tcookie

VHL All-Star Selection Idea
 

 
Location
 
To start us off, we'd have to find a place to hold this years all-star game, and what better place than to hold it in Los Angeles! The Stars currently hold the best record in the league, at 29-7-2, making them the host for the upcoming all-star game. I feel like if there were to be an event, the top seeded team in the entire league would always host the event, so this year it would be the stars. If there were a tiebreaker between the top seeded teams at the time decided for the location, you could just go based off of the usual tiebreaker rules to figure out who would be the host. 
 
Format
 
Now, to get into the format. We would basically have the NA Conference vs the EU Conference, as that's the easiest way to divide up the teams in my eyes. Each roster would have 6 forwards, 4 defenseman, and 2 goalies. You would end up playing two games, one with each goalie so that the goalies both get to play in a game. The way rosters would be decided is each team sends a single player at 1st, which would then be 8 skaters for each conference. That would then leave 4 extra players for each conference, where I believe the top 2 seeded teams in each conference should get a 2nd player. This would then make it so each roster now has 10 players out of the required 12, so in this instance, the Los Angeles Stars and Calgary Wranglers get two players instead of one, same with the Malmo Nighthawks and Moscow Menace. The remaining 2 players for each conference would be decided on a fan vote, where the fans would elect who they would want to send to the all-star game. Again, it would cap out at 6 forwards, 4 defenseman, and 2 goalies, so you couldn't send for example 3 goalies or 7 forwards to make the roster ineligible. I feel like this is a great way to reward the top teams, as they get to send another player, while on top of that the community gets to feel involved as they get to send their favorite player potentially to the all-star game.
 
Selections
 
Now the best part, the selections. I will actually try my best to come up with some sort of mock all-star game rosters, but again, at this point, some teams have 39 games played while others have 40. For the fan vote, I'll just throw in whoever I would end up voting for. Without further adieu, lets get underway:
 
NA Conference All-Star Selections
 

 
C - Todd Cooke - 28G 25A 53P +22 - 39GP - @KRZY
 
Todd Cooke is having an impressive season, having easily over a point-per-game for the best team in the league. A superstar centerman for Los Angeles and a big part of why they're winning, it would be an obvious choice to send Cooke to the all-star game. They are 5th in points and 2nd in goals, a great shooter than can leave the fans stunned, it would be a fantastic addition to Team NA.
 
LW - Larry Abass Jr - 12G 32A 44P +26 - 39GP - @RileyL
 
The second player I decided to go with is Larry Abass Jr. They are currently second on their team in points only behind Todd Cooke and seem to the playmaker for Todd Cooke. They have 32 assists and the best +/- on the team, with an impressive 124 hits. Abass Jr seems to be a physical playmaker that goes into the corners to help dig the puck out, to only then find Cooke for the finish. A great all around addition for Team NA at the end of the day.
 

 
G - Merome Dilson - 25-10-4 .937 2.14, 5 shutouts - 39GP - @MexicanCow123
 
Merome Dilson is one of the top goaltenders in the entire league, not just NA. They've helped turn Calgary around, as last season was not the best season for Calgary fans. An impressive goaltender who is having a career high and doesn't seem to be stopping would be a huge addition between the pipes for Team NA.
 
 D - Skor McFleury - 12G 27A 39P +16 - 40GP - @Alex
 
As both Calgary and Los Angeles get a second player, adding a solid defenseman in Skor McFleury is a no brainer. They currently are almost a point-per-game for Calgary and are 7th in scoring this season. An impressive skater with an accurate shot and just an all-around complete player will help solidify the blue line for Team NA.
 

 
C - The Frenchman - 16G 40A 56P +12 - 39GP - @OrbitingDeath
 
The Frenchman is almost a perfect no-brainer. They're an elite playmaker who can set up any goal scorer in the league, with the most assists in the league. They would fit perfectly with Todd Cooke, who can fire the puck from almost anywhere and find a way to score. A dynamic duo would get huge for Team NA and these two might just be it.
 

 
G - WWWWWWW (not typing whole name) - 18-17-4 .940 1.91, 2 shutouts - 39GP - @rory
 
The second goalie on this list is Rory's player. WWWWWWW has had an absolute crazy season, where he's single handedly helping the New York Americans get to a playoff spot. This guy is literally like prime Hasek, trying to carry his team to the playoffs, and he easily deserves a spot on Team NA.
 

 
D - Bobby Bob - 7G 27A 34P -1 - 40GP - @Baby Boomer
 
This is when things are going to get a little hard to decide players, but I decided with Bobby Bob. Toronto has been struggling this season, and it's either between Jimi Jaks or Bobby Bob to make the team, but I went with Bobby Bob. Currently, the team already has two good centers, and they need another defenseman to help round out the first pairing, so I decided to go with Bobby Bob. He is quietly having a good season with Jimi Jaks, where they're really the only players getting anything done on the team at the moment.
 

 
RW - Yaroslav Trunov - 24G 32A 56P +5 - 39GP - @qripll
 
Just like WWWWWWW, this one is a no brainer. Trunov has been having an exceptional season for the Phoenix, finding himself tied for 2nd in points, only behind AK92 Wit Da Hoodie. He is an elite player all around and having him apart of the roster would be huge for Team NA. It seems that every season Chicago has one player that just decides to have an MVP-like season, and Trunov was the player this year.
 

 
D - Liv Slater - 18G 22A 40P -22 - 39GP - @Subject056
 
Our third defenseman on our list, I believe Slater would be the choice for Vancouver. Slater is over a point-per-game on a rebuilding Vancouver roster that is struggling this season, but was expected. Despite the -22, they're a young defenseman who can be very solid on that second pairing, including 116 hits and 111 shot blocks. They might be able to bring that grit and physicality to Team NA for the all-star game.
 

 
C - Severus Targaryen - 23G 27A 50P -12 - @Banackock
 
Our last player to make the team before the "fan vote" would commence would be Severus Targaryen. There really isn't much to say about Seattle, as they're going through a rebuild, but it's fairly obvious that Targaryen is their best player, and is carrying them. The youngest player to this point added to the roster and they would get some great experience playing with and against the best players in the league. A potential future all-star in the making. Targaryen would be a great add for Team NAs forward depth.
 
Team NA "fan vote" extras
 
Normally, this is where the fans would vote for players, but for reasons, obviously the fans aren't "voting" here, so I'll be filling out the roster with who I think deserves the remaining spots.
 

 
D - Mark Calaway - 14G 29A 43P +17 - 39GP - @Beketov
 
The first player to get in would be Mark Calaway in my eyes. On multiple other teams, he would easily be the first choice, however, the Frenchman is currently overshadowing him and his fantastic season. Regardless, Calaway is one of the best defenseman in NA and is having a career year. It seems D.C. finally has a dynamic duo in Calaway and the Frenchman going this season, and they could finally be a contender for the playoffs. A great addition to help round out the D core and an easy choice.
 

 
C - Jimi Jaks - 18G 24A 42P +10 - 40GP - @ke1vi
 
A potential questionable addition in the last spot over the likes of Vincent Laroche-Gagnier, who is having a much better season. However, I'm going for Jimi Jaks as he's having an exceptional season on a team that is struggling all over the place. Not only is he a +10 on a team that is below .500, he is over a point per game, where the rest of his team is struggling to meet that mark. I feel like on a better team, Jimi Jaks would have much better stats, but I decided to slide him in as the last forward for Team NA.
 
EU Conference All-Star Selections
 

 
D - Jacob Stone  - 14G 32A 46P +7 - 40GP - @scoop
 
The first selection for the EU Team would be Jacob Stone. An obvious selection from Malmo, as they've been the best defenseman in the league up to this point, and a huge part of Malmo's success this season. Malmo's D core is exceptional this season and easily the best in the league, where his partner Reese McFleury might be joining him on this list as well. A great defenseman with passing ability and an all-around complete game would be a huge addition for Team EU as they'll look to have a strong first pairing.
 
