Alex

I'll apply as well!

Review:

 

Great job! On just the image side of things the logo swap is very clean and well done, I also like how you made the whole thing look like an old hockey card. I also really liked how you incorporated a fair bit of history into your image and really went the extra mile! 10/10

Review:

 

Great article, I noticed some similar things while writing my recent VSN piece, I do think involving a hits/pim ratio would be great! The main issue I find with awards like this is that they aren't purely numeric (as opposed to most goals) which leaves some subjectivity. With your point about newer members almost never winning awards, with this It could make sense to add either a first gen specific award for the VHL and something similar to a ROTY for the VHLM focusing on first gen waiver specific players. All in all great job 10/10!

@Zetterberg

 

As we have officially passed the mid-way mark of the season, we here at VSN held a survey to reflect and make some predictions as to which players, and GMs appear to be on their way to winning VHL and VHLM awards come the end of the season. There’s quite a few close races and others where certain players have gotten out to a sizable lead that may just be insurmountable, needless to say it should be interesting! Without further to do let’s dive right into it!

 

VHL:

Mike Szatkowski Trophy (Most Points):

1. Gunnar Odinsson (95)

2. Alex Letang (84)

3. Red Lite (83)

4. Jivere Zolnek (77)

5. Brendan Telker (77)

 

Kevin Brooks Trophy (Most Goals):

1. Gunnar Odinsson (41)

2. Red Lite (40)

3. Brendan Telker (37)

4. Pistil Stamen (31)

5. Groovy Dood (30)

 

Alexander Beketov Trophy (Most Assists):

1. Alex Letang (68)

2. Gunnar Odinsson (54)

3. Jivere Zolnek (52)

4. John Merrick (49)

5. Kristof Welch (48)

 

Scotty Campbell (MVP):

Winner: Gunnar Odinsson (MAL)

Runner Up: Red Lite (NYA) and Zamboni Driver (RIG)

 

Gunnar Odinsson is one of the main reasons for Malmo’s success this season, scoring 41 goals and adding 54 assists for a total of 95  points in 45 games is truly impressive. Currently Odinsson is on pace for over 150 points this season, a mark that was last passed by Podrick Cast way back in season 62. If Odinsson can make it there this will truly go to show that they are one of the best, if not the best player in the VHL right now. There was a two-way tie for second place here with two players who are having great seasons of their own, Red Lite is currently lighting it up with the New York Americans having scored 40 goals already, and Zomboni Driver has been solid all season and maintains a 0.923 save percentage. This race may seem to be out of reach at this point but, it could be one to watch down the stretch.

 

Brett Slobodzian (Most outstanding): 

Winner: Gunnar Odinsson (MAL)

Runner Up: Zamboni Driver (RIG) and Alex Letang (LAS)

 

Going hand in hand with the MVP award this season is the Brett Slobodzian award for the most outstanding player as we have it going to Gunnar Odinsson as their season has been outstanding to say the least. Odinsson is currently on pace for a point total that has not been seen in over 15 seasons with 150, scoring at a pace of just over 2 points per game. Once again we have had a two-way tie for second with Zamboni Driver who has been great in goal all season for Riga, and Alex Letang who could come close to some historic totals as well. Should Letang maintain or improve their play down the stretch this race could be very close.

 

Sterling Labatte (Top Defensemen): 

Winner: Alex Letang (LAS)

Runner Up: Robin Galante Nilsson (VAN)

 

So far this season Alex Letang has been dominant from the back end scoring at an impressive pace already having 84 points in 46 games. Additionally Letang has been having a great defensive season as they have already recorded 148 hits, 86 blocked shots and are a +27. Letang also leads all defensemen in points and the whole league in assists. The runner up here with Robin Galante Nilsson has had a solid season with 61 points in 47 games played, they also have had 127 shots blocked and 96 hits. While Nilsson’s defensive numbers are similar to that of Letang, there is just too much of a gap in their offensive production.

 

Alexander Valiq (Offensive Defensemen): 

Winner: Alex Letang (LAS)

Runner Up: Kristof Welch (DCD)

 

As stated already Alex Letang is having a stand out season for Los Angeles already having 84 points in 46 games putting them on pace for 132 points in 72, just 13 shy of the all-time record for points by a defensemen of 145 set by David Walcott set in season 26. If Letang’s pace picks up a little bit there is a real chance we could see this record that has stood for over 50 seasons fall. The runner up for the best offensive defensemen is Kristof Welch who currently leads all defensemen in scoring with 23 goals scored and is second behind Letang in total points by a defensemen with 71. Although both have put up impressive numbers this season, Letang's season could just be one for the history books and they are the one player to watch as the season nears its end.

