aksuko

So, as you know the Minnesota Storm recently lost to the Mexico Kings so...
 
I guess that's it. That's the VHLM career done. I got 275 TPE, so I'm going to Riga next season. Here are some people who I would like to thank
 
@Spartan for taking me in and keeping me knowing that I would be a key player one season (75) and encouraging me to claim TPE
@JigglyGumballs Pretty much the same as Spartan. That wasn't an insult.
@Ledge_and_Dairy and @RedSus for being good frendos. That is it.
All the players in Vegas for being a generally cool person
@Rayzor_7 for taking me in (for a trade)
@hedgehog337 for drafting me to play for Riga
@aksuko for being a chill goalie
@Noxalpha for being the only friend I have that is a goalie
And everyone who I've met and we had a generally good chat
 
I am not one for words so this was pretty short... I am not going to claim this for TPE. Just a "thank you" article.

So as some of you who do care know, there's no LVA progress report this season. Why? Well it's because it's gotten repetitive. One big formulaic article at the start of the season, then after four weeks comes another big article with the same formula comes out. Rinse and repeat for the another season then it's just going to be the same shit over and over again. That's why I decided to stop the progress reports as of now. So I can explore new ideas instead of just doing the same thing over and over. It wouldn't be interesting to be the guy who does the same shit every time right? Anyways, this article is going to be more of a story time article. A look back on my thoughts and recollection of this season and what to expect next. This might be long, might not be long, but nevertheless let's get on with it.
 
The Beginning
 
The start of this season was honestly a bit of a milestone season, well for me at least, as I was heading into my third season as an AGM. VHLM AGMs from what I've noticed, tend to not have very long tenures. Some last for only 1-2 seasons before they step down due to mostly personal reasons. So heading into my 3rd, it was honestly interesting for me. I  didn't expect to be an AGM for this long, heading into my 3rd VHLM draft as an AGM. It also felt weird. I remember thinking how fast the seasons go for me to already be in my 3rd season as an AGM, and yet I found myself feeling like I've been a part of Vegas since the start. Another thing of note was Vegas itself. The team after two dominant seasons, was starting to look like it's in decline. Ever since @Spartan took over Vegas, the team has never missed the playoffs season after season. Now, it honestly looked a bit bleak. Playoff hopes were slim, and I remember talking about what to do in this draft. Especially regarding the need of acquiring picks for the future. Which resulted in trading one of our first round picks to Houston for a couple of seconds and a 4th.
 
Post draft, I felt a little better about the team, but I didn't think we were going to make the playoffs with only one defensive line and 2.5 forward lines. We had a goalie in @aksuko though, yet again I felt that playoffs were a bit bleak. There was optimism, but there wasn't much to work with.
 
Early Season Woes
 
Early on in the season, I can remember that we've struggled a lot. Things weren't clicking and every game seemed like an uphill battle. I was honestly expecting it. Our draft seemed to be pretty successful at first glance, however it was just taking a bit of time for things to gel. Especially since only a select handful of our players were capped, or close to that area. My mentality during this time was mostly the same. We're rebuilding, so a loss isn't going to be too big of a deal. Though not having a first round pick was definitely a big handicap. In honesty, not having a first rounder is a bit of a good thing in the long term. Unless you overreach for a player, that first rounder is probably going to stay for one season, and if you wanna contend in the long term in the VHLM, drafting a player who won't cap out after one season will be a much more better situation. Now before you go "Isn't the VHLM all about player retention and not winning cups?" and all that shit. Hear me out. I personally feel like a team that's always contending is a lot better for retaining players in this league. A rebuilding team, is definitely much harder to be active on when you're a new player. Of course that's not always the case, the S72 Houston Bulls rookie gang (which includes me) can attest to that. However, the reputation of a perennial contender plus the amount of activity generated from always making some noise will better help retain players into the VHL. You can debate with me all you want, but it's my personal opinion.
 
