v.2

To this day that Season 12 cup remains my favourite.

@v.2you are the example of how not to go about reviewing. Criticism does not have to come with shooting someones abilities down. Come off your pedestal and have some common decency.

Review:
I think this is an excellent graphic. The render, the background and the font all come together and look awesome. I really like the red stroke in the font behind the black, it helps the letters pop. The Maple Leaf in the background is well done also. I don't think I'd make any changes to this, it's great as is. Good job! 9/10

A Self Reflection on 60 Seasons in the VHL
 
For those that do not know, this was my sixtieth season in the Victory Hockey League.  Normally, I sit here and do a VSN article on the BOG or potentially a podcast with friends, but with there being limited to report on behind the scenes, and friends celebrating Easter, I choose to reflect instead.  I haven’t always been someone that was all that well known around these leagues, with me generally being more of a football sim-leaguer for much of my time prior to VHL.  
 
That being said, after being selected in the second round of the famously stacked Season 18 Draft, I had a short spell of inactivity that led to me being traded about a half a season into my second campaign with Gothenburg.  After being traded by the Riga Reign, I was contacted immediately by @Kendrick, the GM of the Helsinki Titans, and he was able to get me back to the league.  That player would then go on to break a VHL record that still hasn’t been topped, with 98 assists being recorded in his rookie season.  Michael Angelo would go down as my first player in the VHL and he ended up being someone that won Rookie of the Year, broke records, won a Continental Cup and even had his number retired by Helsinki at the end of his career.
 
It was a pretty good start for me and I really hit it out of the park with my next two in Ryan Sullivan and Brick Wahl, my only two VHL Hall of Fame players.  Honestly though, I could talk about any of the eleven players I have created in the Victory Hockey League, but the league has been so much more than that for me.
 
To start, it still is one of the main reasons I did not do so well in University.  Not to say that isn’t my fault, but the Victory Hockey League suckered me in and took a lot of time out of me….and I don’t regret that whatsoever.  I love this league and it has meant so much to me over the last eleven years.  It’s crazy to be turning thirty this year and seeing so many young kids now experiencing this league just like I did when I was still in my teenage years.  I’m sure that’s a sentiment that other long-time members of this league can share.  Heck, old geezers like @Beketov and Kendrick have been here since day one.  We have even seen members from the old days like @McKelvie and @v.2 return and get to experience this league all over again, but a much more updated and modern version focused on making this league simplistic and streamlined.  
 
I’m writing this to you, completely blazed out of my mind, not entirely sure what I’m trying to say...but with the complete interest in sharing with all of you what this league has meant to me, and why I hope it continues to change people’s lives for the better.  I have talked to members who have said it’s helped their writing ability, their creativity, launched them into graphics creation, scratched that itch when they're bored and even, in the case of me, be that friend when you feel lonely on a Saturday evening.  
 
One of the best examples is the friends I have made here.  For those that don’t know, I am getting married in September of 2022 (just recently booked the venue!) and I have three amazing guys standing off to the side for it.  One will be @Jericho, who has been one of my closest friends since we met several years ago, and someone who is easily one of the most loyal friends you could have.  Another is @Devise, who to this day is probably the friend I have the most in common with, from hockey to mma to wrestling to even movies and video games.  And another will be my good friend @duckberg32 who I go the furthest back with, being a regular football leaguer himself, but also someone I have reconnected with since Jericho’s wedding a couple of years ago.  I met all three of these guys over the course of time in these leagues, with two of them coming directly from it.  I have met many other people that I would call my friend or at least someone I can confide in whenever I need to.  People like @BOOM, @Banackock, @diamond_ace , @Tagger, @Phil, @STZ and @GustavMattias.  I very much am an example of someone who grew closer to some of his sim league friends than the ones he had in real life, but I found they were the most loyal of all at times.  
 
This league loves to challenge and I’ve honestly experienced that recently.  I had the option of teams to GM in the VHLM and chose the one I thought would be the hardest to rebuild, and at times I regret that decision.  Being in a situation with no picks and no players can be pretty hard to process, but honestly it has been a fun challenge and one that I think I will grow from.  That’s the awesome thing about this league.  I have spent over thirty-five seasons in this league as a GM in either the VHL or the VHLM; I was a long-time member of a VHL Magazine; a former VHLM Commissioner and finally, a long-time Board of Governors member, yet I still learn new things all the time.
 