 

Jake Wylde (Defensive Defensemen): 

Winner: Mikeal Keef (HSK)

Runner Up: Robin Galante Nilsson (VAN)

 

Mikeal Keef does all the small things right, although their point production isn’t elite as they only have 32 points in 47 games this season. Keef is currently ranked 3rd in shots blocked with 136, and is 1st among defensemen in hits already amassing an impressive total of 184. With their hit total being as high as it is, they have taken their fair share of penalties with 152 PIMs. The runner up here Robin Galante Nilsson could also really push to turn this into a race as realistically this award could very much go to a handful of players.

 

Aiden Shaw (Top Goalie): 

Winner: Zamboni Driver (RIG)

Runner Up: Jean Pierre Camus (CHI) and Artem Tretiak (MAL)

 

Zamboni Driver has been very good this season and has stopped almost everything thrown his way. His play has been so impressive that he received a vote in our survey for MVP. Currently Driver is 4th in the VHL in wins with 26, first in GAA with 2.63, and tied for first in shutouts with 2, and second among starting goalies in SV% with a 0.923. Driver is having a great season and is one of the reasons why Riga is playing as well as they are. There was another tie for runner up for the best goalie with Jean Pierre Camus of Chicago and Artem Tretiak from Malmo, with 26 and 28 wins respectively. Both of these goalies are having great seasons and are very much contributing factors to their teams success this season! With how they have been playing this award is very much in the air if anyone can outperform Driver the rest of the way.

 

Christian Stolzschweiger (top Rookie): 

Winner: Jerome Reinhart (VAN)

Runner Up: Tyler Reinhart (VAN) and Nathan Powers (PRG)

 

This year’s top rookie race was thought that it could have been a bit closer at the start of the season but, of late Jerome Reinhart has started to run away with it having already established a 11 point lead over teammate and sibling Tyler Reinhart. As of right now, Jerome Reinhart is first among rookies in points (53) and assists (28), and goals (25). This has left him with a comfortable cushion over the next 2 closest players as Tyler reinhart (42) and Jaromir Lemiuex (40). Additionally, Prague Defensemen Nathan Powers has made a name for themselves and leads all rookie defensemen with 23 points. Down the stretch this is Jerome’s race to lose and it will be interesting to see if they can be caught.

 

Scott Boulet (Top two way forward): 

Winner: Groovy Dood (DCD)

Runner Up: Duncan Idaho (MOS)

 

In the past few seasons no player has been better on both sides of the puck than Groovy Dood as they will be looking to win their third consecutive Scott Boulet award. Currently Dood sits first in hits with 250 hits, Dood has also had a great season offensively for DC as they have 30 goals and 35 assists for a total of 65 points in 46 games. Standing in the way of a potential 3-peat for Dood is Duncan Idaho,  the season 77 Christian Stolzschweiger award winner closely trails Dood in nearly every statistical category and looks to lead the next generation of two-way forwards in the VHL. The question remains though on if we will see a Dood 3-peat or if the torch could be passed on to Idaho.

 

David Knight (top GM):

Winner: @GustavMattias (DAV)

Runner Up: @Ricer13 (CAL) and @hylands (MAL)

 

In what was possibly the closest vote we saw Gustav currently holding a slim lead over both Hylands and Ricer as Davos has taken a huge step forward this season while still having prospects in the system like top prospect Darth Kaprizov. This season Davos has made 1 big mid-season trade to show they mean business acquiring Addison McLaren from Toronto for a prospect and draft picks. The step taken by Davos has been so large that they currently sit only 7 points back of their total from a season ago with 26 games remaining. The two runners up in this category have both shaped their teams into true contenders and it will be a very interesting race that could come down to a couple of games or the trade deadline.

 

Dustin Funk (Most improved):

Winner: Gunnar Odinsson (MAL)

Runner Up: Nils Talinder (CAL) and Pistil Stamen (LAS)

 

This season’s most improved player is almost a lock already with leading scorer Gunnar Odinsson. So far this season Odinsson has been almost unstoppable scoring at an incredible pace and has already surpassed their previous career highs of 34 goals and 70 points from season 77 with Helsinki. This season Odinsson has gone off to lead the league in every offensive category as they are the driving force behind Malmo’s offence and look to be possibly the best signing of the offseason. Other players who have taken considerable steps forward this season would be Nils Talinder who has 12 more points than last season in 24 fewer games with 34 and Pistil Stamen who will be easily surpassing their career high this season.

