youloser1337

Review 
great details and reasoning as to why each park/ coaster is here, and the pictures really help show how incredible the coasters are, nothing that needs to be added
 
rating 
10/10

This week is all about player vacations and oh boy do I have a doozy for you. Most of you will probably not know that I am a roller coaster enthusiast. I would love to go on every roller coaster I can. With the season I could get to some incredible parks for a mini vacation or day-cation as most people call them. I will be splitting the vacations from each conference since there are a lot of North American parks I would love to go to and in Europe too. I will go team by team and showcase parks that would be great vacation destinations. By the end of this I believe you would have a copious amount of vacation destinations to plan out an epic vacation.
 
North America:
 
I’m going to cheat and bunch together the Canadian teams into one post since there aren't as many parks in Canada versus the United States. I’m also going to include Seattle here too. There are three main parks that I would love to go to, but to not bore you I will only go over one and that is Canada’s Wonderland.
 
Canada’s Wonderland
Coaster Count: 17
Main Attractions:
Leviathan

Yukon Striker

 
Canada’s Wonderland is a part of the Cedar Fair chain and has been heavily invested in the past few years with mega additions of Leviathan (the first B&M Giga coaster) and Yukon Striker (B&M Dive Machine). This would be a great vacation spot since it is in Vaughan, Ontario which is near the Toronto area. This would be a must visit park for me and a great vacation spot in the north of the border.


 
Chicago is an interesting vacation destination. Chicago is already an incredible city where you could just explore the city, but there is a theme park that I’m itching to get to and that is Six Flags Great America.
 
Six Flags Great America
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Maxx Force

Goliath

X-Flight

 
Six Flags Great America is a very unique park since it has a lot of coaster models not present at other parks in the Six Flags chain. Six Flags saw a lot of potential for the Chicago area so they invested in top tier attractions to bring guests in, including me. This has top of the line attractions with new coasters coming every few years. The past few years brought in X-Flight (the chains only B&M Wing Coaster), Goliath (a ground up RMC coaster) and Maxx Force (a S&S air launch coaster). Maxx Force is one of my bucket list coasters actually. Maybe after a practice before or after a Chicago game I can go and sneak a few rides.


 
The nation’s capital is a perfect vacation spot with some great museums, parks and restaurants. Two parks are nearby DC and these include Six Flags America and Kings Dominion. Six Flags America is the chain's neglected park so I won’t go too in depth compared to Kings Dominion.
 
Six Flags America
Coaster Count: 9
Main Attractions:
Joker’s Jinx

Superman: Ride of Steel

 
You know a park is bad when a Premier Spaghetti bowl, Joker’s Jinx, is one of your main attractions. The park is not well received but still has some great coasters to warrant a vacation in DC. Superman: Ride of Steel (Intamin Hyper Coaster) is a unique ride in the park. This would be a great quick trip before heading to the main event of DC, Kings Dominion.
 
 
 
Kings Dominion
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
Intimidator 305

Twisted Timbers


 
Oh man this is the ideal vacation destination for a roller coaster enthusiast like myself. Kings Dominion has an insane lineup of coasters. This includes one of the most intense coasters in the world Intimidator 305 (Intamin Giga Coaster) and the newly converted Twisted Timbers (RMC Conversion). I’ve heard that because I305 is so intense that it almost never has a line. This is 1000% one of my bucket list coasters and parks to get to. (RIP Volcano)


 
I could write a whole page on LA amusement parks since there are so many… and I will. LA is the ideal vacation spot for more than a week. Of course it would be very expensive, but the amount of incredible amusement parks is insane. You have Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm. Buckle up because this is going to be a long one.
 
Disneyland / Disney California Adventure
Coaster Count: 4 (DL) / 2 (DCA)
Main Attractions:
Incredicoaster

Matterhorn Bobsleds

 
What can I say about Disney. What they lack in coasters they make up for in immersive theming. There is no park that does it better than a Disney park. This is a great place to go with a family since there are so many rides and activities for kids. I meshed DL and DCA together since they are still Disney but under two different gates. Incredicoaster (Intamin Launch) was recently renovated to include the Incredibles to the theme and is the main staple of the park. Matterhorn Bobsleds (Arrow Sit Down) is actually the first steel tube coasters to be made. This is a famous coaster and a bucket list ride just for history alone.
 
Universal Studios Hollywood
Coaster Count: 2
Main Attraction:
Studio Tour

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 
Universal Studios Hollywood is not as coaster heavy on the list of vacation spots, but they do have some amazing rides to make up for it. The centerpiece of the park would have to be the studio tour and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal paid a pretty penny to WB to get the rights to Harry Potter and ran with it. They made an immersive experience to put you in the Harry Potter world. This is a great vacation spot for all the movie lovers and Harry Potter fans.


 
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Coaster Count: 19
Main Attractions:
X2

Twisted Colossus

Tatsu


 
Here is the enthusiast dream park. MM has the most coasters in the world and is the star park in the Six Flags chain. It has a very unique X2 (Arrow 4D) which is only one of 3 built in the world. Twisted Colossus (RMC Conversion) was rebuilt after the old Colossus was closed down which you might recognize from the show Step by Step intro. Twisted Colossus is also a dueling coaster but on one track. When you finish your ride on one side you actually switch sides without getting off and complete the other side of the course. Tatsu (B&M Flying) is the longest and most intense flying experience in North America. There are still so many unique and amazing coasters that I didn’t even include in the main attractions! This is a multi day park experience for a vacation, but it is worth it. This is a must visit park for thrill seekers.


 
Knott’s Berry Farm
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
GhostRider

HangTime

Xcelerator

 
Knott’s is another park in the Cedar Fair chain and is one of the more loved parks in the chain. With main additions of Xcelerator (First Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) and GhostRider (CCI Wooden). GhostRider was built in 1998 but was re-tracked and made smoother to make it a more pleasant experience making it one of the top coasters in the park. The newest coaster to the park, HangTime (Getstlauer Infinity), takes up the spot where the now removed Boomerang once stood. It’s a compact but thrilling ride. This is a great park where you can spend a day and get some great rides and some awesome food too!


 
Since I’m from New York I know all of the good vacation spots. The only thing is that they aren’t in New York. I’m going to cheat once again and include some parks that are near NY but not in NY. I’m only going to cover Six Flags Great Adventure and Hersheypark.
 
Six Flags Great Adventure
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
El Toro & Kingda Ka (The Money Shot)
 

Nitro


 
Great Adventure is my home park. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and I love it. Because it is so close to the NYC / NJ metro area, Six Flags wanted to build up the park to attract guests. It has the best wooden coaster in the world in my opinion with El Toro (Intamin Pre-Fab) and an airtime machine with Nitro (B&M Hyper). Kingda Ka (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) is always intimidating when you ride by being the world's tallest coaster and 2nd fastest coaster in the world. While it doesn’t have the biggest lineup of coasters, it does have a few surprise hits that make it a must visit park. It also is a great park to visit with family since they have a few kids areas and family attractions. This is the perfect day trip park since it is only maybe 2 hours away from where I used to live on Long Island. Cross a few bridges, get on the NJ turnpike and get some WaWa (yes that’s a real thing). Leave early in the morning and come back late at night. Try to sneak a trip when you are in NY when you get a chance.


 
Hersheypark
Coaster Count: 14
Main Attractions:
Skyrush

Storm Runner

Fahrenheit

Candymonium

 
Yeah that’s right, 4 main attractions. If I could I would add the whole park. It is a very different vibe when you go to Hershey. It’s a beautiful park with an exquisite coaster lineup. They have two different hyper coasters with an intense, one of the top coasters in the world Skyrush (Intamin Winged Hyper) and a more airtime based hyper with Candymonium (B&M Hyper). They just expanded their front entrance and they included Candymonium as the cherry on top. They have one of the only inverting accelerator coasters with Storm Runner (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator). They also have a one of a kind vertical lift coaster in Fahrenheit (Intamin Vertical Lift). That’s not even scratching the surface of this diverse lineup. This is a must do vacation spot, hell even do two days to get the full experience since it has a water park mixed in too (free with admission!).

 
Europe
 
Europe is very difficult to plan out as a coaster enthusiast. Europe is already beautiful and has so much culture already that going to an amusement park should be an afterthought. Unfortunately I didn’t find parks in all of the places where there is a VHL team. Here are some European parks that you could visit though.
 
Energylandia - (4 hrs from Warsaw)
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Zadra

Hyperion


 
This one is a stretch but I couldn’t leave it out. Energylandia is the fastest growing amusement park in the world. They are getting multiple new coasters in a few years. They have gotten a new coaster every year since they opened. This is a destination park that needs multiple days just to get to everything. Zadria (RMC Groundup) is one of the top coasters in the world and was actually built a year early. They finished construction and testing so fast that they actually pushed up the opening from 2020 to 2019. Also at the park is the Hyperion (Intamin Winged Hyper) which was voted by the guests at the park. The vote was between Intamin and Vekoma. There is no stopping for expansion it seems as they are building new coasters for the 2021 season and the 2022 season. This is a bucket list park for anyone who wants a good mix of thrills and family coasters.