There was a time only about thirty seasons ago where I thought the league was on the verge of dying, but now I can honestly say we are the healthiest we have ever been.  We recently brought in dozens of players from a Youtube Advertisement from a pretty popular streamer and have continued to develop the league with expansions all over the place in the last decade.  And while this certainly came off a little gushy, this league is still the one consistent thing in my life over the last eleven years.  For that, I hope the league lasts forever, even if there comes a time where I can’t be a participant in it any longer.  For now though, I look forward to my next player and another eleven years.

Hello to all, and welcome to another update for the upcoming S78 VHL Entry Draft. Here we will cover the S78 prospects’ stats and TPE earning, as well as getting a little more in-depth with “Scouting Spotlight!”
 

POINTS
 
  Player Name
POS
GP
P
-
David Tavau
D
20
31
5
Gregory Bates
LW
20
24
3
The Seabasstard
C
20
23
-2
Sven Reikkinen
D
20
21
New
Jaromir Lemiuex
RW
20
21
-2
Zarek Kaczka
D
20
20
-2
Anze Miklavz
RW
20
19
New
Nathan Powers
D
20
19
New
Arvid Johansson
D
19
17
-7
Watson Stonebridge
LW
20
17
 
Tavau stays on his throne at the top of the points standings for the S78 draft class with 31 points in 20 games to start the season. Jumping up a respective 5 and 3 spots, Gregory Bates and The Seabasstard are quickly solidifying themselves among the top scorers as well. Most notably entering the equation is Yukon winger Jaromir Lemiuex, who now sits at 5th place.
 
GOALS
    Player Name
POS
GP
G
1
Anze Miklavz
RW
20
10
7
Gregory Bates
LW
20
9
5
The Seabasstard
C
20
9
-3
Sven Reikkinen
D
20
9
New
Arvid Johansson
D
19
8
New
Watson Stonebridge
LW
20
7
-1
Luc Tessier
C
19
7
-1
Nils Tallinder
C
19
7
New
Jaromir Lemiuex
RW
20
6
-6
Zarek Kaczka
D
20
6
 
Just as they climbed in the points list, Bates and The Seabasstard climb a combined 12 spots since last week on the goals list. Watson Stonebridge took a bit of a step back in the points standings, but now makes a big jump into 6th in goals. Defenseman Arvid Johansson also makes his presence known this week, making his way onto both offensive lists as a new entry.
 
HITS
    Player Name
POS
GP
HIT
-
Hard Markinson
D
19
59
-
Charlie fraser
LW
20
48
3
Mr Duk
D
19
45
1
Zarek Kaczka
D
20
42
-1
Gregory Bates
LW
20
37
-3
Sven Reikkinen
D
20
36
2
Jaromir Lemiuex
RW
20
34
New
Jannik Nylen
D
20
32
-2
Julia Waffles
D
19
31
New
Mitchell Osborne
D
17
31
 
The top 2 of Hard Markinson and Charlie fraser has remained intact, but Mr Duk and Zarek Kaczka are swiftly approaching from below. Markinson has continued to be an absolute wrecking ball on the ice, with his 59 hits being 9th in the league and first on this list by a difference of 11. Mitchell Osborne is a name to keep an eye on, considering that he has found a way onto this list with at 2 or 3 less games played than everyone else.
 
SHOTS BLOCKED
    Player Name
GP
SB
-
Tui Sova
20
41
-
Drakon Zabastovka
20
38
3
Sven Reikkinen
20
36
-1
David Tavau
20
30
-
Arvid Johansson
19
30
-2
Zarek Kaczka
20
26
-
Nathan Powers
20
22
New
Mitchell Osborne
17
19
-1
Brodie Landry ll
20
16
-
Hard Markinson
19
15
 
Tui Sova has been a shot blocking monster this season, and he remains 1st on the list with the 3rd least time on ice per game among everyone. He sits at 3rd in the entire league in this category. It bears repeating that Osborne has managed to make another list in just 17 games, and also with the least time on ice per game on the whole list. Truly outstanding work by the young player, and hopefully we will see more success coming his way in the future.
 
