fyrefly

VHLM Playoffs: First Round Recap
 

By fyrefly
 
 
It's playoff time in the VHLM! The top eight teams of the regular season faced off for the first round of the VHLM playoffs. The playoffs in the M are a time for capped players to give their last hurrah in the minors before heading up to the big leagues, and for freshly signed potential draftees to show off their skills before the draft. Either way, it's an exciting time. And with the Founders' Cup on the line, tensions are high and players are willing to give whatever it takes!
 
 
       In this recap, I'll be summarizing each series that has been played. Watch for the spotlight on star players and predictions for the next few rounds. 
 
 
Series 1: Mexico City Kings(1st seed) vs. Halifax 21st(8th seed)
Notable Performances: Dolant Fertitta(HFX), Javad Kamkar(HFX), Justin Lose(MEX), King Kruul(MEX)
This was one series that was expected to go by fast. The Kings blitzed the M in the regular season, capturing the top record with an astonishing 54 wins. But surprisingly, the 21st put up a fight. Nothing too much, only enough to stretch the series to 5 games. But enough to let everybody else in the league know that the Kings aren't invincible. But they sure are close. Justin Lose @youloser1337 was an absolute force for the Kings, putting up 4 goals and 8 points in those 5 games. Jakob Sosa @TMGSosa also contributed offensively, notching 5 assists and 7 points. From the back end, King Kruul @LefLop kept his fruitful career fruitful with 6 assists and 7 points, enough to tie for first among defenceman scoring. And then there's goaltender Markus Emerson Jr. @Xflexz, who's a rock of a goalie in between the pipes with a .872 save percentage and a 3.2 goals against average.
The 21st were a tyrant of a team last season, but experienced a crazy insane upset by the hands of the eventual champs Miami Marauders. This year, they had a much weaker team, but they managed to take a game in this series. They were largely riding the performance of superstar and shoo-in for MVP Dolant Fertitta @Dolant, who lead the playoffs in points somehow. Javad Kamker @Parriyah9374 was also a massive contributor from the blueline with five assist and six points. Poor Mike Sterling @SilverMike, who has to face the loaded Mexico offense with such a lackluster defense. He has a depressing 5.2 goals against average. Halifax also doesn't look to have the strongest team next year, as they don't have a first round pick.
Series score: 4-1 Mexico
 
 
Series 2: Philadelphia Reapers(2nd seed) vs. Yukon Rush(7th seed)
Notable Performances: Jivere Zolnek(PHI), Jacob Carson(PHI), Tom Eagles(PHI), The great(YUK)
This was another series involving a top regular season team and a team that barely made the playoffs that was supposed to go by very fast. And unlike the prior mentioned series, it did. The Reapers executed a perfect 4-0 sweep, eliminating the Rush. A couple of top VHL draft prospects did extremely well in this series, namely Jivere Zolnek @Sixersfan549 and Tom Eagles @Greg_Di. Zolnek, after an underwhelming regular season of only 13 points, exploded against the Rush for 3 goals and 7 points in only 4 games. Eagles, on the other hand, continued what he had gotten done in the regular season. He translated his amazing 64 points into 6 points in the first round. Also worth mentioning is goaltender Jacob Carson @jacobcarson877, who had an incredible .946 save percentage and 1.25 goals against average. Pekko Viitanen @Xdjk93 also stunned the Rush with 5 assists in the series.
The Yukon Rush, in a sense, played as was expected of a team who sold at the deadline and squeaked into the playoffs. They had no real stars to rely on for points, as they traded them all away for futures. But they managed to keep the Reapers close in all but 2 of the games they played. The only really performances worth mentioning are The great @Jake Sumner, who scored 2 goals and has an astonishing 40% shooting percentage. Other than that, no one really made a difference as the Reapers changed the Rush's championship chances to 0.
Series Score: 4-0 Philadelphia
 
 
Series 3: San Diego Marlins(3rd seed) vs. Miami Marauders(6th seed)
Notable Performances: Gunnar Odinsson(SDM), Michael Olson(SDM), Nero Endrizzi(SDM), Ryan Ryker(MIA)
Since the seeds were closer for this series, it was more than expected to be close. Miami was a decent team heading into this playoffs. But the Marlins sure proved they were the stronger team. They went all out at the deadline, and reaped necessary rewards for a long playoff run. They picked up a bunch of waiver players to fill their depth spots, and still had room for stars to fill the top spots. Some of their guys who particularly shone during this series were top VHL draft prospect Gunnar Odinsson @BOOM, who had to have raised his stock with his 6 assists and 7 points from the back end. Goaltender Michael Olson @MSO94 also made a massive difference, with a .934 save percentage and a 1.25 GAA, effectively shutting down the Miami offense. Nero Endrizzi @TurnDaddy, a player the Marlins picked up in the dispersal draft last season, also put his skills on display with 2 goals and 6 points in the series. A lot of Marlins will be heading up next season, and the Marlins used a lot of their futures acquiring all that talent, so we can expect a basement finish next season.
As I said before, the Marauders had a promising squad heading into the postseason, grabbing the 6th seed in the playoffs and securing a slightly weaker matchup in the first round. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. Nevertheless, they had some decent performances from some of their players. Ryan Ryker @Jayrad28 was a beast throughout the series, picking up 3 assists, 10 hits, and 3 blocked shots. Phoenix Dawson @Toastalso impressed, with 2 goals and a 33.3% shooting percentage. He will also be among the top VHL prospects. Finally, there's my old friend Cabe McJake @RedSus, who, with a goal and an assist, couldn't manage to carry the Marauders to victory. Either way, a successful season for Miami. Unfortunately, they spent a lot of their picks at the deadline, so they should sink into mediocrity for next season.
Series Score: 4-0 San Diego
 