 

VHLM:

Ethan Osborne Trophy (Most Points):

1. Duncan Montana (100)

2. Bryn Yrwy (91)

3. Zach Kisslinger II (85)

4. Kyle Peace (83)

5. Mikey Markov (83)

 

Alexander Chershenko Trophy (Most Goals):

1. Bryn Yrwy (43)

2. Miroslav Tsarov (40)

3. Mikey Markov (38)

4. Kyle Peace (38)

5. Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen (37)

 

Vladimir Boomchenko (Most Assists):

1. Duncan Montana (64)

2. Deke Rike (57)

3. Zach Kisslinger II (56)

4. Nathaniel Minion (56)

5. Gregory Bates (49)

 

Mitch Higgins (MVP): 

Winner: Duncan Montana (SSK) 

Runner Up: Bastain Greiss (MEX) and Darth Kaprizov (PHI)

 

Four year VHLM veteran Duncan Montana has back-to-back 110+ point seasons to his credit already, and he’s having an even better year this time around with 36 goals and 100 points in Saskatoon’s first 48 games. A lot has been asked of Montana as the Wild don’t have as much depth as some of the other elite VHL teams, but sporting a 33-12-3 record so far, he and some of the other Wild stars like Kyle Peace have been keeping the team afloat. He’s on pace to threaten the 150-point mark in the VHLM this season, an easy choice for MVP. Mexico City’s Bastian Greiss is currently leading the VHLM with an 0.904 SV% earning himself runner-up honours alongside Philadelphia’s Darth Kaprizov, who isn’t having as strong a season as Montana but deserves mention for his 32 goals and 78 points thus far - setting his VHLM career highs already.

 

Ryan Sullivan (top defensemen): 

Winner: Zdeno Chara (LVA)

Runner Up: Rhys Trenton (MEX) and Corey Kitson (MIS)

 

Las Vegas defenseman Zdeno Chara had 35 points in 72 games with Saskatoon last year, but was a first-round pick in the VHLM draft and a second-round pick in the VHL draft after getting his feet wet in the league. So far, he’s looking like he might provide a good return on investment for both Las Vegas and Moscow as he’s in the middle of a brilliant sophomore VHLM campaign. Chara has 28 goals, 73 points, 119 hits, and 130 blocked shots through 48 games, good enough for a slim lead on Rhys Trenton in the VHLM defenseman scoring race and showing a huge improvement from last year. Trenton is one runner up for this race, but while keeping up with Chara offensively, his defensive numbers (93 hits and 69 blocked shots) simply aren’t quite at that level. Mississauga’s Corey Kitson is the other runner up, and he, like Trenton, has good offensive numbers but simply can’t keep up with Chara on the defensive side of the ice.

 

Benoit Devereux (top goalie):

Winner: Bastain Greiss (MEX) 

Runner Up: Luke Spinelli (MIS)

 

Greiss has been instrumental in leading Mexico to VHLM contender status so far this season (hence the runner-up spot in the MVP race, too) and currently boasts a VHLM-leading 0.904 save percentage. He’s also second among starting goalies in the league with a 2.54 GAA. With a 32-12-4 record, Greiss clearly gives the Kings a chance to win every night he’s between the pipes. Mississauga’s Luke Spinelli has become somewhat of a VHLM legend, especially with the Hounds where he once posted a 50-9-0 record back in S77. Back for another round of Hounds contention, Spinelli is again among the VHLM leaders, with a 37-7-4 record, 0.897 save percentage, and 6 shutouts. Greiss’ consistency gives him the edge at this time, but it could be a race to watch down the stretch (and watch out for Saskatoon’s Leroy Johnson, too).

 

Matt Bentz (top two-way forward): 

Winner: Duncan Montana (SSK)

Runner Up: Sigard Petrenko (MIS)

 

If his offensive dominance weren’t enough, Montana has evolved into a terrific defensive forward for the Wild this season, too. With 85 hits and a +36 rating, the Wild are simply controlling the game while Montana is on the ice. He’s blocked 27 shots, too, a pretty significant number for a forward. It’s not necessarily a side of the game that Montana had been known for, but he’s come a long way in that regard. Mississauga’s Sigard Petrenko, the 7th overall pick in the VHL’s S79 draft, is a player who is more of an expected name in this award race. With 179 hits and a +32 rating, Petrenko has the physicality, smarts, and speed to lock down opposing forwards and has also chipped in 61 points in 48 games.