Mid-Season Turnaround and Postseason
 
As the season went on, and the players start earning more and more TPE. Things looked brighter. Though with a bit of the rebuild mentality still lingering, we did end up trading @Domino Draws to Minnesota for an couple of picks. Which in hindsight, was honestly justified. We were still losing more games than winning games, so it was more better for us to fully commit to the tank by trading a career LVA player and a capped player to a team that's likely to go far in the playoffs. However, as fate would have it, around the middle of the season, we had a complete turnaround. We started winning games. Now with 11 forwards and 6 defenseman, things were getting better and better. A big win against Houston further boosted our hopes and optimism. It's like Vegas and playoffs were always meant to be. Even if we were rebuilding, we still had hopes that we would sneak in as the 4th seed in our conference. Around the middle of the season, I'm pretty sure Saskatoon was in that position, however near the end of the season, and amazing performances by @Syzygy, @Bouncyelf, @inflastud, and again @aksuko. We ended up forming a considerable lead and a comfortable spot at 4th in the conference. We were able to toss around with the top teams of the league, but we weren't able to actually win games against them. It was a bit of a limbo to me, purgatory if you will. We weren't good enough to beat the better teams of the league, but we were too good to not lose against the bottom of the league. We were in this Goldilocks zone of mediocrity. One question still lingered to me at the time, what will happen in the playoffs? Well the answer to that was to go to the postseason and see.
 
I'll be blunt. We fucking got swept. In the end, we weren't up to the task. We kept Mexico on the edge for a couple of games, but we just weren't able to fully finish with a win. I remember thinking of doing a sort of playoff preview for this week since it was the playoffs, but I got lazy and then we got swept. Now we have this thing which is a good substitute. Right?
 
Conclusion
 
This season was an interesting story. From rebuilding to a surprise, but ultimately short postseason appearance. We were also riding a bit of a waiver warrior wave as most of our defensive core was waivers. Though yet again, the season was now over and all I can do now is look ahead in the future. With the promotion of Hylands into the VHL and an open spot in Mexico, I honestly wonder if I will ever take the helm of a VHLM team in the near future. Nevertheless, there's now one goal to focus on for me, and that is the draft. Vegas needs a big draft to remain in contention, and whether that means more trades or good scouting, it'll definitely be interesting here on out. Just as it was throughout this season. To end this off, I wanna give a big thanks to @Spartan and all of Vegas again for a rather unique little season for me. I really hope we can do much more next season, and finally end the long cup drought this team has been suffering from.
 
(1290 words)

1. Absolutely, wasn't completely sure we would make it., but i'm happy that we made it.
2. Great, if we keep playing how we have lately,  there is no reason why we can't make deep run
3. I pretty much only keep up with the team i'm in 😅
4. I don't really enjoy hot drinks, so i guess lemon ice tea
5. Great to see how well the lads did, kinda shame i started to do well so late in the season but better late than never
6. It would be great to win now, but even if we won't, i trust @Spartan and @JigglyGumballs will keep doing great and the results will come sooner rather than later

1. Absolutely, wasn't completely sure we would make it., but i'm happy that we made it.
2. Great, if we keep playing how we have lately,  there is no reason why we can't make deep run
3. I pretty much only keep up with the team i'm in 😅
4. I don't really enjoy hot drinks, so i guess lemon ice tea
5. Great to see how well the lads did, kinda shame i started to do well so late in the season but better late than never
6. It would be great to win now, but even if we won't, i trust @Spartan and @JigglyGumballs will keep doing great and the results will come sooner rather than later

1. Incredibly pumped! I'm excited to see how far the Aces are going to go. I know we all have our eyes on being champions and I know we're all going to do our best to achieve that dream.
 
2. I feel good. Still waiting on my first VHLM points but I feel defensively I've been playing well and I think its helped us keep our goals against low.
 
3. Prague vs Riga looks very interesting. I've heard a lot of chatter about that and curious to see who will come out on top of that one.
 
4. I usually go for like a peppermint tea? I'm not a huge tea drinker.
 
5. They've all been great! I havent been on the team long but I've seen the impact all 3 of them have had on our team and I think they'll carry that momentum into the playoffs.
 
