tcookie

The VHL All-World Cup Team

Since the inception of the VHL, the World Cup has been a place where the best players in the world compete on an international stage. While the format of the event has changed over time, the World Cup is now a place where the VHL's finest face-off every second season for some extra glory, a chance for many of them to play alongside some other greats that they haven't gotten the chance to share the ice with. Sometimes, a player makes even more a name for himself with sustained international success. Today, we take a look at the greatest players in the history of the World Cup, in the tournament's current 9F - 4D - 2G roster format.

** - It's entirely possible, probably even likely, that incomplete stats may have been used here, as some World Cup info, primarily from the early years is tough to find. Apologies for any omissions that may have resulted from that, and it is also likely why there is an S60-ish-onwards slant to the team I think

FORWARDS

Scotty Campbell - Switzerland
S2, S4, S6 -- 18 GP, 21 G, 36 A, 57 P
Scotty Campbell was an original VHL star, a player that people still talk about today 74 seasons into the history of the VHL. He represented Switzerland three times in VHL World Cups, and put up totals so staggering that his 13 points in 6 games in S6 looks like a disappointment, averaging 3 points per game overall. Only a handful of players have ever matched the 25 points Campbell scored in the first VHL World Cup in S2, and all of them had at least 10 games to Campbell's 6. It may have been a different time with less competition, but the raw numbers Campbell scored are so staggering you'd be insane to leave him off the team.

Lars Berger - Scandinavia
S18, S20, S22, S24 -- 48 GP, 45 G, 39 A, 83 P
Berger is the all-time leader in World Cup goals and points. His best tournament was in S20 where he had 14 goals and 25 points in 12 games, but he was dominant in all four appearances, ending up very close to a goal-per-game average as an offensive force for Sweden and Team Scandinavia.
 
Julian Borwinn - Canada
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 58 GP, 27 G, 33 A, 60 P -- 327 S, 142 HIT, 48 PIM, 27 SB
It's an incredibly rare feat to suit up in the World Cup five times over a VHL career - Borwinn is one of what we believe to be just five players to do so, and four of them will feature on this team. A youngster in S62, Borwinn suited up for the Mercenaries for his first appearance, then qualified for Team Canada the next four times out. He actually had his best tournament, points-wise, in his S62 debut where he picked up 19 points in 12 games, but was also a key contributor when Canada won the S66 gold medal. Borwinn's 60 career World Cup points leads all players post-S34.

Jasper Canmore - Canada
S60, S62, S64 -- 34 GP, 15 G, 34 A, 49 P -- 168 S, 44 HIT, 22 PIM, 13 SB
Canmore suited up for three World Cups, all for Team Canada, and he was an impact player in all of them. S62 in particular was the pièce de resistance of Canmore's international career - in that tournament, he had 4 goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 12 games, one of the highest scoring single-tournament totals in recent memory, while Canada captured gold. Canmore was also a PPG-or-better player in his other two appearances.

Matt Bailey - Switzerland
S12, S14, S16, S18 -- 48 GP, 28 G, 51 A, 79 P
Bailey is the World Cup's second-leading scorer of all-time, and its all-time leader in assists. Another International star produced by Switzerland, he also finished at a PPG-or-better rate every time he pulled on his country's uniform, with his best event coming when he put up 26 points in S14.

Podrick Cast - Western Europe
S60, S62, S64, S66, S68 -- 56 GP, 28 G, 25 A, 53 P -- 272 S, 50 HIT, 34 PIM, 25 SB
Cast is another one of the impressive group that managed to suit up for five World Cups. Though his first trip to the tournament only yielded 2 goals in 12 games, Cast stepped it up in a big way every time he was called upon after that, scoring at least 6 goals in every tournament and producing 51 points in 44 games. He's second post-S40 in World Cup goals. Unfortunately for him, Cast never got to play in a gold medal game, with his best result coming when Western Europe captured Bronze with a 3-1 win over Canada in his final appearance - a game in which Cast scored the game-winning-goal.

Beau Louth - Canada
S62, S64, S66 -- 36 GP, 26 G, 20 A, 46 P -- 186 S, 45 HIT, 40 PIM, 11 SB
Louth arrived on the world stage with a bang, scoring 13 goals and 22 points in the S62 World Cup and helping win a gold medal for Canada, who he then represented twice more during his international career. Louth had 15 points in the S64 World Cup and though he was nearing the end of his career in S66, stepped his game up in the medal round with 4 points in the last 3 games of the tournament in Canada's gold-medal win. Louth's 26 goals put him third among players who played in post-S40 World Cups, but the two ahead of him both played in five tournaments to Louth's three.

Anatoli Zhumbayev - World
S32, S34, S37 -- 24 GP, 26 G, 20 A, 46 PTS -- 166 S, 25 HIT, 33 PIM, 10 SB
Zhumbayev had a somewhat quiet debut on the world stage when he had 5 goals and 10 points for Russia in S32, but he became downright feared by opponents when he returned in S34. There, he tallied 18 goals and 24 points in 12 games, an absurd scoring total that nobody has ever come close to (Berger, with 14 in S20, was the closest). In his third and final WC appearance in S37, Zhumbayev was again an offensive powerhouse, finishing with 22 points in 12 games. He is one of just three players to boast multiple 20-point World Cup tournaments.

Matt Thompson - Canada
S60, S62, S64, S66, S68 -- 58 GP, 30 G, 21 A, 51 P -- 314 S, 99 HIT, 84 PIM, 12 SB
Thompson brought a different dimension than most of the forwards on this team, a good goal scorer who also brought some snarl, with 99 hits and 84 PIM in his WC career. Thompson is also the only player post-S40 to tally 30 goals in World Cup play. After playing for the Mercenaries and not making much of an impression in S60, he became a valued member of the next four Team Canada entries, and is one of several members of Canada's S62 and S66 gold-medal winners to be featured here.

Just missed the cut: Edwin Preencarnacion - World, Grimm Jonsson - Sweden, David Smalling - United Kingdom
 

DEFENSEMEN

Ryan Kastelic - World
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 62 GP, 13 G, 45 A, 58 P -- 164 S, 135 HIT, 78 PIM, 81 SB
Kastelic appeared for Team World in five straight World Cups, and an argument could be made for him as the greatest International player of all-time. Kastelic debuted in S62 with a 6-point showing before establishing himself as a premier player in S64 with 11 points. He was flat-out dominant in S66 - 20 points in 12 games while playing more than 31 minutes per game - but the World team fell short in the S66 final and took silver. Kastelic moved up front in S68 and represented Team World as a forward in his last two appearances. Also capturing silver medals in S62 and S68, Team World finally broke through in S70 and Kastelic won a much-deserved gold medal. He is also second all-time in World Cup assists.
 
Joseph McWolf - Western Europe
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 56 GP, 10 G, 33 A, 43 P -- 122 S, 166 HIT, 110 PIM, 96 SB
Playing five years for Western Europe, McWolf's was a two-way presence on the back end, solid offensively but also physical and willing to sacrifice his body, and hard to find room to get around on the ice defensively. He suffered from the same fate as Podrick Cast, a teammate on the S62-S68 teams, never playing on a team quite strong enough to make it to a gold medal game, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. His best single tournament was when he had 13 points and 33 hits in 11 games in S68.

Colton Rayne - USA
S60, S62, S64 -- 37 GP, 6 G, 35 A, 41 P -- 82 S, 91 HIT, 56 PIM, 77 SB
Rayne's numbers are staggering for a defenseman who only played in three tournaments, second only to McWolf in scoring among players who only played as defensemen - 2 points behind with 19 fewer games played. A remarkably consistent contributor, Rayne had tournaments of 14, 14, and 13 points. In all three of his tournaments, he played in gold medal games, winning in S60 but losing to Canada in S62 and World in S64.

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - USA
S66, S68, S70, S72 -- 46 GP, 9 G, 30 A, 39 P -- 111 S, 125 HIT, 70 PIM, 78 SB
Rayne's international career ended in S64 and Werbenjagermanjensen stepped right in as the #1 defenseman on the national team, with a 4-goal 9-point performance in his first WC appearance. He remained an effective player throughout his VHL and international career, with tournaments of 11, 9, and 10 points. Compared to Rayne, he didn't have quite the international offensive production, but he was a true shut-down player and big part of the USA's continued success internationally, including a return to the top when they captured the S68 gold medal.

Just missed the cut: Alexander Valiq - Scandinavia, Tzuyu - World
 

GOALIES

Norris Stopko - Canada
S60, S62, S64 -- 34 GP, 25-6-3 record, 2.30 GAA, 0.922 SV%, 2 SO
Stopko is probably best-known internationally for his performance in the S62 World Cup gold medal game, helping Canada capture a gold medal as the cap to an absolutely brilliant tournament as a whole (he went 10-1-1 with a .933 save percentage). Stopko finished his international career with a sparkling 23-4-3 record in round robin play, but he did suffer losses, albeit not usually due to his own play, early in the medal rounds in S60 and S64.

Kallis Kriketers - World
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 55 GP, 31-21-3 record, 2.61 GAA, 0.918 SV%, 5 SO
Kriketers was one of the best goalies in the VHL during his prime, and he did his best to make Team World a player on the international stage. Kriketers may not have quite been ready for the spotlight as part of a tandem in S62, but after proving to be World's best option in net in S64, they knocked off the USA to capture the S64 gold medal. In S68, Kriketers posted a .925 save percentage for World but a 3-4-1 record, before rebounding to carry the team into the gold medal game against USA; however, the Americans were too much this time around. Then, after not making team World in S70, Kriketers took the Mercenaries to the bronze medal game, but lost despite posting a .971 save percentage in the medal round.

Just missed the cut: Tuomas Tukio - Scandinavia

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1900 words or so (it was 1896, but I changed a few sentences around before posting it)... will claim it for 3 weeks + for theme week this week

If you ask Gustav about how he names characters he gives some excuse that he is no good and uses people’s names.
 
This had me thinking is that the case or is he just hiding something?
 
Let’s have a look at the three names he uses in the VHL:
Jerry Garcia
Gustav Mattias
Taro Tsujimoto
 
Now by themselves they all seem like normal names that no one would bat an eye at right. Well that is where you are wrong you need to look at them as a collective.
 
First, we take the Initial of each name and we get GGJMTT now alone those letters look fine, but they are hiding something, we are just missing vowels. When you add in vowels you get words like Maggot and Mutts which just shows you what kind of person he really is.
 
If we go one step further and grab the first two letters of each word, you know what we get when we rearrange it. Jugs Meat. Now Jugs is slang for breast, and you know what some well know breast is. Yep that is right its chicken. What is connected to the breast, the wing. Where does Gustav live, Buffalo. What is Buffalo famous for, Wings…
 
So just think about it folks this guy who seems nice on the surface what is he really hiding. I am afraid to go any further for my own safety. Continue at your own peril
 
@GustavMattias

This was super fun to make, yes, the post-it notes cutting off some of a couple letters is intentional, you can figure out what they mean... text-only version is below if you want it.
 

 
-- text only version --
 
Player Profile
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 155 lbs.
Jersey Number: 9
Born: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Favourite Player: Theo Fleury
VHLM Team: Miami Marauders
Latest VHCS Ranking: 35
 
A 19-year-old left winger prospect with high upside. Not well known in VHL circles, but has impressed thus far in his career with his work ethic off the ice, and with his intensity and scoring ability on the ice. Not a particularly flashy player with the puck, but isn’t afraid to go to high traffic areas of the ice. High-end athleticism: a two-sport athlete, hockey and football, until choosing to focus on hockey after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in a high school football game. Played at Eden Prairie, four-year contributor on the hockey team and one of the team’s most relied upon players in his final two seasons. Lead the team to a State Championship and was runner-up for Minnesota High School Player of the Year in the 2018-19 season.
 
McLaren committed to the University of Minnesota and played his way up to a bigger role with the team late in his freshman season, before leaving the team to declare himself eligible for the S75 VHL Draft. Has not looked out of place in a first-line role with the Marauders, displaying trademark physicality and skill, however his production has not been quite as expected. McLaren will look to remedy questions about long-term offensive upside in the second half of the VHLM season.
 
A late addition to the draft class that comes to the VHL with some uncertainty. He’s not a known name and he played against pretty weak competition for a long time, though he did dominate that competition in his junior and senior seasons. Small, feisty, talented kid - someone we will have to keep an eye on leading up to the draft for sure.
 
Strengths
-- Kid’s got a lethal shot on him. Needs to work on finding open ice to unleash it, but that should come. Not hard to see him scoring 30, 40 goals in the VHL one day.
-- Not afraid of anything. He protects himself and his teammates, he goes to dirty areas and he throws his weight around.
-- Surprisingly reliable two-way player, given his size deficiency. Works hard backchecking, gets in guys’ faces, and can use his strong skating to regain positioning if he loses his man.
 
Weaknesses
-- 5’7 155 is tiny and for a guy who’s only played a season past the high school level, he’s going to face more size as he moves up. How will he fare against bigger opponents? Right now he’s a bit too easily knocked off the puck, and he’ll always have a small frame.
-- No sugar-coating it, he’s dirty. He’ll hack and slash and get under an opponent’s skin but crosses the line sometimes, takes selfish penalties & spends a lot of time in the box.
-- He gets tunnel vision sometimes and will work himself into tight situations without any real options and it leads to turnovers. Not a terribly effective passer at this stage of his career.
 
- Brandon Janzen, VHL Scouting Service

...the VHLM has a problem. I'm not applying to be VHLM commish for some real-life reasons (running drafts isn't something I could ever guarantee I'd be there for with my current schedule, and I'm in the busiest semester I've had yet with probably at least a couple more at this level to come), but that doesn't mean I don't have my ideas. And they're strongly-held enough that I figured I'd get them out there before news of the next hire broke so I don't look like I'm saying "hey, [REDACTED], here's what you should be doing with your job now that you've got it." These are just my own opinions on how things should be run. I don't even have a reason to write this up this week (well, I do--hello EFL affiliate check!) but it's probably the best time to do it and it's something I feel I need to get out there as there is, and always has been, a lot happening that ideally should never happen in a league that claims to be retention-first.
 
The VHLM is only a very loose draft pick limit away from going full ancap. Debate all you want about real-life politics, but in this specific situation that is positively not a good thing. Let's get on with the Ninety-Five Theses airing of grievances personal vendetta explanation.
 