 

Jack Reilly (top GM): 

Winner: @Zetterberg (MIS) 

Runner Up: @Doomsday (SSK) and @thadthrasher (SDM)

 

After taking a year off to rebuild, Zetterberg’s Mississauga Hounds are right back at the top of the league in S79 with a 37-7-4 record and an offense that, with 239 goals for, is far and away the best in the VHLM so far. Bringing Luke Spinelli back between the pipes has been a big acquisition, and the team has a good mix of talented VHLM veterans like Gaspar Zakrevsky and Russell Dixon alongside high-end VHL prospects like AJ Williams, Baby Bob, Jakub Brozik, Tony Adams, Sven Eightnine, and Corey Kitson. They’ve got an incredibly talented, incredibly deep roster much like the one Zetterberg put together in S77 and the hope is that they will be able to finish off what that team wasn’t able to. If they keep playing like this, one would have to think they have a very good chance to do so.

 

With most of these races being as close as they are it leaves the door wide open for any player to come out of nowhere and take an award, all we really know at this point is that everyone’s predictions might not be looking too good. 

 

cc: @tcookie

 

Player Mentioned:

 

15 hours ago, Greg_Di said:

// TO CLAIM FOR WEEK ENDING 08/22//

 

1. If you could be in charge of any VHLM team who would you pick and why?

 

2. What do you think our team identity is? What should it be?

 

3. Do you think we can pass Seattle in the standings before the season ends?

 

4. Sirkants has been in net for 21 games already since we acquired him, how do you feel he has he been doing?

 

5. Are you currently satisfied with your role and ice-time on the Wranglers?

 

6. 24 games left to go for the Wranglers, have you adjusted your training regime for the final games of the season?

1. Philadelphia since I'm currently the AGM

 

2. A bunch of hard working players who all put team first

 

3. Yes!

 

4. Great! He's put up some of the best numbers in the league since joining calgary

 

5. Yes I am, I am more than happy to play a depth role especially since my player has been producing as of late

 

6. Not really, just continuing to work on the defensive side of my game.

Ideas! I have those!

 

1. I don't know if has been done in the past but, I do think at least naming all-star teams in all the leagues with at least one player from each team could be a cool way to shine a light on some players who typically won't get the same recognition that the players who are leading the league will.

 

2. I don't know how feasible this is, but set up the portal so that in addition to stats it tracks how many times a player has been 1st, 2nd, or 3rd star in a game over the course of the season.

 

3. Opening VHLM fantasy to everyone, I've noticed that most players who have been around for a while tend not to concern themselves with the M so much as they are only ever in it for a season. Opening the fantasy so that anyone can do it would keep more eyes on the M and could help attract a bit of attention to newer members. (it would also give @youloser1337 more work so it's a win win!)

PRESS CONFERENCE: Week of August 22^nd, 2021
(You don't have to answer every single one, just answer 6 for 2 TPE)

 

1. We've made another big trade bringing in Julia Waffles and Armani Calamari. What's your immediate reaction to this trade?

 

2. What's your prediction to where we will finish in the standings this season?

 

3. What team do you think is the biggest threat for us in the first round of the playoffs?

 

4. The offense seems to be heating back up after a small slump, what do you think was the biggest factor in breaking the slump?

 

5. Does your player have any pre-game rituals that they do before every game?

 

6. Would you rather win a Continental/Founder's Cup in your career or win a WJC/World Cup gold medal?

 

7. What's your favourite video game to play in your spare time?

 

8. Which came first the chicken or the egg?

 

9. Controversial Opinion: Cereal is soup once milk is added, thoughts?

Welcome to the VHL @Yeeter!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 4th line center. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

Just now, 16z said:

Longest trade talk of the season am I right? Good chatting @Alex_J32

 

I confirm

Yeah, lol! It was a pleasure chatting and best of luck with the rest of this season!

 

Condition on the S81 OTT 3rd: If the S81 PHI 1st is a lottery pick, S81 OTT 3rd becomes S81 OTT 2nd.