D - Reese McFleury - 12G 31A 43P +22 - 40GP - @Spaz
 
Another obvious addition as we'll just be taking the first pairing from Malmo to be a pairing on Team EU. Just like Jacob Stone, they're basically an exact carbon copy of Stone, just slightly worse. However, that doesn't mean he isn't capable of being one of the best defenseman in the league, including his +22, which is very good for a defenseman at this point in the season. The D lineup for Team EU is already looking very strong and having two players that have played together on a team is great chemistry wise.
 

 
C - Axle Gunner - 18G 30A 48P -3 - 40GP - @Steve
 
For Moscow, we'll be sending a pair of forwards to join Team EU, with Axle Gunner being the first one. Gunner is the playmaker for Moscow, having 30 assists on the season and having over a point-per-game. Moscow has heavily overperformed this season, as not many people imagined them doing this well, but there's no complaints coming from Moscow, that's for sure. Gunner will be a fantastic addition as a young centerman who just like Targaryen, can gain some extra experience from the all-star game.
 
LW - Left Alone - 23G 25A 48P -8 - 40GP - @okochastar
 
As for the second player coming from Moscow, we'll be going with his partner, Left Alone. Left Alone seems to be the goal scorer for this team, as they lead the team in goals with 23 on the season. They also can pass the puck, with 25 assists, so they seem to be able to do it all. The only thing they really lack is physicality, but they have great discipline, only taking a single penalty on the season. Another duo that will be joining Team EU as their chemistry is already looking better than Team NA.
 

 
RW - Leonard Triller - 23G 32A 55P +18 - 39GP - @Triller
 
Leonard Triller is an easy addition to the forward core, as they are currently 4th in the league in points, with great stats all around. London quietly has been a very good team this season, and Triller is a big part of it with the season they are having. Just an all-around complete player will be joining Team EU and they are looking deadly across the board so far.
 

 
C - Daryl Dixon - 22G 29A 51P +9 - 40GP - @Ricer13
 
Dixon is currently on pace for another great season, trying to follow up his career high last season of 93 points. Regardless, Dixon is the heart of the Helsinki offense, where they seem to be involved in everything offensively. The next closest forward on the team in points is Grimgor Ironhide with 39, as he already has a 11 point lead on his forward group. Regardless, Dixon is a great add to Team EU as they look to stack their team even more.
 

 
C - John Jameson - 20G 31A 51P +19 - 40GP - @Frank
 
The more and more we go down the list, the more and more you realize that EU is stacked with talent. Jameson is an amazing forward who like the rest on this list, are just a complete player showing no holes. All these players unlike with Team NA can fit into any scenario and thrive, which I feel like is very important for an all-star game event. The only downside for Jameson could be the fact that he somehow has 144 penalty minutes, so this guy is going to go out there and probably drop the gloves at the event.
 

 
LW - AK92 Wit da Hoodie - 30G 32A 62P +7 - 39GP - @hedgehog337
 
A current front runner for multiple awards is AK92 Wit da Hoodie, Team EUs best player. Riga this season has been alright, but they probably would've liked to have a better season, but regardless, AK92 is steamrolling the competition. Only 39 games in, he's 10 points away from being a point-per-game, and also has a 6 point lead on the 2nd place in points. An obvious add and someone who is head and shoulders above everyone else will be a difficult task for Team NA to handle.
 

 
D - Rex Wolffe Gregor - 13G 23A 36P -14 - 40GP - @oilmandan
 
Maybe not the most ideal defenseman on the list, but a defenseman who is just below a point-per-game is still a solid add for Team EU. They currently have a strong first pairing who can play top minutes, so a bit of a weaker D core isn't the end of the world, especially since their forward core is stacked. Gregor has been having a decent season for Warsaw who has struggled offensively, being second on the team in points as a defenseman. Nevertheless, a solid add for Team EU on the backend.
 

 
D - David Jokinen - 15G 24A 39P -14 - 40GP - @Ahma
 
There's really not much to say for Davos, as they are tanking for first overall to most likely pick @CowboyinAmerica. Jokinen has been having a great season on a team that sucks, so they for sure deserve a spot in the all-star game.
 
Team EU "fan vote" extras
 

 
G - Matt Murdock - 15-14-3 .935 2.17, 2 shutouts - 32GP - @Acydburn
 
The first goaltender on this list, we'll be going with Matt Murdock. Murdock has been having a great season for Prague, dropping a .935 and a 2.17, impressive numbers for a goaltender. They are looking to have a career high this season currently, as their highest sv% in previous years was a .931 in S87 with Moscow. A great add for Team EU as they'll need solid goaltending.
 

 
G - Fuuka Rask - 17-13-6 .933 2.31, 1 shutout - 37GP - @Jubis
 
Another very solid goaltender and the second on the list is Fuuka Rask. Just like Murdock, Rask has been having a great season and is looking to have a career year, where his previous best was a .925 sv% last season with Helsinki. Both these goalies are having career years and it would make sense to have them on the team to help backstop the crease for Team EU.
 
Final Rosters:
 
Team North America:
 
C - Todd Cooke
LW - Larry Abass Jr
 C - The Frenchman
 RW - Yaroslav Trunov
 C - Severus Targaryen
 C - Jimi Jaks
 
 D - Skor McFleury
 D - Bobby Bob
 D - Liv Slater
 D - Mark Calaway
 
 G - Merome Dilson
 G - WWWWWWW
 
Team Europe:
 
C - Axle Gunner
LW - Left Alone
 RW - Leonard Triller
 C - Daryl Dixon
 C - John Jameson
 LW - AK92 Wit da Hoodie
 
D - Jacob Stone
D - Reese McFleury
 D - Rex Wolffe Gregor
 D - David Jokinen
 
 G - Matt Murdock
 G - Fuuka Rask
 
Conclusion
 
Well that rounds up the article! This took a while to make, but pretty happy with the result and the theme week as it's always fun to write a huge article. Do you guys like the format for choosing the teams? Who would you vote in if you had the choice for EU or NA as the final two? Regardless, was a bunch of fun to write and had a blast doing so.
 
2000+ words, around 2500 without duplicate names

Theme Week – Hey now, your a All-star (RIP Steve Harwell)
With this year’s theme week finally announced as “All-star”, we wanted to look at who we would think would represent the North American and European Conferences in a VHL all-star game if it was to take place with current VHL players from each VHL Team.
North American Conference:
 
Calgary Wranglers: Randy Bobandy (C) 
Season Eighty-Seven draftee Randy Bobandy is our pick from the Calgary Wranglers. After years in Truro Nova Scotia as the assistant trailer park supervisor, Bobandy helped to the VHL where he drafted Fourth Overall by the Seattle Bears. After four very successful personal seasons with the Bears, Bobandy was traded to the Wrangles ahead of the start of the Season Ninety-One season. After posting his lowest point total in the VHL since his rookie season last season in Calgary, Bobandy is back to being a point per game player this season. With thirteen goals and thirty-one assists in the Wranglers thirty-eight games played this season, Bobandy is leading the way offensively for Calgary who sits only eight points behind Los Angeles for first place in the conference.
 
Chicago Phoenix: Yaroslav Trunov (RW)
Another Season Eighty-Seven draftee Yaroslav Trunov is out pick for the non-existent VHL all-star game for the Chicago Phoenix. Trunov is leading the way by a large margin for the Phoenix, as he currently leads the Phoenix in points with twenty-four goals and twenty-nine assists, with his closest teammate having only thirty points. Trunov is in his first season in Chicago after spending the last five seasons with the Malamo Nighthawks and is currently on pace for his best season offensively. Not only is Trunov leading the way for the Phoenix but Trunov also sits in second place in the entire VHL in points, only five points behind the league leader AK92 With da Hoodie. With such an outstanding season, Trunov being selected a VHL all-star in Season Ninety-Two would be very well deserved.
 