SAVE PERCENTAGE
    Goalie Name
GP
PCT
-
Aike van Giersbergen
20
0.905
-
Anime Protagonist
19
0.868
-
Leroy Johnson
12
0.863
 
Not much changes here; van Giersbergen continues to dominate in the net, leading Houston to 13 wins so far in S77. Stay tuned, and you will hear more about this exceptional young netminder from the Netherlands.
 

TRAINING POINTS EARNED LAST WEEK
Name
3/28
Tui Sova
40
Caleb Gaudette
28
The Seabasstard
25
Cody Lachance
25
Anze Miklavz
25
Jaromir Lemieux
25
Nils Tallinder
19
Milk Jugs
19
Damien Salducci
18
Nathan Powers
17
Hard Markinson
16
Kevin Hard
15
Sven Reikkinen
14
Luc Tessier
14
Tynan Sylvester
14
Aike van Giersbergen
12
Jannik Nylen
12
Gregory Bates
12
Masami Iwasawa
12
David Tavau
11
 
Last week was unmistakably an amazing one for Kings defender Tui Sova, who claimed a baffling 40 TPE. This was actually also Milk Jugs’ debut week, and he posted an impressive 19 TPE to kick off what is hopefully a great career.
 
CAPPED TRAINING POINTS EARNED LAST WEEK
Name
Last Capped
Hard Markinson
12
The Seabasstard
12
Nils Tallinder
12
Sven Reikkinen
12
Luc Tessier
12
Tui Sova
12
Tynan Sylvester
12
Anze Miklavz
12
Milk Jugs
12
Aike van Giersbergen
10
Caleb Gaudette
10
Jannik Nylen
10
Damien Salducci
10
Masami Iwasawa
10
Brock Hampton
10
Jaromir Lemieux
10
Nathan Powers
10
Cody Lachance
8
Kevin Hard
8
Alexander Rivers
8
 
9 players capped out last week, one of which was the aforementioned Milk Jugs in his debut week. He joins Hard Markinson, Nils Tallinder, Luc Tessier, Tui Sova and Anze Miklavz as the only players to have not missed any capped TPE yet in their career.
 

Welcome to Scouting Spotlight, where we talk to some of tomorrow’s VHL stars. The first interview we have done is with Aike van Giersbergen of the Houston Bulls, who is currently ranked as the top goalie in the S78 Draft. We had the chance to catch up with user @enigmatic regarding her thoughts and aspirations with this new player, and here is what we found!
 
Q: With no goalies going in the first round for the past two seasons, a goalie of your caliber may be in higher demand in S78. Do you pay much attention to your draft stock, or do you simply focus on consistently improving your player?
 
While it's fun to be drafted early, I understand teams focusing on skaters first. So many people want to be a goaltender versus the spots available so you can afford to wait on them. Passing on a great skater because you drafted a goalie you might not have needed that early could seriously hurt some teams. I don't take draft position personally and would rather go to a team that has a plan and has a real need for me. Being the best I can be for whichever team wants to take a chance on me, no matter at which position in the draft, is my main goal.
 
Q: Why did you decide to make a goaltender?
 
Simply put, it's a position I always wanted to try. I wanted to wait for goalies to be needed before doing it and always ended up creating skaters on all hockey leagues I have been a part of. This time I decided to try it anyway and hope for the best.
 
Q: What are your career goals?
 
My only goal is to win championships. I have given up on the idea to win individual awards or make hall of fame with any of my players. If I can be just good enough to help my team win cups, that's enough for me.
 
Q: How has your VHLM season gone so far?
 
It started off really well for us and considering our very small roster it was surprising even to us. We hit a rough patch lately but I'm sure we can go back to our early season form. On a more personal note, I'm happy with how I have performed so far and I improve every week so I hope to do even better to help my team be in a good position for the playoffs.
 
Q: What can a team expect when they draft Aike van Giersbergen?
 
I am a good earner and while I will honestly miss some things, I'll do my best to get as many points as possible. I am also familiar with STHS so I kind of know what I'm doing with my build. As a person, I'm here to have fun so I won't be someone to cause problems in the locker room or on the forum itself.
That’s all, folks! Hopefully you enjoyed this quick roundup — make sure to keep your eye out for more like this coming in the future. There are plenty of exciting prospects to look out for, so hopefully this series will serve as a way to highlight this season’s up-and-comers.
 