 

Condition on the S81 PHI 1st: Should Ottawa wish to reacquire Armani Calamari, they will have the option following the 6 week minimum period for just this pick, other condition would stay intact.

 

@16z please confirm

Review:

 

Amazing job! I really like the idea of applying a VHL theme to a real life thing. The entire thing is super clean and very detail oriented! the logo swap is very clean, and I like the text placement a lot (both the branding, and player name). Great job @tinafrombobsburgers! 9.5/10

Review:

 

Really good idea to take a look back at the draft and you can really see how it has influenced this season with the top teams being those who had a top 5 pick (as well as Philadelphia  ). It is very well written, and does a great job showing where everyone has gone since the draft. It could be pretty cool if you could somehow turn this into a series, possibly looking at sleepers and busts from previous drafts. Great job! 9/10 

Welcome to the VHL @wavezZ!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 4th line winger. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

Welcome to the VHL @TreLow315!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 4th pair defensemen. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

Welcome to the VHL @LJFalcon15!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 3rd line center. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

Welcome to the VHL @JayJay1227!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 4th line winger. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

Welcome to the VHL @Thrash94!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 4th line winger. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

PRESS CONFERENCE: Week of August 15^th, 2021
(You don't have to answer every single one, just answer 6 for 2 TPE)

 

1. Following our 15 game winning streak, what's something the team can focus on to go on another streak?

 

2. With the season halfway over, what are you working on to prepare for playoffs?

 

3. Next season are you planning on going to the VHLE, making the jump straight to the VHL, or staying in the VHLM?

 

4. Our rivalry with Mississauga has been heating up, What do you think is one way we can push past them?

 

5. Last week we made a massive trade, shipping out most of our S81 picks for Donny Carter @TheNeonShaman, Drakon Zabastova @DarkSpyro and Sting Chameleon @Hybrid1486 to try and win now and to get @KaleebtheMighty a Founder's cup before he leaves for the VHLE next season. Where do you think this trade leaves the team among the league in terms of standings?

 

6. With the trade deadline approaching, do you think that there's anywhere that we can improve to really push for a Founder's cup?

 

7. Should pizza be cut into triangles or squares?

 

8. With the Olympics ending, how do you feel your home country did? Was there any particular moment that made you proud?

 

9. What is a new hobby that you've started doing in your spare time?

 

When Johnston was drafted to the Calgary Wranglers 8^th overall during the season 78 VHL draft he knew it would be a long road to find success, and that he would need to spend another season in the VHLM first. During Johnston’s final season in the VHLM he scored on an impressive pace picking up 59 goals and 118 points in 72 games. In his own words this performance put his expectations way to high for his first VHL season, as he would go on the longest scoreless streak of his young career as he would not score in his first 24 games. Johnston finally scored his first VHL goal at 14:00 in the first period against Helsinki followed up with another goal several games later. With finally scoring his first pair of goals Johnston’s production is still not where he would like it to be as he is getting plenty of shots on goal as in 34 games, he has recorded 51 shots on goal for a 3.9% shooting percentage, way below the league average. Throughout 34 games Johnston has scored a pair of goals and has added 1 assist which came on the 12^th game of his career for a total of 3 points. During his offensive struggle Johnston decided to try to distract himself from his offensive struggle by developing a physical aspect to his game and has already recorded 21 hits in 34 games. Following a talk with the Calgary GM @Ricer13, about how they were doing during their slump Johnston has been doing better than ever and is excited for the chance to spend their entire career in Calgary and one day retire a wrangler. With the current roster makeup Johnston knew that this season would not be their best as they would likely struggle offensively. With this they are learning valuable lessons and improving everyday and will hopefully continue to grow and strive for the potential that was seen on draft day. The jump from the VHLM to the VHL was a pretty big culture shock for the budding sniper who went from a leading scorer in the league and a key contributor to a role player in the VHL. Lately, Johnston is making the most of this season learning as much as they can from the veterans and come the end of the season will be in a position to contribute offensively during the playoffs if they keep working hard enough!

19 minutes ago, Darth Kaprizov said:

we'll see what happens in about 30 min....

Realistically 1 and 2 will be decided with the sim, it was so close I went with recent play and the overall strength of each teams schedule to figure it out

Now that the season has had some time to take shape it brings us to our first VHLM power rankings of the season. There’s a lot of teams that are neck and neck and it will be very interesting to see how the season shapes up as we near the playoffs. We’ve got a tight race among the top three teams that could have realistically been in any order and then most other teams are in a close battle for the rest of the playoff spots. While you’re here be sure to check out some of the other awesome VSN articles!