D.C. Dragons: Mark Calaway (D)
Currently in third place in the VHLs North American Conference, the D.C. Dragons had many multiple players step up to the plate on contribute game in and game out. Players like The Frenchman, Vincent Laroche-Gagnier and Jason are currently leading the way offensively, but out pick for the Dragons would come for the defensive side of the team in Mark Calaway. Calaway is currently the best defender on the roster by a long shot, putting up thirteen goals and twenty-five assists in thirty-eight games played this season. Calaway is in his fourth season in the VHL with the Dragons, where he has put up respectful numbers in the previous three seasons, but the towering defenseman in on track to put up career numbers his season and that deserves an all-star nod in our opinion.
 
Los Angeles Stars: Art Vandelay (G)
In his last season in the VHL, Art Vandelay sure isn’t showing signs of aging or in the VHL case, depreciation. Vandelay is currently leading the entire league in wins on the season, winning twenty-nine of his thirty-eight games he started in net this season. Vandelay is also putting up numbers so far this season that bests his career averages, with a .929 save percentage and 2.13 goals against average. The former first overall VHL draft pick from the Season Eighty-Four VHL Entry Draft, Vandelay is hoping his last season in the VHL won’t only end with an “all-star” selection but also some VHL hardware, namely his first Continental Cup.
 
New York Americans: WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW (G)
After two seasons with the Bratislava Watchmen in the VHLE, W36 is showing the wait was worth it for the Americans brass and fans. W36 has played in thirty-eight games for the Americans this season, putting up eighteen wins in those thirty-eight games. While the eighteen wins aren’t eye popping, it’s the fact that W36 has put up a .940 save percentage and 1.93 goals against average that has up picking him for our all-star roster. Those numbers would be league leading if the league had a minimum number of games played to be eligible for the leaderboard in those categories. The play of W36 is one of the biggest reasons that New York currently finds themselves in a playoff spot as the league hits the half-way point, and the Americans hope the Season Ninety goalie can continue his stellar play the remainder of the season to help the club back into the playoffs this season for the first time since Season Ninety-Eight.
Seattle Bears: Severus Targaryen (C)
While it’s been a tough go of it this season in Seattle, Severus Targaryen has been playing his best hockey to date in his second season with the Seattle based VHL club. After putting up fifty-eight points in his rookie season last year with the Bears, Targaryen is on pace to smash that total this year as he has put up forty-five points in just thirty-seven games this season. With Seattle currently sitting at the bottom of the standings in the entire league, the great season by Targaryen is likely to be ignored by many around the league outside of Seattle, but with him being the top scorer with him being the top scorer in Seattle by a large margin we couldn’t ignore it and wanted to give him his due regard and list him as the Bears representative in out faux all-star game roster.
Toronto Legion: Jimi Jaks (C)
For the next selection for our Season Ninety-Two “all-star” roster, we head to the opposite end of the North American conference, with the Toronto Legion. Toronto is currently in the fifth spot in the North American Conference, which is the last playoff spot in the conference, but are just three points head of sixth place Chicago. Toronto is currently in the playoff spot in large part to the point per game place of their American center, Jimi Jaks, which should be no surprise to the Legion faithful. Jaks has been a point per game player the last two seasons, putting up a respectful seventy-nine and eighty-one points those two seasons, numbers which he may pass this season. So far in thirty-eight games Jaks has put up eighteen goals and twenty-two assists, which leads the Legion roster. The Legion are hoping Jaks can bring his play to the next level in the second half of Season Ninety-Two to bring them back to the finals for another shot at the cup.
Vancouver Wolves: Liv Slater (D)
With recent deals that saw Vancouver move out some of their top scoring players, Slater has been leaned upon to pick up the slack from the blue-line, something he has done. Slater currently sits second on the roster in points, with thirty-eight points in thirty-seven games which is just three points behind the team leader in Nick Sansoe. Slater who signed a massive four-year extension with the Wolves this offseason is really showing his worth in Season Ninety-Two, in what is a re-building season for the Wolves, something that should excite the Wolves management as the look to make a splash next season.
 
 
European Conference:
 
HC Davos Dynamo: David Jokinen (D)
Our first selection for the European Conference “all-stars” is long-time Davos Dynamo member David Jokinen. Drafted Tenth Overall back in the Season Eighty-Seven VHL Entry Draft, Jokinen is in his sixth season in Davos, and is likely on his way to a career year offensively with the club. Currently in the thirty-eight games played this season, Jokinen has put up a career-high fourteen goals to go along with twenty-three assists, which is good enough to currently lead the entire Dynamo roster in points. While Jokinen has been a stud offensively for the Dynamo, he also currently sits second in the league in shots blocked with 112 on the season. Currently a top ten offensive defenseman and top two defensive defenseman in the league, we could hardly pass Jokinen up while assembling out “all-star” roster.
 
Helsinki Titans: Kronchy Kardashian (D)
Right after selecting Jokinen, we head back to the blue-line to pick our next “all-star”, this time Helsinki’s Kronchy Kardashian. This selection was a bit harder than the rest considering either party on the Titans top defensive paring could have been selected, we selected Kardashian as he was above PEB on the team scoring list, we assume due to alphabetical order. None the less, Kardashian is just as deserving of the selection regardless of why we selected him. Kardashian has put up eight goals and thirty-three assists in Helsinkis’ thirty-eight games played, which puts him one behind the league leader in the VHL in defenseman points. After putting up career highs in all offensive categories last season, Kardashian might be on his way to match his career high in points (76) this season, as he looks to help the Titans back to the Cup finals for a second straight season.
 
London United: Leonard Triller (RW)
Season Eighty-Six draftee Leonard Triller would be out selection for the “all-star” game from the London United. Triller is in his fifth season with the London based VHL team, and it is coming off a stellar season last year, where he put up seventy-nine assists and 103 points overall. After 100-point season, there is often a drop off the following year, especially in the sporadic VHL, but Triller is on pace to again break the 100-point plateau. Triller has twenty-two goals and thirty assists in the United first thirty-seven games on the season, which will set him up nicely for the second half of the season. With the United currently in third place in the European Conference, London hopes Triller can keep the offensive production up and help the club advance further into the playoffs after last years early exit.
 
Malmo Nighthawks: Ash Sparks (G)
The first netminder on our list for the European Conference, Ash Sparks has been having an outstanding season for Malmo. Sparks has appeared in all thirty-four out of the thirty-eight games the Nighthawks have played in so far, putting up a 23-8-3 record. Along with the second most wins amongst all VHL goaltenders, Sparks has also put up a respectable .928 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average, which are both top ten numbers in the VHL. With Malmo currently in first place in the European Conference, Sparks has been a big part of the outstanding season they are currently experiencing in Malmo, a season that the Nighthawk management hope continues through the second half of the season.
Moscow Menace: Olober Syko (G)
The second-best team in the European Conference, the Moscow Menace are another team that find themselves in the position they are in in large part to the stellar play of their rookie netminder Olober Syko. While the Menace currently have three players with over a point per game, Syko has been lights out most nights he has started in net, especially for a first-year goalie. First year goalies often have a tough go of it in the VHL, but Syko has been impressive with twenty wins already this year. Along with his twenty wins, Syko has also put up a .921 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average. If the Menace hope to stay a top of the standings in Season Ninety-Two, Syko will need to keep up his play to make sure that happens.
Prague Phantoms: John Jameson (C) 
Next Up on our list is the Prague Phantoms. From the Phantom we would gladly pick John Jameson who is currently the team leader in points. Selected second overall in the Season Eighty-Five VHL Entry Draft, Jameson has been a mainstay on the Phantoms roster since his rookie season in Season Eighty-Six. Jameson has had a good run of late with 114, 101 and ninety-one points in the last three seasons, and looks poised to break the 100 point plateau again in his seventh season in the VHL. So far in thirty-eight games this season Jameson has nineteen goals and thirty-one assists, numbers which put him in sixth place in the overall point race in the league. Prague will need Jameson to continue his scoring ways to ensure they head back to the playoffs after last seasons playoff hiatus.
 