 
Series 4: Saskatoon Wild(4th seed) vs. Las Vegas Aces(5th seed)
Notable Performances: Lenny Sanderson(SSK), Battre Sandstrom(SSK), Jordan Tate(LVA), Linus Zetterstrom(LVA)
Well, this one had a wild finish, didn't it? Game seven OT. That doesn't happen often. And what a series. The Aces take the 3-1 lead, but the Wild come roaring back and force the final game. But the Aces came up big. Linus Zetterstrom @Ledge_and_Dairy was the man with the winner, and he notched 7 assists and 9 points in those 7 games. Also incredible was the performance of Jordan Tate @Aye my name jeff, who got 11 points and leads the playoffs in scoring right now. He and fellow deadline pickup Sheldon Juniper @fyrefly along with linemate Connor Sim @SimmerDown99 combined for 28 points in the series. Matt thunder @Matt thunder also got a point per game in the series. Overall, the Aces' deadline acquisitions made the difference for them this series. They have a bunch of clutch players that should really help in their next round series against Mexico. 
The Saksatoon Wild are a playoff team, and probably a second round caliber team. But they couldn't manage to complete the comeback and knock off the Aces one last time. But they played a hell of a good series. Notably, rookie and top draft prospect Lenny Sanderson @Gally, who must have raised his draft stock with his 5 goals and 10 points. Battre Sandstrom @Acydburn , who is projected to go second overall in the VHL draft, also shone as an offensive defenceman, with 6 assists and 9 points. Other that, Vivek Weiner @coochiman got an assist per game plus a goal for 8 points. Although the Wild don't look to be strong next season, they had a really good team this season and should be proud. 
 
 
 
This concludes the series for round one of the VHLM playoffs. For the next segment, I'll give you the next round of series plus predictions for who will win. 
 
 
Series 5: Mexico City Kings(1st seed) vs. Las Vegas Aces(5th seed)
The Aces are now the underdog as they take on the potentially unstoppable Kings. The Kings will try to ride their firepower and depth that got them the best regular season record, while the Aces hope their deadline pickups and waiver players, as well as the game seven clutch that got them past the Wild, will get them over top of the Kings and onto the finals. The Kings were eliminated in the first round last season, so they're looking for a much deeper playoff run this year. The Aces were one of the top teams last season, but they were beat out in the semis by the waiver warrior Miami Marauders. For this matchup, even with my biased opinion, I feel the Kings have a team that is nearly invincible this year. I think the Aces will take them to six games, and give them a run for their money. But the talent and depth of the Kings is hard to match.
Prediction: 4-2 Mexico
 
 
Series 6: Philadelphia Reapers(2nd seed) vs. San Diego Marlins(3rd seed)
This one I'm sure I cannot accurately predict. These two squads are so evenly matched it'd be hard to put one ahead of the other. The Reapers were a borderline playoff team last year, but were nudged out by the eventual champions Marauders in the final games of the regular season. The Marlins, on the other hand, were a basement team last season, losing out only to the lowly Minnesota Storm for bottom of the standings. They were, however, able to pick up the top two picks of the draft and select two very good players. Both teams acquired a truckload of talented players through the draft and trades, and it will be a long, tough series. But I think the sheer amount of capped players of the Reapers wil ultimately push them over the top. But not without a fight.
Prediction: 4-3 Philadelphia
 
 
 
 
El Finale: Mexico City Kings vs. Philadelphia Reapers
These two teams were in the exact same situation as each other last year. They are in the exact same situation as each other this year, too. The Founders' Cup Finals. Against each other. It will be a battle of two teams of roughly the same skill, roughly the same depth. It will be a nail-biter, I'll guarantee you that. But looking at their rosters, and their success in these playoffs so far, I have chosen a winner. And if I can figure out how to hide a result, it'll appear down there ⬇️
 
 
That concludes my recap and predictions for the S75 VHLM Founders' Cup playoffs. For the sake of honesty, I fully expect the Philadelphia Reapers to fulfil my prophecy and win the cup. This has been fun, and I wish all contestants hope, but especially the Aces. I hope we can break my prediction and bring the Cup back to it's rightful home, Sin City! Good luck to all, and we'll see you in another month or so because this media spot is so damn long I can claim it for that long! Either way, I hope you enjoyed this. Excuse me for making this final paragraph kind of awkward, but this is how I'm filling the gap to get to 2,000 words. 
 
I need five more words. 
 
 
 
2,000 words on the dot. Claiming this for four weeks. 
 

1. HAHA GOTTEM
 
2. Like a lot of other kids I know, I got NHL21 for Christmas
 
3. For the NHL not to shut down again, and for me to get better grades I guess
 
4. Canada here and irl, and I'm pretty sure I'll make it 
 
5. Looking at the seeding I created in my little media spot I wrote that I can claim for 4 weeks, I think we'll play Philly if we win
 
6. I clicked on the link first. You scared me, and I was afraid to click on it because I'm on a school computer. Nice birds
 

GG and congratulations to @Spartan and the Las Vegas Aces on a hell of a series! It could not have come down to the wire any more than it did, and it's a testament to how good both squads were. Go get that Cup!
 
It's not the ending we wanted, Sasky, but I couldn't be prouder of you for never giving up and fighting until the end. It was a privilege to call each of you one of my players. 

Great read. Enjoy the 4 weeks of PT's 😃

Title explains it all. I don't think there's a single one of us here who's going to look back on 2020 and think "good times" overall. Life sucked for all of us, and that's something I can relate to--I was in my worst-ever mental state early on this year and had my entire social life destroyed right when I was just starting to build one in college. Summer plans were destroyed and I went through a fall semester in which I had next to nothing to do with anyone in real life and felt worthless and unloved more often than I'd like to admit. I'm sure just about everyone here can relate to this on some level, some to an even greater extent than I can.
 