 

A Sit-Down With the New VHLE GM's and Commissioners | Season 79 Off-Season Trade Reviews

 

 

Current: 1

GM @KaleebtheMighty has put together a team that is currently on fire winning their last 14 games to advance to a record of 22-4-1. During this stretch, Philadelphia’s offence has been the best in the league as Darth Kaprizov @Darth Kaprizov, Miroslav Tsarov @PadStack, and Gregory Bates @Tyler find themselves 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in league scoring respectively, with Tsarov leading the league in goals.Philadelphia’s defensive group has been the very definition of shutdown defense and have as they have allowed only 77 goals against specifically, waiver signing NinelQPro @NineIQ v2 has worked their way to a +24 and the hard hitting Ron Gorgonzola @Ron Gorgonzola is on their way to a solid season themselves. In net, Tobias Reinhart @Spaz looks to build on his previous season in Philadelphia and hopes to carve his name into the Philadelphia record books as they are quickly closing in on 4th all time in wins and SV%. Philadelphia has proven themselves to be a true powerhouse in the league and it is without a doubt that they are currently the team to beat in the league and will have a game against another Eastern Conference favourite later today that may bring the streak to an end.

 

Current: 2

The Hounds take the spot here given their solid record and that they will only get better as the season goes along. Currently 16-4-2 and in 2nd place in the eastern conference the Hounds are trying to make a statement. Led by off-season trade acquisition Otto Numminen @Otto Numminen who’s recorded 37 points on the season so far. Alongside Numminen you’ll find Nathaniel Minion @Minion and Sigard Petrenko @SlapshotDragon, both of whom already have over 30 points. On the defensive side of things is where Mississauga falters a little bit, as they lack defensive depth like most teams in the M this season. A top pair of Corey Kitson @Nykonax  and Tony Adams @fonziGG is solid, and both will approach the 250 TPE cap towards playoffs. In net is longtime VHLM veteran Luke Spinelli @Lspinelli who has put together a 24-4-2 record with a 2.70 GAA, and a 0.899 SV%. Over the course of the rest of the season Mississauga will try to work their way back to being the favourites after suffering losses to Saskatoon, Ottawa, and Yukon.

 

Current: 3

The Mexico City Kings have worked their way to a dominant lead over the rest of their conference and have proven difficult for other top teams as well. Led by Sunrise van de Schubbekuteveen @Thunfish who is currently 5th in VHLM points with 47 points in 28 games, as well as Deke Rike @JCV who has recorded 34 assists. The true leader of the Mexico City Kings however comes in net, with Bastian Greiss @ThatsGreissy who has put together an MVP like performance so far this season posting a 2.58 GAA, 0.907 SV%, on his way to a 23-5-0 record. In front of Griess Mexico has a solid defensive core that does leave a little to be desired, but with pieces like Rhys Trenton @DeeGoat and Flynn Remy @jhatty8 they will only get better as the season goes on. Mexico has found their way to being the team to beat in the west by playing a solid defensive game and limiting the opponent's scoring chances. It will be interesting to see if they can be caught down the stretch by Saskatoon.

 

Current: 4

After coming into the season as a potential favourite Miami struggled against Philadelphia losing the season series after going 3-5-0. Since then, Miami has found their stride breaking out to a 14-10-3 record, good enough for third in the eastern conference. Offensively Mikey Makarov @JetsFan81 has put together a respectable season for Miami scoring 22 goals and having 47 points in 27 games. Supporting Makarov, Matty Fire @MattyIce and Roberts Stuzle @Coldex are both above a point per game. Miami has possibly the most complete defensive group in the VHLM following a trade that saw them acquire Bob Beach @Big Bob and Ryan Vidot @Enorama from Yukon in exchange for draft picks, adding onto an already strong group featuring Alessandro Nano @leafsman and Hari Singh Nalwa @Dil. Backstopping this team, S79 10th overall pick Em Em Flex @oilmandan looks to be a great addition after having a 2.90 GAA, and 0.896 SV% through 27 games. Miami has worked their way back into the title conversation following a rough start to the season and will only get better as the season goes on. Miami will likely find themselves in a battle with Saskatoon for the 4th seed and home ice advantage in a tight battle with Saskatoon.