 
Linnanmäki
Coaster Count: 8
Main Attractions:
Kirnu

Taiga

 
I’ll be honest, I have no idea what Linnanmäki is, but they have some top tier attractions over there. Located in Helsinki, Linnanmäki has a great mix of thrills and family attractions. They have recently added Taiga (Intamin LSM Accelerator) which has 4 inversions with a 170ft top hat which is crazy for a small park! They also have a unique ride with Kirnu (Intamin Zacspin). Zacspins are not well known for their comfort, but it seems it fits perfectly with Linnanmäki. This seems like a great place to spend a day for a vacation or even after a practice before or after a game against the Helsinki Titans.

 
Alton Towers (3 hrs from London)
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
Smiler

Nemesis

Wicker Man

 
The first of the two major parks near London is Alton Towers. This park is known for naming their new coaster projects secret weapons. Alton Towers also has a high restriction in that they can’t build over tree height. That didn’t stop them from building world class coasters and world first rides to make a diverse and iconic lineup. Smiler (Gerstlauer Infinity) is a record breaker for the most inversions on a roller coaster with 14! This is all compact into a small footprint that weaves in itself to give a crazy experience. Nemesis (B&M Invert) is also known for its terrain hugging layout. Wicker Man (GCI Wooden) is their newest coaster. They have something for everyone. This is a perfect place to spend all day and get a hotel nearby to get a full day's worth.


 
Thorpe Park (44 mins from London)
Coaster Count: 7
Main Attractions:
Saw - The Ride

Swarm

Nemesis Inferno

 
We finally come to Thorpe Park which is an hour away from London. This makes it easy to spend all day and still get back to London before the night is over. They have a bunch of horror themed attractions which is a breath of fresh air. Some of their more notable rides include Saw - The Ride (Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter) and The Swarm (B&M Wing). Nemesis Inferno (B&M Invert), not to be confused with Alton Towers Nemesis, is one of their main attractions in the park too. Since most of the rides are themed to horror franchises I wouldn’t suggest a full family trip. This is still a great day-cation destination if you are staying in London.

 
Conclusion
Holy moly I finally finished this beast of a media spot. Overall, the VHL is a grind so far. I wanted to give people the options of some of my favorite vacation spots as a coaster enthusiast so they can relax. You don’t even have to be a coaster enthusiast to enjoy some of these parks as they are all special in their own way. I would love to go to every park on this list, but if I had to choose 3 to go to at the end of the season and when all parks are open I would choose: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Energylandia and Alton Towers. It’s always best when you can go to a park with friends or family, but sometimes you have to go by yourself. I’ve done that many times and it doesn’t feel weird at all. I hope you consider some of these vacation spots when you are planning your vacation at the end of the season. Let me know what parks you are considering!
 
 
 Claiming 4 weeks

This week is all about player vacations and oh boy do I have a doozy for you. Most of you will probably not know that I am a roller coaster enthusiast. I would love to go on every roller coaster I can. With the season I could get to some incredible parks for a mini vacation or day-cation as most people call them. I will be splitting the vacations from each conference since there are a lot of North American parks I would love to go to and in Europe too. I will go team by team and showcase parks that would be great vacation destinations. By the end of this I believe you would have a copious amount of vacation destinations to plan out an epic vacation.
 
North America:
 
I’m going to cheat and bunch together the Canadian teams into one post since there aren't as many parks in Canada versus the United States. I’m also going to include Seattle here too. There are three main parks that I would love to go to, but to not bore you I will only go over one and that is Canada’s Wonderland.
 
Canada’s Wonderland
Coaster Count: 17
Main Attractions:
Leviathan

Yukon Striker

 
Canada’s Wonderland is a part of the Cedar Fair chain and has been heavily invested in the past few years with mega additions of Leviathan (the first B&M Giga coaster) and Yukon Striker (B&M Dive Machine). This would be a great vacation spot since it is in Vaughan, Ontario which is near the Toronto area. This would be a must visit park for me and a great vacation spot in the north of the border.


 
Chicago is an interesting vacation destination. Chicago is already an incredible city where you could just explore the city, but there is a theme park that I’m itching to get to and that is Six Flags Great America.
 
Six Flags Great America
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Maxx Force

Goliath

X-Flight

 
Six Flags Great America is a very unique park since it has a lot of coaster models not present at other parks in the Six Flags chain. Six Flags saw a lot of potential for the Chicago area so they invested in top tier attractions to bring guests in, including me. This has top of the line attractions with new coasters coming every few years. The past few years brought in X-Flight (the chains only B&M Wing Coaster), Goliath (a ground up RMC coaster) and Maxx Force (a S&S air launch coaster). Maxx Force is one of my bucket list coasters actually. Maybe after a practice before or after a Chicago game I can go and sneak a few rides.


 
The nation’s capital is a perfect vacation spot with some great museums, parks and restaurants. Two parks are nearby DC and these include Six Flags America and Kings Dominion. Six Flags America is the chain's neglected park so I won’t go too in depth compared to Kings Dominion.
 
Six Flags America
Coaster Count: 9
Main Attractions:
Joker’s Jinx

Superman: Ride of Steel

 
You know a park is bad when a Premier Spaghetti bowl, Joker’s Jinx, is one of your main attractions. The park is not well received but still has some great coasters to warrant a vacation in DC. Superman: Ride of Steel (Intamin Hyper Coaster) is a unique ride in the park. This would be a great quick trip before heading to the main event of DC, Kings Dominion.
 
 
 
Kings Dominion
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
Intimidator 305

Twisted Timbers


 
Oh man this is the ideal vacation destination for a roller coaster enthusiast like myself. Kings Dominion has an insane lineup of coasters. This includes one of the most intense coasters in the world Intimidator 305 (Intamin Giga Coaster) and the newly converted Twisted Timbers (RMC Conversion). I’ve heard that because I305 is so intense that it almost never has a line. This is 1000% one of my bucket list coasters and parks to get to. (RIP Volcano)


 
I could write a whole page on LA amusement parks since there are so many… and I will. LA is the ideal vacation spot for more than a week. Of course it would be very expensive, but the amount of incredible amusement parks is insane. You have Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm. Buckle up because this is going to be a long one.
 
Disneyland / Disney California Adventure
Coaster Count: 4 (DL) / 2 (DCA)
Main Attractions:
Incredicoaster

Matterhorn Bobsleds

 
What can I say about Disney. What they lack in coasters they make up for in immersive theming. There is no park that does it better than a Disney park. This is a great place to go with a family since there are so many rides and activities for kids. I meshed DL and DCA together since they are still Disney but under two different gates. Incredicoaster (Intamin Launch) was recently renovated to include the Incredibles to the theme and is the main staple of the park. Matterhorn Bobsleds (Arrow Sit Down) is actually the first steel tube coasters to be made. This is a famous coaster and a bucket list ride just for history alone.
 
Universal Studios Hollywood
Coaster Count: 2
Main Attraction:
Studio Tour

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 
Universal Studios Hollywood is not as coaster heavy on the list of vacation spots, but they do have some amazing rides to make up for it. The centerpiece of the park would have to be the studio tour and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal paid a pretty penny to WB to get the rights to Harry Potter and ran with it. They made an immersive experience to put you in the Harry Potter world. This is a great vacation spot for all the movie lovers and Harry Potter fans.


 
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Coaster Count: 19
Main Attractions:
X2

Twisted Colossus

Tatsu


 
Here is the enthusiast dream park. MM has the most coasters in the world and is the star park in the Six Flags chain. It has a very unique X2 (Arrow 4D) which is only one of 3 built in the world. Twisted Colossus (RMC Conversion) was rebuilt after the old Colossus was closed down which you might recognize from the show Step by Step intro. Twisted Colossus is also a dueling coaster but on one track. When you finish your ride on one side you actually switch sides without getting off and complete the other side of the course. Tatsu (B&M Flying) is the longest and most intense flying experience in North America. There are still so many unique and amazing coasters that I didn’t even include in the main attractions! This is a multi day park experience for a vacation, but it is worth it. This is a must visit park for thrill seekers.


 
Knott’s Berry Farm
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
GhostRider

HangTime

Xcelerator

 
Knott’s is another park in the Cedar Fair chain and is one of the more loved parks in the chain. With main additions of Xcelerator (First Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) and GhostRider (CCI Wooden). GhostRider was built in 1998 but was re-tracked and made smoother to make it a more pleasant experience making it one of the top coasters in the park. The newest coaster to the park, HangTime (Getstlauer Infinity), takes up the spot where the now removed Boomerang once stood. It’s a compact but thrilling ride. This is a great park where you can spend a day and get some great rides and some awesome food too!


 
Since I’m from New York I know all of the good vacation spots. The only thing is that they aren’t in New York. I’m going to cheat once again and include some parks that are near NY but not in NY. I’m only going to cover Six Flags Great Adventure and Hersheypark.
 