Riga Reign: AK92 Wit da Hoodie (LW)
The league leader in points, AK92 is having another stellar year with the Reign. After a career season with the Reign in Season Ninety-One, which saw AK92 put up ninety-seven points, AK92 is looking to break the 100-point mark for the first time in his VHL career. AK currently has put up twenty-eight goals and thirty assists in the Reigns’ thirty-six games played this season, which puts him well above the pace to hit the 100-point mark this season. The Reign are currently on the outside looking in on the playoffs and will need AK92 and the rest of the team to turn it up a notch if they wish to overtake the teams in front of them in the European Conference.
 
Warsaw Predators: Dogwood Maple (C)
The final selection for our “all-star” game roster of current VHL players is Warsaw Predators first-year player Dogwood Maple. After being traded to the Predators prior to the season, Dogwood put his best foot forward in his first thirty-seven games with the franchise. So far in season thirty-seven Dogwood has put up sixteen goals and twenty-six assists, which leads the team by ten points. With Warsaw not currently having the season they hoped for at this point in the season, we wanted to give Dogwood the recognition that he deserves with the great season he is currently experiencing.
 
2,265 words. 
Weeks including: 
Jan 28-Feb 3
Feb 4- Feb10
Feb 11 - Feb 17
Feb 18 - Feb 21

Note: This was originally ment as a VSN article last season that never got finished in time. While the information on this article is outdated, the interesting topic and effort put in on my part merits publishing this article even in a state never ment to be seen. Enjoy!
 
I believe that I mentioned in a pervious article a common quote amoung us scouts. "It doesn't matter where a prospect comes from.If they love hockey, they will have a home in the VHL." Indeed a simple search through the record of active VHL players is enought to see many players who stand alone as the only representative of their nation. They range from grizzled vets approaching retirement to prospects who are trying to break into the league. It is time to tell the stories of players who carry a nation.
 
What better place to start than with the centers. Starting out for the first these young guns is a obvious player for an article. This member of the S90 draft class is famous for being the first hockey player from his country to sign up for VHL play. That player is Xiver Zilla. The Maltese-American,while born on the Mediterranean island,was raised in just as unlikely hockey market that is Atlanta, Georgia. All joking aside, it was in Atlanta that he fell in love with the game that would lead to playing college hockey for Northeastern University and eventually join the San Diego Marlins.Currently Xiver is amoung the point leaders for Vasteras Iron Eagles while waiting for his promotion to the New York Americans. Malta has a bright young star who should carry the flag for many years to come.
 
The other young center who is carrying their country comes from a little country.This is Phillip Rave. His mother is one the 40,000 individuals that call Lichtenstein home. He would be raised in the micro European nation where he developed a love for skiing. Failing to qualify for the Olympic in that event would be a major turning point. He would get back to skating, join an Austrian semi-pro hockey league, and eventually follow Xiver Zilla example and play for the Marlins where he is today. He may have missed his chance at Olympic glory but he can still make his nation proud as he carries the flag into the VHL.
 
Moving in to left wing, there is a good mix of experience and youth at this position. Bringing that experience is a grizzled veteran on his way to retirement. This player is Hockley Mann. He claims to be from Tuvalu, alought  exactly how one of the around 11,000 people that call the South Pacific Island home ended up playing ice hockey is a mystery. Perhaps the archive is incomplete or this random place is a joke at my expense. What is recorded is that Hockley started play with Miami Marauders where he would win the Ethan Osborne Trophy in S83. The member of the S82 draft class would would spend two seasons in the VHLE for Bratislava and Cologne. Hockley Mann would make his VHL debut with New York for one season before spending another lone season with Helsinki before speeding two seasons in Malmo. Currently, Hockley is spending his final season with the Vancouver Wolves looking to leave the game on top. We will have to wait and see if Hockley can carry his nation to a championship.
 
The other left winger is a much younger, comes from a part of the world about as opposite from the South Pacific as can be, and is a bit monstrous. Grimgor Ironhide is a black orc straight out the Warhamner 40K universe who ended up on Heard Island and McDonald Islands, a remote and uninhabited Anartic Islands belonging to Australia. How he got to civilization and why he decided to play VHL hockey is a complete mystery. What is clearly known is that Grimgor is currently having a fantastic season for the Mississauga Hounds. With over one hundred points just over halfway into s90, Grimgor is looking like a top prospect going into the S91 VHL Draft. He caries his flag well even if he is carrying it alone.
 
Sliding across to right winger and there is another young S91 prospect looking to carry their nation with aplomb. Ant R Sap comes from Guadeloupe, a French controlled archipelago of just under 400,000 inhabitants. Again I have no information on how or why a random person from a Caribbean island decided to play VHL hockey. Perhaps I am not ment to know. Perhaps chasing the mystery is better that solving the mystery. but Back to Ant because he has been solid as a member of Philadelphia Reapers. Ant isn't that last ice hockey player on this article to come from tropical Caribbean. Perhaps the story of the invasive snowbird settling in the Caribbean are true.
 
Speaking of the Caribbean, that is where the next right winger comes from. Macdonalds BigMac was born in Trinidad and Tobago the most southern of the Caribbean Islands. His family was poor but watching some kids play street hockey got him interested in the sport. That interest turned into playing for various rec and traveling teams with a move to Florida helping out his development. He would join the local VHLM team, the Miami Marauders, for a solid S87. He has spent his last three seasons in the VHLE, two with Istanbul then moved with the team to Stockholm for the current season.The Toronto Legion prospect has been steady and consistent with his development and will are him nation proud when he makes the VHL.
 
On to the blueliners where the last of the Caribbean crew can be found. Deron Nesbitt is listed as hailing from Saint Kitts a small island with just under 35,000 people. Yet again I have no information on Deron's live per VHL.There is a substantial career to review. He started his career in Mexico City in S81 Was draft to Ottawa in the S82 VHLM Draft. His VHL Draft came in S83 and that season was spent in the VHLE with Cologne. He would be called up to Helsinki were he would stay for two seasons before being shipped to six different teams in seven seasons. In that stretch he has played for,Davos, Seattle, Toronto, Prague, Moscow and London, where he is today. The tragic thing is the Deron has been on the the last two Victory Cup winning teams but has not tasted the Continental Cup. Hopefully he can get that championship before he is forced to retire from carrying his nation everywhere next season.
 
The other defender on this article is significantly younger from the pervious player and hails from Europe. Admir Bala was born in Bern,Switzerland to a pair of Albanian athletes. Having the athletic abilities of his parents and loving SC Bern, it was only a matter of time before he was playing for the Swiss National League side. But the VHLM came calling and Admir would join the Halifax 21st on waivers in S85.He would be drafted in the VHLM draft by Saskatoon the next season before being traded to San Diego where he would spend the rest of that season, winning the Founder's Cup,  and all of the next season. S88 would see promoted to the VHLE and the Oslo Storm. He would win the Renaissance Cup that season and would spend one more season with the Storm in the E. S90, the current season, see Admir in his first VHL season with the Prague Phantoms. Can he win the Continental Cup this season and complete the rare achievement of winning championships at every level of play two years apart from each other. It is an successful way to carry a nation, I suppose.
 
Time to round out this article with a look at every teams favorite player, the goaltenders. Clueless Wallob's home is listed as Bhutan, a mountainous South Asian country between India and China. Yet again I am clueless as to how this wallob got to the VHLM in the first place. Starting with what is known, Wallob joined the San Diego Marlins during on waivers during S82 and would stick with them after being selected by the Marlins 2nd overall in the VHLM draft. His VHL Draft season would see him spend his only season in the VHLE with the Geneva Rush. The next season would see Wallob called up to the Prague Phantoms where he would spend the next four seasons.Trades in S89 and S90 would see him traded to Moscow and Seattle, respectively. Much like Deron Nesbitt, Wallob has been on the last two Victory Cup winning teams with no Continental Cup. He is even the most recent recipient of the Aidan Shaw Trophy and the Greg Clegane Trophy with no championship to his name. He still has some time left to carry his nation to the top of the mountain.
 