6. In a way yes Las Vegas has a shorter window than some teams, but at the same time I think Spartan has done a good job of finding and growing talent, so with him at the helm I think Vegas will always have a chance of being a playoff team.

1. Super pumped, I'm really starting to hate mexico but I think we have a chance to beat them.
2. I'm feeling good, definitely optimistic, we've beat these teams before.
3. The Miami vs yukon for sure. Two middle of the pack teams, which are always close.
4. Green tea is my go to, I also like peppermint when I'm sick.
5. I couldn't have done it without the rest of the team, I had some dope liberates to play with all season. 7th in D scoring is amazing and 4th is sv % is unreal, I'm saying we have a real good chance to upset some teams.
6. I wouldn't say do or die, every team has their ups and downs, and I'm sure the aces will always have a good team with solid players. Gotta put some praise on the management for drafting and picking up the guys to win.

1. Absolutely, wasn't completely sure we would make it., but i'm happy that we made it.
2. Great, if we keep playing how we have lately,  there is no reason why we can't make deep run
3. I pretty much only keep up with the team i'm in 😅
4. I don't really enjoy hot drinks, so i guess lemon ice tea
5. Great to see how well the lads did, kinda shame i started to do well so late in the season but better late than never
6. It would be great to win now, but even if we won't, i trust @Spartan and @JigglyGumballs will keep doing great and the results will come sooner rather than later

Huge game for @aksuko

So hey! The long awaited follow up to this progress report is finally here!! It took me a while and a lot of procrastination but it's finally here!! A couple of things I wanna say before we get to it, this progress report will include not only regular season stats, but postseason stats as well. Another thing I would like to note is that there are some new additions to this team, and there are also people who have left this team. I won't be covering those who left the team, and for the later additions, I'll cover their overall stats in general instead of covering what they did in LVA. Mostly because I'm lazy. Finally all the (+10)s and all that is basically the amount of TPE earned since the last progress report. And because the later additions were never acquired since that last report, they won't have any of those. Anyways, let's get on with it!!
 
C - Its Gucci, TPE: 352 (+98) @frescoelmo
72GP, 19G, 53A, 72P, +6 
Playoffs: 12GP, 2G, 7A, 9P, -1
 
So to start things off, let us begin with Gucci himself. Gucci has been nothing but consistent in his role as Vegas’s number 1 center ever since the beginning of last season. As the number 1 center, he put up a very respectable 72 points in 72 games with an outstanding 53 assists to his name despite having a scoring build. He’s met every expectation I’ve had and I was never once disappointed with his production. This playmaking style along with 79 hits despite having applied no TPE to checking makes Gucci a formidable rookie moving into the VHL. Sadly, he’s stuck in LA so you already know that things aren’t looking too bright for this star.
 
D - Matt Thunder, TPE: 340 (+86) @Matt thunder
72GP, 16G, 51A, 67P, +10 
Playoffs: 12GP, 4G, 7A, 11P, +3
 
Next off is our resident Frenchie in Matt Thunder. Comparing his current stats to last season’s stats, Thunder has improved in almost every single major category. Improvements to goals, assists, points, shots blocked, hits, and the most important stat to have a bigger number on, penalty minutes. He may not have had exceptional over a point per game stats but to me, that’s to be expected. I knew this season Vegas was going to be a more defensively stacked team. Until @Spartan traded picks and players for 200+ TPE forwards. Even then 67 points as a defenseman is still very solid. Thunder’s success has to do with his consistent earning. A max earning clicker, who’s actually written a media spot as of late, has been earning a lot each week and is consistent in maintaining his activity. A great player for Riga if they ever have room.
 