Players mentioned: @Ahma @Tyler @Seabass @hockeyis66 @duckberg32 @Gwdjohnson @STZ @Charlie @Lefty_S @Hank @OzNasty @v.2 @NerdyCowz @KC15 @McKelvie

Quite the jump this week for the kid. 👀

Review
I'm going to describe my rating based on the assumption you used photoshop, but let me know if I'm wrong.
Seeing that it's your first sig, it's nice to see you understand some of the basics (brushes, text, render formatting). It's definitely a great start. Eventually you should get the hang of using some stocks and blending it in to add some more depth. I believe there's a page here somewhere that has some tutorials that will give you a some understanding on how some of the effects you see are done. 
I'd also head my way to dafont.com, as that is the database to see some nice fonts for graphics. 
As for the sig itself, I like the smoke effect at the bottom to provide depth, as well as the shadow effect you added.to the render I would have put your render on the left side though based on the direction he's looking, but that's personal preference. I'm going to give a 6.5/10 for now as a benchmark. I'd like to see you make another 👍

im late
 
@Jakefufu

im late
 
@Jakefufu

im late
 
@Jakefufu

im late
 
@Jakefufu

im late
 
@Jakefufu

im late
 
@Jakefufu

Hey @v2.1! Nice to see you back! We won a Cup together on the Bears in S12.

Age: 19
Position: D
Height: 75 in.
Weight: 210 lbs.
Birthplace: Fiji 🇫🇯
 

 
Early Life:
          Born in Lautoka, Fiji, Sova’s home turf is the second largest city in Fiji.  Famous for its sugar cane belts, Lautoka is often referred to as the “Sugar City”.  Sova’s father was a Canadian working abroad in the tourism industry, and his mother was a local Fijian teacher.  Before Tui’s first birthday the Sova family decided to move back to his fathers native country, Canada.
          As the Sova family settled in Canada and Tui began to grow up, like any Canadian boy his love interest with the sport of hockey began to blossom.  Sova was enrolled in minor hockey at the age of 5, and as he aged his obsessive personality helped him excel in almost every aspect of the game.  One of Sova’s most memorable moments came in high school during an easter tournament in Calgary,  he scored 4 goals from the point (all slappers) during a championship game.  At this point, he had full on attention from college scouts.
 

 
Junior:
          After high school, despite garnering attention from scouts in Canada, Tui Sova decided to take his talents abroad.  His goal was to see other parts of the world and hopefully excel development by playing in the Swiss Junior Elite League (Jr. A).  Sova’s first year went smooth despite the team missing the playoffs.  Sova spent time on the team’s second D pairing but managed to finish the year strong as a top 2 defenceman.
          His second year however, didn’t end up as planned after being sidelined early on in the season with a nagging left ankle injury.  Sova was forced to miss almost all of his second year of junior, spending most of his time with Swiss doctors and ankle specialists attempting to rehab his foot.  Despite the setback, by late offseason and after a summer spent home in Canada, Sova was ready to step back into a leadership role on his team in Switzerland and resume his career.
          Tui knew he had to prove himself and make up for lost time in this final year of junior, as his main goal was to prepare for the VHLM and the VHL draft.  His ankle injury was clearly a thing of the past as he was able to lead the league in minutes played with his club, and ranked among the top 5 defencemen in the league.  The team missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but Sova was still able to retain his stock for VHLM scouts and finish the season strong.
 

 
VHLM:
          Sova went back to Canada for another offseason where his agent took calls from VHLM teams.  One team in particular was able to promise top pairing minutes, and seemed to have many pieces of exciting talent heading into the season.  Tui Sova’s reality of becoming a VHL player has drawn closer this week as he just signed a free agent contract with the Mexico City Kings. The goal now is simple for Sova; improve his skating and puck handling abilities, and develop into a bonafide two-way defenceman.
 

 

Wowwww that’s a game. What the hell happened here?
 