But what's good? I find that it's nice whenever I'm feeling that life is slapping me in the face to think about what's good in my life and what I've been blessed with. Of course, I could go with the usual general things, I'm actually doing pretty well for myself in terms of school and personal development (even though I don't feel like it), I've got a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat, I have a job that I've kept through this whole situation. That by itself is more than a lot of people can say and I'm lucky to be able to say it. 
 
I wrote this up looking forward to hearing from the rest of you and reading your responses--and I am looking forward to it! But when I posed this question to myself halfway through writing this, I realized...I've got no clear answer myself. So I guess here's a short list of things I've done or been gifted with this year that I'm happy about.
 
Bought a Netflix subscription and have kept myself busy enough catching up on everything I've been missing for years Got very into golf, somehow even managed to convince a friend with no interest in sports that it was fun too Improved my guitar playing and wrote the best piece of music I've ever written Got a hell of a lot better with photo editing (thanks, sim leagues?) Finally found out that I do enjoy what I'm studying because I finally took enough classes to be able to judge it fairly--learned a lot as well! After the aforementioned poor mental state in the spring/early summer, I'm in a much better place now and genuinely consider myself happy with who I am  
I guess that's about it because everything else was either too general or too cheesy or too weird or too whatever. But what's good that's happened in your lives in 2020? I feel like we could all use a dose of positivity. 

Outside of just their on ice value, the users behind the players we received were what we look for as Vegas players. Zeke, Flex, Fyrefly, and Thad are all fantastic people, and I have a long standing relationship with the first two players. While it was disappointing to lose others who were key parts of our LR, knowing that we were getting back great people made the decisions a bit easier for us to make. Great article!

Las Vegas Aces: 
“A story of a team that went all in.”
 
Las Vegas; the city of gambling and going all in. That describes the team that plays there very well. The Las Vegas Aces, led by GM Spartan and AGM JigglyGumballs, have gone all in this trade deadline. Let’s take a look at their additions and their send-offs. 
 
ADDITIONS:
 
Goaltender Thadius Sales: 
Being the starting goaltender for the Marauders and Aces this season, Thadius Sales started in 67 games in total between the two teams, and put up a record of 38-24-3, with a save percentage of .892% and a goals against average of 2.8. He was involved in a blockbuster trade, seeing the Aces’ old goaltender Matthew A. Sovick Jr. went back to his previous team, with a fifth, for Sales. If that sounded confusing, then here's the trade on the forums. Sovick is a very capable goaltender, and could see some big minutes in the Marauders’ cup-defending run. When it comes to Sales, he could also see big minutes with the Aces this offseason, along with backup netminder Aksu Maronen. I would give this addition a 9/10 for the Aces; a great rental pickup for them, but they did risk a goaltender for a lot of potential. They are clearly going for the cup this season. 
 
Forward Jordan Tate:
Coming from a not so great Mississauga Hounds squad, Jordan Tate was one of the players who shined there. This season, he put up 62 points (26 goals, 36 assists) in only 49 games played with the Hounds, before putting up an additional 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) in an additional 23 games with the Aces. Tate was traded along with fellow teammate Dan Dan to the Aces, for Jah Coon, Noah Mashford, and a SSK S76 1st and 4th. In the long run, the Hounds won this trade, but the Aces won the trade in the now. When it comes to the player, Tate is an outstanding player with great VHL upside, who will undoubtedly have an impact on the Aces’ cup run this season. I would give this addition a 8/10 for Vegas; great player for the now, not later. 
 
Forward Dan Dan:
Being one of the two assets the Mississauga Hounds sent to Vegas, Dan Dan put on the hard hat for MIS, lighting it up alongside Jordan Tate, with 60 points (31 goals, 29 assists) in 49 games, Dan was a bright spot there. He was traded for a couple of decent picks and two players. The Aces made a great move in acquiring Dan and Tate, as they set their eyes on the founders cup this season. The move, in my opinion, was made to fit together the pieces for their perfect playoff team. Great player, great trade, hopefully great outcome. 
 
Forward Sheldon Juniper:
 
Sheldon Juniper’s season prior to moving to Las Vegas may have not been as impressive as these other additions, but still is great, producing 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 45 games. After the move, he’s kept up with roughly the same point rate, falling 5 points short of a point per game. His trade involved the Aces giving up a depth forward and a 2nd round pick in S77. Not a bad price to pay for a quality asset. Juniper will help the Aces secure their top 6, along with Tate and Dan. It’s all about going all in in Vegas, and that couldn’t be more prevalent with this year’s Aces team. 
 
Picks Received:
 
S76 SSK 1ST AND 4TH, AND S76 MIA 1ST. 
 
REMOVALS
 
Goaltender Matthew A. Sovick:
 
Matthew A. Sovick, previously mentioned, is a solid starting netminder with both teams he’s played for this season. For Las Vegas, he put up a 27-19-4 record, had 3 shutouts, a .888 save %, and a 3.0 GAA. Now, for Miami, he put up a 7-7-5 record, 0 extra shutouts, a .886 save %, and a 3.06 GAA. From those numbers, he played better before getting traded. Their newer goalie, Thadius Sales, has put up better numbers this season than Sovick has, but Sovick can grow for one more season, considering the fact that he is yet to be capped at 250 TPA. Sales is good for a current cup run, Sovick is better for the future cup runs. However, being back in his old home of Miami, he can turn it around and produce great numbers there next season. Only time will tell. Let’s look at our next sendoff. 
 