D - Chase Crosby, TPE: 267 (+24) @Wreckening
72GP, 8G, 37A, 45P, -8 
Playoffs: 12GP, 2G, 2A, 4P, -2
 
While others rise and achieve much success, others may not be as fortunate. That’s the case with Chase Crosby. Despite a respectable 45 points in 72 games, and a good 95 shots blocked, Crosby has since fallen silent as he hasn’t updated this whole week as of writing. Crosby has always been consistent as a clicker, simply adding welfare and practice facility each week for a slow, but again consistent earning pace. Plus there is the occasional press conference as well. Hopefully he doesn’t go full inactive and becomes a good player for Riga as he moves onto the VHL.
 
D - Linus Zetterstrom, TPE: 367 (+128) @Ledge_and_Dairy
72GP, 8G, 44A, 52P, -1 
Playoffs: 12GP, 2G, 10A, 12P, +4
 
The Team World gold medalist Linus Zetterstrom has been nothing but exceptional for Vegas.  This promising first-gen has blossomed into one of this league's more respectable members. Well to me at least. 80 hits and 83 shots blocked added along with his 52 points, this pass first defenseman will be an excellent addition to Riga. I have listed playoff stats despite never talking about them until now mostly because I’d rather forget the playoffs. However, Zetterstrom has provided LVA a bright spot in that rather poor postseason as he put up an outstanding 12 points in  12 games along with a +4 rating. I’m honestly gonna miss him in Vegas. He’s already shown great promise in the management scene as well. Pulling off a silver medal in this season’s WJC with Europe as his first stint in the GM/AGM scene. Sadly though I had a prophecy to fulfill so kinda robbed him from gold. Not sorry about that.
 
RW - Artair McCloud, TPE: 351 (+121) @Hoopydog
72GP, 28G, 20A, 48P, -5 
Playoffs: 12GP, 4G, 6A, 10P, -2
 
Despite having smashed previous season records, McCloud has not had the offensive production I expected out of him. Though it isn’t without effort. A whopping 227 shots from McCloud. The reasoning as to why he wasn’t as offensively productive was simply because he ran out of luck. STHS had struck him down for no other reason than Simon’s a bitch. Apart from that, McCloud has maintained his max earning ever since he came into Vegas as a 4th rounder. Now that’s what you call a draft steal. He’s another person who I’ll genuinely miss having in LVA as I still remember scouting him in my first season as an AGM. Wish you the best of luck in the VHL and especially against Moscow as Spartan might be headhunting vegas alum to bully.
 
D - Joakim Lund, TPE: 218 (+12) @Bouncyelf
72GP, 6G, 10A, 16P, 0+/- 
Playoffs: 12GP, 1G, 2A, 3P, -6
 
Joakim Lund is an odd one to me. He has a total of 290 VHLM games played, and yes that’s VHLM not VHL. Heck he’s not even at the VHL cap yet. He’s still going to probably play one season here in Vegas until he finally moves up to the VHL. I guess Prague is really patient with him. I swear he’s broken some kind of franchise record for games played as I’ve never seen any other LVA player who’s stayed here for as long as he has. Anyways, after a week of no updating, he’s since gone back to his clicker ways. The simple easy task of welfare and practice facility. His stats don’t surprise me too much. He has a very defensive minded build and that shows with his 186 hits and 72 shots blocked. So I guess I’ll see you next season then?
 
RW - Kelly Power, TPE: 242 (+38) @Nordin
72GP, 21G, 17A, 38P, +15 
Playoffs: 12GP, 4G, 4A, 8P, -6
 
Although I expected much less offensive production from LVA to start the season with the more stacked defensive core, I was expecting top 6 talent to at least hit 40-50 points. That wasn’t the case for the Irishman. Though when one aspect of his game was struggling, he found another part of his game where he could shine. Power, as his surname suggests, is a dominant physical force. An insane 251 hits this season. Unfortunately though, Power has since gone inactive. Not really because he’s lost interest in the league though. I’ve heard that Power has had some personal life stuff and has since taken a break from both the VHL and EFL. I honestly wish you the best of luck in the future and hope you do return.
 
