense on paper and sets both teams up pretty well going forward. With four seasons left in McLaren's career after this one, he is hopeful for the future. "I'm obviously not getting any younger - it's weird to say that already, but now I'm coming up on the second half of my career and definitely want to start winning. I think Riga was in a position where on paper they should have been getting better results and didn't, and I think Toronto is in a similar position now. We've got talent here and whatever happens this season, I think we need to just start building some momentum. We've got a good team and like Riga, a group that's still pretty young. We've got some good hockey ahead of us I think."

1) Either the MCU or Star Wars 2) Scarlet Witch (perhaps not always a hero, though) or Black Panther 3) Thanos 4) IRL I'm into fantasy sports, am a competitive five-pin bowler, and myself, my girlfriend and a friend of ours are part of a group that recently started streaming on Twitch 5) grilled 6) Wendy's for sure. Also Taco Bell and Dairy Queen are up there.