There's a problem with inactive players. 
All too often, a team will end up with a player at a high TPE level who isn't earning and/or just isn't even active. These players will, again, all too often end up sucking in huge amounts of ice time and putting up big numbers, season after season, until eventually their contract expires, or they come back around in the offseason to sign a contract and then just straight-up disappear for the next two months, taking time away from the new guys so the GM can feel better about themselves. This happens way too often to be ignored, and it's clear that a loose "if you're found to be using inactives over actives, you'll be punished" rule isn't cutting it (Minnesota got in trouble for this just this season--it was the first time I've ever seen that happen, and they're hardly the only guilty party). So, what I'm suggesting is this:
 
Any player with 150 TPE or greater, who has not updated in the past four weeks, will be removed from their team at the start of a season.
But, Gustav, this can be circumvented! GMs can have someone slow their earning and only claim practice facility every week once they hit 200, or get them on to claim it once three weeks before the cutoff every season!
Too bad! There's a reasonable response to that.
Any GM found to be circumventing this rule should be punished accordingly. Player audits should be done every offseason to ensure that "active" players are earning consistently.
AND
No player may spend more than four seasons in the VHLM. Have you been down for four seasons? Are you active? Cool, you get moved up to the VHL. You should have a respectable amount of TPE by that point--and, in fact, no consistent earner will be down for any longer than this (no consistent earner will be down for any longer than three, but I'm willing to give the player the benefit of the doubt). 
 
 
There's a serious boom-and-bust cycle that's directly hurting recruitment and retention.
Do you have picks? Cool, you compete. Do you not have picks? You sell everything you've got and hope for the best return. On top of this leading to some seriously messed-up standings every season, there's also a direct incentive to NOT offer to new players. Teams at the top of the standings don't want to bring in newer, lower-TPE players who they're theoretically obligated to put on the ice, and teams at the bottom don't want to accidentally get better and tank their draft position. I've got a bit of a two-pronged solution to this one.
 
Reduce the pick limit. Right now, VHLM teams are limited to three first-round and three second-round picks in each draft. Take this down to two each. This makes it more difficult to stack up a team by buying, and it also makes it more difficult to stack up picks by tanking. Sure, there can be some parity every season, and there will be a meta if this is the only change, but it won't be as extreme.
 
Change the waiver system. Every season, there are players who create and then proceed to see not even a single offer. There are always one or two teams who fill up their waiver spots right away--and that's great. There are also a few teams who don't offer to anyone, whether they're at the top and claiming they're "full" (while usually playing high-TPE inactives) or at the bottom and quietly hoping for some luck in the draft lottery. This leads to a few situations where, often later on in the season, players will create and go unsigned. One player going unsigned is too many. So, here's what I'd like to suggest.
Make the waiver limit larger, or even eliminate it entirely. There is no reason why a GM who has done a great job bringing in players should effectively be told that they can't continue to do a great job bringing in players. This can even make the standings more interesting as this might make it possible for a lower-level or mid-level team to climb above where they were at the start of the season.
OR
If, after 24 hours, a player has received no signing offers, they will be automatically assigned to the team with the lowest number of waiver signings, assuming said team has room on their roster. If there are multiple teams with the same number of signings, the team who gets said player will be picked from those teams at random. This, surprisingly, hasn't been much of an issue this season, even with the latest recruitment drive, but I can see teams, post-deadline, saying "no, I don't want to offer to this player because they're 30 TPE" and watching them get bored after receiving zero offers and quit. Oh, and also, if the team in question has no room on their roster by virtue of making use of inactive players, inactives will be removed to make room by commissioner discretion. Are you high up in the standings and getting assigned 30-TPE players and having your 200-TPE inactives cut after the deadline because you failed to sign anyone before then? Too bad, maybe you should have been less selfish early on in the season. Commissioners should also run random checks on ice time for low-TPE active players, to ensure that they're getting a reasonable amount of it. 
 
Again, the VHLM is meant to be retention-first. The VHLM claims to be retention-first. The problem with that is that the VHLM is not retention-first. It's time to make it that way.
 
prepares for thread to blow up

The VHL All-World Cup Team

Since the inception of the VHL, the World Cup has been a place where the best players in the world compete on an international stage. While the format of the event has changed over time, the World Cup is now a place where the VHL's finest face-off every second season for some extra glory, a chance for many of them to play alongside some other greats that they haven't gotten the chance to share the ice with. Sometimes, a player makes even more a name for himself with sustained international success. Today, we take a look at the greatest players in the history of the World Cup, in the tournament's current 9F - 4D - 2G roster format.

** - It's entirely possible, probably even likely, that incomplete stats may have been used here, as some World Cup info, primarily from the early years is tough to find. Apologies for any omissions that may have resulted from that, and it is also likely why there is an S60-ish-onwards slant to the team I think

FORWARDS

Scotty Campbell - Switzerland
S2, S4, S6 -- 18 GP, 21 G, 36 A, 57 P
Scotty Campbell was an original VHL star, a player that people still talk about today 74 seasons into the history of the VHL. He represented Switzerland three times in VHL World Cups, and put up totals so staggering that his 13 points in 6 games in S6 looks like a disappointment, averaging 3 points per game overall. Only a handful of players have ever matched the 25 points Campbell scored in the first VHL World Cup in S2, and all of them had at least 10 games to Campbell's 6. It may have been a different time with less competition, but the raw numbers Campbell scored are so staggering you'd be insane to leave him off the team.

Lars Berger - Scandinavia
S18, S20, S22, S24 -- 48 GP, 45 G, 39 A, 83 P
Berger is the all-time leader in World Cup goals and points. His best tournament was in S20 where he had 14 goals and 25 points in 12 games, but he was dominant in all four appearances, ending up very close to a goal-per-game average as an offensive force for Sweden and Team Scandinavia.
 
Julian Borwinn - Canada
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 58 GP, 27 G, 33 A, 60 P -- 327 S, 142 HIT, 48 PIM, 27 SB
It's an incredibly rare feat to suit up in the World Cup five times over a VHL career - Borwinn is one of what we believe to be just five players to do so, and four of them will feature on this team. A youngster in S62, Borwinn suited up for the Mercenaries for his first appearance, then qualified for Team Canada the next four times out. He actually had his best tournament, points-wise, in his S62 debut where he picked up 19 points in 12 games, but was also a key contributor when Canada won the S66 gold medal. Borwinn's 60 career World Cup points leads all players post-S34.

Jasper Canmore - Canada
S60, S62, S64 -- 34 GP, 15 G, 34 A, 49 P -- 168 S, 44 HIT, 22 PIM, 13 SB
Canmore suited up for three World Cups, all for Team Canada, and he was an impact player in all of them. S62 in particular was the pièce de resistance of Canmore's international career - in that tournament, he had 4 goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 12 games, one of the highest scoring single-tournament totals in recent memory, while Canada captured gold. Canmore was also a PPG-or-better player in his other two appearances.

Matt Bailey - Switzerland
S12, S14, S16, S18 -- 48 GP, 28 G, 51 A, 79 P
Bailey is the World Cup's second-leading scorer of all-time, and its all-time leader in assists. Another International star produced by Switzerland, he also finished at a PPG-or-better rate every time he pulled on his country's uniform, with his best event coming when he put up 26 points in S14.

Podrick Cast - Western Europe
S60, S62, S64, S66, S68 -- 56 GP, 28 G, 25 A, 53 P -- 272 S, 50 HIT, 34 PIM, 25 SB
Cast is another one of the impressive group that managed to suit up for five World Cups. Though his first trip to the tournament only yielded 2 goals in 12 games, Cast stepped it up in a big way every time he was called upon after that, scoring at least 6 goals in every tournament and producing 51 points in 44 games. He's second post-S40 in World Cup goals. Unfortunately for him, Cast never got to play in a gold medal game, with his best result coming when Western Europe captured Bronze with a 3-1 win over Canada in his final appearance - a game in which Cast scored the game-winning-goal.

Beau Louth - Canada
S62, S64, S66 -- 36 GP, 26 G, 20 A, 46 P -- 186 S, 45 HIT, 40 PIM, 11 SB
Louth arrived on the world stage with a bang, scoring 13 goals and 22 points in the S62 World Cup and helping win a gold medal for Canada, who he then represented twice more during his international career. Louth had 15 points in the S64 World Cup and though he was nearing the end of his career in S66, stepped his game up in the medal round with 4 points in the last 3 games of the tournament in Canada's gold-medal win. Louth's 26 goals put him third among players who played in post-S40 World Cups, but the two ahead of him both played in five tournaments to Louth's three.

Anatoli Zhumbayev - World
S32, S34, S37 -- 24 GP, 26 G, 20 A, 46 PTS -- 166 S, 25 HIT, 33 PIM, 10 SB
Zhumbayev had a somewhat quiet debut on the world stage when he had 5 goals and 10 points for Russia in S32, but he became downright feared by opponents when he returned in S34. There, he tallied 18 goals and 24 points in 12 games, an absurd scoring total that nobody has ever come close to (Berger, with 14 in S20, was the closest). In his third and final WC appearance in S37, Zhumbayev was again an offensive powerhouse, finishing with 22 points in 12 games. He is one of just three players to boast multiple 20-point World Cup tournaments.

Matt Thompson - Canada
S60, S62, S64, S66, S68 -- 58 GP, 30 G, 21 A, 51 P -- 314 S, 99 HIT, 84 PIM, 12 SB
Thompson brought a different dimension than most of the forwards on this team, a good goal scorer who also brought some snarl, with 99 hits and 84 PIM in his WC career. Thompson is also the only player post-S40 to tally 30 goals in World Cup play. After playing for the Mercenaries and not making much of an impression in S60, he became a valued member of the next four Team Canada entries, and is one of several members of Canada's S62 and S66 gold-medal winners to be featured here.

Just missed the cut: Edwin Preencarnacion - World, Grimm Jonsson - Sweden, David Smalling - United Kingdom
 

DEFENSEMEN

Ryan Kastelic - World
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 62 GP, 13 G, 45 A, 58 P -- 164 S, 135 HIT, 78 PIM, 81 SB
Kastelic appeared for Team World in five straight World Cups, and an argument could be made for him as the greatest International player of all-time. Kastelic debuted in S62 with a 6-point showing before establishing himself as a premier player in S64 with 11 points. He was flat-out dominant in S66 - 20 points in 12 games while playing more than 31 minutes per game - but the World team fell short in the S66 final and took silver. Kastelic moved up front in S68 and represented Team World as a forward in his last two appearances. Also capturing silver medals in S62 and S68, Team World finally broke through in S70 and Kastelic won a much-deserved gold medal. He is also second all-time in World Cup assists.
 
Joseph McWolf - Western Europe
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 56 GP, 10 G, 33 A, 43 P -- 122 S, 166 HIT, 110 PIM, 96 SB
Playing five years for Western Europe, McWolf's was a two-way presence on the back end, solid offensively but also physical and willing to sacrifice his body, and hard to find room to get around on the ice defensively. He suffered from the same fate as Podrick Cast, a teammate on the S62-S68 teams, never playing on a team quite strong enough to make it to a gold medal game, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. His best single tournament was when he had 13 points and 33 hits in 11 games in S68.

Colton Rayne - USA
S60, S62, S64 -- 37 GP, 6 G, 35 A, 41 P -- 82 S, 91 HIT, 56 PIM, 77 SB
Rayne's numbers are staggering for a defenseman who only played in three tournaments, second only to McWolf in scoring among players who only played as defensemen - 2 points behind with 19 fewer games played. A remarkably consistent contributor, Rayne had tournaments of 14, 14, and 13 points. In all three of his tournaments, he played in gold medal games, winning in S60 but losing to Canada in S62 and World in S64.

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - USA
S66, S68, S70, S72 -- 46 GP, 9 G, 30 A, 39 P -- 111 S, 125 HIT, 70 PIM, 78 SB
Rayne's international career ended in S64 and Werbenjagermanjensen stepped right in as the #1 defenseman on the national team, with a 4-goal 9-point performance in his first WC appearance. He remained an effective player throughout his VHL and international career, with tournaments of 11, 9, and 10 points. Compared to Rayne, he didn't have quite the international offensive production, but he was a true shut-down player and big part of the USA's continued success internationally, including a return to the top when they captured the S68 gold medal.

Just missed the cut: Alexander Valiq - Scandinavia, Tzuyu - World
 

GOALIES

Norris Stopko - Canada
S60, S62, S64 -- 34 GP, 25-6-3 record, 2.30 GAA, 0.922 SV%, 2 SO
Stopko is probably best-known internationally for his performance in the S62 World Cup gold medal game, helping Canada capture a gold medal as the cap to an absolutely brilliant tournament as a whole (he went 10-1-1 with a .933 save percentage). Stopko finished his international career with a sparkling 23-4-3 record in round robin play, but he did suffer losses, albeit not usually due to his own play, early in the medal rounds in S60 and S64.

Kallis Kriketers - World
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 55 GP, 31-21-3 record, 2.61 GAA, 0.918 SV%, 5 SO
Kriketers was one of the best goalies in the VHL during his prime, and he did his best to make Team World a player on the international stage. Kriketers may not have quite been ready for the spotlight as part of a tandem in S62, but after proving to be World's best option in net in S64, they knocked off the USA to capture the S64 gold medal. In S68, Kriketers posted a .925 save percentage for World but a 3-4-1 record, before rebounding to carry the team into the gold medal game against USA; however, the Americans were too much this time around. Then, after not making team World in S70, Kriketers took the Mercenaries to the bronze medal game, but lost despite posting a .971 save percentage in the medal round.

Just missed the cut: Tuomas Tukio - Scandinavia

----------------------------

1900 words or so (it was 1896, but I changed a few sentences around before posting it)... will claim it for 3 weeks + for theme week this week

Its official I like @tcookie25 more than @Victorsince he appreciates my players. 

The VHL All-World Cup Team

Since the inception of the VHL, the World Cup has been a place where the best players in the world compete on an international stage. While the format of the event has changed over time, the World Cup is now a place where the VHL's finest face-off every second season for some extra glory, a chance for many of them to play alongside some other greats that they haven't gotten the chance to share the ice with. Sometimes, a player makes even more a name for himself with sustained international success. Today, we take a look at the greatest players in the history of the World Cup, in the tournament's current 9F - 4D - 2G roster format.

** - It's entirely possible, probably even likely, that incomplete stats may have been used here, as some World Cup info, primarily from the early years is tough to find. Apologies for any omissions that may have resulted from that, and it is also likely why there is an S60-ish-onwards slant to the team I think

FORWARDS

Scotty Campbell - Switzerland
S2, S4, S6 -- 18 GP, 21 G, 36 A, 57 P
Scotty Campbell was an original VHL star, a player that people still talk about today 74 seasons into the history of the VHL. He represented Switzerland three times in VHL World Cups, and put up totals so staggering that his 13 points in 6 games in S6 looks like a disappointment, averaging 3 points per game overall. Only a handful of players have ever matched the 25 points Campbell scored in the first VHL World Cup in S2, and all of them had at least 10 games to Campbell's 6. It may have been a different time with less competition, but the raw numbers Campbell scored are so staggering you'd be insane to leave him off the team.

Lars Berger - Scandinavia
S18, S20, S22, S24 -- 48 GP, 45 G, 39 A, 83 P
Berger is the all-time leader in World Cup goals and points. His best tournament was in S20 where he had 14 goals and 25 points in 12 games, but he was dominant in all four appearances, ending up very close to a goal-per-game average as an offensive force for Sweden and Team Scandinavia.
 