Six Flags Great Adventure
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
El Toro & Kingda Ka (The Money Shot)
 

Nitro


 
Great Adventure is my home park. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and I love it. Because it is so close to the NYC / NJ metro area, Six Flags wanted to build up the park to attract guests. It has the best wooden coaster in the world in my opinion with El Toro (Intamin Pre-Fab) and an airtime machine with Nitro (B&M Hyper). Kingda Ka (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) is always intimidating when you ride by being the world's tallest coaster and 2nd fastest coaster in the world. While it doesn’t have the biggest lineup of coasters, it does have a few surprise hits that make it a must visit park. It also is a great park to visit with family since they have a few kids areas and family attractions. This is the perfect day trip park since it is only maybe 2 hours away from where I used to live on Long Island. Cross a few bridges, get on the NJ turnpike and get some WaWa (yes that’s a real thing). Leave early in the morning and come back late at night. Try to sneak a trip when you are in NY when you get a chance.


 
Hersheypark
Coaster Count: 14
Main Attractions:
Skyrush

Storm Runner

Fahrenheit

Candymonium

 
Yeah that’s right, 4 main attractions. If I could I would add the whole park. It is a very different vibe when you go to Hershey. It’s a beautiful park with an exquisite coaster lineup. They have two different hyper coasters with an intense, one of the top coasters in the world Skyrush (Intamin Winged Hyper) and a more airtime based hyper with Candymonium (B&M Hyper). They just expanded their front entrance and they included Candymonium as the cherry on top. They have one of the only inverting accelerator coasters with Storm Runner (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator). They also have a one of a kind vertical lift coaster in Fahrenheit (Intamin Vertical Lift). That’s not even scratching the surface of this diverse lineup. This is a must do vacation spot, hell even do two days to get the full experience since it has a water park mixed in too (free with admission!).

 
Europe
 
Europe is very difficult to plan out as a coaster enthusiast. Europe is already beautiful and has so much culture already that going to an amusement park should be an afterthought. Unfortunately I didn’t find parks in all of the places where there is a VHL team. Here are some European parks that you could visit though.
 
Energylandia - (4 hrs from Warsaw)
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Zadra

Hyperion


 
This one is a stretch but I couldn’t leave it out. Energylandia is the fastest growing amusement park in the world. They are getting multiple new coasters in a few years. They have gotten a new coaster every year since they opened. This is a destination park that needs multiple days just to get to everything. Zadria (RMC Groundup) is one of the top coasters in the world and was actually built a year early. They finished construction and testing so fast that they actually pushed up the opening from 2020 to 2019. Also at the park is the Hyperion (Intamin Winged Hyper) which was voted by the guests at the park. The vote was between Intamin and Vekoma. There is no stopping for expansion it seems as they are building new coasters for the 2021 season and the 2022 season. This is a bucket list park for anyone who wants a good mix of thrills and family coasters.


 
Linnanmäki
Coaster Count: 8
Main Attractions:
Kirnu

Taiga

 
I’ll be honest, I have no idea what Linnanmäki is, but they have some top tier attractions over there. Located in Helsinki, Linnanmäki has a great mix of thrills and family attractions. They have recently added Taiga (Intamin LSM Accelerator) which has 4 inversions with a 170ft top hat which is crazy for a small park! They also have a unique ride with Kirnu (Intamin Zacspin). Zacspins are not well known for their comfort, but it seems it fits perfectly with Linnanmäki. This seems like a great place to spend a day for a vacation or even after a practice before or after a game against the Helsinki Titans.

 
Alton Towers (3 hrs from London)
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
Smiler

Nemesis

Wicker Man

 
The first of the two major parks near London is Alton Towers. This park is known for naming their new coaster projects secret weapons. Alton Towers also has a high restriction in that they can’t build over tree height. That didn’t stop them from building world class coasters and world first rides to make a diverse and iconic lineup. Smiler (Gerstlauer Infinity) is a record breaker for the most inversions on a roller coaster with 14! This is all compact into a small footprint that weaves in itself to give a crazy experience. Nemesis (B&M Invert) is also known for its terrain hugging layout. Wicker Man (GCI Wooden) is their newest coaster. They have something for everyone. This is a perfect place to spend all day and get a hotel nearby to get a full day's worth.


 
Thorpe Park (44 mins from London)
Coaster Count: 7
Main Attractions:
Saw - The Ride

Swarm

Nemesis Inferno

 
We finally come to Thorpe Park which is an hour away from London. This makes it easy to spend all day and still get back to London before the night is over. They have a bunch of horror themed attractions which is a breath of fresh air. Some of their more notable rides include Saw - The Ride (Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter) and The Swarm (B&M Wing). Nemesis Inferno (B&M Invert), not to be confused with Alton Towers Nemesis, is one of their main attractions in the park too. Since most of the rides are themed to horror franchises I wouldn’t suggest a full family trip. This is still a great day-cation destination if you are staying in London.

 
Conclusion
Holy moly I finally finished this beast of a media spot. Overall, the VHL is a grind so far. I wanted to give people the options of some of my favorite vacation spots as a coaster enthusiast so they can relax. You don’t even have to be a coaster enthusiast to enjoy some of these parks as they are all special in their own way. I would love to go to every park on this list, but if I had to choose 3 to go to at the end of the season and when all parks are open I would choose: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Energylandia and Alton Towers. It’s always best when you can go to a park with friends or family, but sometimes you have to go by yourself. I’ve done that many times and it doesn’t feel weird at all. I hope you consider some of these vacation spots when you are planning your vacation at the end of the season. Let me know what parks you are considering!
 
 
 Claiming 4 weeks

This week is all about player vacations and oh boy do I have a doozy for you. Most of you will probably not know that I am a roller coaster enthusiast. I would love to go on every roller coaster I can. With the season I could get to some incredible parks for a mini vacation or day-cation as most people call them. I will be splitting the vacations from each conference since there are a lot of North American parks I would love to go to and in Europe too. I will go team by team and showcase parks that would be great vacation destinations. By the end of this I believe you would have a copious amount of vacation destinations to plan out an epic vacation.
 
North America:
 
I’m going to cheat and bunch together the Canadian teams into one post since there aren't as many parks in Canada versus the United States. I’m also going to include Seattle here too. There are three main parks that I would love to go to, but to not bore you I will only go over one and that is Canada’s Wonderland.
 
Canada’s Wonderland
Coaster Count: 17
Main Attractions:
Leviathan

Yukon Striker

 
Canada’s Wonderland is a part of the Cedar Fair chain and has been heavily invested in the past few years with mega additions of Leviathan (the first B&M Giga coaster) and Yukon Striker (B&M Dive Machine). This would be a great vacation spot since it is in Vaughan, Ontario which is near the Toronto area. This would be a must visit park for me and a great vacation spot in the north of the border.


 
Chicago is an interesting vacation destination. Chicago is already an incredible city where you could just explore the city, but there is a theme park that I’m itching to get to and that is Six Flags Great America.
 
Six Flags Great America
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Maxx Force

Goliath

X-Flight

 
Six Flags Great America is a very unique park since it has a lot of coaster models not present at other parks in the Six Flags chain. Six Flags saw a lot of potential for the Chicago area so they invested in top tier attractions to bring guests in, including me. This has top of the line attractions with new coasters coming every few years. The past few years brought in X-Flight (the chains only B&M Wing Coaster), Goliath (a ground up RMC coaster) and Maxx Force (a S&S air launch coaster). Maxx Force is one of my bucket list coasters actually. Maybe after a practice before or after a Chicago game I can go and sneak a few rides.


 
The nation’s capital is a perfect vacation spot with some great museums, parks and restaurants. Two parks are nearby DC and these include Six Flags America and Kings Dominion. Six Flags America is the chain's neglected park so I won’t go too in depth compared to Kings Dominion.
 
Six Flags America
Coaster Count: 9
Main Attractions:
Joker’s Jinx

Superman: Ride of Steel

 
You know a park is bad when a Premier Spaghetti bowl, Joker’s Jinx, is one of your main attractions. The park is not well received but still has some great coasters to warrant a vacation in DC. Superman: Ride of Steel (Intamin Hyper Coaster) is a unique ride in the park. This would be a great quick trip before heading to the main event of DC, Kings Dominion.
 
 
 
Kings Dominion
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
Intimidator 305

Twisted Timbers


 
Oh man this is the ideal vacation destination for a roller coaster enthusiast like myself. Kings Dominion has an insane lineup of coasters. This includes one of the most intense coasters in the world Intimidator 305 (Intamin Giga Coaster) and the newly converted Twisted Timbers (RMC Conversion). I’ve heard that because I305 is so intense that it almost never has a line. This is 1000% one of my bucket list coasters and parks to get to. (RIP Volcano)


 
I could write a whole page on LA amusement parks since there are so many… and I will. LA is the ideal vacation spot for more than a week. Of course it would be very expensive, but the amount of incredible amusement parks is insane. You have Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm. Buckle up because this is going to be a long one.
 
Disneyland / Disney California Adventure
Coaster Count: 4 (DL) / 2 (DCA)
Main Attractions:
Incredicoaster

Matterhorn Bobsleds

 
What can I say about Disney. What they lack in coasters they make up for in immersive theming. There is no park that does it better than a Disney park. This is a great place to go with a family since there are so many rides and activities for kids. I meshed DL and DCA together since they are still Disney but under two different gates. Incredicoaster (Intamin Launch) was recently renovated to include the Incredibles to the theme and is the main staple of the park. Matterhorn Bobsleds (Arrow Sit Down) is actually the first steel tube coasters to be made. This is a famous coaster and a bucket list ride just for history alone.
 