 

Current: 5

Saskatoon has had another season where they are sneaky good and pose a threat to any of the top teams. Lead by an offensive juggernaut in Duncan Montana @124715 who has had more than 2 points per game so far this season. Additionally, Kyle Peace @Peace has found his way to being 8th in league scoring alongside Montana. In stark contrast to their offence Saskatoon’s lacks a clear number 1 defenseman and would benefit greatly from another D-man or 2. In goal Leroy Johnson @Vkobe-v has taken the starting job and ran with it to a 17-4-2 record as backup Orion D H Chiester IX @Donno100 struggles and has yet to earn a win in 6 games played. Look for Saskatoon to try to add some defensive depth as the trade deadline nears as they’ll need it to truly be competitive with the top teams. 

Current: 6

The Ottawa Lynx have had a tough start to the season in a very tough Eastern Conference and have stolen games from both Philadelphia and Mississauga, proving that they can compete with the big dogs. Ottawa boasts a very well-rounded team with no one standout player, a top line of John Baard @Birdman, Zen Raider @bRaidsz, and Armani Calamari @WildfireMicro shows promise and will continue to improve. On the defensive side of things, the free agent signing of New Player @I'll change this later has been mutually beneficial, and will likely continue to be a great signing. Alex Parise @Joker_TM has the pleasure of backstopping this team and will likely be under a lot of pressure as the season goes on to perform to the best of their abilities as they will be instrumental to Ottawa’s success. Ottawa appears to be targeting a run for the Founder’s cup next season as they currently have a pair of first round picks in the upcoming draft. Should Ottawa choose to they could just as easily go all in and quickly find themselves in the mix for one of the top spots in their conference. 

 

Current: 7

The Storm currently have the worst goal differential in the league, to Minnesota’s credit they have also already played the top three teams a few times each in which they have had a few very close games. Like Halifax Minnesota could see their playoff hopes dwindle throughout the season as teams in the Western conference play each other more. Minnesota does have a good top forward line of Finn Davis @M1nT, Logain Ablar @Kelsier, and Caleb Gaudette @Gaudette. Possibly Minnesota’s biggest trade asset comes in their number 1 pure offensive defenseman Jocke Jockesson @ThomasSyster, who has found themselves in the midst of a close defensemen scoring race and only trails by a few points. In goal, Minnesota has their likely goaltender for next season in Alexei Volkov @Silver Warrior who has only allowed 1 goal on 35 shots against during the one game they have played. Minnesota’s window to win a Founder’s cup may have closed with their previous team but, they could very well find themselves back in the playoffs this season if they are able to shore up their lackluster defensive play.

 

Current: 8

The 21st may just sneak into a playoff spot this season after clearly defining themselves as sellers by shipping Jlloyd Blloyoiderson @Cxsquared to Miami for season 80 draft picks. Halifax still has some scoring options with Jacob Richard @Jacob Richard, Bryn Yrwy @dylanjj37, and Zach Kisslinger II @Kisslinger up front of a near empty defensive group. Truthfully, Halifax’s playoff hopes ride on one person and one alone with David Davis @Josh in net. Davis has had a good season so far with a 13-10-5 record, 3.52 GAA, and a 0.883 SV%. At this point I think it’s fair to assume that we will start to see Halifax slide down the standings and possibly out of the playoff picture all together. Crazier things have happened though and Halifax could hit a stroke of luck and suddenly be battling with the other teams in a stacked eastern conference as the playoffs near.

 

Current: 9

Prior to the season Las Vegas was one of the favourites to come out of the western conference, a deep forward group, a solid top 2 D, and a good goalie. With this combination of pieces, we could very well see Las Vegas start to climb the standing any day. Las Vegas has one thing not a lot of teams in the VHLM have, 2 top defensemen in Zdeno Chara @Agito and Pistol Pete @PistolP who have both had a great season already with 34 and 23 points respectively. Las Vegas has a solid tandem in net with Anime Protagonist @Jericho and Pekka Grubauer @Tendy, Grubauer will likely take over for Protagonist next season as the starter in Las Vegas and currently has the pleasure of watching a long-time VHLM great. The Aces offensive group has more depth than any other team in the VHLM with 10 total skaters, featuring a top line of Mats Zuccarelo @Battlepopcorn, Bill Nye @Big Newff, and Giles Sweeney @Giles Rigel, all of whom have at least 15 points so far this season. With Las Vegas’ already deep forward group, and good defence and goalie this team should be performing better, and I’m sure we will see a sign from them on what their direction this season will be soon as they very well could start to climb the standings and battle it out for a playoff spot. Don’t be surprised if you see this team up around the 6th/7th seed come playoffs as they nearly have all the necessary pieces to pull off an impressive playoff run.