Julian Borwinn - Canada
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 58 GP, 27 G, 33 A, 60 P -- 327 S, 142 HIT, 48 PIM, 27 SB
It's an incredibly rare feat to suit up in the World Cup five times over a VHL career - Borwinn is one of what we believe to be just five players to do so, and four of them will feature on this team. A youngster in S62, Borwinn suited up for the Mercenaries for his first appearance, then qualified for Team Canada the next four times out. He actually had his best tournament, points-wise, in his S62 debut where he picked up 19 points in 12 games, but was also a key contributor when Canada won the S66 gold medal. Borwinn's 60 career World Cup points leads all players post-S34.

Jasper Canmore - Canada
S60, S62, S64 -- 34 GP, 15 G, 34 A, 49 P -- 168 S, 44 HIT, 22 PIM, 13 SB
Canmore suited up for three World Cups, all for Team Canada, and he was an impact player in all of them. S62 in particular was the pièce de resistance of Canmore's international career - in that tournament, he had 4 goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 12 games, one of the highest scoring single-tournament totals in recent memory, while Canada captured gold. Canmore was also a PPG-or-better player in his other two appearances.

Matt Bailey - Switzerland
S12, S14, S16, S18 -- 48 GP, 28 G, 51 A, 79 P
Bailey is the World Cup's second-leading scorer of all-time, and its all-time leader in assists. Another International star produced by Switzerland, he also finished at a PPG-or-better rate every time he pulled on his country's uniform, with his best event coming when he put up 26 points in S14.

Podrick Cast - Western Europe
S60, S62, S64, S66, S68 -- 56 GP, 28 G, 25 A, 53 P -- 272 S, 50 HIT, 34 PIM, 25 SB
Cast is another one of the impressive group that managed to suit up for five World Cups. Though his first trip to the tournament only yielded 2 goals in 12 games, Cast stepped it up in a big way every time he was called upon after that, scoring at least 6 goals in every tournament and producing 51 points in 44 games. He's second post-S40 in World Cup goals. Unfortunately for him, Cast never got to play in a gold medal game, with his best result coming when Western Europe captured Bronze with a 3-1 win over Canada in his final appearance - a game in which Cast scored the game-winning-goal.

Beau Louth - Canada
S62, S64, S66 -- 36 GP, 26 G, 20 A, 46 P -- 186 S, 45 HIT, 40 PIM, 11 SB
Louth arrived on the world stage with a bang, scoring 13 goals and 22 points in the S62 World Cup and helping win a gold medal for Canada, who he then represented twice more during his international career. Louth had 15 points in the S64 World Cup and though he was nearing the end of his career in S66, stepped his game up in the medal round with 4 points in the last 3 games of the tournament in Canada's gold-medal win. Louth's 26 goals put him third among players who played in post-S40 World Cups, but the two ahead of him both played in five tournaments to Louth's three.

Anatoli Zhumbayev - World
S32, S34, S37 -- 24 GP, 26 G, 20 A, 46 PTS -- 166 S, 25 HIT, 33 PIM, 10 SB
Zhumbayev had a somewhat quiet debut on the world stage when he had 5 goals and 10 points for Russia in S32, but he became downright feared by opponents when he returned in S34. There, he tallied 18 goals and 24 points in 12 games, an absurd scoring total that nobody has ever come close to (Berger, with 14 in S20, was the closest). In his third and final WC appearance in S37, Zhumbayev was again an offensive powerhouse, finishing with 22 points in 12 games. He is one of just three players to boast multiple 20-point World Cup tournaments.

Matt Thompson - Canada
S60, S62, S64, S66, S68 -- 58 GP, 30 G, 21 A, 51 P -- 314 S, 99 HIT, 84 PIM, 12 SB
Thompson brought a different dimension than most of the forwards on this team, a good goal scorer who also brought some snarl, with 99 hits and 84 PIM in his WC career. Thompson is also the only player post-S40 to tally 30 goals in World Cup play. After playing for the Mercenaries and not making much of an impression in S60, he became a valued member of the next four Team Canada entries, and is one of several members of Canada's S62 and S66 gold-medal winners to be featured here.

Just missed the cut: Edwin Preencarnacion - World, Grimm Jonsson - Sweden, David Smalling - United Kingdom
 

DEFENSEMEN

Ryan Kastelic - World
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 62 GP, 13 G, 45 A, 58 P -- 164 S, 135 HIT, 78 PIM, 81 SB
Kastelic appeared for Team World in five straight World Cups, and an argument could be made for him as the greatest International player of all-time. Kastelic debuted in S62 with a 6-point showing before establishing himself as a premier player in S64 with 11 points. He was flat-out dominant in S66 - 20 points in 12 games while playing more than 31 minutes per game - but the World team fell short in the S66 final and took silver. Kastelic moved up front in S68 and represented Team World as a forward in his last two appearances. Also capturing silver medals in S62 and S68, Team World finally broke through in S70 and Kastelic won a much-deserved gold medal. He is also second all-time in World Cup assists.
 
Joseph McWolf - Western Europe
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 56 GP, 10 G, 33 A, 43 P -- 122 S, 166 HIT, 110 PIM, 96 SB
Playing five years for Western Europe, McWolf's was a two-way presence on the back end, solid offensively but also physical and willing to sacrifice his body, and hard to find room to get around on the ice defensively. He suffered from the same fate as Podrick Cast, a teammate on the S62-S68 teams, never playing on a team quite strong enough to make it to a gold medal game, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. His best single tournament was when he had 13 points and 33 hits in 11 games in S68.

Colton Rayne - USA
S60, S62, S64 -- 37 GP, 6 G, 35 A, 41 P -- 82 S, 91 HIT, 56 PIM, 77 SB
Rayne's numbers are staggering for a defenseman who only played in three tournaments, second only to McWolf in scoring among players who only played as defensemen - 2 points behind with 19 fewer games played. A remarkably consistent contributor, Rayne had tournaments of 14, 14, and 13 points. In all three of his tournaments, he played in gold medal games, winning in S60 but losing to Canada in S62 and World in S64.

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - USA
S66, S68, S70, S72 -- 46 GP, 9 G, 30 A, 39 P -- 111 S, 125 HIT, 70 PIM, 78 SB
Rayne's international career ended in S64 and Werbenjagermanjensen stepped right in as the #1 defenseman on the national team, with a 4-goal 9-point performance in his first WC appearance. He remained an effective player throughout his VHL and international career, with tournaments of 11, 9, and 10 points. Compared to Rayne, he didn't have quite the international offensive production, but he was a true shut-down player and big part of the USA's continued success internationally, including a return to the top when they captured the S68 gold medal.

Just missed the cut: Alexander Valiq - Scandinavia, Tzuyu - World
 

GOALIES

Norris Stopko - Canada
S60, S62, S64 -- 34 GP, 25-6-3 record, 2.30 GAA, 0.922 SV%, 2 SO
Stopko is probably best-known internationally for his performance in the S62 World Cup gold medal game, helping Canada capture a gold medal as the cap to an absolutely brilliant tournament as a whole (he went 10-1-1 with a .933 save percentage). Stopko finished his international career with a sparkling 23-4-3 record in round robin play, but he did suffer losses, albeit not usually due to his own play, early in the medal rounds in S60 and S64.

Kallis Kriketers - World
S62, S64, S66, S68, S70 -- 55 GP, 31-21-3 record, 2.61 GAA, 0.918 SV%, 5 SO
Kriketers was one of the best goalies in the VHL during his prime, and he did his best to make Team World a player on the international stage. Kriketers may not have quite been ready for the spotlight as part of a tandem in S62, but after proving to be World's best option in net in S64, they knocked off the USA to capture the S64 gold medal. In S68, Kriketers posted a .925 save percentage for World but a 3-4-1 record, before rebounding to carry the team into the gold medal game against USA; however, the Americans were too much this time around. Then, after not making team World in S70, Kriketers took the Mercenaries to the bronze medal game, but lost despite posting a .971 save percentage in the medal round.

Just missed the cut: Tuomas Tukio - Scandinavia

----------------------------

1900 words or so (it was 1896, but I changed a few sentences around before posting it)... will claim it for 3 weeks + for theme week this week

yo that image is sick!! really nice job!

1. It's been crazy how many new players have signed up for the VHL are are looking for a VHLM team. Cabe McJake has been putting in some good work and we've seen a few other new players around the locker room which is great to see! I think we've got some good new players that can definitely help the playoff push here.
 
2. I plan to do everything I can. I'll be at practice every week and putting in the maximum amount of work I can to earn TPE (hit the 12 cap every week). I'm looking for other opportunities to earn TPE where I can too.
 
3. It's going to be tough but we're in a good spot in our schedule right now, we have some good new additions, and I'm committed to putting in the work and doing what I can to get us there. Hopefully we can go on a bit of a run.
 
4. I don't think we need to. We have a group where we can try to make a playoff push and it wouldn't make sense to sacrifice futures for an addition as competing with the elite VHLM teams is unrealistic this year, but I think keeping the group we have in place to give us a chance to fight for the playoff spot is good.
 
5. I'm a Jets fan. When the Jets left Winnipeg I became a Canucks fan because the Moose had sent so many players up there and they were doing really well, so I still have a bit of a soft spot for them when the Jets are out.
 
6. Chicago. I don't much like Toronto, Boston, LA, or Vegas either, but despise? The team I hate with an absolute passion is Chicago.

Miami has only been around for two and a half seasons but in that short time there has been come certified studs that have come across our locker room. It is still to early to say if the newest players will live up to the hype of the players of the past but I am going to assemble my dream lineup of Miami Marauder's. There will also be some honorable mentions because it was far to difficult to narrow this down to only six players.

The Center
 
      This was tough because we have had some legendary centers come through the Miami locker room. I went with probably the best offensive center to have come through the Miami organization. Dakota Lamb @dlamb came out in his rookie season with 93 points in 72 games. He played second line minutes on a middle of the pack Miami team and put up some serious numbers to lead all forwards in points that season. He also led the team with 37 goals which led to the inaugural goal scoring trophy to be named after Dakota Lamb himself. He followed up a spectacular rookie season with another 90 + point season which saw another increase in goals scored up to 44 which was yet again tops on the team. This led to him winning the Dakota Lamb Trophy in back to back seasons. While Lamb was an amazing player on the ice where he really shined was off the ice. He was always in the locker room engaging with his team and was an even bigger presence in the VHL discord which many had taken notice. He is now having an unbelievable rookie season with Warsaw and the future is sure to be bright for this star player. 

Honorable Mention: Andre Lebastard @Andre LeBastard was the captain of the Miami Marauders for two seasons. He played a huge role in bonding the Miami teammates together and creating one of the best locker room environments to be in. Unfortunately he parted ways with the game due to personal reasons and that is why he is an honorable mention.

The Right Winger
 
Again this was a close one for me but I am going to have to go with right winger Patrik Laine @PatrikLaine. Miami lucked out when drafting this young player as he was destined to play in the VHL last season. Miami took a flyer on him with a fifth round pick and boy did it ever pay off. Helsinki ended up sending Laine down the the minors where he would immediately make an impact on the Marauder's team ASAP. Laine came in a bit cocky and wanted to score 50 goals but was humbled by the process of playing on a team with a lot of great young players. He had to share the ice and he did so willingly. Laine was a player that spent time on almost all 4 lines last season and and still put up 76 points in 72 games. The best part about Laine though is his passion for this league. He spent a lot of time interacting with other members while pumping out a ton of content for the VHL. You really got to know Laine as well because he would constantly be writing articles updating you on his player throughout the season. He is having a decent rookie season up in the VHL now with Helsinki playing limited minutes but its only a matter of time before this young star breaks out!

The Left Winger?

     So my choice for this position is actually another right winger. Its the VHLM so wingers can play wherever I want haha. Oh Sens @osens is who I would slot on the other wing to play along side Lamb and Laine. Sens loved to walk the line in the dressing room. He knew how to push other team mates buttons but he was always there to have his team mates back. He was always very consistent on both ends of the ice I would even say the best two way winger to have played in Miami to date. He racked up 134 points in 144 games while finishing with a plus minus of +37. He is a player I could move up and down the line up and he would elevate the play of lines that may have been slumping. He is now up in the VHL where he was just traded to the Toronto Legion. He has had a bit of a slow start from a production stand point but has been given limited minutes. He is going to be a solid player for seasons to come and that is why he would slot into a winger position on my Miami dream team.
 
Honorable Mention: Luke Thornton @Jtv123 I have to mention because he made a big impact during his one season with Miami. He was a playmaking winger who could slot in anywhere in the lineup. He began to excel once I moved him on to the top line to play along side Lamb and Sens or Laine. What impressed me the most about this player was the amount of work he put into training. He worked so hard on and off the ice that he earned himself a number one overall ranking in the S74 VHL draft. He ended up sliding to Calgary in the draft which in my opinion was the steal of the draft as they now have a winger who is going to run their top line for many seasons to come. 

The Defenders

     This was relatively easy for me to choose who my two defensemen would be. They are the first two guys I think of when I think of Miami and defensemen. The first player I will mention is Kosmo Kramerev @Mongoose87 who spent only one season with Miami during their inaugural season. This guy was an absolute machine on the ice. He is a huge reason the Marauder's made the playoffs that first season putting up 106 points in 72 games as a defensemen. He had 259 shots from the back end in that season and contributed 142 blocks. He did it all for this team and it was sad to see it cut short. He was called up to the Calgary Wranglers where he played his rookie season in the VHL. He did very well considering he was getting very limited minutes racking up 36 points in his rookie season. Now Calgary has moved out some players Kramerev will be looking to log some big minutes and will soon shine again.

     Secondly is my personal favorite Wolf Stansson @ahockeyguy. He is currently second all time in points by a Marauder and he plays defense. He totaled 145 points in 144 games played for Miami and was the constant on the back end for the team. He had a leadership presence in the locker room and all of his team mates looked up to him. You could pair Wolf with anyone and he would instantly make them better. Unfortunately it seems his activity has dipped a bit as of late but I hope that turns around. He is a great member in this league and could really prove to be a solid piece for Moscow in the near future. So based on his play on the ice and the friendly nature of the player off the ice that is was Wolf Stansson would slot beside Kosmo Kramerev on my Miami dream team.
 
Honorable Mention: Matty Socks @fishy played one season with Miami but damn was it a good one. She put up 104 points as a defensemen in 72 games with Miami and played very similarly to how Kosmo Kramerev did in his first season with Miami. She played a ton of minutes for Miami and was a big part of the reason they made it to the finals. Her consistent play on the ice is why I would consider her an honorable mention. She wasn't always very active in the locker room but was constantly working to improve her player and the future is bright for this future star.

The Bacon (Goalie)

This was easy. Who doesn't love bacon? I know I love bacon and so did all of his teammates. He was an absolute monster in net for Miami backstopping them all the way to a Founder's cup final last season. He was always a slow earner but made up for it with his locker room presence. He was a locker room favorite because of his great sense of humor and how supportive he was of the team. He was basically an entire cheerleading squad for the team. He still plays up in New York but is still earning at a slower rate. His attention has been focused more on being an AGM of the Mississauga Hounds where he is doing a fantastic job. For all the reasons mentioned above that is why @Baconis my choice for my Miami dream team.