Forward Jah Coon:
 
A couple of words describe forward Jah Coon the best: a work in progress. Coon only put up 2 points (2 goals) in 48 games with the Aces this season, before moving to Mississauga, where he put up an additional 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in an additional 23 games. Needless to say, there was a clear improvement when he went over to the Hounds, considering their stance in this season. He got more ice time, and in return produced more; it’s how the VHL works. His lack of point production has to do mainly with his lower-than-average TPE, and his spot on the Aces. That explains why he was traded; he wasn’t needed on that team at that time. He has a bright future with the Hounds, and I can’t wait to see what happens with him next. 
 
Forward Noah Mashford:
 
Forward Noah Mashford has had quite the bumpy ride in the M this season, boasting a below average point total of 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 46 games, before getting traded to the Hounds, where he put up better numbers with 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in 23 games. Like Coon, the Hounds fit his player’s needs more than the Aces did at the time. They both needed more ice time, and more of a role on their teams in order to produce at better rates. Mashford got what he wanted. The trade was a new, fresh slate that he took and improved off of. Seeing his improvement in Mississauga, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this promising forward. 
 
Forward Nathan Askarov:
 
After he was moved from the Aces to the Rush, Nathan Askarov has become a slightly better player than what he was before. With the Aces, Askarov put up three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 43 games. But, with Yukon, he put up an additional four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in an additional 27 games. It’s an improvement, but only by so much. Once Askarov finds his footing, he can become a well balanced scoring forward in the VHL, with point totals ranging from 50 to 60 points a season. He’s made moves, but he needs to step it up if he wants a promotion. Being 89 TPE with 2 seasons under your VHLM career isn’t a great place to be in. Once he finds his play style, however, he can turn into a deadly force for the Rush’s offense. He just has to trust the process. I would say that the move positively impacted his career. 
 
Defenseman Alexis LePrince:
 
Being the first defenseman we’re covering in this article, Alexis LePrince needed to show some improvement in his new home, and has done just that. After the move from Las Vegas to Saskatoon, LePrince put up two extra points (2 assists) in 7 extra games. For being a depth defenseman option, on a team like SSK, he’s showing signs of great potential at a VHLM level. He’s a defenseman, so his points aren’t the things that show, it’s more of his other stats like his SB, or P/M. In those departments, he’s put up a total of 22 SB and a P/M of +1. So, he’s done quite well for himself. Like a lot of these other players, having a new and fresh slate, has seemingly helped LePrince accelerate his progression as a player. In my opinion, the move impacted him for the better, as he has been playing better in SSK, and it shows in the stats. 
 
Picks Given Away:
 
S76 LVA 5TH, S76 SSK 1ST AND 4TH, S77 LVA 2ND, S77 LVA 1ST, AND S76 LVA 6TH. 
 
WRITTEN AND EDITED BY DARIUS MARIMOTO. 
 
WORD COUNT: 1381 WORDS, 7334 CHARACTERS.
 
TAGS: @thadthrasher @fyrefly @MMFLEX @Aye my name jeff @aksuko @JigglyGumballs @Spartan @matt sovick @denns @Mashy @NathanM2983 @AnthonyOuellet @


 

1. I think we could have been better no doubt
 
2. I think we just need to develop chemistry. We have the talent to succeed
 
3. Home Alone, no contest
 
4. I have a pet frog
 
5. Mneh
 
6. Staying up way late at new years

How's Zinus Letterstrom 

It's playoff time, and the Las Vegas Aces are clinched, so I haven't missed the playoffs once! Albeit, my career has been short, but a streak is a streak. 
 
      I think our deadline acquisitions put us ahead of some of the other contenders. We may have finished 4th in the western conference, but I think we have the edge over Sasky and maybe SDM because of our STELLAR d core and our shiny new wingers and goalie. Although I'm sad to see Sovick go, Thad is a great capped addition to our goaltending, and a great guy in the LR. I can also see Spartan's plan in my head, which is having thad go up to NYA next year and Aksu Maronen, our insane earner backup goalie, become the starter. Our new forwards, Dan Dan, Jordan Tate, and Jeldon Shuniper, should really get our offense going, which I think was a big part of the issues we faced in the regular season. Otherwise, Sim, Wachiure, and McCloud will be great secondary contributors in the postseason and Kelly Power is our wrecking ball as usual. All in all, a successful season for our Aces, and hopefully we can get something done in those playoffs. 
 
 
 
 
 

For this week's VHL.com article, I'm going to make predictions about how the playoffs this year will turn out. Based on the standings right now, and assuming that four teams from each conference get into the playoffs, here who would realistically get in right now:
 
Western Conference: 
Mexico City Kings
San Diego Marlins
Saskatoon Wild 
Las Vegas Aces
(in that order)
 
Eastern Conference: 
Philadelphia Reapers
Miami Marauders
Halifax 21st
Mississauga Hounds
(also in that order)
 
So, this would set up matchups like so:
 
Kings vs. Aces
Marlins vs. Wild
 
Reapers vs. Hounds
Marauders vs. 21st
 
 
And based on these matchups, and the success of these teams in the regular season, here are my educated predictions for the S75 Founder's Cup Playoffs:
 
 

 
The seedings may be a bit off, because I couldn't reseed the bracket after each round for whatever reason, so we are left with our champions: the Philadelphia Reapers. 
 
Some things I predicted were the upset involving the Miami Marauders and Halifax 21st(sound familiar?), and the eventual dethroning of the regular season champion Kings. In the actual STHS sim, the second round matchups would have been Kings vs. 21st and Reapers vs. Marlins, but I think the results would have been the same so I didn't bother changing it. 

It's that time of week again; time to put at least 500 words onto this document. I didn't really have any big ideas for a two thousand word long media spot, so I figured I'd throw a bunch of stuff together and hope it meets the word minimum. 
 