Finally on to the last player featured on this article. Henry Tucker Jr claims Cocos Islands,  a small archipelago in the Indian Ocean controlled by Australia. Unlike Grimgor's home there is a settlement of under 600 people living on these islands. For a final time, the lack of any pre VHL records vexes me. What is on record is that Henry would join Halifax of waivers in S83 before being selected 1st overall by Mexico City in the S84 VHLM Draft. His VHL Draft season would Henry up in the VHLE for the Oslo Storm. in his most successful season to date,He would help lead the Storm to a Renaissance Cup championship and He would receive the Florida Man Trophy for his efforts. Afterwards he was called up to Riga where he remains five seasons later. Henry has been a consistent goaltender and has carved out a good career for himself. He has indeed carried his country well.
 
And the long road finally reached it's endpoint. What has been learned a cross this journey. Top talent can come from anywhere in the world. Even places where humans are rare or nonexistent can produce iconic hockey players. While many of the stores of how these players are lost to time, what they have achieved and where they have tread should be remembered, so that children of the locations can continue to carry their county into the future. For VSN 
Scouting this is Will3 signing off
 

With the Malmo Nighthawks sitting at the top of the European Conference, Phillip Rave finds himself in a familiar place about halfway through his rookie year.
 
It's maybe not the place everyone dreams of being when they envision being a professional hockey player, but you won't hear Rave complaining about it too much. Rave finds himself a role player for the second straight year - he's playing more than he did last season for the VHLE's Cologne Express, but the offense just isn't there for him right now.
 
Fortunately, Rave plays a pretty complete game and prides himself on being responsible defensively in addition to providing that scoring touch. He would be the first to admit, though, that the transition to the VHL hasn't gone quite as smoothly as he'd hoped. "It's been fun, for sure. You know, the fastest way to get better at anything is to play against people that are better than you... I'm pretty early on in my career, and there's a lot I can learn from my teammates and from other players, and I'm just trying to get better every shift and learn wherever I can," says Rave. "This is the top level of hockey you'll find. The players here are so, so good. It's taking some getting used to but... it's not a level that I don't think I can get to. It's just going to take some hard work and discipline."
 
Rave has just 5 goals and 14 points in 32 games, but it feels like he's close. He sports a +8 rating, which is good for fifth on the team, and has 106 shots on goal. His shooting percentage of 4.7% suggests he's just been a little unlucky so far, although some might argue it suggests he's just taking bad shots, instead. Among VHL rookies, Rave isn't particularly close to the scoring lead, which belongs to Helsinki's Grimgor Ironhide (31 points in 32 games), but he isn't letting it get to him. "Yeah like I said, this is the best league in the world and those are the best guys in my draft class, so... look I'd have loved to be a Rookie of the Year contender, but at the end of the day, what I really appreciate is looking at the standings and seeing the Malmo Nighthawks in first place."
 
The EU was expected to be the more competitive of the two conferences in S92, and so far, it's living up to that billing with the top-five teams separated by eight points. The Nighthawks have a five-point gap over the London United and Helsinki Titans for second. There's a bit of a gap after the Moscow Menace, eight points down to the Riga Reign, so with 40 games left in the season, the Nighthawks sit in a playoff position by 16 points. Early in the season, it felt like the Nighthawks were fighting the puck a little. Strong play by the defense and from netminder Ash Sparks held them afloat until the offense came around. With a recent surge in offensive production, the Nighthawks are finding their stride.
 
For Rave, who played in the VHLM finals two seasons ago with San Diego and won a Renaissance Cup last season with Cologne, he's exactly where he wants to be. "I live for the big moments," says Rave. "I don't care about how many goals or assists I score in a random regular season game in the middle of the year. I just want to be there when we're fighting for the trophy at the end of the year. And I've been fortunate to the in that position so far in my first two years, and fortunate to be playing for a team that has a chance to be there again this year. That's all I want, man. I want to win games... the rest takes care of itself."

This needs to be a weekly discussion. Next week I will bring my dog to the showcase

Eric White Jr. Hit Riga
 
Eric White Jr, one of the few rookies Riga has this season has had an interesting season so far. Heading into the season White Jr was projected 7th among all rookies for this season which was a good sign for Riga fans. Eric started living up to that potential if not better and then all of the sudden was not putting up any points. White Jr went from leading Riga in points, a seven game point streak to now being a respectable 3rd in points for Riga, un-consistent, 7th in rookie points and not even in the top 10 of Rookies to watch. Well we will figure that out.
 
White Jr has had an interesting journey since his draft in S90. Getting drafted 3 times once in all leagues. In the VHL he was drafted by the D.C. Dragons, in the VHLE he was drafted by the reigning champions Cologne Express and in the VHLM he was drafted by the reigning champions San Diego Marlins who he was a part of being picked up through waivers.

In the VHLM for his 2nd season he went and did decent with 104 points on a dominant San Diego team and even though the Marlins lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs White Jr had the best playoffs but was unable to win Playoff MVP because the marlins didn’t make the finals. White Jr had 20 points in 11 games which included 8 goals and 12 assists, only 5 points behind the playoff leader Sebastian Thunder in 9 less games.
 
In the VHLE Cologne had just won their 2nd straight Championship and 3rd in 4 seasons. An okay season for White Jr in a low scoring VHLE getting 60 points. 20 goals and 40 assists. Heading into the playoffs it looked like White Jr was going to have to turn on his playoff play and he did 8 points in 9 games 3 goals and 5 assists while helping Cologne win their 3rd straight championship and 4th in 5 seasons.
 
Now how did White Jr end up in Riga? Well he was a part of a 1st round flip. The trade does not matter as Eric was heading to Europe to play for Cologne. 

Riga is a young team and with a strong 5 European Conference teams and what should be 6 with Warsaw Riga wasn’t supposed to be good but sitting 6th in the European Conference right now might be good and all Riga needs is a complete 180° if they want to make the playoffs.

So why has White Jr’s production slowed down massively? The 2nd line hasn’t been doing it’s part to help Riga win and it is not because of White Jr as most of the points the 2nd line gets involves Eric. So when Benjamin Zeptenbergs was asked “What are your thoughts on White Jr’s play thus far?” Zeptenbergs said, “He's doing pretty fine, one of the best young Riga players. The +/- may turn people off, but it's just growing pains going on. Now it's just matter of time before he matures and becomes a force to be reckon with.”

The VHL is a big league and all that White Jr needs is some veteran help to get comfortable with the VHL. White Jr said “The team has been a great welcoming for me and the other rookies and overall we expect Riga to be at the top soon”
 
(573 words)

With the Malmo Nighthawks sitting at the top of the European Conference, Phillip Rave finds himself in a familiar place about halfway through his rookie year.
 
It's maybe not the place everyone dreams of being when they envision being a professional hockey player, but you won't hear Rave complaining about it too much. Rave finds himself a role player for the second straight year - he's playing more than he did last season for the VHLE's Cologne Express, but the offense just isn't there for him right now.
 
Fortunately, Rave plays a pretty complete game and prides himself on being responsible defensively in addition to providing that scoring touch. He would be the first to admit, though, that the transition to the VHL hasn't gone quite as smoothly as he'd hoped. "It's been fun, for sure. You know, the fastest way to get better at anything is to play against people that are better than you... I'm pretty early on in my career, and there's a lot I can learn from my teammates and from other players, and I'm just trying to get better every shift and learn wherever I can," says Rave. "This is the top level of hockey you'll find. The players here are so, so good. It's taking some getting used to but... it's not a level that I don't think I can get to. It's just going to take some hard work and discipline."
 