There you have it. While Miami is still a fairly new franchise there has been some amazing talent come through and this is who I would choose to squad up against any of your rosters. There is bound to be some amazing talent to continue coming through here and I can't wait to write about this again in the future. 

Word Count: 1559

What a brilliant theme week. I can combine it with an idea I had earlier and go on a signature ego trip. How, you may ask? Well, the minimum dream team requirement is 3 forwards, 2 defencemen, and 1 goalie. With my former players I meet this criteria + now have 2 additional goalies. Plus, I wanted to rank my players in a while. Let's go.
 
1. Alexander Chershenko
First on the teamsheet is this absolute rockstar of a hockey player. Chershenko was the most fun I had with a player, for a multitude of reasons including a couple exceptional locker rooms in Calgary and New York and it being during my activity peak as I became commissioner towards to end of his career. But the player's success certainly helped. Chershenko picked up trophies pretty much every season, was an all-time great scorer, scored a cup-winning goal in Game 7, got a VHLM award named after him, and is very comfortable in the title of best playoff skater outside Scotty Campbell. Having 3 centers in my arsenal means I have to push two out on the wings and although they were all good in the face-off circle, Chershenko will take the honour without a doubt.
 
2. Greg Clegane
Clegane on the other hand is a perfect example of the weird karmic justice handed out by Simon's sim engine. I was at my least active with Clegane, disappearing for large chunks of 3 of his seasons, while he went on to be the best regular season goalie of all time. It would be a lie to say I missed out on enjoyment though, with a very entertaining back-to-back championship to start his career, my first and to date only foray into free agency, and of course the epic battle that was CLEGANEBOWL, the S51 finals which had no right to live up to the hype bestowed upon it by Jardy and myself, yet did exactly that. Clegane was no slouch in the playoffs it should be said, just not as reliable as Chershenko.
 
3. Podrick Cast
His 174-point season almost certainly was the catalyst to me completing my comeback to the league and ultimately finding the energy to GM an expansion franchise. That entire first half of his career with Riga really helped me rekindle my love for the VHL and his career points pace had me hoping he could actually eclipse Chershenko. Unfortunately, things took a bit of a nosedive after S64, although S67 was still good fun, but instead I had to refocus my enthusiasm on Moscow and playing up the Cast-Thompson rivalry. That was a pretty unique experience and probably what pushes Cast above my third center.
 
4. Lars Berger
This was a career about a lot of unfulfilled expectations and entirely my fault for expecting too much. Or was I? Berger was the first ever player to hit 1,100 TPE and I'm not sure anyone else in his time had 1,000, but fell just short of scoring awards, instead picking up 3 Boulets – the classic hits over goals dilemma. In a similar pattern to Cast as well, Berger peaked in the first half of his career, with all 3 cups (including one triple overtime cup winner), one of which (S18 Calgary) remains the most excited I'll ever be about opening a VHL result. Ironically, Berger actually has more career points than both Chershenko and Cast, but still felt a bit disappointing in the end and ultimately why I made another center straight after.
 
5. Matt Bentley
Right, that's all my forwards out of the way, leaving us with the real disappointments. I was again lucky in that Bentley's worst seasons were overshadowed by GM success as he was a key part of a very enjoyable young Davos team which went to four straight finals. However, after taking one for the team early on, as Bentley became one the Dynamo's stars it became mildly more irritating that he kept on being outdone by some guy called Conner Low. Bentley did ultimately win two Labattes and make the Hall of Fame as well as being my only player to never miss the playoffs, and actually looks good statistically in hindsight. However, my quest for perfection could never be satisfied by this one.
 
6. Vase Trikamaki
My first player, the only one to go less than 8 seasons, who was clearly the least talented I had (in TPE, statistically, just in general). Yet Trikamaki couldn't disappoint me because back then I didn't set myself high standards. The fact he won a cup with the team he was drafted to and then got a top goalie award means I really couldn't ask for more. Plus, by the end of Trikamaki's career I was a GM and gaining recognition in the league. A fine backup for Clegane, at least until he's hopefully surpassed by Rasputin.
 
7. Vladimir Pavlov
This fraud is actually having a good season to end his career to make me feel bad about putting him last. No, my decision is final, you don't dump so much TPA into 1 and a half point-per-game seasons. Pavlov peaked in S70 as part of an unreal 1-2 punch with Smitty and even then, every Moscow player in S70 was unstoppable. The only thing salvaging his career is that GMing Moscow has been great fun, although that is also the reason he is a defenceman.... Never making a defenceman again, especially now that I have a complete pairing for my dream team.
 
So, the roster therefore is:
Podrick Cast – Alexander Chershenko – Lars Berger
Matt Bentley – Vladimir Pavlov
Greg Clegane
(Backup: Vase Trikamaki)
 
I believe that's about 8,000 TPE there (don't quote me on the math, I did it in my head just then). Truly elite stuff of dreams with one nightmare (Pavlov). Bring it on VHL, I don't need anyone else.
 
Tagging everyone mentioned in this article:
@Victor

This was super fun to make, yes, the post-it notes cutting off some of a couple letters is intentional, you can figure out what they mean... text-only version is below if you want it.
 

 
-- text only version --
 
Player Profile
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 155 lbs.
Jersey Number: 9
Born: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Favourite Player: Theo Fleury
VHLM Team: Miami Marauders
Latest VHCS Ranking: 35
 
A 19-year-old left winger prospect with high upside. Not well known in VHL circles, but has impressed thus far in his career with his work ethic off the ice, and with his intensity and scoring ability on the ice. Not a particularly flashy player with the puck, but isn’t afraid to go to high traffic areas of the ice. High-end athleticism: a two-sport athlete, hockey and football, until choosing to focus on hockey after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in a high school football game. Played at Eden Prairie, four-year contributor on the hockey team and one of the team’s most relied upon players in his final two seasons. Lead the team to a State Championship and was runner-up for Minnesota High School Player of the Year in the 2018-19 season.
 
McLaren committed to the University of Minnesota and played his way up to a bigger role with the team late in his freshman season, before leaving the team to declare himself eligible for the S75 VHL Draft. Has not looked out of place in a first-line role with the Marauders, displaying trademark physicality and skill, however his production has not been quite as expected. McLaren will look to remedy questions about long-term offensive upside in the second half of the VHLM season.
 
A late addition to the draft class that comes to the VHL with some uncertainty. He’s not a known name and he played against pretty weak competition for a long time, though he did dominate that competition in his junior and senior seasons. Small, feisty, talented kid - someone we will have to keep an eye on leading up to the draft for sure.
 
Strengths
-- Kid’s got a lethal shot on him. Needs to work on finding open ice to unleash it, but that should come. Not hard to see him scoring 30, 40 goals in the VHL one day.
-- Not afraid of anything. He protects himself and his teammates, he goes to dirty areas and he throws his weight around.
-- Surprisingly reliable two-way player, given his size deficiency. Works hard backchecking, gets in guys’ faces, and can use his strong skating to regain positioning if he loses his man.
 
Weaknesses
-- 5’7 155 is tiny and for a guy who’s only played a season past the high school level, he’s going to face more size as he moves up. How will he fare against bigger opponents? Right now he’s a bit too easily knocked off the puck, and he’ll always have a small frame.
-- No sugar-coating it, he’s dirty. He’ll hack and slash and get under an opponent’s skin but crosses the line sometimes, takes selfish penalties & spends a lot of time in the box.
-- He gets tunnel vision sometimes and will work himself into tight situations without any real options and it leads to turnovers. Not a terribly effective passer at this stage of his career.
 
- Brandon Janzen, VHL Scouting Service

This was super fun to make, yes, the post-it notes cutting off some of a couple letters is intentional, you can figure out what they mean... text-only version is below if you want it.
 

 
-- text only version --
 
Player Profile
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 155 lbs.
Jersey Number: 9
Born: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Favourite Player: Theo Fleury
VHLM Team: Miami Marauders
Latest VHCS Ranking: 35
 
A 19-year-old left winger prospect with high upside. Not well known in VHL circles, but has impressed thus far in his career with his work ethic off the ice, and with his intensity and scoring ability on the ice. Not a particularly flashy player with the puck, but isn’t afraid to go to high traffic areas of the ice. High-end athleticism: a two-sport athlete, hockey and football, until choosing to focus on hockey after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in a high school football game. Played at Eden Prairie, four-year contributor on the hockey team and one of the team’s most relied upon players in his final two seasons. Lead the team to a State Championship and was runner-up for Minnesota High School Player of the Year in the 2018-19 season.
 
McLaren committed to the University of Minnesota and played his way up to a bigger role with the team late in his freshman season, before leaving the team to declare himself eligible for the S75 VHL Draft. Has not looked out of place in a first-line role with the Marauders, displaying trademark physicality and skill, however his production has not been quite as expected. McLaren will look to remedy questions about long-term offensive upside in the second half of the VHLM season.
 
A late addition to the draft class that comes to the VHL with some uncertainty. He’s not a known name and he played against pretty weak competition for a long time, though he did dominate that competition in his junior and senior seasons. Small, feisty, talented kid - someone we will have to keep an eye on leading up to the draft for sure.
 
Strengths
-- Kid’s got a lethal shot on him. Needs to work on finding open ice to unleash it, but that should come. Not hard to see him scoring 30, 40 goals in the VHL one day.
-- Not afraid of anything. He protects himself and his teammates, he goes to dirty areas and he throws his weight around.
-- Surprisingly reliable two-way player, given his size deficiency. Works hard backchecking, gets in guys’ faces, and can use his strong skating to regain positioning if he loses his man.
 
Weaknesses
-- 5’7 155 is tiny and for a guy who’s only played a season past the high school level, he’s going to face more size as he moves up. How will he fare against bigger opponents? Right now he’s a bit too easily knocked off the puck, and he’ll always have a small frame.
-- No sugar-coating it, he’s dirty. He’ll hack and slash and get under an opponent’s skin but crosses the line sometimes, takes selfish penalties & spends a lot of time in the box.
-- He gets tunnel vision sometimes and will work himself into tight situations without any real options and it leads to turnovers. Not a terribly effective passer at this stage of his career.
 
- Brandon Janzen, VHL Scouting Service

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - Class of S73

Position: D
Birthplace: United State of America
Height: 6-ft-3
Weight: 200 lbs.
Drafted: S65 - 2nd overall (HC Davos Dynamo)
Username: @flyersfan1453

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a consensus top-2 prospect all the way leading up to the S65 VHL Draft, and he more than lived up to the billing. Playing eight seasons in the VHL, Werbenjagermanjensen was a two-way force on the back end, and certainly ended up the best player from the S65 draft class. He was a big defenseman that wasn't afraid to use his body, was an effortless skater with a dangerous shot from the back end, and was a true shut-down defenseman to boot. Werbenjagermanjensen would go on to become one of just seven players to capture the Sterling Labatte Trophy on three or more occasions (at the time of winning his third, in S70, he was the first player in 30 seasons to do so), and is also one of just two multiple-time winners of the Alexander Valiq Trophy. He was an effective contributor from the moment he was drafted, jumping straight into the VHL in S65 and from his breakout year in S67 through to his retirement in S72, Smitty was perennially one of the VHL's best players.

Career Awards
S68 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S68 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S68 - All-VHL First Team
S69 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S69 - Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman)
S69 - All-VHL First Team
S70 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S70 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S70 - Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S70 - Continental Cup Champion (Moscow)
S70 - Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
S70 - All-VHL First Team

S63 (VHLM - Ottawa)
13 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +4 | 16 PIM | 26 HIT | 9 SB
Playoffs: 13 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -2 | 14 PIM | 24 HIT | 10 SB

Werbenjagermanjensen signed with the Ottawa Lynx to begin his VHLM career. A highly touted young prospect from the beginning, he still took some time to adapt to the league, putting up 3 points in 13 games. Featuring two of the VHLM's top three scorers in Elias Dahlberg and Chance Matthews, the Lynx were a high powered offense, but ended up falling in a six-game series with the Saskatoon Wild. Werbenjagermanjensen's production may not have jumped off the page during his 13-game VHLM trial, but his poise and puck moving ability did, prompting the Lynx to retain his rights and make him the 5th overall pick in the VHLM Draft.

S64 (VHLM - Ottawa)
72 GP | 8 G - 60 A - 68 P | +5 | 140 PIM | 260 HIT | 98 SB
Playoffs: 6 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -2 | 30 PIM | 34 HIT | 12 SB

Smitty helped make the Lynx' decision a good one. Alongside fellow top S65 propects Gritty and Carles Puigdemont (they'd go on to be three of the top four picks), he finished as the fourth highest scoring defenseman in the VHLM, while also racking up 260 hits. The Lynx finished third in the league, but not far behind Las Vegas and Halifax. Despite the best efforts of Werbenjagermanjensen, who had himself a dominant 6-game series with 10 points and 34 hits, the Lynx were unable to get past Halifax in the playoffs.

S65 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 3 G - 44 A - 47 P | -1 | 164 PIM | 275 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Werbenjagermanjensen ended up the 2nd overall pick behind only VHLM teammate Puigdemot, going to the HC Davos Dynamo, where he'd play alongside former Lynx teammates Elias Dahlberg and Pat Svoboda. Jumping straight to the VHL after his draft year, Smitty's rookie season saw him tally 3 goals and 44 assists in 72 games, while also finishing 8th in the entire league with 275 hits. After a last-place finish in S64, Davos jumped up the standings, finishing with a 35-32-5 record this time around, but falling just short of the playoffs.

S66 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 16 G - 32 A - 48 P | +23 | 124 PIM | 167 HIT | 137 SB
Playoffs: 9 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +3 | 14 PIM | 12 HIT | 16 SB

Davos was an improved team again in S66, a squad with plenty of offensive talent. Werbenjagermanjensen's game showed growth. His point totals remained relatively the same, but he improved his defensive game and began evolving a lethal shot from the point that would be a key weapon in his arsenal going forward. Smitty's goal output improved from 3 goals to 16 and the Dynamo wound up with a playoff berth after a 37-27-8 season. They made surprisingly easy work of the favoured Riga Reign in the playoffs, outscoring them 12-4 in a 4-0 series sweep, but they were overmatched in the European Conference Finals against Helsinki and bowed out in 5 games. Werbenjagermanjensen tallied just 3 points in 9 playoff games with 12 hits and 16 blocked shots, but the playoff run gave the Dynamo some hope for the future.

S67 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 19 G - 44 A - 63 P | +15 | 104 PIM | 133 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Unfortunately for Werbenjagermanjensen, Davos regressed in S67 after trading Dahlberg, Svoboda, and Rylan Peace for draft picks in the off-season, and they finished well behind Riga for the final playoff spot in the European Conference, despite Smitty himself taking a step forward in his third year. He established or matched career highs across the board offensively with 19 goals, 44 assists, and 63 points while posting a +15 rating on a losing team.