RW - Connor Sim, TPE: 285 (+93) @SimmerDown99
72GP, 30G, 25A, 55P, -1 
Playoffs: 12GP, 4G, 9A, 13P, +4
 
I’ve mentioned time and time before that Sim is a bonafide draft steal. From being a 100+ TPE forward on the bottom 6 to top line talent. His 93 TPE growth from the last report says a lot about this guy. Consistent high earning and has been nothing but excellent for Vegas. Sure his points in the regular season may not show it, but this guy’s playoff stats is another one of those bright spots from an otherwise poor playoff performance as a team. An outstanding 13 points in 12 playoff games, with 9 assists and a +4 rating. He’ll make a good player in... Riga again. Jesus Christ how many former LVA players does Riga even have?
 
LW - Angel Wachuire, TPE: 206 (+26) @inflastud
72GP, 29P, 33A, 62P, +16 
Playoffs: 12GP, 0G, 4A, 4P, -6
 
Despite being an offensive force during the regular season, Wachuire failed to produce in the playoffs. Only 4 assists in 12 games with a -6 rating. Coupled with highly inconsistent TPE earning, I find Angel Wachuire’s future uncertain. He has a good build, yet he’s going to become inactive if he doesn’t update soon. His last update being week ending Dec 20th. Though if he does update soon, he’ll be once again staying down another season here with Vegas. I tend to forget that he’s heading into his 4th season as an Ace which is damn surprising. Maybe he and Lund can compete for the franchise record for most games played.
 
D - Breeze Ladrian, TPE: 253 (+84) @Kelsier
72GP, 3G, 40A, 43P, +16 
Playoffs: 12GP, 0G, 1A, 1P, -3
 
Breeze Ladrian has quietly earned his way to surpass the VHLM cap of 250 TPE. I honestly thought he was going to stay a bit longer, but nonetheless I’m happy with his growth. A rather solid 43 points and a great +16 rating despite a good chunk of the team being minus players shows a good balance of offense and defense. A pretty good two-way style of play. Though with only 1 assist in the postseason, it’s rather unfortunate that he wasn’t able to translate his offensive stats into the playoffs. Otherwise I really don’t have anything else to say other than I wish you the best of luck in Moscow!
 
G - Thadius Sales, TPE: 385 @thadthrasher
68GP, 38W, 25L, 3OTL, .89SV%, 2.85 GAA
Playoffs: 12GP, 5W, 7L, 0OTL, .853SV%, 3.98GAA
 
The first new player from the last progress report, Thad was acquired in a trade that sent former LVA starter, Matthew A Sovick Jr @matt sovick to Miami. How did Thad do as the new starter? Well it wasn’t much of a change apparently. Comparing the stats Sovick had in LVA to Sales, Thad only has slightly better numbers than Sovick. Postseason performance? Well let's not talk about that. That can go die in a hole. Thad has had amazing growth since coming to the VHL. Becoming San Diego’s new GM in a matter of months. Heck I was in the VHL before Thad was and he’s already a GM. Skipping through the process of having no rights. This just goes to show what kind of a person Thad is. His stint here in Vegas is short, but I’ll miss him.
 
C - Evgeni Shevkov, TPE: 212 (+62) @Syzygy
72GP, 6G, 13A, 19P, +9 
Playoffs: 12GP, 0G, 0A, 0P, -2
 
Another player who’s quietly earned his way to the 200+ TPE mark, Shevkov has broken his point totals from last season yes, but just barely. With more games as well. It’s nothing with his build, but he was playing 4th line minutes by the end of the season as Hex Rose casually overtook his spot in the no. 3 center position with his obscene amount of first-gen enthusiasm. Nevertheless, Shevkov is expected to take over as the new no. 1 center next season, and along with his consistent clicker earning, he is expected to provide much needed offense on what looks like a potential rebuilding season. Keep up the good work!
 