Universal Studios Hollywood
Coaster Count: 2
Main Attraction:
Studio Tour

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 
Universal Studios Hollywood is not as coaster heavy on the list of vacation spots, but they do have some amazing rides to make up for it. The centerpiece of the park would have to be the studio tour and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal paid a pretty penny to WB to get the rights to Harry Potter and ran with it. They made an immersive experience to put you in the Harry Potter world. This is a great vacation spot for all the movie lovers and Harry Potter fans.


 
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Coaster Count: 19
Main Attractions:
X2

Twisted Colossus

Tatsu


 
Here is the enthusiast dream park. MM has the most coasters in the world and is the star park in the Six Flags chain. It has a very unique X2 (Arrow 4D) which is only one of 3 built in the world. Twisted Colossus (RMC Conversion) was rebuilt after the old Colossus was closed down which you might recognize from the show Step by Step intro. Twisted Colossus is also a dueling coaster but on one track. When you finish your ride on one side you actually switch sides without getting off and complete the other side of the course. Tatsu (B&M Flying) is the longest and most intense flying experience in North America. There are still so many unique and amazing coasters that I didn’t even include in the main attractions! This is a multi day park experience for a vacation, but it is worth it. This is a must visit park for thrill seekers.


 
Knott’s Berry Farm
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
GhostRider

HangTime

Xcelerator

 
Knott’s is another park in the Cedar Fair chain and is one of the more loved parks in the chain. With main additions of Xcelerator (First Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) and GhostRider (CCI Wooden). GhostRider was built in 1998 but was re-tracked and made smoother to make it a more pleasant experience making it one of the top coasters in the park. The newest coaster to the park, HangTime (Getstlauer Infinity), takes up the spot where the now removed Boomerang once stood. It’s a compact but thrilling ride. This is a great park where you can spend a day and get some great rides and some awesome food too!


 
Since I’m from New York I know all of the good vacation spots. The only thing is that they aren’t in New York. I’m going to cheat once again and include some parks that are near NY but not in NY. I’m only going to cover Six Flags Great Adventure and Hersheypark.
 
Six Flags Great Adventure
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
El Toro & Kingda Ka (The Money Shot)
 

Nitro


 
Great Adventure is my home park. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and I love it. Because it is so close to the NYC / NJ metro area, Six Flags wanted to build up the park to attract guests. It has the best wooden coaster in the world in my opinion with El Toro (Intamin Pre-Fab) and an airtime machine with Nitro (B&M Hyper). Kingda Ka (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) is always intimidating when you ride by being the world's tallest coaster and 2nd fastest coaster in the world. While it doesn’t have the biggest lineup of coasters, it does have a few surprise hits that make it a must visit park. It also is a great park to visit with family since they have a few kids areas and family attractions. This is the perfect day trip park since it is only maybe 2 hours away from where I used to live on Long Island. Cross a few bridges, get on the NJ turnpike and get some WaWa (yes that’s a real thing). Leave early in the morning and come back late at night. Try to sneak a trip when you are in NY when you get a chance.


 
Hersheypark
Coaster Count: 14
Main Attractions:
Skyrush

Storm Runner

Fahrenheit

Candymonium

 
Yeah that’s right, 4 main attractions. If I could I would add the whole park. It is a very different vibe when you go to Hershey. It’s a beautiful park with an exquisite coaster lineup. They have two different hyper coasters with an intense, one of the top coasters in the world Skyrush (Intamin Winged Hyper) and a more airtime based hyper with Candymonium (B&M Hyper). They just expanded their front entrance and they included Candymonium as the cherry on top. They have one of the only inverting accelerator coasters with Storm Runner (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator). They also have a one of a kind vertical lift coaster in Fahrenheit (Intamin Vertical Lift). That’s not even scratching the surface of this diverse lineup. This is a must do vacation spot, hell even do two days to get the full experience since it has a water park mixed in too (free with admission!).

 
Europe
 
Europe is very difficult to plan out as a coaster enthusiast. Europe is already beautiful and has so much culture already that going to an amusement park should be an afterthought. Unfortunately I didn’t find parks in all of the places where there is a VHL team. Here are some European parks that you could visit though.
 
Energylandia - (4 hrs from Warsaw)
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Zadra

Hyperion


 
This one is a stretch but I couldn’t leave it out. Energylandia is the fastest growing amusement park in the world. They are getting multiple new coasters in a few years. They have gotten a new coaster every year since they opened. This is a destination park that needs multiple days just to get to everything. Zadria (RMC Groundup) is one of the top coasters in the world and was actually built a year early. They finished construction and testing so fast that they actually pushed up the opening from 2020 to 2019. Also at the park is the Hyperion (Intamin Winged Hyper) which was voted by the guests at the park. The vote was between Intamin and Vekoma. There is no stopping for expansion it seems as they are building new coasters for the 2021 season and the 2022 season. This is a bucket list park for anyone who wants a good mix of thrills and family coasters.


 
Linnanmäki
Coaster Count: 8
Main Attractions:
Kirnu

Taiga

 
I’ll be honest, I have no idea what Linnanmäki is, but they have some top tier attractions over there. Located in Helsinki, Linnanmäki has a great mix of thrills and family attractions. They have recently added Taiga (Intamin LSM Accelerator) which has 4 inversions with a 170ft top hat which is crazy for a small park! They also have a unique ride with Kirnu (Intamin Zacspin). Zacspins are not well known for their comfort, but it seems it fits perfectly with Linnanmäki. This seems like a great place to spend a day for a vacation or even after a practice before or after a game against the Helsinki Titans.

 
Alton Towers (3 hrs from London)
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
Smiler

Nemesis

Wicker Man

 
The first of the two major parks near London is Alton Towers. This park is known for naming their new coaster projects secret weapons. Alton Towers also has a high restriction in that they can’t build over tree height. That didn’t stop them from building world class coasters and world first rides to make a diverse and iconic lineup. Smiler (Gerstlauer Infinity) is a record breaker for the most inversions on a roller coaster with 14! This is all compact into a small footprint that weaves in itself to give a crazy experience. Nemesis (B&M Invert) is also known for its terrain hugging layout. Wicker Man (GCI Wooden) is their newest coaster. They have something for everyone. This is a perfect place to spend all day and get a hotel nearby to get a full day's worth.


 
Thorpe Park (44 mins from London)
Coaster Count: 7
Main Attractions:
Saw - The Ride

Swarm

Nemesis Inferno

 
We finally come to Thorpe Park which is an hour away from London. This makes it easy to spend all day and still get back to London before the night is over. They have a bunch of horror themed attractions which is a breath of fresh air. Some of their more notable rides include Saw - The Ride (Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter) and The Swarm (B&M Wing). Nemesis Inferno (B&M Invert), not to be confused with Alton Towers Nemesis, is one of their main attractions in the park too. Since most of the rides are themed to horror franchises I wouldn’t suggest a full family trip. This is still a great day-cation destination if you are staying in London.

 
Conclusion
Holy moly I finally finished this beast of a media spot. Overall, the VHL is a grind so far. I wanted to give people the options of some of my favorite vacation spots as a coaster enthusiast so they can relax. You don’t even have to be a coaster enthusiast to enjoy some of these parks as they are all special in their own way. I would love to go to every park on this list, but if I had to choose 3 to go to at the end of the season and when all parks are open I would choose: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Energylandia and Alton Towers. It’s always best when you can go to a park with friends or family, but sometimes you have to go by yourself. I’ve done that many times and it doesn’t feel weird at all. I hope you consider some of these vacation spots when you are planning your vacation at the end of the season. Let me know what parks you are considering!
 
 
 Claiming 4 weeks

This week is all about player vacations and oh boy do I have a doozy for you. Most of you will probably not know that I am a roller coaster enthusiast. I would love to go on every roller coaster I can. With the season I could get to some incredible parks for a mini vacation or day-cation as most people call them. I will be splitting the vacations from each conference since there are a lot of North American parks I would love to go to and in Europe too. I will go team by team and showcase parks that would be great vacation destinations. By the end of this I believe you would have a copious amount of vacation destinations to plan out an epic vacation.
 
North America:
 
I’m going to cheat and bunch together the Canadian teams into one post since there aren't as many parks in Canada versus the United States. I’m also going to include Seattle here too. There are three main parks that I would love to go to, but to not bore you I will only go over one and that is Canada’s Wonderland.
 
Canada’s Wonderland
Coaster Count: 17
Main Attractions:
Leviathan

Yukon Striker

 
Canada’s Wonderland is a part of the Cedar Fair chain and has been heavily invested in the past few years with mega additions of Leviathan (the first B&M Giga coaster) and Yukon Striker (B&M Dive Machine). This would be a great vacation spot since it is in Vaughan, Ontario which is near the Toronto area. This would be a must visit park for me and a great vacation spot in the north of the border.


 
Chicago is an interesting vacation destination. Chicago is already an incredible city where you could just explore the city, but there is a theme park that I’m itching to get to and that is Six Flags Great America.
 