S68 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 27 G - 59 A - 86 P | +36 | 104 PIM | 168 HIT | 118 SB
Playoffs: 7 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -1 | 14 PIM | 14 HIT | 21 SB

Smitty truly arrived in S68, exploding for 27 goals, 59 assists, and 86 points. He finished 10 points ahead of the next highest-scoring defenseman in the league (9th in league scoring overall) and top-10 in the league in +/-, as well. For his efforts, Werbenjagermanjensen captured his first VHL hardware - a Sterling Labatte Trophy as Top Defenseman and an Alexander Valiq Trophy as Top Offensive Defenseman - as well as being named to the All-VHL First Team. The league had expanded to 12 teams and Davos claimed the fourth playoff spot in a tightly-contested European Conference, but they were eliminated in round one in a seven-game series against Malmo. With the Dynamo making minimal noise in the post-season and Smitty's contract up, he found himself testing Free Agency ahead of S69.

S69 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 17 G - 66 A - 83 P | +41 | 160 PIM | 264 HIT | 117 SB
Playoffs: 11 GP | 2 G - 7 A - 9 P | -3 | 18 PIM | 17 HIT | 16 SB

The Dynamo pursued bringing back Werbenjagermanjensen in Free Agency, while he also received interest from Moscow, Toronto, and Calgary. Ultimately, he chose to sign a two-year deal with the Moscow Menace, and his dominant play from the season prior carried over. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with 17 goals and 83 points while endearing himself to his new team by stepping his physical game up once again, delivering 264 hits, a total that would end up the second highest single-season of his career. He finished second in the league in defenseman scoring, two points back of Vancouver's Dilijodh Starload, and while he didn't defend his Valiq from S68, he instead captured the Jake Wylde Trophy as the league's best defensive defenseman, a second-straight spot on the All-VHL First Team, and a second-straight Labatte Trophy. In the playoffs, the Menace knocked off Helsinki in round one before losing in 5 games to Riga in the second round. Werbenjagermanjensen had 9 points in 11 games with a -3 rating and 17 hits, a solid performance, but perhaps a tad disappointing coming from the best defenseman in the VHL.

S70 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 18 G - 68 A - 86 P | +13 | 136 PIM | 194 HIT | 123 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 5 G - 16 A - 21 P | +14 | 24 PIM | 34 HIT | 18 SB

The core of the S69 Moscow Menace remained almost entirely intact for S70, and as the players developed, the Menace became a powerhouse, finishing with the league's best record at 50-17-5. Werbenjagermanjensen put together what may have been the finest season of his career, matching his career high with 86 points, racking up 194 hits and blocking 123 shots. He lead the league in assists and finished 4th in VHL scoring, easily tops among defensemen. He became the first player in 30 seasons to capture three Labatte Trophies, also earning a third-straight All-VHL First Team selection, the second Valiq Trophy of his career, and his first Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Player. And this year, that success would finally translate into the post-season. The Menace made quick work of Prague in the first round and Riga in the second, marching to the finals on an 8-1 record. They fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 in the Continental Cup Finals, before winning three straight to win the series in 6. Werbenjagermanjensen was finally a Continental Cup Champion. He finished tied for the playoff lead in scoring with 21 points in 15 games, and lead the post-season with his +14 rating.

S71 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 6 G - 51 A - 57 P | +5 | 126 PIM | 155 HIT | 140 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 2 G - 15 A - 17 P | +2 | 34 PIM | 31 HIT | 27 SB

Expectations were high for the defending champs in S71, but the Menace were not the dominant force they were a year prior, and some of the core was getting older, including Werbenjagermanjensen, whose offensive prodution dipped to 57 points. For the first time since S67, there were no new additions to the trophy case. But the Menace did finish atop a weak European Conference with a 37-27-8 record, and they began to flex their experience in the post-season. The Menace swept Malmo in the opening round and beat Riga in six games to advance to their second straight Continental Cup finals. However, the Seattle Bears proved to be too much, capturing the cup in a five-game series. It was still a strong post-season for Smitty, piling up 17 points in 15 games to go along with 31 hits and 27 blocked shots, but a repeat was not in the cards.

S72 (VHL - Calgary)
72 GP | 13 G - 50 A - 63 P | +21 | 103 PIM | 115 HIT | 135 SB
Playoffs: 19 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -1 | 28 PIM | 38 HIT | 40 SB

After not being re-signed by Moscow, Smitty tested Free Agency ahead of Free Agency, where he ended up with the Vancouver Wolves after considering offers from Toronto and Prague. The Wolves had the best record in the league in S71 and seemed poised to make another playoff run. After a slow start, however, the Wolves made an unexpected decision to enter a rebuild, starting with the trade of future Hall of Famer Julius Freeman to New York. The move caused some friction between Smitty and his new team after signing there expecting to contend, and he found himself traded to the Calgary Wranglers ahead of the trade deadline. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with a solid 63 points in 72 games, though his post-season production dipped to 10 points in 21 games (he did post strong defensive numbers with 38 hits and 40 blocked shots). In the playoffs, the Wranglers played tight seven-game series' against Toronto and then New York en route to the finals, but after winning game one against Riga, they lost the next four games, and the legendary career of Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen came to a close.
 
Career Stats
576 GP | 119 G - 414 A - 533 P | + 153 | 1021 PIM | 1471 HIT | 1032 SB
Playoffs: 76 GP | 9 G - 55 A - 64 P | +14 | 132 PIM | 146 HIT | 138 SB

Although Werbenjagermanjensen retired falling short of capturing a second Continental Cup in S72, he retired a certain Hall of Famer, with career totals of 119 goals, 414 assists, and 533 points in 576 games. He was a positive +/- player in all but his rookie season (he was -1 that year), threw 1471 hits and blocked 1032 shots during his illustrious career, and he lined his trophy case with tons of year-end hardware. He may have been picked #2 in the S65 draft, but we all know that Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was number one - and a well deserved first-ballot inductee into the VHL Hall of Fame.

Hopefully that's good, based it on some of the other ones posted in here. Let me know if anything needs fixing...
 
Thanks to everyone who puts in the effort of keeping all those historical spreadsheets updated... they were a huge help. Being new here this took a considerable amount of research, but it was surprisingly easy to find everything I needed

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - Class of S73

Position: D
Birthplace: United State of America
Height: 6-ft-3
Weight: 200 lbs.
Drafted: S65 - 2nd overall (HC Davos Dynamo)
Username: @flyersfan1453

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a consensus top-2 prospect all the way leading up to the S65 VHL Draft, and he more than lived up to the billing. Playing eight seasons in the VHL, Werbenjagermanjensen was a two-way force on the back end, and certainly ended up the best player from the S65 draft class. He was a big defenseman that wasn't afraid to use his body, was an effortless skater with a dangerous shot from the back end, and was a true shut-down defenseman to boot. Werbenjagermanjensen would go on to become one of just seven players to capture the Sterling Labatte Trophy on three or more occasions (at the time of winning his third, in S70, he was the first player in 30 seasons to do so), and is also one of just two multiple-time winners of the Alexander Valiq Trophy. He was an effective contributor from the moment he was drafted, jumping straight into the VHL in S65 and from his breakout year in S67 through to his retirement in S72, Smitty was perennially one of the VHL's best players.

Career Awards
S68 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S68 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S68 - All-VHL First Team
S69 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S69 - Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman)
S69 - All-VHL First Team
S70 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S70 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S70 - Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S70 - Continental Cup Champion (Moscow)
S70 - Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
S70 - All-VHL First Team

S63 (VHLM - Ottawa)
13 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +4 | 16 PIM | 26 HIT | 9 SB
Playoffs: 13 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -2 | 14 PIM | 24 HIT | 10 SB

Werbenjagermanjensen signed with the Ottawa Lynx to begin his VHLM career. A highly touted young prospect from the beginning, he still took some time to adapt to the league, putting up 3 points in 13 games. Featuring two of the VHLM's top three scorers in Elias Dahlberg and Chance Matthews, the Lynx were a high powered offense, but ended up falling in a six-game series with the Saskatoon Wild. Werbenjagermanjensen's production may not have jumped off the page during his 13-game VHLM trial, but his poise and puck moving ability did, prompting the Lynx to retain his rights and make him the 5th overall pick in the VHLM Draft.

S64 (VHLM - Ottawa)
72 GP | 8 G - 60 A - 68 P | +5 | 140 PIM | 260 HIT | 98 SB
Playoffs: 6 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -2 | 30 PIM | 34 HIT | 12 SB

Smitty helped make the Lynx' decision a good one. Alongside fellow top S65 propects Gritty and Carles Puigdemont (they'd go on to be three of the top four picks), he finished as the fourth highest scoring defenseman in the VHLM, while also racking up 260 hits. The Lynx finished third in the league, but not far behind Las Vegas and Halifax. Despite the best efforts of Werbenjagermanjensen, who had himself a dominant 6-game series with 10 points and 34 hits, the Lynx were unable to get past Halifax in the playoffs.

S65 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 3 G - 44 A - 47 P | -1 | 164 PIM | 275 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Werbenjagermanjensen ended up the 2nd overall pick behind only VHLM teammate Puigdemot, going to the HC Davos Dynamo, where he'd play alongside former Lynx teammates Elias Dahlberg and Pat Svoboda. Jumping straight to the VHL after his draft year, Smitty's rookie season saw him tally 3 goals and 44 assists in 72 games, while also finishing 8th in the entire league with 275 hits. After a last-place finish in S64, Davos jumped up the standings, finishing with a 35-32-5 record this time around, but falling just short of the playoffs.

S66 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 16 G - 32 A - 48 P | +23 | 124 PIM | 167 HIT | 137 SB
Playoffs: 9 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +3 | 14 PIM | 12 HIT | 16 SB

Davos was an improved team again in S66, a squad with plenty of offensive talent. Werbenjagermanjensen's game showed growth. His point totals remained relatively the same, but he improved his defensive game and began evolving a lethal shot from the point that would be a key weapon in his arsenal going forward. Smitty's goal output improved from 3 goals to 16 and the Dynamo wound up with a playoff berth after a 37-27-8 season. They made surprisingly easy work of the favoured Riga Reign in the playoffs, outscoring them 12-4 in a 4-0 series sweep, but they were overmatched in the European Conference Finals against Helsinki and bowed out in 5 games. Werbenjagermanjensen tallied just 3 points in 9 playoff games with 12 hits and 16 blocked shots, but the playoff run gave the Dynamo some hope for the future.

S67 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 19 G - 44 A - 63 P | +15 | 104 PIM | 133 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Unfortunately for Werbenjagermanjensen, Davos regressed in S67 after trading Dahlberg, Svoboda, and Rylan Peace for draft picks in the off-season, and they finished well behind Riga for the final playoff spot in the European Conference, despite Smitty himself taking a step forward in his third year. He established or matched career highs across the board offensively with 19 goals, 44 assists, and 63 points while posting a +15 rating on a losing team.

S68 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 27 G - 59 A - 86 P | +36 | 104 PIM | 168 HIT | 118 SB
Playoffs: 7 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -1 | 14 PIM | 14 HIT | 21 SB

Smitty truly arrived in S68, exploding for 27 goals, 59 assists, and 86 points. He finished 10 points ahead of the next highest-scoring defenseman in the league (9th in league scoring overall) and top-10 in the league in +/-, as well. For his efforts, Werbenjagermanjensen captured his first VHL hardware - a Sterling Labatte Trophy as Top Defenseman and an Alexander Valiq Trophy as Top Offensive Defenseman - as well as being named to the All-VHL First Team. The league had expanded to 12 teams and Davos claimed the fourth playoff spot in a tightly-contested European Conference, but they were eliminated in round one in a seven-game series against Malmo. With the Dynamo making minimal noise in the post-season and Smitty's contract up, he found himself testing Free Agency ahead of S69.

S69 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 17 G - 66 A - 83 P | +41 | 160 PIM | 264 HIT | 117 SB
Playoffs: 11 GP | 2 G - 7 A - 9 P | -3 | 18 PIM | 17 HIT | 16 SB

The Dynamo pursued bringing back Werbenjagermanjensen in Free Agency, while he also received interest from Moscow, Toronto, and Calgary. Ultimately, he chose to sign a two-year deal with the Moscow Menace, and his dominant play from the season prior carried over. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with 17 goals and 83 points while endearing himself to his new team by stepping his physical game up once again, delivering 264 hits, a total that would end up the second highest single-season of his career. He finished second in the league in defenseman scoring, two points back of Vancouver's Dilijodh Starload, and while he didn't defend his Valiq from S68, he instead captured the Jake Wylde Trophy as the league's best defensive defenseman, a second-straight spot on the All-VHL First Team, and a second-straight Labatte Trophy. In the playoffs, the Menace knocked off Helsinki in round one before losing in 5 games to Riga in the second round. Werbenjagermanjensen had 9 points in 11 games with a -3 rating and 17 hits, a solid performance, but perhaps a tad disappointing coming from the best defenseman in the VHL.

S70 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 18 G - 68 A - 86 P | +13 | 136 PIM | 194 HIT | 123 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 5 G - 16 A - 21 P | +14 | 24 PIM | 34 HIT | 18 SB

The core of the S69 Moscow Menace remained almost entirely intact for S70, and as the players developed, the Menace became a powerhouse, finishing with the league's best record at 50-17-5. Werbenjagermanjensen put together what may have been the finest season of his career, matching his career high with 86 points, racking up 194 hits and blocking 123 shots. He lead the league in assists and finished 4th in VHL scoring, easily tops among defensemen. He became the first player in 30 seasons to capture three Labatte Trophies, also earning a third-straight All-VHL First Team selection, the second Valiq Trophy of his career, and his first Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Player. And this year, that success would finally translate into the post-season. The Menace made quick work of Prague in the first round and Riga in the second, marching to the finals on an 8-1 record. They fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 in the Continental Cup Finals, before winning three straight to win the series in 6. Werbenjagermanjensen was finally a Continental Cup Champion. He finished tied for the playoff lead in scoring with 21 points in 15 games, and lead the post-season with his +14 rating.

S71 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 6 G - 51 A - 57 P | +5 | 126 PIM | 155 HIT | 140 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 2 G - 15 A - 17 P | +2 | 34 PIM | 31 HIT | 27 SB

Expectations were high for the defending champs in S71, but the Menace were not the dominant force they were a year prior, and some of the core was getting older, including Werbenjagermanjensen, whose offensive prodution dipped to 57 points. For the first time since S67, there were no new additions to the trophy case. But the Menace did finish atop a weak European Conference with a 37-27-8 record, and they began to flex their experience in the post-season. The Menace swept Malmo in the opening round and beat Riga in six games to advance to their second straight Continental Cup finals. However, the Seattle Bears proved to be too much, capturing the cup in a five-game series. It was still a strong post-season for Smitty, piling up 17 points in 15 games to go along with 31 hits and 27 blocked shots, but a repeat was not in the cards.