 
             First I'd like to thank those of you who bid on all that weird shit that people gave up(I'm looking at @Beaviss who bid on @Peace's feet), because you guys indirectly gave a lot of us free 12 TPE. Of course, it doesn't do much for me, since all mine is sitting banked because I'm at the VHLM max. But it's nice for the guys under, especially the guys at like one hundred TPE, to get a nice cushion. It's also good that it rewards everyone who does a point task with a free double week, so all the guys who take the time to put a little more into the league than clicking a couple buttons get a nice little gift. 
 
                    I also want to say that this season has gone by in a flash.  I know that I'm a first gen, and have only been in this league since like September. But I feel like this season has gone by a lot faster than last season. It may be because the sims have been more efficient and have happened quicker, or just that if feels faster for some reason; I just find it went by fast. 
 
            I've been pretty happy with Juniper's production recently. I think that on Yukon, he was struggling a bit, so the move to Las Vegas was definitely for the best. Juniper was thrown on the first line and the power play, and it has shown. After 39 points in 45 games with Yukon, and only 18 goals, in only 24 games with the Aces, Juniper has racked up 14 goals and 25 points, which I'm really happy about. My boy is finally point per game! It's a good feeling, and although I expect dismal point totals next season, where Juniper will have graduated to the VHL with the Vancouver Wolves and likely plopped on the fourth line, getting point per game in the M is a good thing to have on your resume. 
 
                  I've also seen the passion people are showing for the WJC GM jobs. I personally don't have the time, but I've seen a lot of worthy participants. I think it's a great way to boost your status within the league, and get to know people real well. So, I mean, I'm not going to apply for an official GM or AGM job, but if any of the applicants want some help choosing their teams, I'm available. Kind of like a scout, or an assistant to the assistant GM. 
 
                       This is already my fifth paragraph, wow. And I know that I'm going to get burned in the reviews for not doing anything bold, but really, there's nothing to bold. I'm just throwing some random crap together. SO onto my next little topic: I'm scared of all the new recreates, Duncan Idaho, Paul Atreides, and Asher Reinhart. You guys are earning like 40 TPE per week now, and even though I usually cap out each week, you guys make me look like an amateur. I'm scared you guys are going to pass me in TPE before next season ends. I wish I could earn that fast
 
 
572 words
 

It's that time of week again; time to put at least 500 words onto this document. I didn't really have any big ideas for a two thousand word long media spot, so I figured I'd throw a bunch of stuff together and hope it meets the word minimum. 
 
 
             First I'd like to thank those of you who bid on all that weird shit that people gave up(I'm looking at @Beaviss who bid on @Peace's feet), because you guys indirectly gave a lot of us free 12 TPE. Of course, it doesn't do much for me, since all mine is sitting banked because I'm at the VHLM max. But it's nice for the guys under, especially the guys at like one hundred TPE, to get a nice cushion. It's also good that it rewards everyone who does a point task with a free double week, so all the guys who take the time to put a little more into the league than clicking a couple buttons get a nice little gift. 
 
                    I also want to say that this season has gone by in a flash.  I know that I'm a first gen, and have only been in this league since like September. But I feel like this season has gone by a lot faster than last season. It may be because the sims have been more efficient and have happened quicker, or just that if feels faster for some reason; I just find it went by fast. 
 
            I've been pretty happy with Juniper's production recently. I think that on Yukon, he was struggling a bit, so the move to Las Vegas was definitely for the best. Juniper was thrown on the first line and the power play, and it has shown. After 39 points in 45 games with Yukon, and only 18 goals, in only 24 games with the Aces, Juniper has racked up 14 goals and 25 points, which I'm really happy about. My boy is finally point per game! It's a good feeling, and although I expect dismal point totals next season, where Juniper will have graduated to the VHL with the Vancouver Wolves and likely plopped on the fourth line, getting point per game in the M is a good thing to have on your resume. 
 
                  I've also seen the passion people are showing for the WJC GM jobs. I personally don't have the time, but I've seen a lot of worthy participants. I think it's a great way to boost your status within the league, and get to know people real well. So, I mean, I'm not going to apply for an official GM or AGM job, but if any of the applicants want some help choosing their teams, I'm available. Kind of like a scout, or an assistant to the assistant GM. 
 
                       This is already my fifth paragraph, wow. And I know that I'm going to get burned in the reviews for not doing anything bold, but really, there's nothing to bold. I'm just throwing some random crap together. SO onto my next little topic: I'm scared of all the new recreates, Duncan Idaho, Paul Atreides, and Asher Reinhart. You guys are earning like 40 TPE per week now, and even though I usually cap out each week, you guys make me look like an amateur. I'm scared you guys are going to pass me in TPE before next season ends. I wish I could earn that fast
 
 
572 words
 

So, here is my official application...
@bigAL @rjfryman
 

I figured I gotta get in on this
 
@Ricer13 and @Zetterberg I'll forever be grateful for introducing me to the league, showing me the ropes, and having faith in me in the playoffs. I will always remember the Waiver Warriors.
 
@tcookie, @RedSus, and @coochiman were some of the best teammates I've ever had. Thanks for supporting me. 
 
@Ledge_and_Dairy was the dude who told me about this whole thing, and I'm really glad he did.
 
 

I figured I gotta get in on this
 
@Ricer13 and @Zetterberg I'll forever be grateful for introducing me to the league, showing me the ropes, and having faith in me in the playoffs. I will always remember the Waiver Warriors.
 
@tcookie, @RedSus, and @coochiman were some of the best teammates I've ever had. Thanks for supporting me. 
 
@Ledge_and_Dairy was the dude who told me about this whole thing, and I'm really glad he did.
 
 

I figured I gotta get in on this
 
@Ricer13 and @Zetterberg I'll forever be grateful for introducing me to the league, showing me the ropes, and having faith in me in the playoffs. I will always remember the Waiver Warriors.
 