Six Flags Great America
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Maxx Force

Goliath

X-Flight

 
Six Flags Great America is a very unique park since it has a lot of coaster models not present at other parks in the Six Flags chain. Six Flags saw a lot of potential for the Chicago area so they invested in top tier attractions to bring guests in, including me. This has top of the line attractions with new coasters coming every few years. The past few years brought in X-Flight (the chains only B&M Wing Coaster), Goliath (a ground up RMC coaster) and Maxx Force (a S&S air launch coaster). Maxx Force is one of my bucket list coasters actually. Maybe after a practice before or after a Chicago game I can go and sneak a few rides.


 
The nation’s capital is a perfect vacation spot with some great museums, parks and restaurants. Two parks are nearby DC and these include Six Flags America and Kings Dominion. Six Flags America is the chain's neglected park so I won’t go too in depth compared to Kings Dominion.
 
Six Flags America
Coaster Count: 9
Main Attractions:
Joker’s Jinx

Superman: Ride of Steel

 
You know a park is bad when a Premier Spaghetti bowl, Joker’s Jinx, is one of your main attractions. The park is not well received but still has some great coasters to warrant a vacation in DC. Superman: Ride of Steel (Intamin Hyper Coaster) is a unique ride in the park. This would be a great quick trip before heading to the main event of DC, Kings Dominion.
 
 
 
Kings Dominion
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
Intimidator 305

Twisted Timbers


 
Oh man this is the ideal vacation destination for a roller coaster enthusiast like myself. Kings Dominion has an insane lineup of coasters. This includes one of the most intense coasters in the world Intimidator 305 (Intamin Giga Coaster) and the newly converted Twisted Timbers (RMC Conversion). I’ve heard that because I305 is so intense that it almost never has a line. This is 1000% one of my bucket list coasters and parks to get to. (RIP Volcano)


 
I could write a whole page on LA amusement parks since there are so many… and I will. LA is the ideal vacation spot for more than a week. Of course it would be very expensive, but the amount of incredible amusement parks is insane. You have Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm. Buckle up because this is going to be a long one.
 
Disneyland / Disney California Adventure
Coaster Count: 4 (DL) / 2 (DCA)
Main Attractions:
Incredicoaster

Matterhorn Bobsleds

 
What can I say about Disney. What they lack in coasters they make up for in immersive theming. There is no park that does it better than a Disney park. This is a great place to go with a family since there are so many rides and activities for kids. I meshed DL and DCA together since they are still Disney but under two different gates. Incredicoaster (Intamin Launch) was recently renovated to include the Incredibles to the theme and is the main staple of the park. Matterhorn Bobsleds (Arrow Sit Down) is actually the first steel tube coasters to be made. This is a famous coaster and a bucket list ride just for history alone.
 
Universal Studios Hollywood
Coaster Count: 2
Main Attraction:
Studio Tour

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 
Universal Studios Hollywood is not as coaster heavy on the list of vacation spots, but they do have some amazing rides to make up for it. The centerpiece of the park would have to be the studio tour and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal paid a pretty penny to WB to get the rights to Harry Potter and ran with it. They made an immersive experience to put you in the Harry Potter world. This is a great vacation spot for all the movie lovers and Harry Potter fans.


 
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Coaster Count: 19
Main Attractions:
X2

Twisted Colossus

Tatsu


 
Here is the enthusiast dream park. MM has the most coasters in the world and is the star park in the Six Flags chain. It has a very unique X2 (Arrow 4D) which is only one of 3 built in the world. Twisted Colossus (RMC Conversion) was rebuilt after the old Colossus was closed down which you might recognize from the show Step by Step intro. Twisted Colossus is also a dueling coaster but on one track. When you finish your ride on one side you actually switch sides without getting off and complete the other side of the course. Tatsu (B&M Flying) is the longest and most intense flying experience in North America. There are still so many unique and amazing coasters that I didn’t even include in the main attractions! This is a multi day park experience for a vacation, but it is worth it. This is a must visit park for thrill seekers.


 
Knott’s Berry Farm
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
GhostRider

HangTime

Xcelerator

 
Knott’s is another park in the Cedar Fair chain and is one of the more loved parks in the chain. With main additions of Xcelerator (First Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) and GhostRider (CCI Wooden). GhostRider was built in 1998 but was re-tracked and made smoother to make it a more pleasant experience making it one of the top coasters in the park. The newest coaster to the park, HangTime (Getstlauer Infinity), takes up the spot where the now removed Boomerang once stood. It’s a compact but thrilling ride. This is a great park where you can spend a day and get some great rides and some awesome food too!


 
Since I’m from New York I know all of the good vacation spots. The only thing is that they aren’t in New York. I’m going to cheat once again and include some parks that are near NY but not in NY. I’m only going to cover Six Flags Great Adventure and Hersheypark.
 
Six Flags Great Adventure
Coaster Count: 12
Main Attractions:
El Toro & Kingda Ka (The Money Shot)
 

Nitro


 
Great Adventure is my home park. I’ve been going here since I was a kid and I love it. Because it is so close to the NYC / NJ metro area, Six Flags wanted to build up the park to attract guests. It has the best wooden coaster in the world in my opinion with El Toro (Intamin Pre-Fab) and an airtime machine with Nitro (B&M Hyper). Kingda Ka (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator) is always intimidating when you ride by being the world's tallest coaster and 2nd fastest coaster in the world. While it doesn’t have the biggest lineup of coasters, it does have a few surprise hits that make it a must visit park. It also is a great park to visit with family since they have a few kids areas and family attractions. This is the perfect day trip park since it is only maybe 2 hours away from where I used to live on Long Island. Cross a few bridges, get on the NJ turnpike and get some WaWa (yes that’s a real thing). Leave early in the morning and come back late at night. Try to sneak a trip when you are in NY when you get a chance.


 
Hersheypark
Coaster Count: 14
Main Attractions:
Skyrush

Storm Runner

Fahrenheit

Candymonium

 
Yeah that’s right, 4 main attractions. If I could I would add the whole park. It is a very different vibe when you go to Hershey. It’s a beautiful park with an exquisite coaster lineup. They have two different hyper coasters with an intense, one of the top coasters in the world Skyrush (Intamin Winged Hyper) and a more airtime based hyper with Candymonium (B&M Hyper). They just expanded their front entrance and they included Candymonium as the cherry on top. They have one of the only inverting accelerator coasters with Storm Runner (Intamin Hydraulic Accelerator). They also have a one of a kind vertical lift coaster in Fahrenheit (Intamin Vertical Lift). That’s not even scratching the surface of this diverse lineup. This is a must do vacation spot, hell even do two days to get the full experience since it has a water park mixed in too (free with admission!).

 
Europe
 
Europe is very difficult to plan out as a coaster enthusiast. Europe is already beautiful and has so much culture already that going to an amusement park should be an afterthought. Unfortunately I didn’t find parks in all of the places where there is a VHL team. Here are some European parks that you could visit though.
 
Energylandia - (4 hrs from Warsaw)
Coaster Count: 15
Main Attractions:
Zadra

Hyperion


 
This one is a stretch but I couldn’t leave it out. Energylandia is the fastest growing amusement park in the world. They are getting multiple new coasters in a few years. They have gotten a new coaster every year since they opened. This is a destination park that needs multiple days just to get to everything. Zadria (RMC Groundup) is one of the top coasters in the world and was actually built a year early. They finished construction and testing so fast that they actually pushed up the opening from 2020 to 2019. Also at the park is the Hyperion (Intamin Winged Hyper) which was voted by the guests at the park. The vote was between Intamin and Vekoma. There is no stopping for expansion it seems as they are building new coasters for the 2021 season and the 2022 season. This is a bucket list park for anyone who wants a good mix of thrills and family coasters.


 
Linnanmäki
Coaster Count: 8
Main Attractions:
Kirnu

Taiga

 
I’ll be honest, I have no idea what Linnanmäki is, but they have some top tier attractions over there. Located in Helsinki, Linnanmäki has a great mix of thrills and family attractions. They have recently added Taiga (Intamin LSM Accelerator) which has 4 inversions with a 170ft top hat which is crazy for a small park! They also have a unique ride with Kirnu (Intamin Zacspin). Zacspins are not well known for their comfort, but it seems it fits perfectly with Linnanmäki. This seems like a great place to spend a day for a vacation or even after a practice before or after a game against the Helsinki Titans.

 
Alton Towers (3 hrs from London)
Coaster Count: 10
Main Attractions:
Smiler

Nemesis

Wicker Man

 
The first of the two major parks near London is Alton Towers. This park is known for naming their new coaster projects secret weapons. Alton Towers also has a high restriction in that they can’t build over tree height. That didn’t stop them from building world class coasters and world first rides to make a diverse and iconic lineup. Smiler (Gerstlauer Infinity) is a record breaker for the most inversions on a roller coaster with 14! This is all compact into a small footprint that weaves in itself to give a crazy experience. Nemesis (B&M Invert) is also known for its terrain hugging layout. Wicker Man (GCI Wooden) is their newest coaster. They have something for everyone. This is a perfect place to spend all day and get a hotel nearby to get a full day's worth.