S72 (VHL - Calgary)
72 GP | 13 G - 50 A - 63 P | +21 | 103 PIM | 115 HIT | 135 SB
Playoffs: 19 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -1 | 28 PIM | 38 HIT | 40 SB

After not being re-signed by Moscow, Smitty tested Free Agency ahead of Free Agency, where he ended up with the Vancouver Wolves after considering offers from Toronto and Prague. The Wolves had the best record in the league in S71 and seemed poised to make another playoff run. After a slow start, however, the Wolves made an unexpected decision to enter a rebuild, starting with the trade of future Hall of Famer Julius Freeman to New York. The move caused some friction between Smitty and his new team after signing there expecting to contend, and he found himself traded to the Calgary Wranglers ahead of the trade deadline. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with a solid 63 points in 72 games, though his post-season production dipped to 10 points in 21 games (he did post strong defensive numbers with 38 hits and 40 blocked shots). In the playoffs, the Wranglers played tight seven-game series' against Toronto and then New York en route to the finals, but after winning game one against Riga, they lost the next four games, and the legendary career of Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen came to a close.
 
Career Stats
576 GP | 119 G - 414 A - 533 P | + 153 | 1021 PIM | 1471 HIT | 1032 SB
Playoffs: 76 GP | 9 G - 55 A - 64 P | +14 | 132 PIM | 146 HIT | 138 SB

Although Werbenjagermanjensen retired falling short of capturing a second Continental Cup in S72, he retired a certain Hall of Famer, with career totals of 119 goals, 414 assists, and 533 points in 576 games. He was a positive +/- player in all but his rookie season (he was -1 that year), threw 1471 hits and blocked 1032 shots during his illustrious career, and he lined his trophy case with tons of year-end hardware. He may have been picked #2 in the S65 draft, but we all know that Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was number one - and a well deserved first-ballot inductee into the VHL Hall of Fame.

Hopefully that's good, based it on some of the other ones posted in here. Let me know if anything needs fixing...
 
Thanks to everyone who puts in the effort of keeping all those historical spreadsheets updated... they were a huge help. Being new here this took a considerable amount of research, but it was surprisingly easy to find everything I needed

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - Class of S73

Position: D
Birthplace: United State of America
Height: 6-ft-3
Weight: 200 lbs.
Drafted: S65 - 2nd overall (HC Davos Dynamo)
Username: @flyersfan1453

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a consensus top-2 prospect all the way leading up to the S65 VHL Draft, and he more than lived up to the billing. Playing eight seasons in the VHL, Werbenjagermanjensen was a two-way force on the back end, and certainly ended up the best player from the S65 draft class. He was a big defenseman that wasn't afraid to use his body, was an effortless skater with a dangerous shot from the back end, and was a true shut-down defenseman to boot. Werbenjagermanjensen would go on to become one of just seven players to capture the Sterling Labatte Trophy on three or more occasions (at the time of winning his third, in S70, he was the first player in 30 seasons to do so), and is also one of just two multiple-time winners of the Alexander Valiq Trophy. He was an effective contributor from the moment he was drafted, jumping straight into the VHL in S65 and from his breakout year in S67 through to his retirement in S72, Smitty was perennially one of the VHL's best players.

Career Awards
S68 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S68 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S68 - All-VHL First Team
S69 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S69 - Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman)
S69 - All-VHL First Team
S70 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S70 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S70 - Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S70 - Continental Cup Champion (Moscow)
S70 - Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
S70 - All-VHL First Team

S63 (VHLM - Ottawa)
13 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +4 | 16 PIM | 26 HIT | 9 SB
Playoffs: 13 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -2 | 14 PIM | 24 HIT | 10 SB

Werbenjagermanjensen signed with the Ottawa Lynx to begin his VHLM career. A highly touted young prospect from the beginning, he still took some time to adapt to the league, putting up 3 points in 13 games. Featuring two of the VHLM's top three scorers in Elias Dahlberg and Chance Matthews, the Lynx were a high powered offense, but ended up falling in a six-game series with the Saskatoon Wild. Werbenjagermanjensen's production may not have jumped off the page during his 13-game VHLM trial, but his poise and puck moving ability did, prompting the Lynx to retain his rights and make him the 5th overall pick in the VHLM Draft.

S64 (VHLM - Ottawa)
72 GP | 8 G - 60 A - 68 P | +5 | 140 PIM | 260 HIT | 98 SB
Playoffs: 6 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -2 | 30 PIM | 34 HIT | 12 SB

Smitty helped make the Lynx' decision a good one. Alongside fellow top S65 propects Gritty and Carles Puigdemont (they'd go on to be three of the top four picks), he finished as the fourth highest scoring defenseman in the VHLM, while also racking up 260 hits. The Lynx finished third in the league, but not far behind Las Vegas and Halifax. Despite the best efforts of Werbenjagermanjensen, who had himself a dominant 6-game series with 10 points and 34 hits, the Lynx were unable to get past Halifax in the playoffs.

S65 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 3 G - 44 A - 47 P | -1 | 164 PIM | 275 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Werbenjagermanjensen ended up the 2nd overall pick behind only VHLM teammate Puigdemot, going to the HC Davos Dynamo, where he'd play alongside former Lynx teammates Elias Dahlberg and Pat Svoboda. Jumping straight to the VHL after his draft year, Smitty's rookie season saw him tally 3 goals and 44 assists in 72 games, while also finishing 8th in the entire league with 275 hits. After a last-place finish in S64, Davos jumped up the standings, finishing with a 35-32-5 record this time around, but falling just short of the playoffs.

S66 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 16 G - 32 A - 48 P | +23 | 124 PIM | 167 HIT | 137 SB
Playoffs: 9 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +3 | 14 PIM | 12 HIT | 16 SB

Davos was an improved team again in S66, a squad with plenty of offensive talent. Werbenjagermanjensen's game showed growth. His point totals remained relatively the same, but he improved his defensive game and began evolving a lethal shot from the point that would be a key weapon in his arsenal going forward. Smitty's goal output improved from 3 goals to 16 and the Dynamo wound up with a playoff berth after a 37-27-8 season. They made surprisingly easy work of the favoured Riga Reign in the playoffs, outscoring them 12-4 in a 4-0 series sweep, but they were overmatched in the European Conference Finals against Helsinki and bowed out in 5 games. Werbenjagermanjensen tallied just 3 points in 9 playoff games with 12 hits and 16 blocked shots, but the playoff run gave the Dynamo some hope for the future.

S67 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 19 G - 44 A - 63 P | +15 | 104 PIM | 133 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Unfortunately for Werbenjagermanjensen, Davos regressed in S67 after trading Dahlberg, Svoboda, and Rylan Peace for draft picks in the off-season, and they finished well behind Riga for the final playoff spot in the European Conference, despite Smitty himself taking a step forward in his third year. He established or matched career highs across the board offensively with 19 goals, 44 assists, and 63 points while posting a +15 rating on a losing team.

S68 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 27 G - 59 A - 86 P | +36 | 104 PIM | 168 HIT | 118 SB
Playoffs: 7 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -1 | 14 PIM | 14 HIT | 21 SB

Smitty truly arrived in S68, exploding for 27 goals, 59 assists, and 86 points. He finished 10 points ahead of the next highest-scoring defenseman in the league (9th in league scoring overall) and top-10 in the league in +/-, as well. For his efforts, Werbenjagermanjensen captured his first VHL hardware - a Sterling Labatte Trophy as Top Defenseman and an Alexander Valiq Trophy as Top Offensive Defenseman - as well as being named to the All-VHL First Team. The league had expanded to 12 teams and Davos claimed the fourth playoff spot in a tightly-contested European Conference, but they were eliminated in round one in a seven-game series against Malmo. With the Dynamo making minimal noise in the post-season and Smitty's contract up, he found himself testing Free Agency ahead of S69.

S69 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 17 G - 66 A - 83 P | +41 | 160 PIM | 264 HIT | 117 SB
Playoffs: 11 GP | 2 G - 7 A - 9 P | -3 | 18 PIM | 17 HIT | 16 SB

The Dynamo pursued bringing back Werbenjagermanjensen in Free Agency, while he also received interest from Moscow, Toronto, and Calgary. Ultimately, he chose to sign a two-year deal with the Moscow Menace, and his dominant play from the season prior carried over. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with 17 goals and 83 points while endearing himself to his new team by stepping his physical game up once again, delivering 264 hits, a total that would end up the second highest single-season of his career. He finished second in the league in defenseman scoring, two points back of Vancouver's Dilijodh Starload, and while he didn't defend his Valiq from S68, he instead captured the Jake Wylde Trophy as the league's best defensive defenseman, a second-straight spot on the All-VHL First Team, and a second-straight Labatte Trophy. In the playoffs, the Menace knocked off Helsinki in round one before losing in 5 games to Riga in the second round. Werbenjagermanjensen had 9 points in 11 games with a -3 rating and 17 hits, a solid performance, but perhaps a tad disappointing coming from the best defenseman in the VHL.

S70 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 18 G - 68 A - 86 P | +13 | 136 PIM | 194 HIT | 123 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 5 G - 16 A - 21 P | +14 | 24 PIM | 34 HIT | 18 SB

The core of the S69 Moscow Menace remained almost entirely intact for S70, and as the players developed, the Menace became a powerhouse, finishing with the league's best record at 50-17-5. Werbenjagermanjensen put together what may have been the finest season of his career, matching his career high with 86 points, racking up 194 hits and blocking 123 shots. He lead the league in assists and finished 4th in VHL scoring, easily tops among defensemen. He became the first player in 30 seasons to capture three Labatte Trophies, also earning a third-straight All-VHL First Team selection, the second Valiq Trophy of his career, and his first Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Player. And this year, that success would finally translate into the post-season. The Menace made quick work of Prague in the first round and Riga in the second, marching to the finals on an 8-1 record. They fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 in the Continental Cup Finals, before winning three straight to win the series in 6. Werbenjagermanjensen was finally a Continental Cup Champion. He finished tied for the playoff lead in scoring with 21 points in 15 games, and lead the post-season with his +14 rating.

S71 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 6 G - 51 A - 57 P | +5 | 126 PIM | 155 HIT | 140 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 2 G - 15 A - 17 P | +2 | 34 PIM | 31 HIT | 27 SB

Expectations were high for the defending champs in S71, but the Menace were not the dominant force they were a year prior, and some of the core was getting older, including Werbenjagermanjensen, whose offensive prodution dipped to 57 points. For the first time since S67, there were no new additions to the trophy case. But the Menace did finish atop a weak European Conference with a 37-27-8 record, and they began to flex their experience in the post-season. The Menace swept Malmo in the opening round and beat Riga in six games to advance to their second straight Continental Cup finals. However, the Seattle Bears proved to be too much, capturing the cup in a five-game series. It was still a strong post-season for Smitty, piling up 17 points in 15 games to go along with 31 hits and 27 blocked shots, but a repeat was not in the cards.

S72 (VHL - Calgary)
72 GP | 13 G - 50 A - 63 P | +21 | 103 PIM | 115 HIT | 135 SB
Playoffs: 19 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -1 | 28 PIM | 38 HIT | 40 SB

After not being re-signed by Moscow, Smitty tested Free Agency ahead of Free Agency, where he ended up with the Vancouver Wolves after considering offers from Toronto and Prague. The Wolves had the best record in the league in S71 and seemed poised to make another playoff run. After a slow start, however, the Wolves made an unexpected decision to enter a rebuild, starting with the trade of future Hall of Famer Julius Freeman to New York. The move caused some friction between Smitty and his new team after signing there expecting to contend, and he found himself traded to the Calgary Wranglers ahead of the trade deadline. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with a solid 63 points in 72 games, though his post-season production dipped to 10 points in 21 games (he did post strong defensive numbers with 38 hits and 40 blocked shots). In the playoffs, the Wranglers played tight seven-game series' against Toronto and then New York en route to the finals, but after winning game one against Riga, they lost the next four games, and the legendary career of Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen came to a close.
 
Career Stats
576 GP | 119 G - 414 A - 533 P | + 153 | 1021 PIM | 1471 HIT | 1032 SB
Playoffs: 76 GP | 9 G - 55 A - 64 P | +14 | 132 PIM | 146 HIT | 138 SB

Although Werbenjagermanjensen retired falling short of capturing a second Continental Cup in S72, he retired a certain Hall of Famer, with career totals of 119 goals, 414 assists, and 533 points in 576 games. He was a positive +/- player in all but his rookie season (he was -1 that year), threw 1471 hits and blocked 1032 shots during his illustrious career, and he lined his trophy case with tons of year-end hardware. He may have been picked #2 in the S65 draft, but we all know that Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was number one - and a well deserved first-ballot inductee into the VHL Hall of Fame.

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - Class of S73

Position: D
Birthplace: United State of America
Height: 6-ft-3
Weight: 200 lbs.
Drafted: S65 - 2nd overall (HC Davos Dynamo)
Username: @flyersfan1453

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a consensus top-2 prospect all the way leading up to the S65 VHL Draft, and he more than lived up to the billing. Playing eight seasons in the VHL, Werbenjagermanjensen was a two-way force on the back end, and certainly ended up the best player from the S65 draft class. He was a big defenseman that wasn't afraid to use his body, was an effortless skater with a dangerous shot from the back end, and was a true shut-down defenseman to boot. Werbenjagermanjensen would go on to become one of just seven players to capture the Sterling Labatte Trophy on three or more occasions (at the time of winning his third, in S70, he was the first player in 30 seasons to do so), and is also one of just two multiple-time winners of the Alexander Valiq Trophy. He was an effective contributor from the moment he was drafted, jumping straight into the VHL in S65 and from his breakout year in S67 through to his retirement in S72, Smitty was perennially one of the VHL's best players.

Career Awards
S68 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S68 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S68 - All-VHL First Team
S69 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S69 - Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman)
S69 - All-VHL First Team
S70 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S70 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S70 - Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S70 - Continental Cup Champion (Moscow)
S70 - Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
S70 - All-VHL First Team

S63 (VHLM - Ottawa)
13 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +4 | 16 PIM | 26 HIT | 9 SB
Playoffs: 13 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -2 | 14 PIM | 24 HIT | 10 SB

Werbenjagermanjensen signed with the Ottawa Lynx to begin his VHLM career. A highly touted young prospect from the beginning, he still took some time to adapt to the league, putting up 3 points in 13 games. Featuring two of the VHLM's top three scorers in Elias Dahlberg and Chance Matthews, the Lynx were a high powered offense, but ended up falling in a six-game series with the Saskatoon Wild. Werbenjagermanjensen's production may not have jumped off the page during his 13-game VHLM trial, but his poise and puck moving ability did, prompting the Lynx to retain his rights and make him the 5th overall pick in the VHLM Draft.