RW - Andy Nexber, TPE: 233 (+95) @Domino Draws
72GP, 15G, 13A, 28P, +11 
Playoffs: 12GP, 1G, 0A, 1P, -2
 
What’s this? A 200+ TPE forward that only has 28 points? What’s up with that? Well uh… Vegas went all in this season by the trade deadline. Acquiring wingers like Sheldon Juniper and Dan Dan. Forcing Andy Nexber to take a little bit of a backseat. His build is pretty good despite having a few TPE placed on rather useless stats like penalty shot, however Nexber is finally going to have the spotlight here in Vegas if he decides to stay. As he’s projected to become the new number 1 winger for this team. Sure it doesn’t look like Vegas might be as competitive as it has been the last few seasons, but hopefully this is where Nexber finally breaks out.
 
G - Aksu Maronen, TPE: 212 (+89) @aksuko
14GP, 5W, 1L, 0OTL, .871SV%, 2.82GAA
Playoffs: 4GP, 0W, 0L, 0OTL, .929SV%, 3.04GAA
 
Okay I think I might’ve lost track on my own team’s earning with my busy ass life, but Maronen is ANOTHER one of those players who quietly earned his way to the 200+ TPE range. And as a backup as well. His most notable performance this season has been in the playoffs as he’s come in relief of Thadius Sales in 4 playoff games. Putting up an impressive .929SV%. However he also had a 3.04GAA during those games as well. Nevertheless, Maronen is expected to become next season’s starting goalie for Vegas as he is out to prove the teams that missed him out in the VHL draft wrong. Keep up the good work!
 
D - Vincent Correll, TPE: 125 (+23) @correllvincent
72GP, 0G, 15A, 15P, +10 
Playoffs: 12GP, 0G, 1A, 1P, -6
 
The thing about us humans is that we make mistakes. We often find ourselves making a few wrong choices every now and then. It appears like I may have made a mistake here with Correll. When I was scouting him, I liked his response and I had a genuine feeling that he may be the next Linus Zetterstrom in a way. Come the first progress report in which this is a followup to, I had doubts about his activity. Now he’s nearly considered inactive. He really should’ve been closer to the 180 TPE mark this season, however with a growth of 23 TPE since the last report, it seems he may not find himself in a team soon if he doesn’t update. He can still prove me wrong though. Actually, it’d be better if he did prove me wrong. Hopefully that can be the case.
 
C - Hex Rose, TPE: 257 (+137) @Hex Universe
72GP, 15G, 24A, 39P, +15 
Playoffs: 12GP, 2G, 3A, 5P, -7
 
I honestly wonder if Hex has a twitch channel. Because he’s damn good at speedrunning through the VHLM as a first-gen. He’s had the biggest amount of TPE growth out of the ENTIRE fucking team as a first-gen who just joined in November. I’m honestly impressed. The man’s had a great amount of enthusiasm to max earn since the very start. And now he’s a member of the death trap known as the VSN and is now on his way to become a force to be reckoned with in Seattle. His stint was also short in Vegas, but I’ll always enjoy your enthusiasm for the VHL. Now just don’t take my job pls.
 
RW - Dan Dan, TPE: 368 @MMFLEX
73GP, 40G, 43A, 83P, +5 
Playoffs: 12GP, 3G, 5A, 8P, -2
 
Now to finish off the progress report, we’ve got our new additions to the team that were added sometime after the initial progress report. We’ve already covered Thadius Sales so let’s move onto Dan Dan. He, along with Jordan Tate, was acquired in a blockbuster deal with Mississauga. Which ended up having him play 73 regular season games apparently. Dan Dan is an offensive powerhouse. Greatly helping Vegas during the rest of the regular season. An exceptional 83 points in 73 games, with 40 goals to boast. Playoffs wise he did really well with 8 points. The -2 is a bit of a concern though. His stint in Vegas was short, but he sure as hell made an impact
 
C - Jordan Tate, TPE: 278 @Aye my name jeff
73GP, 28G, 45A, 73P, -5 
Playoffs: 12GP, 6G, 8A, 14P, +4
 
Dan Dan’s teammate from Mississauga, Tate is another offensive powerhouse that came into Vegas and provided much needed offense to the team. With 73 points, 45 assists in 73 games, Tate can score. Though what made him truly shine as an Ace is during the postseason. Putting up an amazing 14 points in 12 games. Heck he led the Aces in playoff points. A prospect of Chicago, his earning hasn’t been as consistent as it was previously, though I still expect him to become a solid addition to Chicago in the future.
 