@tcookie, @RedSus, and @coochiman were some of the best teammates I've ever had. Thanks for supporting me. 
 
@Ledge_and_Dairy was the dude who told me about this whole thing, and I'm really glad he did.
 
 

I figured I gotta get in on this
 
@Ricer13 and @Zetterberg I'll forever be grateful for introducing me to the league, showing me the ropes, and having faith in me in the playoffs. I will always remember the Waiver Warriors.
 
@tcookie, @RedSus, and @coochiman were some of the best teammates I've ever had. Thanks for supporting me. 
 
@Ledge_and_Dairy was the dude who told me about this whole thing, and I'm really glad he did.
 
 

@Nykonax  for helping me with my To Kill a Mockingbird english homework last year

In the Holiday Spirit, tag someone on the VHL who did something nice that made your day or impacted you positively. I will start first. 
 
@gorlab - thanks for helping me pick out my internet package. You were 100% correct in saying the cheapest package would work well, as my internet has still been amazingly fast despite being so cheap.
 
@Rayzor_7 @tfong - thanks for explaining stuff to me in the stonks thread and helping me make money

Hi everyone (removing members tag so people aren't pinged twice), with that confirmation, the league has surpassed all 3 milestones for total contributions to the 2020 Holiday Charity Drive. Thank you to everyone who has contributed! If you haven't donated yet, the donation drive will continue through the 20th, and all donations through the league paypal will be added to the amounts we split among Food Banks Canada and Feeding America, while you will be eligible to claim the personal donation rewards, if you haven't already.
 
All Members may now claim the following community rewards*:
 
$500 Community Donations: 2 Uncapped TPE for Everyone
$1000 Community Donations: 4 Uncapped TPE for Everyone
$2000 Community Donations: PT Doubles Week for Everyone
 
*Must be claimed on a player created on, or before, December 25th, 2020.
 
Thank you again to everyone for being so generous!

1. I'm glad to join this team, and I think we have a serious chance at a championship
 
2. Yeah, the break from school is great. Although I get one week less than Ledge, and he's bragging nonstop about it
 
3. I mean, high school? Overrated. In grade three, we had a coyote running around our school grounds so we had to go into lockdown and not go outside for recess. I remember me and a couple of my friends grabbing some brooms and sticks and trying to force our way outside to take it on.
 
4. Hell yes, we're too good for that not to happen
 
5. Decent. Right now, I'm hungry
 
6. Anything I can find in my fridge

The VHLM Power Rankings are back just in time for the home stretch of the regular season. This week is a particularly interesting for a couple reasons. First, there has a been an eruption of trade activity in the past seven days as teams begin to make their push for the playoffs. And beside the trades, the sims in the past week were super interesting and in turn has provided some movement in the power rankings. In particular, one team in the top 5 went on a historic winning streak, while the two teams I've considered to be a powerhouse all season have started to sputter and stumble a touch. That's enough preamble, let's dive into it and take a look at what I'm talking about!
 

Last Week: 1  |  This Week: 1  
Nestling in their comfy #1 ranking for the third straight week, Mexico City continues being the toast of the league. That being said, it hasn't been a banner week for the Kings. Mexico City was one of many teams who were shopping this week ahead of the league's trade deadline. While making substantial upgrades, the team still only managed to go 4-5-1. This could be a situation where you just don't mess with a good thing. Team chemistry is important and shaking things up on your roster always carries risk. Despite that, I do think the upgrades the Kings made were logical ones. First earlier on last week the Kings set a S77 1st Round Pick and Kid Frost (a VHLM drafted welfare earner who has multi-VHLM season control) to Houston in exchange for the capped-out fiesty Frenchmen @domg5 Dominic Gobeil. As noted in last weeks Power Rankings, Houston's season was pretty much done for, and Gobeil seemed to be the prime trading candidate there. Mexico gets a physical winger who is a jack-of-all-trades. He sacrifices the body with bone crushing hits and shot-blocking but he also has an undeniable scoring touch. A couple days later the Kings doubled down and decided to address their defensive depth. They decided to get Yukon on the horn and after some intense back and forth negotiations, the Kings landed themselves a top TPE earning defense. For a pair of picks and a lower end defensemen named Roger Jone (but usable for the Rush next season), Mexico acquired @GoliathusTee Pee E II. TPE II was the defensive leader in Yukon all season, but Yukon decided to pull the trigger on him to recoup some assets for future seasons.  These two deals have definitely bolstered Mexico City's roster but so far have not yielded the results they were hoping for. Luckily there is still time for these new players to assimilate themselves with their teammates and get the Kings back on track in time for the playoffs.
 

Last Week: 2  |  This Week: 2  
Coming in at #2 yet again is the Philadelphia Reapers, albeit by the slimmest of margins. It's been a weird past week for Phlly, and it's really hard to make head or tails of any of it. In their last 10 games they've went dead even going 5-5. While they have had impressive wins against legitimate teams like Mexico City and Miami, they also dropped games to Yukon, Halifax and even the lowly Ottawa Lynx. However, the singular thing that keeps Philly nested in the 2 spot for one more week is a little thing I like to call "The Ric Flair rule". TO BE THE MAN, YOU MUST BEAT THE MAN! San Diego was knocking on the door of the 2 spot this week and had their chance to overtake the Reapers, but Philly slammed the door in their face by ending their legendary winning streak (more on that in a moment), Philly management has been smart about the tweaking of their roster going into the deadline. They were the ones who got the ball rolling when they picked up blueliner @McLovin Gustav Hjalmarsson nice and early before any other teams had gotten the ball rolling on their deadline deals. Hjalmarsson has fit in nicely with the Reapers, as I noted in last week's Power Rankings. Though they upgraded their squad, it feels like Philly has lost some of their early season magic. They are still a team with embarrassment of riches at all positions, I think it is just a matter of finding some good mojo with all these talented players. They are simply too good to go quietly in a first round exit come the playoffs. Reapers management will be looking to find that magic chemistry  in the last week of the season before going into the postseason.
 