Rave has just 5 goals and 14 points in 32 games, but it feels like he's close. He sports a +8 rating, which is good for fifth on the team, and has 106 shots on goal. His shooting percentage of 4.7% suggests he's just been a little unlucky so far, although some might argue it suggests he's just taking bad shots, instead. Among VHL rookies, Rave isn't particularly close to the scoring lead, which belongs to Helsinki's Grimgor Ironhide (31 points in 32 games), but he isn't letting it get to him. "Yeah like I said, this is the best league in the world and those are the best guys in my draft class, so... look I'd have loved to be a Rookie of the Year contender, but at the end of the day, what I really appreciate is looking at the standings and seeing the Malmo Nighthawks in first place."
 
The EU was expected to be the more competitive of the two conferences in S92, and so far, it's living up to that billing with the top-five teams separated by eight points. The Nighthawks have a five-point gap over the London United and Helsinki Titans for second. There's a bit of a gap after the Moscow Menace, eight points down to the Riga Reign, so with 40 games left in the season, the Nighthawks sit in a playoff position by 16 points. Early in the season, it felt like the Nighthawks were fighting the puck a little. Strong play by the defense and from netminder Ash Sparks held them afloat until the offense came around. With a recent surge in offensive production, the Nighthawks are finding their stride.
 
For Rave, who played in the VHLM finals two seasons ago with San Diego and won a Renaissance Cup last season with Cologne, he's exactly where he wants to be. "I live for the big moments," says Rave. "I don't care about how many goals or assists I score in a random regular season game in the middle of the year. I just want to be there when we're fighting for the trophy at the end of the year. And I've been fortunate to the in that position so far in my first two years, and fortunate to be playing for a team that has a chance to be there again this year. That's all I want, man. I want to win games... the rest takes care of itself."

With the Malmo Nighthawks sitting at the top of the European Conference, Phillip Rave finds himself in a familiar place about halfway through his rookie year.
 
It's maybe not the place everyone dreams of being when they envision being a professional hockey player, but you won't hear Rave complaining about it too much. Rave finds himself a role player for the second straight year - he's playing more than he did last season for the VHLE's Cologne Express, but the offense just isn't there for him right now.
 
Fortunately, Rave plays a pretty complete game and prides himself on being responsible defensively in addition to providing that scoring touch. He would be the first to admit, though, that the transition to the VHL hasn't gone quite as smoothly as he'd hoped. "It's been fun, for sure. You know, the fastest way to get better at anything is to play against people that are better than you... I'm pretty early on in my career, and there's a lot I can learn from my teammates and from other players, and I'm just trying to get better every shift and learn wherever I can," says Rave. "This is the top level of hockey you'll find. The players here are so, so good. It's taking some getting used to but... it's not a level that I don't think I can get to. It's just going to take some hard work and discipline."
 
Rave has just 5 goals and 14 points in 32 games, but it feels like he's close. He sports a +8 rating, which is good for fifth on the team, and has 106 shots on goal. His shooting percentage of 4.7% suggests he's just been a little unlucky so far, although some might argue it suggests he's just taking bad shots, instead. Among VHL rookies, Rave isn't particularly close to the scoring lead, which belongs to Helsinki's Grimgor Ironhide (31 points in 32 games), but he isn't letting it get to him. "Yeah like I said, this is the best league in the world and those are the best guys in my draft class, so... look I'd have loved to be a Rookie of the Year contender, but at the end of the day, what I really appreciate is looking at the standings and seeing the Malmo Nighthawks in first place."
 
The EU was expected to be the more competitive of the two conferences in S92, and so far, it's living up to that billing with the top-five teams separated by eight points. The Nighthawks have a five-point gap over the London United and Helsinki Titans for second. There's a bit of a gap after the Moscow Menace, eight points down to the Riga Reign, so with 40 games left in the season, the Nighthawks sit in a playoff position by 16 points. Early in the season, it felt like the Nighthawks were fighting the puck a little. Strong play by the defense and from netminder Ash Sparks held them afloat until the offense came around. With a recent surge in offensive production, the Nighthawks are finding their stride.
 
For Rave, who played in the VHLM finals two seasons ago with San Diego and won a Renaissance Cup last season with Cologne, he's exactly where he wants to be. "I live for the big moments," says Rave. "I don't care about how many goals or assists I score in a random regular season game in the middle of the year. I just want to be there when we're fighting for the trophy at the end of the year. And I've been fortunate to the in that position so far in my first two years, and fortunate to be playing for a team that has a chance to be there again this year. That's all I want, man. I want to win games... the rest takes care of itself."

@kirbithan
 
Hi everyone! Welcome to the first of 2 articles coming out of the Holiday Auction, specifically @Baozi's winning bid! In this first article I have gone ahead and re-wrote @Beketov's HOF article, so here it is:
 
Joined: July 21, 2007
Member Number: 25
Positions Held: Graphics Grader, League Skinner, VHL Commissioner, BOG, Simmer, VHLM GM

Very few members of the VHL have been around from Season 1, fewer yet without taking a break from the league at some point. While today there is a few members that we’re here at the start of the VHL, Beketov is the sole individual who has persevered through 92 seasons and 16 years and counting. Having been inducted in originally in Season 42, Beketov has been a crucial part of the league for over 75% of it’s existence and the VHL likely doesn’t exist today without their continued commitment to the league.

While throughout the early seasons of the VHL Beketov never held a leadership role with the lone exception being a 2 season VHLM GM stint, it is somewhat well documented that he didn’t aspire for those leadership positions at the time, and much preferred his role in the burgeoning VHL graphics community. In the early years, Beketov was very representative of the average VHL member, consistently doing their tasks, and just chipping away at making their player as best as they could. While Beketov’s start in the VHL was a little controversial, starting with the surprise selection of Robert Sharpe first overall in the Season one draft, best described in in the sixth edition of the 20 in 20 series. Sharpe would retire in season four, with that Beketov adopted the new name ‘Beketov’ and became the member that leads the VHL today.

One of the VHL's earliest and most respected graphic makers and continues to be a positive influence in the field, while he isn’t making graphics as frequently anymore, when asked they are happy to provide advice to graphic makers both young and old both in conversation and through grading and reviewing graphics. Additionally, it has been previously mentioned that they have provided countless members with photoshop earlier in VHL history. The VHL's graphic community is thriving, and with that being said, would be a very different place without Beketov, through both their prior work as a grader, being one of the early go-to people for VHL skins, and more recently always being willing to give a helping hand and provide advice and encouragement when needed.
 
While Beketov never really showed much interest in league leadership early on outside of a brief stint at the Saskatoon Wild GM from S15-S16, in which the team failed to make the playoffs. However, just prior to S57, everything changed as Beketov was appointed VHL Commissioner, a position he still holds today, 6 years later. Since becoming commissioner Beketov has been at the forefront of multiple major league decisions. Most recently, they played a major role in the introduction of hybrid attributes and the league response to STHS exploits. Additionally, they are a one of the main reasons the VHLE exists. Beketov has also played a role in restructuring TPE claims (multi-week claims, introduction of game reviews, etc…) Lastly, Beketov has continued to foster the growth of league partnerships and has been a key decision maker in VHL GM appointments for some time.
 
While Beketov has typically been against expansion typically because of how messy contraction can be, the VHL has grown by leaps and bounds under Beketov. The VHL has doubled in size with the introduction of Moscow, Malmo, D.C., Prague, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Warsaw. The VHLM has also grown considerably going from five to 12 (and then back to 10), while Beketov isn’t directly involved with the VHLM, it is a testament to their league wide leadership. As previously mentioned, Beketov is a main reason why the VHLE exists, as with the massive recruitment through the COVID-19 pandemic, the VHL as a while grew quickly, and a creative and appropriate solution was found.
 
Another one of Beketov’s largely unsung responsibilities goes back to his roots as a graphic designer early in the league’s history as Beketov has been involved in many of the recent logo redesigns through discussions with artists, with GMs, and with BOG. Beketov also creates all the championship banners for the Hall of Fame, and jersey retirement banners for the team pages.
 