Kid Frost (HOU) for Fighting (Major) at 8:53, Tui Sova (MEX) for Fighting (Major) at 8:53, Kid Frost (HOU) for instigated a fight (Game Misconduct) at 8:53, Bradley Senjo (HOU) for Fighting (Major) at 8:53, Watson Stonebridge (MEX) for Fighting (Major) at 8:53, Bradley Senjo (HOU) for instigated a fight (Game Misconduct) at 8:53, Willy Myers (HOU) for Fighting (Major) at 8:53, Alexander Rivers (MEX) for Fighting (Major) at 8:53, Alexander Rivers (MEX) for instigated a fight (Game Misconduct) at 8:53, Drakon Zabastovka (HOU) for Roughing (Minor) at 8:53, β-MEX D4 (MEX) for High sticking (Minor) at 8:53, Germano Henchoz (HOU) for Hooking (Minor) at 8:53
 
holy let’s unpack that. I have to assume the penalties are in reverse chronological order because a High Sticking cap in the middle of a line brawl is not a minor penalty. 
 
First, Henchoz hooks MEX D4. D4 goes down and flails with his stick, smashing Henchoz in the schnoz. Zabasktakov doesn’t like the high stick, and comes and sits on D4 while he’s still down on the ice. Alex Rivers doesn’t like the big Eastern European man using his teammate as a couch, and runs over to help. Big Willy Myers steps in the way of Rivers, and gets superman punched by the fast moving Rivers. Big Willy is a brick wall, Rivers breaks his hand, and Big Willy throws him to the ground. Fight over. Bradley Senjo didn’t like his teammate getting embarrassed like that, so he goes after the closest King and starts a fight with Watson Stonebridge. Kid Frost sees his Houston teammate starting shit and figures he better grab a partner and get in on the action, and picks a fight with Tui Sova. The refs break up all the fights and start wiping up the Alex Rivers blood from the ice. 
 
Gotta love a good fight night in Houston!

Loving this, the render pops and the lighting is on point.  Excellent colour scheme that helps the flow of the sig, and the text is amazing.  The crumpled paper effect and render blending effects work well together, and I think this would look even better at a larger dimension.  Overall review 9.5/10.

1. What are your thoughts on our interesting start to the season?
The first 3 games were great but its now evident that we desperately need an upgrade in net.
 
2. What goals do you have long-term in the VHLM/VHL?
Become a known 2 way D-man, and WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS.
 
3. Anything management can do for you and your player?
Hop in the net and stop pucks.  Jk, management has been great so far.
 
4. If you could bring in any player to Mexico City, who would it be?
Kuba Fleury or Darcy Cat.
 
5. Favourite postgame meal prior to a Mexico City Kings game?
Fish tacos and oysters.
 
6. Biggest pet peeve?
Stupid drivers, and not getting condiments in takeout bags.

Hard Markinson + 9 Nils Tallinder + 19 The Seabasstard + 20 Sven Reikkinen + 12 Aike van Giersbergen + 14 Luc Tessier + 14 David Tavau + 9 Henri le Massif + 12 Arvid Johansson + 14 Zarek Kaczka + 6 Drakon Zabastovka + 4 Tynan Sylvester + 14 Mr Duk + 12 Jlloyoid Blloyoiderson + 2 Caleb Gaudette + 6 Jannik Nylen + 18 Anime Protagonist + 12 Cody Lachance + 8 Damien Salducci + 16 Tui Sova + 26 Watson Stonebridge + 10 Masami Iwasawa + 4 Brock Hampton + 12 Bjorn Ceaf + 13 Anze Miklavz + 24 Leroy Johnson + 11 Bogdan Trunov + 12 Alexander Rivers + 11 Brodie Landry ll + 4 Nathan Powers + 14 Egor Minuski + 6 Konstantin Kamenev + 6 James P Albini + 2 Alex Toon + 2 Jaromir Lemiuex + 19 Keshawn Harris + 2  
Total number of people who updated this week in this draft class: 36  
@STZ @Patrik Tallinder @Seabass @Devise @enigmatic @KC15 @Ahma @Garsh @Gwdjohnson @Hank @DarkSpyro @diamond_ace @Lefty_S @Cxsquared @Gaudette @DreMin15 @Jericho @AnthonyOuellet @Deee.Geee @v2.1 @duckberg32 @CrazyCaityCat @SamTwoSix @zDREADz @McKelvie @Vkobe-v @qripll @DrummerBoy15 @Brodie_Landry @JB123 @ttman @Boomcheck @Ttro89 @Alexander Ewing @hockeyis66 @Domkey