LW - Sheldon Juniper, TPE: 346 @fyrefly
72GP, 33G, 34A, 67P -1 
Playoffs: 12GP, 5G, 5A, 10P, +4
 
The last player to be acquired via trade, Sheldon Juniper is an acquisition that honestly might get glossed over simply because of Dan Dan and Jordan Tate. His 33 goals, 34 assists in 72 games is still very solid numbers. He’s another one of those players who was a key contributor in the postseason. Amassing 10 points in 12 games along with a +4 rating. I know we haven’t talked much mostly because you don’t have discord, or at least I don’t think you do, but I wish you the best of luck in the VHL!
 
LW - Shaggy Tipton, TPE: 125 @Jakefufu
37GP, 1G, 1A, 2P, 0+/- 
Playoffs, 12GP, 0G, 0A, 0P, -2
 
And last but not least, we got our other waiver acquisition in Shaggy Tipton. Having only played 37 games and put up 2 points, Tipton joined late this season, though with his solid consistent earning (despite missing a week), he should still be a good acquisition to any team that drafts him in both the VHL and VHLM. I expect him to properly break out next season. So keep up the good work and hopefully we can draft you back this upcoming draft!
 
Well that's that. I'm sorry this took so long, my life has been busy as of late, but hey I still got the report in the end so it's all good right? I'm probably going to have to make a new one in a couple of weeks so I'm probably fucked. Nevertheless I hope you guys do enjoy the article and hopefully I didn't miss anyone/anything out.
 
(3035 words... Welp I'm fucked)

1. Could have gone better but happy that we made playoffs
2. If we focus and play our game i'm sure we will do great
3. I don't really watch many movies so can't really give you an answer
4. I'm a huge soccer fan, Liverpool fan for 15 years
5. Mixed feelings, of course i want us to win everygame but it was kinda sad to see him leave. But Spartan and Jiggly did what is best for the team and i trust them completely
6. Couple years ago got my first Liverpool shirt with Hendersons number and name, still use it often.

As some may know, I quit smoking cigarettes just over a month again and have from time to time shared my app’s progress in my locker room as it’s either requested me to show people for helpful tools/tasks or because it does help a little bit in curbing the habit/addiction. A while into it I made that “Good News” post about my girlfriend being confirmed cancer free and also letting the rest of the league know that along with that bright light, I’ve also taken up the challenge of bettering myself and conquering the mountain that many know to be “quitting smoking”.
 
Tonight, I found it cool to go on my phone and see a message from a fellow member that wanted to share a helpful message that they seen my post and have also quit smoking a few weeks ago. It made me proud of them. Maybe even a little bit because they were a newer member to the league and the Bears! I don’t think I had any impact on this, but a similar message popped in my head that many have echoed on here that it’s cool all the positivity going on, but also just how awesome this community and it’s members are. Kindness spreads faster than Covid. 
 
I mostly wanted to write this post up to help others (maybe myself too), have a place to chat or have resources or share stories about their successes (and maybe even failures). I know showing my progress to others, whether on here or in real life, offers up a great sense of pride and encouragement to continue a battle that often can be frustrating, exhausting and a pain in the damn ass. 
 
A few other things that have helped me are:
 
- I have this app. Smoke Free it’s called for IOS. It tracks cravings, has a helpful bit if you need resources, have questions or are struggling. It also offers up tools and daily tasks to help you progress. I do some of these but what’s most significant for me is the money saved counter and the “Time Smoke Free” counter. Visually seeing my progress really helps me get through it. 
 
- Have a goal. Have a few if you want. My main ones moving forward and since the beginning have financial (1) and health (2). It’s fucked up probably that it’s backwards and health should be (1), but it’s a close race. I just really want to save money for whatever the hell I want - up to AND including my vacation property in the mountains. Again, that app mentioned above really does help with this .
 