 
Thorpe Park (44 mins from London)
Coaster Count: 7
Main Attractions:
Saw - The Ride

Swarm

Nemesis Inferno

 
We finally come to Thorpe Park which is an hour away from London. This makes it easy to spend all day and still get back to London before the night is over. They have a bunch of horror themed attractions which is a breath of fresh air. Some of their more notable rides include Saw - The Ride (Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter) and The Swarm (B&M Wing). Nemesis Inferno (B&M Invert), not to be confused with Alton Towers Nemesis, is one of their main attractions in the park too. Since most of the rides are themed to horror franchises I wouldn’t suggest a full family trip. This is still a great day-cation destination if you are staying in London.

 
Conclusion
Holy moly I finally finished this beast of a media spot. Overall, the VHL is a grind so far. I wanted to give people the options of some of my favorite vacation spots as a coaster enthusiast so they can relax. You don’t even have to be a coaster enthusiast to enjoy some of these parks as they are all special in their own way. I would love to go to every park on this list, but if I had to choose 3 to go to at the end of the season and when all parks are open I would choose: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Energylandia and Alton Towers. It’s always best when you can go to a park with friends or family, but sometimes you have to go by yourself. I’ve done that many times and it doesn’t feel weird at all. I hope you consider some of these vacation spots when you are planning your vacation at the end of the season. Let me know what parks you are considering!
 
 
 Claiming 4 weeks

Boy do I have the article for you: 
 

1. If we work hard enough I think we can steal that spot from them.
2. What a shake-up. I couldn't care less though. My only focus is Riga.
3. Incredible performance and I think Mikko should be a Hall of Famer for sure.
4. I think we are in a position where prospects could be dealt to improve the current team. I'd hate to be the AGM or GM right now since I wouldn't be able to handle the pressure.
5. Hell yeah! Have to pump up our teammates and its great to see so much amazing talent getting recognized.
8. Islanders. I've been a fan of the highs and lows (mostly lows). Still a fan though.

Since I became the AGM of the Riga Reign about a quarter into this season, I've actually had a responsibility to do stuff in this league for the first time. While I did enjoy doing my own thing, earning TPE and posting crap in discord at random, I think it's become even more rewarding to be in charge, at least sort of, of a team of players which includes my own. I have one of the best GMs in the league in @hedgehog337 as my mentor and partner, and fantastic players and just fantastic people like @Matt thunder, @tcookie, and @youloser1337, who've been really fun to chat with in our LR. Overall, it's been an amazing experience, and I have a feeling it's going to take a turn for the better as I approach my first big milestone, the S77 VHL entry draft. Just today, I sent out my first few interviews to some potential draftees, and anticipating their responses is really nerve-wracking. I remember being a draftee myself, back in S75, and I thought answering questions was just that. But now I know that those answers that you give can determine whether or not a team will add you to their priority list. So, needless to say, it's a lot more stressful this time around.
 
 
216 words
 
 

1. We haven't done so hot the last couple sims. Do you think we can turn it around?
 
I hope I can make some trades without paying too much. Then the answer will be yes.
 
2. If not this season, in how many seasons will we make the playoffs? And when will we win our inevitable cup?
 
Next season and...next season.
 
3. How has your player done this season? What good has happened?
 
He's a backup in Toronto and he's doing alright there.
 
4. Do you have a favourite pre-game meal?
 
Anything that hedgehog likes to eat.
 
5. Is Among Us dead yet?
 
waw is dis.
 
6. Instead of giving kudos for on-ice prowess, give a shout out to someone who is a leader in the locker room.
 
@Matt thunder, @youloser1337, @Ledge_and_Dairy, @RedSus, @tcookie, @Mrpenguin30, @Eynhallow. Yeah, no particular leader, but these guys are more vocal. Also, I know that you're now busy with the NHL 21 league and stuff, but get yo ass back in here to spam ok thanks @Miks Sunins

I am BACK with my first media spot in about a month after claiming that god awful and inaccurate mock draft for soooo long. It feels good to finally get back to writing. I've missed it. So of course, what I'm going to do is try to write another 2,000 word long one that I can claim for another month. It's lazy and not lazy at the same time. Either way, it's usually a lot of fun and it's great for getting to know the community better. 
 
           For this article, I needed something that had a lot of detail so I could write a mega-article without stretching it out. So I took inspiration from @tcookie's new 'around the VHL'  VSN feature, which described this seasons' rookie class as "one of the - if not the - strongest rookie class the VHL has ever seen", which is high praise for sure. But looking at some of the potential Stolzschweiger winners, it doesn't seem too far off. Well, enough of this introduction. Let's get into some of these incredible freshmen.
 
 

Red Lite, RW @Tate

 
Obviously, the first player you think of when the S76 Stolzschweiger frontrunner comes to mind is Lite, who has had a fantastic rookie season so far. While being a part of the basement-dwelling Americans, Lite is among a talented but young and inexperienced group of players who have a high ability to score but a hindered ability to defend. Lite, as well as teammates Rhynex Entertainment, Gary Rush, Brian Strong Jr., and others, get a lot more ice time than some of the younger players on contending teams. Lite himself uses this to his advantage, popping off with 17 goals and 39 points in his 34 games this season. He has a build to die for, he is mind-blowingly efficient in the offensive zone, and he even manages to have a positive plus/minus on one of the worst teams in the league. He presents a strong case, that's for sure. 
 

Dominic Gobeil, LW @domg5

 
Well, this has been a pleasant surprise, especially for the Phantoms. Gobeil was drafted in the 3rd round, 46th overall, in the S75 draft. The third round! Needless to say, he's opened up plenty of eyes with his performance this season up to date. Unlike Lite's situation in the Big Apple, Gobeil finds himself on a Phantoms team that has a decent amount of offensive talent, a young but effective D core, and a solid tandem in nets. They're a playoff fringe team, meaning Gobeil should hypothetically not get ideal ice time. But the red-hot freshman has pushed his way up the ranks in Prague with 13 goals and 40 points in the 34 games he's played. Any rookies surpassing point per game in the VHL is impressive, so a player being on pace for more than 84 points is amazing. If he keeps this up, it should be almost a no-brainer who takes home the award.
 

Cabe McJake, C @RedSus

 
Finishing off the point per game freshmen is none other than Cabe McJake himself. We all know first gens tend to be risky picks high in the draft, but this little gamble has been paying off in spades for the Reign so far. However, that same Riga team has had some struggles this season, although it's quite easy to come to the conclusion that the Reign are actually doing surprisingly well despite their apparent lack of veteran presence on the team save for a select few. They have an astonishing 11 rookies on their roster this season, and their top six scorers are all newcomers as well. But it also means lots of ice time for these lucky players. McJake, not at all unlike Lite, has made use of his extra minutes. 16 goals and 37 points in 34 games, as well as the personal triumph of winning his first fight, McJake is riding a massive high right now. His chances skyrocket if the Reign can steal a playoff spot.
 

Linus Zetterstrom, D @Ledge_and_Dairy

 
Sigh. I guess I have to talk about my own player for a bit. Zetterstrom has been doing good, much better than I expected, thus far. I have this joke with myself that my goal in the VHLM when Linus was with the Aces was to get at the point per game mark, and I was about 30 points off. Yet here he is, putting up 33 points in 34 games in the actual VHL, where it matters. I can give credit to my enormous amounts of ice time for the points and the blocked shots, and rest of the stuff comes with that, too. It's the same idea for Cabe that if the Reign manage to sneak into the playoffs, Zetterstrom has a better chance at taking home a trophy. But honestly, I don't see him having any legit shot at the award. There are better rookies right now. So, I guess all I can do is to keep on grinding and hoping.
 

Isau DaMoose, C @Eynhallow

 
Wrapping up our 3 Reign players in a row is Isau DaMoose, who had one of the hottest starts a rookie can have. He was on top of the rookie leaderboard for the first ten or so games of the season before Lite and eventually Gobeil took the throne. Nevertheless, DaMoose is still a top offensive threat on a weaker Riga squad. His 13 goals and 31 points put him only 3 point off point per game, and his 60 hits are respectable. I think, just for me, it's been fun to watch DaMoose start from being a welfare guy and slowly moving his way on up to becoming the max earner he is now. He was also a later pick, drafted 38th overall in the 3rd round. Another interesting part of DaMoose's development was his meager 50 points in the M last season, which obviously contributed to the surprise surrounding his rebirth in Riga. Of course, ice time had a lot to do with it as well. But I think if DaMoose can catch a few more hot streaks, the Stolzschweiger wouldn't be a far cry.
 

Chicken Wing, D @chikn

 
When I was picking Team Europe for the World Juniors last season, I slept on Chicken Wing. And guess what happened? In Team World's first game against Team Europe, Wing had 4 points in World's win. So I've learned my lesson about sleeping on him ever again. This season, Wing is the top rookie defenceman without question in my mind. The Americans, as has been put prior to this, are one of, if not the, least competitive teams in the league this season. They have a high-powered offense but a weak defense, and Wing finds himself with a burden on his back no freshman should have. However, he has proved that he can perform under pressure. 26 assists and 31 points in 34 games is in a high tier for defencemen, and the 89 blocked shots are good enough for 4th on the league leaderboard. The positive plus/minus is also insane considering the goal differential the Americans must have.
 