Last Week: 4  |  This Week: 3 
Retaking the #3 spot on our list is none other than the hottest team in the league over the past week, the San Diego Marlins. As I previously mentioned, the Marlins almost took over Philly's 2nd place spot, but came up just a hair short. Nonetheless, there is nothing but good vibes happening in San Diego right now. Highlighted by franchise best 14-game winning streak, the Marlins have won 16 of their last 17 contests are nipping on the heels at the top teams in the league. Sadly it was none other than the Reapers who ended San Diego's incredible stretch. When you dive into this win streak, you will see it's been the same formula that San Diego has used all season.  The dynamic duo of Nero Endrizzi and @Tate Red Lite continue to reign terror over their opponents, both having now eclipsed the 80 point plateau for the season, which is good for 4th and 5th in league scoring.  Not far behind them is defensemen @fromtheinside Scotty Kaberle who now sits 6th in league scoring with 81 points, leapfrogging teammate Cowboy Prout who has been dominant in his own right. On top of all this the Marlins have continued to get fantastic production from various sources as @BOOM™ Gunnar Odinsson and @Nikdandrea34 Nikolas D'Andrea continue to shine for the club. Still looking to improve, the Marlins just last night went out and solidified their defensive core even further by acquiring max-capped @OscarTheSwagDude Kate Upton.  Marlins management will be hoping for Upton to memorize opponents and be the piece that puts them over the top. But as we have seem with the other top teams, sometimes adding a new player into the fray can have converse effects to what you may be hoping for. It should be interesting to see how Upton factors into the Marlins heading into the last stretch of games in the regular season.
 

 Last Week: 3  |  This Week: 4 
Falling one spot this week, the Saskatoon Wild come in at number 4 this week despite another great week of sims. Going 7-3 in their past 10, the Wild have continued to show they are going to be a team to be feared going into the postseason. It's really a testament to how well they've been playing when take a glimpse at the standings. They are only 2 points back of the San Diego even after that team had a record setting win streak. Saskatoon just keeps chugging along at very impressive pace. They continue to mix a nice variety of offensive ability and physicality and are proving to be a handful for even the best teams in the league. Offensively @dartFlorent Vericel continues his record smashing pace as he is in sole position of first in league scoring with 98 points, just two shy of the century mark. When it comes to laying the body, @dshervill winger Braxton Hunter and d-man@drewowo Logan Moore are ranked 1-2 in the entire league for hits with 246 and 228 respectively. The Wild also decided to round out there D-core by adding a high end TPE defenseman. For a S76 2nd and a S77 3rd, the Wild acquired puck-moving defensemen Rick Osman. With this move, Sasky management has really confirmed they are all in on this year. They have a legitimate chance to compete for the Founder's Cup so it will be interesting to see if mortgaging their immediate future will pay dividends. 
 

Last Week: 5  |  This Week: 5  
Back for another week at #5 is the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces to me are by far one of most curious teams in the league right now. They have been amongst the busiest teams in the league over the past little while. They've wheeled and dealed and despite looking like a vastly improved team on paper, Vegas has only managed to go 5-5 over their last 10 games. While splitting their last 10 may not seem so bad at first glance, if you look a bit closer they played a ton of easy teams and didn't really beat anyone of consequence. They even dropped games to Houston and Minnesota - two teams who have are clearly focused on their future seasons. Though this sounds very doom and gloom, I do like the moves Vegas management made. With their defense already among the best in the league, it was clear they needed offense and perhaps goaltending. They started by picking up sophomore winger @fyrefly Sheldon Juniper who is an elite, clutch scorer and a proven winner, having won a cup last year with Miami.  But they weren't done there. They then proceeded to hit up Mississauga and take winger @MMFLEX  Dan Dan and center @Aye my name jeff Jordan Tate. Though these two trades costed them a decent amount of draft stock, they have come away with a full line's worth of capped forwards. The Aces seriously lacked scoring punch and with these three all coming in before the deadline, Vegas absolutely addressed their biggest weakness. I think it is just a matter of figuring out which players mesh well together. If Vegas can figure that out before the playoffs start, watch out. Oh and if this didn't impress you, they decided to go out and get a capped goalie by trading Matt Sovick Jr to Miami for the one and only @thadthrasherThadius Sales. Having two goalies with multi-season control allowed Vegas to do this without giving up an arm and a leg in draft picks so this was huge for them.
 

Last Week: 6   |  This Week: 6 
Another week, another sixth place spot for Miami. The Marauders managed to go 6-4 over the last 10 games but half of these games were against either Ottawa or Minnesota, so that could be a tad bit misleading. While Miami has definitely made some nice additions to their roster, their latest trade was a real head-scratcher to me. As I just mentioned in the Aces recap, Miami shipped off their goalie Thad Sales for Matt Sovick Jr. While Sovick Jr is certainly a serviceable goalie and it is certainly appealing that you will be able to retain him for next season, I hate this deal for Miami. Last week on the VHL Roundtable Podcast I asked both @Ricer13 GM Kris Rice and @Zetterberg AGM Zetterberg what their plan was going into the trade deadline. They both seemed to indicate they liked their team and wanted to compete this season, and I agreed with that assessment. Earlier in the week they went out and acquired capped out center @TenZi Kevin Sterk from Yukon. Shortly thereafter, they struck a deal with Mississauga by acquiring rock solid blueliner @JorgTheGoat03 The Blob. Those two trades in my mind were just what Miami needed. They went out and spent some assets in order to improve their center and defensive depth. So with that being said, why would then turn around and ship out one of the best goalies in the league?  I the Miami brass wants Miami to be competitive year in and year out, but with essentially no picks to speak of in the S76 draft, I don't understand the thought process behind that deal. Trade analysis aside, Miami is still a very dangerous team and will definitely still be a tough matchup for anyone who runs into them come playoff time. 
 