- Mental strength. You may be tough like buff Beav, but your mind is just as powerful - most likely more. The cravings can be tough as hell. I’ve had numerous moments and even portions of days where it’s in your mind at the start of quitting. Maybe a shit sleep, habitual things like driving, eating, boredom, sex, coffee, alcohol, being around those who smoke, socializing (not in today’s world lol!) or whatever. Maybe you’re having a shit day at work or just got bad news etc.. it happens and they’re (cravings) dry grass waiting for a match to drop.. but all fires can be put out! For me, weeks 1-2 were a decent struggle but once you hit that 3 weeks plateau .. it gets easier.. I’ve found it’s been a little tougher the last few days but that’s only because I think I’ve got focused in my head just how hard it’s going to be.. I had and have the thought of “I’ve quit for 36 days.. which is amazing.. but that’s only 36 days of the rest of my life” and the small accomplishment than stood beside a massive oncoming wave ready to crash into my progress lol.. 
 
One day at a time as my girlfriend reminds me. 
 
- Something that has helped me and could probably tie into the last one.. they become less frequent... your inner voice becomes louder than the cravings and they pass just as fast as they came.. in fact, I’ve had good luck with telling this thing to fuck off and be the louder one (I know some here probably aren’t surprised lmao).. they hit your mind and you either find a distraction, let them pass or I often find myself telling my mind “no. I’m not gonna smoke. I don’t like the health effects I’ve been having, don’t want to feel shamed and want to continue saving money”. So far, during this battle, I’m undefeated. I will continue to be. 36 days and counting, one at a time. 

- Good support. It’s helped me huge. Not so much to quench cravings but mostly just to feel encouragement and proud of myself. It’s a nice reminder as to why you’re doing it and feeling a sense of happiness and being proud always helps fuel motivation.
 
 
Stay strong friends. It’s hard as shit but you can do it. If anyone needs someone to talk to or anything, I’m always a message away. Stay healthy, happy and safe. Best of luck  
 
 
 

Transaction ID: 20455661536754553
 
2 uncapped
free week
tickets
 
Confirmed. -sterling

1. I'm sure we can and we will, we have a lot of young players who's going to keep getting better
2. Nothing grand, just hanging out with family and friends.
3. I don't see a reason why we couldn't beat any other team.
4. Yes, no, mayby so
5. I guess the last fight in Mass Effect 3, love how big and epic it feels.
6. As i'm still pretty new to VHL, i'm not sure. I'll guess @JigglyGumballs?

Just now, as in the last five minutes, Linus Zetterstrom has become 250 TPE, the VHLM maximum. It's a good feeling, knowing that this is my final year in the VHLM before I make the jump to Riga. But I'm also kind of sad, because this is now my last year with the Aces, who have been so good to me. 
 
                             It's been a great season so far for Z. He has already doubled his goal totals from last season, and has eclipsed his point totals, too. He has a ton more shots, and on pace for a ton more blocked shots. Overall, an exciting season for the sophomore yet veteran Zetterstrom. He now has the opportunity to mentor and help develop some of the shining young rookies on the Aces, from the TPE-earning machine and brand new VSN writer Hex Rose @Hex Universe to our incredible backup goalie Aksu Maronen @aksuko. 
 
                                                              I am also very proud of Z's 88 defense, which is in the higher end of the league. His 80 passing and 70 skating and puck handling are also strengths right now. But from now on, I can't upgrade anything, and all my TPE has to stay banked. So I have to hope I made some good decisions spending it recently. 
 
213 words

1. We've had a great start to season, and i feel like it has been totally deserved, we have a great team and spirits are high.
2. I don't see a reason why we couldn't
3. Can't really say anything yet as i haven't played a game yet. But i'm a backup goalie, so i need to keep earning TPE and make the best of the chances im given.
4. We have really well rounded team. I guess the biggest flaw is the skill jump from starting goalie to backup
5. Easily soccer ball
6. Not sure how to feel