Dan Dan, RW @MMFLEX

 
While Dan Dan's points lag behind some of his rookie counterparts, he is also a part of a Helsinki Titans team that is looking for a deep playoff run this season. This means that the big, important minutes are being doled out to the veterans instead of the fresh faces. The reason Dan has put himself on this list is his ability to make do with whatever he gets and still produce a decent amount of points. He has a lighter load on his back than some of the rookies on Riga and New York because of players like Ola Vikingstad, Patrik Laine, and Valtteri Vaakanainen being among the top performers in the league, which in real life is really beneficial for the prospect at hand. If Simon T manages to account for this, Dan has a sneaky advantage over a lot of his competition, who've been tossed into the deep end.
 

Dolant Fertitta, LW @Dolant

 
Wow, our fourth Riga player and we're not even at the bottom of the list. Is it just me, or is this rebuild looking really promising? Fertitta was one of their five first round picks in S75, and was the leading scorer of the VHLM last season. He's another example of a player who has greatly appreciated the ice time that comes with being on a non-contending team. His 8 goals are diminutive compared to, say, Lite, but he has proved he's more of a playmaker with 19 assists and 27 points. One of my fondest memories of Fertitta was at the World Juniors this season. I picked him to be one of my top forwards, and he had an acceptable round robin in which Team Europe didn't perform too well. But in the elimination games, he pulled out his clutch with 3 assists and 4 points in the two games we played. His build is really straightforward, and it works pretty well. If he can pick his VHLM firepower back up suddenly, I know he has it in him to have a serious shot at this award
 

Justin Lose, RW @youloser1337

 
Aaaaand we have our fifth Riga Reign rookie. I hope I'm not coming across as biased, because although I like the idea of recognizing my players, they also have a hell of a lot of skill. And that brings us to Justin Lose, fresh off a hat trick in the most recent sims. That brings him to 12 goals and 26 points in 34 games, which isn't ideal but again, using that learning to swim metaphor; most of the Reign newbies were chucked into the deep end and expected to excel. And it's not a stretch to say he has. He has well rounded stats, and his build is nearly spotless. He also leads the Reign in game winning goals with 3. In addition to all this hockey related stuff, I'm always seeing youloser being really active in our discord LR. It's great to see as an AGM and it's a great quality for a guy like him to improve this way.
 

Robert Bouchard, C @Gaikoku-hito

 
Surprisingly, we have ourselves another Prague product. It seems as though the the holes the Phantoms offense had coming into this season have been comfortably filled by the likes of Gobeil and Robert Bouchard. Bouchard is another VHLM super scorer, racking up 43 goals and 109 points in his final M season with the Philly Reapers. However, the jump to the big leagues might have been a bit of a shock, so his points are fluctuating a bit. But as always with these type of players, we've seen what he can do, so it's only a matter of time before the points start coming in droves. He is a consistent earner, getting that sweet 13 every week, and has his build spread over all the important attributes. I personally think he has a bright future, regardless if he wins this award or not. 
 

Markus Emerson Jr., G @Xflexz

 
My first goalie of the list! I really don't know anything about goalies, real life or otherwise. But I can recognize talent based on a wide variety of stats, at least to an extent. What I see in Markus Emerson Jr. is an heir apparent to the soon to be retiree and longtime Wolves goaltender Jimmy Spyro who has proved so far this season that he will live up to the challenge. I don't know how goalie builds work, but from what I've heard there are three big important ones and of course the useless ones like leadership. Emerson Jr.'s build must work, though, as his record is 7-1-1. However, he backstops the second best team in the league, so that probably has something to do with it. Nevertheless, if he keeps putting up these stats, he would be the first Stolzschweiger winner since Rayz Funk himself in S67. 
 
 
Matt thunder, D @Matt thunder

 
This one could be mistaken as a bias because Matt is my buddy in the LR and he's a fantastic guy. But thunder is no joke. He is also enjoying the heaps of ice time solely from being on Riga, and he has definitely taken advantage of it. His 24 points in 34 games are noticeable, but what really sticks out is his 121 penalty minutes, which are a league lead. He's also a big fighter, and he was the main attraction in the Riga-London bench brawl of a couple sims ago(rumour is he's even teaching teammate Addison McLaren how to fight too!). His 125 hits are also in the higher end of the league, and 62 blocked shots is no easy feat, either. He's also a big part of our discord LR, even though English isn't even his first language! 
 
 
Honorable Mentions:
 
Thadius Sales, New York Americans
Cowboy Prout, New York Americans
Scotty Kaberle, Toronto Legion
Addison McLaren, Riga Reign
Tom Eagles, Calgary Wranglers
 
 
 
Word Count: 2174  
Claiming for weeks ending 02/07, 02/14, 02/21, 02/28
 
 
Edit: These stat lines won't go away. Pretend they don't exist
-Yes they do -Beav
-nvm they do not -Beav

This week was a roller coaster for Justin Lose. Lose and the Reign are 3 - 6 - 1 in the last 10 games. In a weaker than usual conference, they are only 4 points out of a playoff spot behind the Malmo Nighthawks who are 4 - 5 - 1 in their last 10 games. In those 10 games Lose posted 7 - 4 - 11 with a +/- -5. Lose has finally found a groove to finally get some respectable numbers on the board. Lose is in a weird spot right now that he can score some points but isn’t being defensive on the other side of the ice with a negative +/- rating. Overall Lose has 12 goals, 14 assists for 26 points in 34 games with a +/- rating of -12. It seems from his interview last week he finally regained some motivation. We caught up with Lose after suffering a loss to the Vancouver Wolves.
 
“Can you walk us through today's loss?”
 
“The loss sucks. We played well even though we had 4 shots in the first period but just collapsed in the 2nd. I put part of the blame on myself. I think we all have to be a little tighter defensively in our zone. We gave them too many free chances. The fact that the shot totals were tied is crazy. We had some good looks but their goalie made some great saves. Unfortunately we let Conway down and Harvey went in. Of course we never want to leave our goalies out to dry. Just have to forget this and move on to Chicago next.”
 
“You had a resurgence after your interview came out. What sparked this?”
 
“I give all the credit to the Riga coaching staff. They were working with me this whole week and I felt a lot better about my offensive game. Of course we are still working on the defensive side. Getting some more practice with my teammates also helped out. I’m not 100% happy with my game right now, but it is a step in the right direction.”
 
“What do you want to tell kids or other athletes that are struggling like you did earlier in the season?”
 
“I would say don’t give up. I was terrible at the start of the season. I knew I had to be better to be in the VHL. Of course Riga is rebuilding at the moment, but you are still responsible for everything. I worked with my training staff and my teammates to make it to where I am today. You aren’t alone and you don’t need to face your challenges alone.”
 
While Riga didn’t exactly have the best record this week, Lose did have a good showing in the stars. Lose holds the first star in 3 games! We spoke to Lose about this accomplishment here: [LINK]. Things might not be perfect for Lose but things are going in the right direction if he wants to be a staple of the VHL. Be sure to catch Justin Lose and Riga take the ice in their next game against the Chicago Phoenix!

Keep on truckin' !!  You are getting 20+ minutes of ice time per sim including time on the PP and PK.  Eventually it will all fall into place.  None of us are doing particularly well.  Thus our dismal place in the standings.  I guess it is to be expected as we are in the early stages of a massive Riga rebuild !!

Keep up the good work! @youloser1337demotion sucks but if you up the ante and put in the work, you’ll earn your spot.

GOOD LUCK  

We have an exclusive interview with Justin Lose after his first few weeks of being a VHL player! Lose requested an interview to share his thoughts about playing in the VHL compared to the VHL. Let's get right to it:
 
Interviewer: Hello Justin! So glad to see you again. This is your first interview with me since you were in the VHLM.
Lose: Wow it was that long ago? That's a little crazy. Sorry for not getting around for you, it has been a bit busy with the VHL season during the offseason.
 
I: No worries. Now, how does it feel to be in the VHL compared to the VHLM?
L: It's surreal honestly. You work your whole life to be in the VHL and in an instant you are thrown in with the wolves of the VHL. Some of these guys have been here for many seasons, so being a rookie is definitely intimidating.
 
I: How was the transition to the VHL?
L: It hasn't been easy. Honestly, I still don't feel comfortable being in the VHL. My teammates are great and all, but sometimes I feel like I don't have the skill like the rest of the league. Some nights I feel like a scapegoat for the team.
 
I: Do you have any idea why the transition has been so rough for you?
L: Like I said before I don't think I matchup to the rest of the league very well. My biggest fear was not fitting in and being useless on the team and I'm nervous that those fears are coming into reality. My production hasn't been great, my teammates lost confidence in me and even the GM since he demoted me to the 2nd line. I wouldn't be shocked if I was traded for a bag of pucks at this point.
 
I: What do you think needs to happen to gain your confidence back?
L: I'm not sure to be real with you. If you know me, it has been a rough career already for me. I don't think I'll ever be 100% confident with myself. I fear that I'll just be another top 6 forward that doesn't do anything for their team and retire with no awards or trophies. Would I love for that to change? Of course. I want to be the best. I don't think that it will happen anytime soon.
 