S64 (VHLM - Ottawa)
72 GP | 8 G - 60 A - 68 P | +5 | 140 PIM | 260 HIT | 98 SB
Playoffs: 6 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -2 | 30 PIM | 34 HIT | 12 SB

Smitty helped make the Lynx' decision a good one. Alongside fellow top S65 propects Gritty and Carles Puigdemont (they'd go on to be three of the top four picks), he finished as the fourth highest scoring defenseman in the VHLM, while also racking up 260 hits. The Lynx finished third in the league, but not far behind Las Vegas and Halifax. Despite the best efforts of Werbenjagermanjensen, who had himself a dominant 6-game series with 10 points and 34 hits, the Lynx were unable to get past Halifax in the playoffs.

S65 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 3 G - 44 A - 47 P | -1 | 164 PIM | 275 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Werbenjagermanjensen ended up the 2nd overall pick behind only VHLM teammate Puigdemot, going to the HC Davos Dynamo, where he'd play alongside former Lynx teammates Elias Dahlberg and Pat Svoboda. Jumping straight to the VHL after his draft year, Smitty's rookie season saw him tally 3 goals and 44 assists in 72 games, while also finishing 8th in the entire league with 275 hits. After a last-place finish in S64, Davos jumped up the standings, finishing with a 35-32-5 record this time around, but falling just short of the playoffs.

S66 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 16 G - 32 A - 48 P | +23 | 124 PIM | 167 HIT | 137 SB
Playoffs: 9 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +3 | 14 PIM | 12 HIT | 16 SB

Davos was an improved team again in S66, a squad with plenty of offensive talent. Werbenjagermanjensen's game showed growth. His point totals remained relatively the same, but he improved his defensive game and began evolving a lethal shot from the point that would be a key weapon in his arsenal going forward. Smitty's goal output improved from 3 goals to 16 and the Dynamo wound up with a playoff berth after a 37-27-8 season. They made surprisingly easy work of the favoured Riga Reign in the playoffs, outscoring them 12-4 in a 4-0 series sweep, but they were overmatched in the European Conference Finals against Helsinki and bowed out in 5 games. Werbenjagermanjensen tallied just 3 points in 9 playoff games with 12 hits and 16 blocked shots, but the playoff run gave the Dynamo some hope for the future.

S67 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 19 G - 44 A - 63 P | +15 | 104 PIM | 133 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Unfortunately for Werbenjagermanjensen, Davos regressed in S67 after trading Dahlberg, Svoboda, and Rylan Peace for draft picks in the off-season, and they finished well behind Riga for the final playoff spot in the European Conference, despite Smitty himself taking a step forward in his third year. He established or matched career highs across the board offensively with 19 goals, 44 assists, and 63 points while posting a +15 rating on a losing team.

S68 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 27 G - 59 A - 86 P | +36 | 104 PIM | 168 HIT | 118 SB
Playoffs: 7 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -1 | 14 PIM | 14 HIT | 21 SB

Smitty truly arrived in S68, exploding for 27 goals, 59 assists, and 86 points. He finished 10 points ahead of the next highest-scoring defenseman in the league (9th in league scoring overall) and top-10 in the league in +/-, as well. For his efforts, Werbenjagermanjensen captured his first VHL hardware - a Sterling Labatte Trophy as Top Defenseman and an Alexander Valiq Trophy as Top Offensive Defenseman - as well as being named to the All-VHL First Team. The league had expanded to 12 teams and Davos claimed the fourth playoff spot in a tightly-contested European Conference, but they were eliminated in round one in a seven-game series against Malmo. With the Dynamo making minimal noise in the post-season and Smitty's contract up, he found himself testing Free Agency ahead of S69.

S69 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 17 G - 66 A - 83 P | +41 | 160 PIM | 264 HIT | 117 SB
Playoffs: 11 GP | 2 G - 7 A - 9 P | -3 | 18 PIM | 17 HIT | 16 SB

The Dynamo pursued bringing back Werbenjagermanjensen in Free Agency, while he also received interest from Moscow, Toronto, and Calgary. Ultimately, he chose to sign a two-year deal with the Moscow Menace, and his dominant play from the season prior carried over. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with 17 goals and 83 points while endearing himself to his new team by stepping his physical game up once again, delivering 264 hits, a total that would end up the second highest single-season of his career. He finished second in the league in defenseman scoring, two points back of Vancouver's Dilijodh Starload, and while he didn't defend his Valiq from S68, he instead captured the Jake Wylde Trophy as the league's best defensive defenseman, a second-straight spot on the All-VHL First Team, and a second-straight Labatte Trophy. In the playoffs, the Menace knocked off Helsinki in round one before losing in 5 games to Riga in the second round. Werbenjagermanjensen had 9 points in 11 games with a -3 rating and 17 hits, a solid performance, but perhaps a tad disappointing coming from the best defenseman in the VHL.

S70 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 18 G - 68 A - 86 P | +13 | 136 PIM | 194 HIT | 123 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 5 G - 16 A - 21 P | +14 | 24 PIM | 34 HIT | 18 SB

The core of the S69 Moscow Menace remained almost entirely intact for S70, and as the players developed, the Menace became a powerhouse, finishing with the league's best record at 50-17-5. Werbenjagermanjensen put together what may have been the finest season of his career, matching his career high with 86 points, racking up 194 hits and blocking 123 shots. He lead the league in assists and finished 4th in VHL scoring, easily tops among defensemen. He became the first player in 30 seasons to capture three Labatte Trophies, also earning a third-straight All-VHL First Team selection, the second Valiq Trophy of his career, and his first Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Player. And this year, that success would finally translate into the post-season. The Menace made quick work of Prague in the first round and Riga in the second, marching to the finals on an 8-1 record. They fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 in the Continental Cup Finals, before winning three straight to win the series in 6. Werbenjagermanjensen was finally a Continental Cup Champion. He finished tied for the playoff lead in scoring with 21 points in 15 games, and lead the post-season with his +14 rating.

S71 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 6 G - 51 A - 57 P | +5 | 126 PIM | 155 HIT | 140 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 2 G - 15 A - 17 P | +2 | 34 PIM | 31 HIT | 27 SB

Expectations were high for the defending champs in S71, but the Menace were not the dominant force they were a year prior, and some of the core was getting older, including Werbenjagermanjensen, whose offensive prodution dipped to 57 points. For the first time since S67, there were no new additions to the trophy case. But the Menace did finish atop a weak European Conference with a 37-27-8 record, and they began to flex their experience in the post-season. The Menace swept Malmo in the opening round and beat Riga in six games to advance to their second straight Continental Cup finals. However, the Seattle Bears proved to be too much, capturing the cup in a five-game series. It was still a strong post-season for Smitty, piling up 17 points in 15 games to go along with 31 hits and 27 blocked shots, but a repeat was not in the cards.

S72 (VHL - Calgary)
72 GP | 13 G - 50 A - 63 P | +21 | 103 PIM | 115 HIT | 135 SB
Playoffs: 19 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -1 | 28 PIM | 38 HIT | 40 SB

After not being re-signed by Moscow, Smitty tested Free Agency ahead of Free Agency, where he ended up with the Vancouver Wolves after considering offers from Toronto and Prague. The Wolves had the best record in the league in S71 and seemed poised to make another playoff run. After a slow start, however, the Wolves made an unexpected decision to enter a rebuild, starting with the trade of future Hall of Famer Julius Freeman to New York. The move caused some friction between Smitty and his new team after signing there expecting to contend, and he found himself traded to the Calgary Wranglers ahead of the trade deadline. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with a solid 63 points in 72 games, though his post-season production dipped to 10 points in 21 games (he did post strong defensive numbers with 38 hits and 40 blocked shots). In the playoffs, the Wranglers played tight seven-game series' against Toronto and then New York en route to the finals, but after winning game one against Riga, they lost the next four games, and the legendary career of Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen came to a close.
 
Career Stats
576 GP | 119 G - 414 A - 533 P | + 153 | 1021 PIM | 1471 HIT | 1032 SB
Playoffs: 76 GP | 9 G - 55 A - 64 P | +14 | 132 PIM | 146 HIT | 138 SB

Although Werbenjagermanjensen retired falling short of capturing a second Continental Cup in S72, he retired a certain Hall of Famer, with career totals of 119 goals, 414 assists, and 533 points in 576 games. He was a positive +/- player in all but his rookie season (he was -1 that year), threw 1471 hits and blocked 1032 shots during his illustrious career, and he lined his trophy case with tons of year-end hardware. He may have been picked #2 in the S65 draft, but we all know that Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was number one - and a well deserved first-ballot inductee into the VHL Hall of Fame.

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - Class of S73

Position: D
Birthplace: United State of America
Height: 6-ft-3
Weight: 200 lbs.
Drafted: S65 - 2nd overall (HC Davos Dynamo)
Username: @flyersfan1453

Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was a consensus top-2 prospect all the way leading up to the S65 VHL Draft, and he more than lived up to the billing. Playing eight seasons in the VHL, Werbenjagermanjensen was a two-way force on the back end, and certainly ended up the best player from the S65 draft class. He was a big defenseman that wasn't afraid to use his body, was an effortless skater with a dangerous shot from the back end, and was a true shut-down defenseman to boot. Werbenjagermanjensen would go on to become one of just seven players to capture the Sterling Labatte Trophy on three or more occasions (at the time of winning his third, in S70, he was the first player in 30 seasons to do so), and is also one of just two multiple-time winners of the Alexander Valiq Trophy. He was an effective contributor from the moment he was drafted, jumping straight into the VHL in S65 and from his breakout year in S67 through to his retirement in S72, Smitty was perennially one of the VHL's best players.

Career Awards
S68 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S68 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S68 - All-VHL First Team
S69 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S69 - Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman)
S69 - All-VHL First Team
S70 - Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman)
S70 - Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman)
S70 - Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)
S70 - Continental Cup Champion (Moscow)
S70 - Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists)
S70 - All-VHL First Team

S63 (VHLM - Ottawa)
13 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +4 | 16 PIM | 26 HIT | 9 SB
Playoffs: 13 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -2 | 14 PIM | 24 HIT | 10 SB

Werbenjagermanjensen signed with the Ottawa Lynx to begin his VHLM career. A highly touted young prospect from the beginning, he still took some time to adapt to the league, putting up 3 points in 13 games. Featuring two of the VHLM's top three scorers in Elias Dahlberg and Chance Matthews, the Lynx were a high powered offense, but ended up falling in a six-game series with the Saskatoon Wild. Werbenjagermanjensen's production may not have jumped off the page during his 13-game VHLM trial, but his poise and puck moving ability did, prompting the Lynx to retain his rights and make him the 5th overall pick in the VHLM Draft.

S64 (VHLM - Ottawa)
72 GP | 8 G - 60 A - 68 P | +5 | 140 PIM | 260 HIT | 98 SB
Playoffs: 6 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -2 | 30 PIM | 34 HIT | 12 SB

Smitty helped make the Lynx' decision a good one. Alongside fellow top S65 propects Gritty and Carles Puigdemont (they'd go on to be three of the top four picks), he finished as the fourth highest scoring defenseman in the VHLM, while also racking up 260 hits. The Lynx finished third in the league, but not far behind Las Vegas and Halifax. Despite the best efforts of Werbenjagermanjensen, who had himself a dominant 6-game series with 10 points and 34 hits, the Lynx were unable to get past Halifax in the playoffs.

S65 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 3 G - 44 A - 47 P | -1 | 164 PIM | 275 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Werbenjagermanjensen ended up the 2nd overall pick behind only VHLM teammate Puigdemot, going to the HC Davos Dynamo, where he'd play alongside former Lynx teammates Elias Dahlberg and Pat Svoboda. Jumping straight to the VHL after his draft year, Smitty's rookie season saw him tally 3 goals and 44 assists in 72 games, while also finishing 8th in the entire league with 275 hits. After a last-place finish in S64, Davos jumped up the standings, finishing with a 35-32-5 record this time around, but falling just short of the playoffs.

S66 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 16 G - 32 A - 48 P | +23 | 124 PIM | 167 HIT | 137 SB
Playoffs: 9 GP | 0 G - 3 A - 3 P | +3 | 14 PIM | 12 HIT | 16 SB

Davos was an improved team again in S66, a squad with plenty of offensive talent. Werbenjagermanjensen's game showed growth. His point totals remained relatively the same, but he improved his defensive game and began evolving a lethal shot from the point that would be a key weapon in his arsenal going forward. Smitty's goal output improved from 3 goals to 16 and the Dynamo wound up with a playoff berth after a 37-27-8 season. They made surprisingly easy work of the favoured Riga Reign in the playoffs, outscoring them 12-4 in a 4-0 series sweep, but they were overmatched in the European Conference Finals against Helsinki and bowed out in 5 games. Werbenjagermanjensen tallied just 3 points in 9 playoff games with 12 hits and 16 blocked shots, but the playoff run gave the Dynamo some hope for the future.

S67 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 19 G - 44 A - 63 P | +15 | 104 PIM | 133 HIT | 131 SB
Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Unfortunately for Werbenjagermanjensen, Davos regressed in S67 after trading Dahlberg, Svoboda, and Rylan Peace for draft picks in the off-season, and they finished well behind Riga for the final playoff spot in the European Conference, despite Smitty himself taking a step forward in his third year. He established or matched career highs across the board offensively with 19 goals, 44 assists, and 63 points while posting a +15 rating on a losing team.

S68 (VHL - Davos)
72 GP | 27 G - 59 A - 86 P | +36 | 104 PIM | 168 HIT | 118 SB
Playoffs: 7 GP | 0 G - 4 A - 4 P | -1 | 14 PIM | 14 HIT | 21 SB

Smitty truly arrived in S68, exploding for 27 goals, 59 assists, and 86 points. He finished 10 points ahead of the next highest-scoring defenseman in the league (9th in league scoring overall) and top-10 in the league in +/-, as well. For his efforts, Werbenjagermanjensen captured his first VHL hardware - a Sterling Labatte Trophy as Top Defenseman and an Alexander Valiq Trophy as Top Offensive Defenseman - as well as being named to the All-VHL First Team. The league had expanded to 12 teams and Davos claimed the fourth playoff spot in a tightly-contested European Conference, but they were eliminated in round one in a seven-game series against Malmo. With the Dynamo making minimal noise in the post-season and Smitty's contract up, he found himself testing Free Agency ahead of S69.

S69 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 17 G - 66 A - 83 P | +41 | 160 PIM | 264 HIT | 117 SB
Playoffs: 11 GP | 2 G - 7 A - 9 P | -3 | 18 PIM | 17 HIT | 16 SB

The Dynamo pursued bringing back Werbenjagermanjensen in Free Agency, while he also received interest from Moscow, Toronto, and Calgary. Ultimately, he chose to sign a two-year deal with the Moscow Menace, and his dominant play from the season prior carried over. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with 17 goals and 83 points while endearing himself to his new team by stepping his physical game up once again, delivering 264 hits, a total that would end up the second highest single-season of his career. He finished second in the league in defenseman scoring, two points back of Vancouver's Dilijodh Starload, and while he didn't defend his Valiq from S68, he instead captured the Jake Wylde Trophy as the league's best defensive defenseman, a second-straight spot on the All-VHL First Team, and a second-straight Labatte Trophy. In the playoffs, the Menace knocked off Helsinki in round one before losing in 5 games to Riga in the second round. Werbenjagermanjensen had 9 points in 11 games with a -3 rating and 17 hits, a solid performance, but perhaps a tad disappointing coming from the best defenseman in the VHL.