Beketov’s players have had a lot of interesting careers, from the first ever VHL draft pick Robert Sharpe (who we won’t talk about much); the monumental success of Hall of Famer Alexander Beketov, the namesake for the VHL trophy for the most assists; and countless solid role players. While many of Beketov’s players haven’t had incredible careers multiple have gone onto make the Hall of Fame, with those being Alexander Beketov, Matt Thompson, and Mikko Lathinen. Thompson served as a star forward for all of Seattle, Helsinki, and Malmo, during which they won a remarkable 13 individual awards and Beketov’s most recent Continental Cup in S66 with Helsinki. Lathinen was the most dominant forward both physically and on the scoresheet for several seasons, winning three consecutive Scott Boulet Trophies, and a total of 11 individual awards! Goaltending wise Bektov has had a pair of successful goaltenders with Jakab Holik who won the S53 Aidan Shaw Trophy, and more recently Papa Emeritus, who was the backbone of a Moscow team that constantly fell just short of the Continental Cup, Emeritus won the Shaw and Clegane trophies in S84. Currently Mark Calaway is an elite defenseman for the D.C. Dragons with their best seasons ahead of them.
 
 
It is difficult to put what Beketov has done for the league into words, we can safely say that the VHL likely doesn’t exist if it weren’t for him. So, I think I can speak for everyone when I say thank you for all your hard work and dedication over the years!

With the Malmo Nighthawks sitting at the top of the European Conference, Phillip Rave finds himself in a familiar place about halfway through his rookie year.
 
It's maybe not the place everyone dreams of being when they envision being a professional hockey player, but you won't hear Rave complaining about it too much. Rave finds himself a role player for the second straight year - he's playing more than he did last season for the VHLE's Cologne Express, but the offense just isn't there for him right now.
 
Fortunately, Rave plays a pretty complete game and prides himself on being responsible defensively in addition to providing that scoring touch. He would be the first to admit, though, that the transition to the VHL hasn't gone quite as smoothly as he'd hoped. "It's been fun, for sure. You know, the fastest way to get better at anything is to play against people that are better than you... I'm pretty early on in my career, and there's a lot I can learn from my teammates and from other players, and I'm just trying to get better every shift and learn wherever I can," says Rave. "This is the top level of hockey you'll find. The players here are so, so good. It's taking some getting used to but... it's not a level that I don't think I can get to. It's just going to take some hard work and discipline."
 
Rave has just 5 goals and 14 points in 32 games, but it feels like he's close. He sports a +8 rating, which is good for fifth on the team, and has 106 shots on goal. His shooting percentage of 4.7% suggests he's just been a little unlucky so far, although some might argue it suggests he's just taking bad shots, instead. Among VHL rookies, Rave isn't particularly close to the scoring lead, which belongs to Helsinki's Grimgor Ironhide (31 points in 32 games), but he isn't letting it get to him. "Yeah like I said, this is the best league in the world and those are the best guys in my draft class, so... look I'd have loved to be a Rookie of the Year contender, but at the end of the day, what I really appreciate is looking at the standings and seeing the Malmo Nighthawks in first place."
 
The EU was expected to be the more competitive of the two conferences in S92, and so far, it's living up to that billing with the top-five teams separated by eight points. The Nighthawks have a five-point gap over the London United and Helsinki Titans for second. There's a bit of a gap after the Moscow Menace, eight points down to the Riga Reign, so with 40 games left in the season, the Nighthawks sit in a playoff position by 16 points. Early in the season, it felt like the Nighthawks were fighting the puck a little. Strong play by the defense and from netminder Ash Sparks held them afloat until the offense came around. With a recent surge in offensive production, the Nighthawks are finding their stride.
 
For Rave, who played in the VHLM finals two seasons ago with San Diego and won a Renaissance Cup last season with Cologne, he's exactly where he wants to be. "I live for the big moments," says Rave. "I don't care about how many goals or assists I score in a random regular season game in the middle of the year. I just want to be there when we're fighting for the trophy at the end of the year. And I've been fortunate to the in that position so far in my first two years, and fortunate to be playing for a team that has a chance to be there again this year. That's all I want, man. I want to win games... the rest takes care of itself."

the opportunity presented itself and i simply could not resist.

Crazy how good people are at editing the jerseys. Really cool!

I mean, as a Dman I probably would just keep the checking. But as a forward there are a couple really good arguments for not checking at all. You can't score when you are in the box for one bc less ice time. Also if you are checking you cannot be the one who picks up the loose pucks, which as a build with that high of a DF rating you'd be one of the most likely players to gather that takeaway. And third, I believe that in the sim really the only person who hits on any line is the one with the MOST checking, but how much you actually hit doesn't change the likelihood of taking penalties. I think I've seen that occur at a consistent rate regardless of the actual hit numbers. I'm no expert in the sim engine but those are my observations. So if someone spent 17 TPE on BC for 1 more DF and then just 2 more on PO to counteract the hitting I wouldn't really blame them. And I also wouldn't really advise it on a per CK basis. You may go up to 70 BC and then go, "oh, my CK at 65 is too much, let me knock that to 55" that's only 20 TPE of PO I think to significantly reduce your PIMS.

Surely we're not asking to make attributes more efficient and cost friendly when that was the reason we had to change attributes in the first place, right....?

I kinda get it though, there were exactly two teams who didn't have their goalie mentioned at all... dead last Seattle and first in the EU Malmo. Our offense was struggling pretty bad until like two sims before the time of writing, so it's entirely defense and goaltending that got us up there, and Sparks was like a .932, which while seventh, was behind three goalies at .933 (two of whom are now behind Sparks), so no practical difference between that and being tied for 4th... he mentioned a guy who was like 41st in league scoring as leading our offense.
 
It's just a writeup for entertainment in a sim league so like not a big deal at all but I can see where's he coming from. And from someone on the team, Sparks is absolutely our MVP right now.

At the end of the day the biggest issue will always be Simon's simulator.  Until (and if ever) we find a proper engine to jump to these arguments will always continue and go in circles.  I think the stupidest and most misleading thing to newer members is that Leadership and Discipline are virtually useless, yet still there and still upgradeable.  Just always going to remain confusing with most users gearing toward a "meta" in the most cost effective way possible.

Holy shit what? That's amazing and I don't know how I've never seen it mentioned.
 
Edit: found it
 
If you stick around well enough with this player, I'm certainly here for it. Everyone who joined post-Gritty has been missing out.

1) Ever since I saw the video of Edwin Diaz walking to the mound to "Narco" a few years ago, I've thought it's a brilliant intro/entrance song, and while it probably fits a little better as that than as a goal song, I think it would be pretty cool to hear after a goal, too. I'd probably go with that, but maybe "Break" by Three Days Grace.
 
2) The first things I can closely remember are all from a time where I was growing up in Thompson and watching the Norman Northstars, a Midget AAA team that to any hockey-loving kids there was pretty much the coolest thing. We idolized the guys that were good enough to make that team. I lived there for four years and we went to a ton of games. Loved the rink, every seat in the place was up close to the action, it really captured the whole "small hockey town" vibe, though I don't know if it really did or if it just felt that way because I was a young kid. One year they auctioned off the jerseys... we won the one won by Shane Clarkson and I wore it to one of the games. He came out of the locker room that night with his stick; lots of kids were grabbing at it and he picked me out and said, "this one's for the kid with the cool number". So that was pretty awesome! Watching the Northstars makes up a lot of my childhood hockey memories. I remember being at Manitoba Moose games prior to that but I was too young to have any real recollection of what was going on beyond just, "I was in the stands".
 
3) Number 11. I kind of just try to pick a number that I think will look good on a jersey. I'm usually a little partial to single digits but I wanted to pick something different this time around. I don't know if there's particularly any rhyme or reason to it, although my dad did wear 11 when he played hockey growing up and I may have subconciously factored that in a bit.
 
4) I'd probably say Daryl Dixon - Rice was my original GM when I got into the league and was such a good GM and helped so many of us first gens out in those early years. I've never got to play on a team with him (at least not while I was active, possibly towards the end of McLaren's career I might have ended up somewhere with him but I don't know), but it would be cool to get the opportunity. Plus, Dixon's a darn good player with one of the few 1250+ TPA builds out there so it probably couldn't hurt to be on his line!
 