Last Week: 8   |  This Week: 7  
Despite their best attempts at selling, Yukon finds themselves edging out Halifax for the 7th spot in the Power Rankings. With their eyes on the future, the Rush decided to start selling off some assets to reload for future seasons. While they managed to deal off some players, the market was pretty limited in some ways and as a result Yukon still has some top end talent. After bidding adieu to Juinper, Tee Pee E and Sterk, Yukon still managed a 5-4-1 record including 2 wins over conference leading Mexico City. The Rush still boast some formidable scoring power with the likes of @DirtyDerek Daddy Derek and team captain @GreenGato Vick Fairchild leading the way. On defense @Juice Kristof Welch continues to impress scouts with his development and is now scoring at a more consistent pace as well.  Team favourite and rock solid netminder @Kloxified Kloxified also avoided swapping teams at the deadline, so all things considered the Rush still ice a pretty solid team and will give teams a good fight night in and night out. 
 

Last Week: 7  |  This Week: 8 
Swapping spots with Yukon and dropping one spot this week was the Halifax 21st. This club is very similar to Yukon in a couple of ways. They were a decent team all season with some holes in their roster and just as the Rush have done recently, they've made a couple traded to focus towards their future. And also like Yukon, they are left with some high end talent on their team post trade deadline, probably because of the scarce market for high end players. Thanks to the mega draft class of S75. many rosters are already filled to the brim and aren't in need of adding anyone. As mentioned earlier throughout the article, Halifax shipped off a pair of elite defensemen for draft picks. However, when the dust settled they still have a few big time players on their roster that still keeps them dangerous. @Dolant Dolant Fertitta remains on the roster and he is going to continue on his tear through the M. Linemate @Nick Kirkpatrick Theodore James St. Louis also stayed put and he is no joke either, having just eclipsed the 80 point plateau this past week. And while their top 2 defenders were shipped out, promising defensive prospect @Parriyah9374 Javad Kamkar will get an excellent opportunity to showcase himself on the top D pair with Clinton Giftopoulos.
 

Last Week: 9  |  This Week: 9 
Back in their familiar spot again this week are the Houston Bulls at #9. I was VERY tempted to move them up higher after they sneakily enjoyed themselves an 8-1-1 record over their last 10.  And while a handful of these were against the bottom tier teams, they did real off wins against Saskatoon, Vegas and even Mexico! What's even more preposterous is that this win streak is coming off the heals of trading top earning forward Dominic Gobeil. The Webber brothers ( @Webberj Jon and @WebberP Paul) have become the team leaders, with Jon leading the team with 37 goals! Defensively @Nope488 Not A. Player leads all defensemen in points with 43, not to mention he has blocked a whopping 123 shots this year. Somebody get that guy an ice pack! Meanwhile in the crease @Caboose30 Trent Gibson continues to hold down the fort. Though they are lacking in some areas, I wouldn't rule out Houston sneaking up on one of either Yukon or Halifax and potentially claiming the 8 seed before the end of the season. It would be incredible to see, I am routing for them!
 

Last Week: 10  |  This Week: 10 
Now we move into the bottom tier of the league. I will definitely give Mississauga some credit though. They were the most successful team in selling off all their high-end assets at the deadline.  They made 4 trades in the past two weeks which netted them 6 future picks in drafts and 4 players. Rookie winger @Sljppers continues to put on a show in the 905 as she now is the active leader in scoring for the Hounds with 64 points in 58 games. When you see a rookie who is producing at over a point per game that is reason enough to get hyped. They Hounds are undoubtedly going to be a force to reckoned with some S76 but for now they are amongst the leagues bottom-feeders. They hold onto the 10 spot this week, but just barely!
 

Last Week: 11  |  This Week: 11 
Coming in yet again at 11, the Minnesota Storm have at least started to see a little bit of stability.  While still only have a record of 3-6-1 in their past 10, they still aren't exactly world beaters, but they are at least competitive in most games now, even taking wins this past week off Las Vegas and Miami! It should be noted that the Storm sent their top tender @Hello  Hi Hello to their fellow cellar dweller buddies the Lynx in exchange for picks. Speaking of picks, the Storm have a ton of them going into the draft. It will be interesting to see how Storm management deals with asset management come draft time. 
 

Last Week: 12  |  This Week: 12  
Rounding out the Power Rankings we have the familiar face of the Ottawa Lynx. It was a week to remember for the Lynx as they managed FOUR wins this week, one of which was against none other than the Eastern Conference leaders, the Philadelphia Reapers! With those four wins they doubled their win total of their entire season! Congrats to them on a few huge wins. This will definitely help morale in the Ottawa LR. The only other thing to note is the aforementioned trade with Minnesota. On one hand I don't know if spending draft picks in a year you are historically bad is a good idea, but on the other hand Hi Hello will be back for next season, so that checks off a major need that they will no longer have to worry about come draft time. 
 
 
That wraps up another weekly Power Rankings. We are winding down the season with roughly 10-12 games left for each team. There is still lots of things to be decided as we head into the VHLM playoffs. Will Houston sneak in? Could San Diego stay hot and overthrow the Kings in the West?  This time next week we will have the answers so be sure to keep your eyes peels for the final installment of the Power Rankings next week! Until then thanks for reading and take care!