S70 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 18 G - 68 A - 86 P | +13 | 136 PIM | 194 HIT | 123 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 5 G - 16 A - 21 P | +14 | 24 PIM | 34 HIT | 18 SB

The core of the S69 Moscow Menace remained almost entirely intact for S70, and as the players developed, the Menace became a powerhouse, finishing with the league's best record at 50-17-5. Werbenjagermanjensen put together what may have been the finest season of his career, matching his career high with 86 points, racking up 194 hits and blocking 123 shots. He lead the league in assists and finished 4th in VHL scoring, easily tops among defensemen. He became the first player in 30 seasons to capture three Labatte Trophies, also earning a third-straight All-VHL First Team selection, the second Valiq Trophy of his career, and his first Brett Slobodzian Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Player. And this year, that success would finally translate into the post-season. The Menace made quick work of Prague in the first round and Riga in the second, marching to the finals on an 8-1 record. They fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 in the Continental Cup Finals, before winning three straight to win the series in 6. Werbenjagermanjensen was finally a Continental Cup Champion. He finished tied for the playoff lead in scoring with 21 points in 15 games, and lead the post-season with his +14 rating.

S71 (VHL - Moscow)
72 GP | 6 G - 51 A - 57 P | +5 | 126 PIM | 155 HIT | 140 SB
Playoffs: 15 GP | 2 G - 15 A - 17 P | +2 | 34 PIM | 31 HIT | 27 SB

Expectations were high for the defending champs in S71, but the Menace were not the dominant force they were a year prior, and some of the core was getting older, including Werbenjagermanjensen, whose offensive prodution dipped to 57 points. For the first time since S67, there were no new additions to the trophy case. But the Menace did finish atop a weak European Conference with a 37-27-8 record, and they began to flex their experience in the post-season. The Menace swept Malmo in the opening round and beat Riga in six games to advance to their second straight Continental Cup finals. However, the Seattle Bears proved to be too much, capturing the cup in a five-game series. It was still a strong post-season for Smitty, piling up 17 points in 15 games to go along with 31 hits and 27 blocked shots, but a repeat was not in the cards.

S72 (VHL - Calgary)
72 GP | 13 G - 50 A - 63 P | +21 | 103 PIM | 115 HIT | 135 SB
Playoffs: 19 GP | 0 G - 10 A - 10 P | -1 | 28 PIM | 38 HIT | 40 SB

After not being re-signed by Moscow, Smitty tested Free Agency ahead of Free Agency, where he ended up with the Vancouver Wolves after considering offers from Toronto and Prague. The Wolves had the best record in the league in S71 and seemed poised to make another playoff run. After a slow start, however, the Wolves made an unexpected decision to enter a rebuild, starting with the trade of future Hall of Famer Julius Freeman to New York. The move caused some friction between Smitty and his new team after signing there expecting to contend, and he found himself traded to the Calgary Wranglers ahead of the trade deadline. Werbenjagermanjensen finished the season with a solid 63 points in 72 games, though his post-season production dipped to 10 points in 21 games (he did post strong defensive numbers with 38 hits and 40 blocked shots). In the playoffs, the Wranglers played tight seven-game series' against Toronto and then New York en route to the finals, but after winning game one against Riga, they lost the next four games, and the legendary career of Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen came to a close.
 
Career Stats
576 GP | 119 G - 414 A - 533 P | + 153 | 1021 PIM | 1471 HIT | 1032 SB
Playoffs: 76 GP | 9 G - 55 A - 64 P | +14 | 132 PIM | 146 HIT | 138 SB

Although Werbenjagermanjensen retired falling short of capturing a second Continental Cup in S72, he retired a certain Hall of Famer, with career totals of 119 goals, 414 assists, and 533 points in 576 games. He was a positive +/- player in all but his rookie season (he was -1 that year), threw 1471 hits and blocked 1032 shots during his illustrious career, and he lined his trophy case with tons of year-end hardware. He may have been picked #2 in the S65 draft, but we all know that Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen was number one - and a well deserved first-ballot inductee into the VHL Hall of Fame.

Thanks everyone for all the interest in signing my player. I did consider the offers from everyone here and looked into every team.
 
Ultimately I narrowed it down to three... Mississauga, Minnesota, and Miami... and I have decided to sign with Miami. Looking forward to getting into my first games!

McLaren Makes Decision, Signs With Marauders
VHLM prospect joined new team late last night, expected to make debut today
 
For the first time in his hockey career, Addison McLaren is leaving the state of Minnesota to play.
 
The Minnesota Storm were one of several VHLM teams who expressed interest in signing the 19-year-old winger, and given McLaren stayed in-state to play high school hockey instead of going the USHL or USNTDP route earlier in his career, and then committed to play college hockey with the Golden Gophers, it was widely expected that they would be his landing spot.
 
McLaren, however, has opted to spend the next season of his career in Florida, signing with the Miami Marauders.
 
"It was not an easy decision for me - there was a lot of interest from VHLM teams and they all made good pitches and they all would've made great homes for the rest of S74, I think," says McLaren. "And it was especially tough for me to choose to leave Minnesota - this is my home."
 
"This is a chance to spend a little more than half a season learning the ropes of the VHL system and to me that was the priority ahead of jumping into a situation where I'd get a lot of ice time or jumping onto a top team in the middle of a season. And I really appreciated the interest and helpfulness shown by Miami and also the experience in the organization."
 
Spending four years at Eden Prairie High School, McLaren established himself as a notable prospect in the hockey world by compiling 71 goals and 40 assists for 111 points in 74 games, though he also picked up 199 penalty minutes. He missed significant time as a sophomore with an ACL injury suffered with the football team, before returning and dedicating himself exclusively to hockey. After returning, McLaren thrived in his junior and senior years to become one of the best high school hockey players in the country.
 
But questions about his size, durability, and the fact that he hadn't played at any level above high school nagged scouts, preventing him from becoming a true marquee prospect. When he turned some heads late in his first season with the Golden Gophers, though, the VHL came calling. Although still a bit of an unknown in VHL circles, McLaren's work ethic early on has impressed teams - including the GM of his new squad. "What I like about McLaren so far is that he doesn't seem to be afraid of hard work," Marauders GM Ricer told media when discussing the signing. "Even before joining a VHLM team he had already been training to improve his player. Who wouldn't want someone like that on their roster?"
 
26 games into S74, the Marauders are 8-18-0 and sit ten points out of the playoffs. There is some hope, however, that they can battle up into a playoff spot as the year goes on lead by S74's 30th overall pick, defenseman Eoin Byrne, and potential top S75 prospects, goaltender Rara Rasputin and defenseman Chicken Wing (ranked 17th and 13th, respectively, in the most recently-published VHCS rankings).
 
McLaren will join a forward group that has some potential, though perhaps not any standouts like those three - but if he can acclimatize quickly to the VHLM, he could provide a spark that helps the Marauders go on a bit of a run as the season goes on. "McLaren is going to fill a role on the wing here in Miami, a position we are lacking in depth. He's going to get every chance to succeed and I am hoping that the energy he puts into training will run off on some of his other teammates," says Ricer.
 
McLaren is expected to make his debut with the Marauders later today. "I'm really looking forward to getting down to Florida and getting to work," said McLaren. "Playing professional hockey is my dream, to be one step closer now, it's amazing. I'm so excited to meet my teammates, to get into some games, and hopefully to help this team move up in the standings."
 
 
 
664 words, claiming this week only

McLaren Makes Decision, Signs With Marauders
VHLM prospect joined new team late last night, expected to make debut today
 
For the first time in his hockey career, Addison McLaren is leaving the state of Minnesota to play.
 
The Minnesota Storm were one of several VHLM teams who expressed interest in signing the 19-year-old winger, and given McLaren stayed in-state to play high school hockey instead of going the USHL or USNTDP route earlier in his career, and then committed to play college hockey with the Golden Gophers, it was widely expected that they would be his landing spot.
 
McLaren, however, has opted to spend the next season of his career in Florida, signing with the Miami Marauders.
 
"It was not an easy decision for me - there was a lot of interest from VHLM teams and they all made good pitches and they all would've made great homes for the rest of S74, I think," says McLaren. "And it was especially tough for me to choose to leave Minnesota - this is my home."
 
"This is a chance to spend a little more than half a season learning the ropes of the VHL system and to me that was the priority ahead of jumping into a situation where I'd get a lot of ice time or jumping onto a top team in the middle of a season. And I really appreciated the interest and helpfulness shown by Miami and also the experience in the organization."
 
Spending four years at Eden Prairie High School, McLaren established himself as a notable prospect in the hockey world by compiling 71 goals and 40 assists for 111 points in 74 games, though he also picked up 199 penalty minutes. He missed significant time as a sophomore with an ACL injury suffered with the football team, before returning and dedicating himself exclusively to hockey. After returning, McLaren thrived in his junior and senior years to become one of the best high school hockey players in the country.
 
But questions about his size, durability, and the fact that he hadn't played at any level above high school nagged scouts, preventing him from becoming a true marquee prospect. When he turned some heads late in his first season with the Golden Gophers, though, the VHL came calling. Although still a bit of an unknown in VHL circles, McLaren's work ethic early on has impressed teams - including the GM of his new squad. "What I like about McLaren so far is that he doesn't seem to be afraid of hard work," Marauders GM Ricer told media when discussing the signing. "Even before joining a VHLM team he had already been training to improve his player. Who wouldn't want someone like that on their roster?"
 
26 games into S74, the Marauders are 8-18-0 and sit ten points out of the playoffs. There is some hope, however, that they can battle up into a playoff spot as the year goes on lead by S74's 30th overall pick, defenseman Eoin Byrne, and potential top S75 prospects, goaltender Rara Rasputin and defenseman Chicken Wing (ranked 17th and 13th, respectively, in the most recently-published VHCS rankings).
 
McLaren will join a forward group that has some potential, though perhaps not any standouts like those three - but if he can acclimatize quickly to the VHLM, he could provide a spark that helps the Marauders go on a bit of a run as the season goes on. "McLaren is going to fill a role on the wing here in Miami, a position we are lacking in depth. He's going to get every chance to succeed and I am hoping that the energy he puts into training will run off on some of his other teammates," says Ricer.
 
McLaren is expected to make his debut with the Marauders later today. "I'm really looking forward to getting down to Florida and getting to work," said McLaren. "Playing professional hockey is my dream, to be one step closer now, it's amazing. I'm so excited to meet my teammates, to get into some games, and hopefully to help this team move up in the standings."
 
 
 
664 words, claiming this week only

McLaren Makes Decision, Signs With Marauders
VHLM prospect joined new team late last night, expected to make debut today
 
For the first time in his hockey career, Addison McLaren is leaving the state of Minnesota to play.
 
The Minnesota Storm were one of several VHLM teams who expressed interest in signing the 19-year-old winger, and given McLaren stayed in-state to play high school hockey instead of going the USHL or USNTDP route earlier in his career, and then committed to play college hockey with the Golden Gophers, it was widely expected that they would be his landing spot.
 
McLaren, however, has opted to spend the next season of his career in Florida, signing with the Miami Marauders.
 
"It was not an easy decision for me - there was a lot of interest from VHLM teams and they all made good pitches and they all would've made great homes for the rest of S74, I think," says McLaren. "And it was especially tough for me to choose to leave Minnesota - this is my home."
 
"This is a chance to spend a little more than half a season learning the ropes of the VHL system and to me that was the priority ahead of jumping into a situation where I'd get a lot of ice time or jumping onto a top team in the middle of a season. And I really appreciated the interest and helpfulness shown by Miami and also the experience in the organization."
 
Spending four years at Eden Prairie High School, McLaren established himself as a notable prospect in the hockey world by compiling 71 goals and 40 assists for 111 points in 74 games, though he also picked up 199 penalty minutes. He missed significant time as a sophomore with an ACL injury suffered with the football team, before returning and dedicating himself exclusively to hockey. After returning, McLaren thrived in his junior and senior years to become one of the best high school hockey players in the country.
 
But questions about his size, durability, and the fact that he hadn't played at any level above high school nagged scouts, preventing him from becoming a true marquee prospect. When he turned some heads late in his first season with the Golden Gophers, though, the VHL came calling. Although still a bit of an unknown in VHL circles, McLaren's work ethic early on has impressed teams - including the GM of his new squad. "What I like about McLaren so far is that he doesn't seem to be afraid of hard work," Marauders GM Ricer told media when discussing the signing. "Even before joining a VHLM team he had already been training to improve his player. Who wouldn't want someone like that on their roster?"
 
26 games into S74, the Marauders are 8-18-0 and sit ten points out of the playoffs. There is some hope, however, that they can battle up into a playoff spot as the year goes on lead by S74's 30th overall pick, defenseman Eoin Byrne, and potential top S75 prospects, goaltender Rara Rasputin and defenseman Chicken Wing (ranked 17th and 13th, respectively, in the most recently-published VHCS rankings).
 
McLaren will join a forward group that has some potential, though perhaps not any standouts like those three - but if he can acclimatize quickly to the VHLM, he could provide a spark that helps the Marauders go on a bit of a run as the season goes on. "McLaren is going to fill a role on the wing here in Miami, a position we are lacking in depth. He's going to get every chance to succeed and I am hoping that the energy he puts into training will run off on some of his other teammates," says Ricer.
 
McLaren is expected to make his debut with the Marauders later today. "I'm really looking forward to getting down to Florida and getting to work," said McLaren. "Playing professional hockey is my dream, to be one step closer now, it's amazing. I'm so excited to meet my teammates, to get into some games, and hopefully to help this team move up in the standings."
 
 
 
664 words, claiming this week only

19-year-old left winger Addison McLaren, a promising sophomore for the University of Minnesota, announced today that he is opting to leave the team and turn professional, declaring for the VHL Entry Draft. He is now eligible to speak with VHLM teams to find a home for the remainder of S74 in preparation for the draft.
 
McLaren had 11 goals and 16 points in 31 games in his rookie campaign, starting as a fourth liner but moving into the team's top-six as the season went on. Half of his production - 6 goals and 8 points - came in the team's final 11 games.
 
He was expected to be a key player for the Golden Gophers this year before rumours of VHL interest picked up and encouraged him to consider turning pro. Despite being just 5'7" and 155 pounds, McLaren is known to be a feisty, physical winger with an above average shot and knack for scoring goals.
 
"I feel like this is the right decision for my hockey career at this time," McLaren said in a statement on his social media accounts. "This is a big step and a new beginning, and I'm looking for a place to start my VHL career where I will have a strong support group to help get used to everything."