5) I generally entertain myself with video games, so I'd probably prefer to just bring a Nintendo Switch with a Pokemon game or Tears of the Kingdom and occupy myself with that - but in the interest of answering the question that was asked, I'd say a movie. I'd probably bring Infinity War and Endgame, although if I wanted to keep it on brand, being a hockey road trip and all, might just go for Miracle.
 
6) I've been doing a lot of research & practice in the field of content creation ... stuff like social media marketing, video editing, creating good titles/thumbnails for YouTube, etc. but I'm self-taught, work a full-time job, and there's SO much to learn! I love doing it and I know I've improved a lot, but it would be pretty cool to just instantaneously be really good at all of it. It's the kind of thing that I would really enjoy being able to do as a full-time job over working a 9-5 in the office, not that I dislike my current situation or anything.

Great answers! I'm gonna have to look up Narco 'cuz I've never seen that video.  I really enjoyed your story about watching the Northstars, getting a jersey and a stick! Really cool and it's amazing how experiences like that stay with us!  I guess I should have included video games as a third option, huh? 

The Malmo Nighthawks have come out of the gate hot - as we get past the first third of the season, the Nighthawks currently lead the EU with a 17-6-3 record, just ahead of the Moscow Menace.
 
The Nighthawks' offense has taken some time to get going, with 73 goals in 26 games - that ranks them as the 7th best offense in the league - but they have shone defensively and between the pipes, Ash Sparks is having the best season of his career so far. He has shaken off a bit of a slow start to sit at 14-6-3 with a 2.18 GAA and .932 SV%. The Nighthawks have allowed just 58 goals in 26 games.
 
Fortunately for the Nighthawks - who are led in scoring by defenseman Jacob Stone and centre Viktor Jensen, each of whom has 26 points in 26 games and are tied for 33rd in league scoring - they have shown some signs of life over the last few games. Over their first 19 games, they had been averaging just 2.52 GPG but in their past 7, they have lit the lamp 25 times, 3.57 GPG, bringing them up to 2.81 on the year.
 
There is plenty of talent on the Nighthawks roster up front, and there is no reason to suspect any of Jensen, Yaroslav Bogatyrev, or Henry Eagles will sit behind the PPG mark for an entire season. If the Nighthawks have truly turned the corner offensively, they could be a force to be reckoned with in a competitive European Conference.

Congrats! That's our captain 

The Malmo Nighthawks have come out of the gate hot - as we get past the first third of the season, the Nighthawks currently lead the EU with a 17-6-3 record, just ahead of the Moscow Menace.
 
The Nighthawks' offense has taken some time to get going, with 73 goals in 26 games - that ranks them as the 7th best offense in the league - but they have shone defensively and between the pipes, Ash Sparks is having the best season of his career so far. He has shaken off a bit of a slow start to sit at 14-6-3 with a 2.18 GAA and .932 SV%. The Nighthawks have allowed just 58 goals in 26 games.
 
Fortunately for the Nighthawks - who are led in scoring by defenseman Jacob Stone and centre Viktor Jensen, each of whom has 26 points in 26 games and are tied for 33rd in league scoring - they have shown some signs of life over the last few games. Over their first 19 games, they had been averaging just 2.52 GPG but in their past 7, they have lit the lamp 25 times, 3.57 GPG, bringing them up to 2.81 on the year.
 
There is plenty of talent on the Nighthawks roster up front, and there is no reason to suspect any of Jensen, Yaroslav Bogatyrev, or Henry Eagles will sit behind the PPG mark for an entire season. If the Nighthawks have truly turned the corner offensively, they could be a force to be reckoned with in a competitive European Conference.

Congrats! That's our captain 

Last week I wanted to reveal what the Malmo Nighthawks jerseys for S92 are- but in doing so I failed to write about a small milestone that my goalie, Ash Sparks, achieved last week on January 16th. 
The 15th game for the Malmo Nighthawks S92 campaign was not only a great game vs the Helsinki Titans, it would also be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for all in attendance and for a certain member of the Nighthawks franchise. In an incredibly tight battle where the Nighthawks would claim a 2-1 victory over the Titans, Nighthawks goaltender Ash Sparks stood tall and saved 24/25 shots (0.960 save%) to earn his 8th win (8-3-2) in his 13th appearance of the season for the Nighthawks.
Entering into this game, he played 199 regular season games as the Nighthawks starting netminder and had 99 wins in that span. This Victory would give him his 100th win after his 200th game as a Malmo Nighthawk- making him the 5th goalie to ever reach this milestone for the Nighthawks, and the fastest to ever do so. 
 
At the time of writing this article; Ash Sparks currently holds a 102-76-25 career record with the Malmo Nighthawks since being traded over from the Seattle Bears in S89. His regular season career so far has been impressive- boasting a 0.926 save%, and 15 shutouts puts him 2nd all-time in Nighthawks history for both at the current moment, and his 2.47 GAA is #1 all-time in franchise history! 
 
-VSN’s S92 VHL season preview
 
I personally am very excited to see how this “second tier goaltender” finishes off the season as he is currently riding career highs with a 0.932 save%, and a 2.19 GAA after playing 1/3 of the season so far.
-🔥⚡️
 
(293 words)

1) Ever since I saw the video of Edwin Diaz walking to the mound to "Narco" a few years ago, I've thought it's a brilliant intro/entrance song, and while it probably fits a little better as that than as a goal song, I think it would be pretty cool to hear after a goal, too. I'd probably go with that, but maybe "Break" by Three Days Grace.
 
2) The first things I can closely remember are all from a time where I was growing up in Thompson and watching the Norman Northstars, a Midget AAA team that to any hockey-loving kids there was pretty much the coolest thing. We idolized the guys that were good enough to make that team. I lived there for four years and we went to a ton of games. Loved the rink, every seat in the place was up close to the action, it really captured the whole "small hockey town" vibe, though I don't know if it really did or if it just felt that way because I was a young kid. One year they auctioned off the jerseys... we won the one won by Shane Clarkson and I wore it to one of the games. He came out of the locker room that night with his stick; lots of kids were grabbing at it and he picked me out and said, "this one's for the kid with the cool number". So that was pretty awesome! Watching the Northstars makes up a lot of my childhood hockey memories. I remember being at Manitoba Moose games prior to that but I was too young to have any real recollection of what was going on beyond just, "I was in the stands".
 
3) Number 11. I kind of just try to pick a number that I think will look good on a jersey. I'm usually a little partial to single digits but I wanted to pick something different this time around. I don't know if there's particularly any rhyme or reason to it, although my dad did wear 11 when he played hockey growing up and I may have subconciously factored that in a bit.
 
4) I'd probably say Daryl Dixon - Rice was my original GM when I got into the league and was such a good GM and helped so many of us first gens out in those early years. I've never got to play on a team with him (at least not while I was active, possibly towards the end of McLaren's career I might have ended up somewhere with him but I don't know), but it would be cool to get the opportunity. Plus, Dixon's a darn good player with one of the few 1250+ TPA builds out there so it probably couldn't hurt to be on his line!
 
5) I generally entertain myself with video games, so I'd probably prefer to just bring a Nintendo Switch with a Pokemon game or Tears of the Kingdom and occupy myself with that - but in the interest of answering the question that was asked, I'd say a movie. I'd probably bring Infinity War and Endgame, although if I wanted to keep it on brand, being a hockey road trip and all, might just go for Miracle.
 
6) I've been doing a lot of research & practice in the field of content creation ... stuff like social media marketing, video editing, creating good titles/thumbnails for YouTube, etc. but I'm self-taught, work a full-time job, and there's SO much to learn! I love doing it and I know I've improved a lot, but it would be pretty cool to just instantaneously be really good at all of it. It's the kind of thing that I would really enjoy being able to do as a full-time job over working a 9-5 in the office, not that I dislike my current situation or anything.