I: On that note, I think I will call the interview there. Lose, it has been an honor and I wish you the best of the luck with the rest of the VHL season. Maybe we can meet again at the end of the season and see where you are at.
L: That would be great. I'll need all the luck I can get, so thank you.
 
Lose and the Riga Reign are currently 7th in the European Conference and the 3rd worst record in the league with a record of 7-14-2. Lose has a pathetic 4 - 10 -14 points with a +/- -10 in 23 GP. Will the Reign get into a groove and start winning games and will Lose finally be that star player? Keep it locked here for all of Riga's games to find out!

1. We are trending up, I can see us sneaking into the playoffs.
2. Fruit punch. No question about it.
5. The people of Riga are very nice. The views are stunning too.
7. Just signing jerseys after practice.
8. A penguin would be amazing.
9. Fly. No debate.

You know how in NHL 21 be a pro mode right before your first game in the NHL there is a cutscene of you taking in the moment? That's basically what happened today with me in the VHL. Props to my teammates for letting me have my moment there. I didn't expect to be here and just taking in the sights and sounds of my first game is unreal. Of course if you fast forward and see that I lost that and the next game... it kind of takes you out of that moment. Let's not get there... yet I guess.
 
When I first got to Riga, it was post bronze medal game in the WJC, which I failed to medal in. I didn't get a chance to really let it sink in where I was needed for training camp the next day. The culture shock I had when I got here was insane too. I still don't know anyone or where anything is. I'm usually a lone wolf and I think it might come back to haunt me in my time in Riga. During the downtime in Mexico City I scouted some apartments in Riga so I don't have to worry about it in the future. I'm so glad I did. Being able to get to my apartment on the first day and just relax was a blessing. For a moment I finally found some zen and put all my failures aside from the past few weeks.
Training camp was a nice change of pace for me. I knew what to expect because Riga invited me to their camp last season to get used to it and get me ready for the upcoming VHLM season. That little boost really gave me confidence and I think it showed in my performance with Mexico City. The coaching staff and teammates were all very welcoming to me. I even got a nice chat with the GM who drafted me. We were both excited that I finally made it to the VHL. It was kind of refreshing to see all the rookies so I wouldn't be the only target for rookie hazing. We had a few scrimmages and I did well. I was excited to see where I was placed in the lineup. I feel like I have a lot to prove.
 
Game day was a roller coaster of emotions for me. At first my parents called and told me they were super excited to watch me play. They said they couldn't get tickets but when Riga faces NY they would be there to watch in person. The bus ride over to the arena was also a big shock for me. The thoughts of under performing rang through my head. I didn't want those demons getting to me so I followed my ritual and put my music on.
I wanted to be the lone wolf again after the game. I knew I let the team and the fans down for not producing in my first game. The demons were back and I needed to escape. Luckily a few of my teammates calmed me down and reminded me once I get one, it gets much easier. That first point and first goal are key milestones that every player has when they make it to the VHL. Usually you want it in the first few games so that the pressure is off of you.
 
That was a quick look of my first few days in Riga. Hopefully in the future I can be a bit more positive and have a few goals and points by then. My main goal is the cup and my side quest is the rookie title. I believe I have the skill to get there. I know we have a great team this year!
 

Review: This is good piece you've written here mate. It's nice that it's written from the players perspective as it helps everyone get to know what your player is all about. You kept it interesting and they way it's spaced out makes it easy to read and follow along. One thing to add next would maybe be to add some headings to break it up that little bit more but great job. 9/10
 
Also looking forward to playing with you in Riga bud. Hopefully this roster can play at the top of our game and show the league what we are all about

You know how in NHL 21 be a pro mode right before your first game in the NHL there is a cutscene of you taking in the moment? That's basically what happened today with me in the VHL. Props to my teammates for letting me have my moment there. I didn't expect to be here and just taking in the sights and sounds of my first game is unreal. Of course if you fast forward and see that I lost that and the next game... it kind of takes you out of that moment. Let's not get there... yet I guess.
 
When I first got to Riga, it was post bronze medal game in the WJC, which I failed to medal in. I didn't get a chance to really let it sink in where I was needed for training camp the next day. The culture shock I had when I got here was insane too. I still don't know anyone or where anything is. I'm usually a lone wolf and I think it might come back to haunt me in my time in Riga. During the downtime in Mexico City I scouted some apartments in Riga so I don't have to worry about it in the future. I'm so glad I did. Being able to get to my apartment on the first day and just relax was a blessing. For a moment I finally found some zen and put all my failures aside from the past few weeks.
Training camp was a nice change of pace for me. I knew what to expect because Riga invited me to their camp last season to get used to it and get me ready for the upcoming VHLM season. That little boost really gave me confidence and I think it showed in my performance with Mexico City. The coaching staff and teammates were all very welcoming to me. I even got a nice chat with the GM who drafted me. We were both excited that I finally made it to the VHL. It was kind of refreshing to see all the rookies so I wouldn't be the only target for rookie hazing. We had a few scrimmages and I did well. I was excited to see where I was placed in the lineup. I feel like I have a lot to prove.
 
Game day was a roller coaster of emotions for me. At first my parents called and told me they were super excited to watch me play. They said they couldn't get tickets but when Riga faces NY they would be there to watch in person. The bus ride over to the arena was also a big shock for me. The thoughts of under performing rang through my head. I didn't want those demons getting to me so I followed my ritual and put my music on.
I wanted to be the lone wolf again after the game. I knew I let the team and the fans down for not producing in my first game. The demons were back and I needed to escape. Luckily a few of my teammates calmed me down and reminded me once I get one, it gets much easier. That first point and first goal are key milestones that every player has when they make it to the VHL. Usually you want it in the first few games so that the pressure is off of you.
 
That was a quick look of my first few days in Riga. Hopefully in the future I can be a bit more positive and have a few goals and points by then. My main goal is the cup and my side quest is the rookie title. I believe I have the skill to get there. I know we have a great team this year!
 

You know how in NHL 21 be a pro mode right before your first game in the NHL there is a cutscene of you taking in the moment? That's basically what happened today with me in the VHL. Props to my teammates for letting me have my moment there. I didn't expect to be here and just taking in the sights and sounds of my first game is unreal. Of course if you fast forward and see that I lost that and the next game... it kind of takes you out of that moment. Let's not get there... yet I guess.
 
When I first got to Riga, it was post bronze medal game in the WJC, which I failed to medal in. I didn't get a chance to really let it sink in where I was needed for training camp the next day. The culture shock I had when I got here was insane too. I still don't know anyone or where anything is. I'm usually a lone wolf and I think it might come back to haunt me in my time in Riga. During the downtime in Mexico City I scouted some apartments in Riga so I don't have to worry about it in the future. I'm so glad I did. Being able to get to my apartment on the first day and just relax was a blessing. For a moment I finally found some zen and put all my failures aside from the past few weeks.
Training camp was a nice change of pace for me. I knew what to expect because Riga invited me to their camp last season to get used to it and get me ready for the upcoming VHLM season. That little boost really gave me confidence and I think it showed in my performance with Mexico City. The coaching staff and teammates were all very welcoming to me. I even got a nice chat with the GM who drafted me. We were both excited that I finally made it to the VHL. It was kind of refreshing to see all the rookies so I wouldn't be the only target for rookie hazing. We had a few scrimmages and I did well. I was excited to see where I was placed in the lineup. I feel like I have a lot to prove.
 
Game day was a roller coaster of emotions for me. At first my parents called and told me they were super excited to watch me play. They said they couldn't get tickets but when Riga faces NY they would be there to watch in person. The bus ride over to the arena was also a big shock for me. The thoughts of under performing rang through my head. I didn't want those demons getting to me so I followed my ritual and put my music on.
I wanted to be the lone wolf again after the game. I knew I let the team and the fans down for not producing in my first game. The demons were back and I needed to escape. Luckily a few of my teammates calmed me down and reminded me once I get one, it gets much easier. That first point and first goal are key milestones that every player has when they make it to the VHL. Usually you want it in the first few games so that the pressure is off of you.
 
That was a quick look of my first few days in Riga. Hopefully in the future I can be a bit more positive and have a few goals and points by then. My main goal is the cup and my side quest is the rookie title. I believe I have the skill to get there. I know we have a great team this year!
 

Cheers! There will be more, let me tell you.

Review: Wow. This is incredible and unique. I love the style and the behind the scene look for the offseason for the Bulls. I can't wait to read the next one and see what you come up with next. 10/10!

THE BOBO POST, EDITION 1
Houston Bulls Topic: Offseason Summary. 
Click on the link to open and read the newspaper. This is the first of my weekly editions of THE BOBO POST. Enjoy.
 
LINK TO NEWSPAPER
 
WORD COUNT: 652 WORDS, 3666 CHARACTERS.

F - John Merrick
 
@Advantage

This is awesome! I didn't think anyone would actually read my media spot nor respond to it! Honestly I think this is perfect and I'm honored that you responded. Plus I think you did a much better job on this than mine. I guess I can double this as a review. Great use of pictures and detailed report for each. I wouldn't change anything. 10/10!