 

Current: 10

Much like Las Vegas San Diego did look like they could extend their playoff streak to 3 seasons and still very well could as they have filled the gap in their first line center position with recent free agent signing Brock Hampton @SamTwoSix who joins San Diego after being released by Halifax due to inactivity. With the new signing, San Diego has a great starting lineup and has been able to gain a lot of offensive depth with waiver signings. San Diego also has an above average top 2 D pair in Jyuunya Pureya Oneri Desu @Guriinwoodo and Vanek Lospenov @usouj, the latter of which has shown some discontent with San Diego’s position in the standings as they clearly want to win now. In goal San Diago has their goalie of the future with Calgary Wranglers prospect Elijah Mikaelson @Da Trifecta who will need to improve their play for San Diego to have a chance at the post season as they currently have a 0.865 SV% and a 4.06 GAA, with this it is important to note that San Diego has allowed the 5th most shots on goal so Mickaelson will be in for a long season ahead. Much like Las Vegas, this San Diego team could make a run at making the playoffs and the signing of Brock Hampton appears to be indicative of that, the question is with San Diego already 9 points back of the final playoff spot it may just be too deep of a hole for them to climb out of.

 

Current:  11

The season 78 Founder’s Cup champions may just squeak their way back into the playoffs this season in a weak western conference. This is a team full of players who will more than likely be back in the VHLM next season as Yukon will look to win it’s second Founder’s Cup in 3 seasons. Earlier this season Yukon traded their top 2 defensemen for a handful of draft picks to build on their already massive number of picks. This season their playoff hopes fall on their goalie like a few other teams as Oskar Lindbergh @Doomsday will need to carry this group to the playoffs and just maybe into postseason success. Currently Lindbergh has a very impressive 0.911 SV% good enough to be one of the best goalies in the league. Only time will tell if this Yukon Rush group can make some noise this season having already pulled off an underdog victory against Mississauga, we may be in for a show in the near future though as Yukon has all the draft picks they need to be a number 1 contender next season.

 

Current: 12

The Houston Bulls have a great starting lineup but lack depth as a whole for this very reason they find themselves near the bottom of the league and could start to sell pieces soon, as GM @rjfryman will be going to the VHLE next season and could look to leave the new GM with a mountain of draft picks to build the team their own way. As a result, we should look for Houston to be a top contender in the coming seasons and potentially be Founder’s cup favourites in seasons 80 and 81 under their new management team.

 

That’s all for this edition of the VHLM power rankings, and we are left with a lot of questions at this point; will Philadelphia be able to continue their ridiculous winning streak, will Mississauga crumble under the pressure as they have done in previous seasons come playoffs, will Las Vegas and San Diego be able to climb the standings and compete for the final few playoff spots. Only time will tell, and we should get some answers soon as the season moves along. Comment down below if you agree or disagree with the rankings. Until next time stay safe and have a good day!

Welcome to the VHL @EdwardTheSniper

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 3rd line center. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

 

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM @KaleebtheMighty and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

 

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

 

Welcome to the VHL @EdwardTheSniper!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 3rd line center. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?

Welcome back to the VHLM @Greg Ernest!

 

My name is Alex_J32, I'm the AGM for the Philadelphia Reapers. I'd like to reach out and offer you a position on our roster! We are building a very competitive team, and would slot you in as a 3rd line winger. If you continuously build your TPE by interacting within the community and contributing in TPE generating tasks, you'll be able to play more minutes and possibly move up the depth chart!

 

Here in Philadelphia, we pride ourselves on the players we develop. My GM and I work hard to ensure that every member of the team enjoys their time on the Reapers and builds a legacy to begin their career. Numerous VHL greats got started right here in Philadelphia, and we would love to add your name on the list. We also have a great locker room filled with great players that would love to get to know you!

 

If you're interested in becoming a Reaper, just quote this post and reply back with #FEARTHEREAPER. Once you do that, we will add you to our roster and get you in the locker room.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Many legacies have been built with the Reapers. Will you join the many great Reapers of legend and craft a VHL career worthy of the HOF? What will your legacy be?