Alex

 

With the Yukon Rush now 16 points behind San Diego for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference of the VHLM many of their undrafted players have started to turn their attention toward the upcoming off-season and most importantly the VHL draft and for some also the VHLM draft. In this article we will break down each player strengths and weaknesses as well as make some projections about the draft as well, followed by an exclusive interview with the GM of the Yukon Rush @Juice.

 

 

Alex Johnston @Alex_J32

Position: RW

Age: 20

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 198lbs

Birthplace: Vancouver, Canada

Current TPE: 142

Johnston has had a solid season, albeit shorter than most as he joined the Rush 20 games into the season. With that said he has been a good addition to a team that needed a productive forward following the Gaspar Zarevsky trade. In 42 games played Johnston has 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points. This is a player that loves to generate offence however, his defensive game leaves some to be desired as he is currently a -15 on the year and has racked up 34 penalty minutes. Johnston is also not the most physical player as he prefers to use his speed instead of his body having only 61 hits and 21 blocked shots. Current draft projections have Johnston as the 16^th ranked prospect heading into the VHL draft and the 5^th ranked VHLM draft eligible player. Among Wingers 3^rd heading into the VHL draft. When asked about his potential draft position Johnston said:

 

               "Personally, I don't care when or where I get drafted whether It's in the first or last round. Either way I plan to hopefully have a long and successful career and will play my heart out every game to help my team win.”

 

Johnston went on:

 

                “I know that it is very unlikely that I get picked in the first round given that I have played a rather short season, I would like any team who does take a chance on me to know that I plan to be very active and will constantly improve in whatever areas I can to help the team succeed”

 

Johnston acknowledges that it is very unlikely that he will be a first round pick as he is only a first generation player.

 

Jaromir Lemiuex @hockeyis66

VHLM Drafted: 64^th Overall (S77)

Position: RW

Age: 18

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 200lbs

Birthplace: Denmark

Current TPE: 135

Lemiuex has had a great season for the Rush playing in all 62 games. The Rush’s 64^th overall pick in the S77 VHLM dispersal draft appears to have been an incredible steal as he’s currently just under a point per game with 16 goals and a total of 59 points and has proven himself to be a top 6 forward in this league. In terms of strengths Lemiuex has an impressive 200-foot game and has managed to maintain a relatively high for the team minus 13 +/-. Although his game is pretty complete Lemiuex’s biggest weakness would be his checking and strength as he hopes to be a more aggressive player in the corners and to win more puck battles along the boards. Heading into the draft Lemiuex is currently ranked 20^th overall and is ranked 6^th among wingers. Lemiuex had this to say in regard to the upcoming draft when asked about his potential draft position:

 

                “I really don’t have a lot of expectations heading into the draft other than I feel like i am going to get picked late second round to mid third round. I have tried a couple of players before so I am sure that will knock down a bit since they didn’t pan out for me but I have enjoyed writing quotes and articles in the VHL so far and I do not see that changing anytime soon.”

 

Lemiuex added that:

 

                 “I will be happy to be drafted to any team and will do my best to continue to improve while playing at least a couple more seasons in the VHLM before joining the big club. A few teams have reached out so far with questionnaires and have had productive conversations so far with those management teams.”

 

Nathan Powers @JB123

VHLM Drafted: 57^th Overall (S77)

Position: D

Age: 17

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 187lbs

Birthplace: Mississauga, Canada

Current TPE: 135

The Rush’s 57^th pick in the S77 VHLM draft has proven himself to be a staple on the backend, putting up an impress 6 goals and 47 assists in 62 games. More impressively is Powers’ physical play as he currently ranks 11^th in the entire VHLM in hits with 174 and 7^th for blocked shots with 100. Needless to say, whom ever drafts this player is getting a dominant physical puck moving defenseman. Overall Powers has a very well rounded game however he does struggle to stay out of the penalty box wit 106 penalty minutes, good enough for 10^th in the league. Powers is currently ranked 21^st overall heading into the draft and is the 10^th ranked defenseman. When asked about his hopes for the draft Powers said:

 

                “My number one goal heading into the draft is to be a 1st round pick. I'm not quite sure how realistic that is as of now, but I think if I continue to work hard, it's a definite possibility.”

 

James P Albini @Ttro89

VHLM Drafted: 56^th Overall (S77)

Position: LW

Age: 18

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 175lbs

Birthplace: Denmark

Current TPE: 61

The Rush’s 56^th overall pick from the S77 draft has had a relatively poor season recording 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 62 games played. Albini has also seen his minutes drop from 18 to an average of 13 minutes a game. Over the 59 games this season Albini has recorded 56 penalty minutes, 13 blocked shots and is a minus 15. Albini is currently the 97^th ranked draft eligible player however I wouldn’t be surprised if he went undrafted as he has been inactive since the week of April 4^th. Albini was unavailable for comment.

 

Zen Raider @bRaidsz

Position: RW

Age: 17

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 180lbs

Birthplace: St. Louis, USA

Current TPE: 84

Raider another rookie signed as a free agent by the Rush has had an impressive impact on the roster given his rather limited role averaging around 12 minutes a night. Raider has been a solid depth piece for the Rush Scoring 3 goals and adding 3 assists in 20 games. Scoring is not Raiders strongest feature that would be his physical play recording 21 hits while only having 6 penalty minutes. The defensive aspect of Raiders game is impressive as well as he is only a minus 5 despite the Rush’s recent struggles to keep the puck out of the net. Raider is currently the 58^th ranked player heading into the VHL draft and is ranked 30^th among those eligible for the draft. When asked about his expectations for the draft  Raider stated that:

 

                “I don’t necessarily have to high of expectations for the draft since I haven’t been reached out to yet.”

 

Raider added in regards to a hopeful team to be drafted by:

 

                 “ I don’t have a preference as being drafted is a reward in its own right.”

 

Pippo Coca @pippo

Position: C

Age: 20

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 150lbs

Birthplace: Italy

Current TPE: 88

So far Coca has had a very short lived VHLM career having only played 18 games. In those 18 games Coca has shown some promise as a productive scoring center scoring 5 goals on only 34 shots, Coca added 2 assists for a total of 7 points. Coca’s game does however lack defence and a physical aspect as he is a minus 5 +/- and only has 4 hits and no blocked shots. Coca is improving at a solid consistent rate over his career and I look forward to seeing what the future brings for this goal scoring center. Currently Coca is ranked 46^th in the VHL draft class and 20^th among the player eligible for the VHLM draft. When asked about his hopes for the upcoming draft Coca stated that he hopes to become one of the all-time greats in the VHL.

 

Mitchell Osborne @OzNasty 

Position: D

Age: 23

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 212lbs

Birthplace: Canada

Current TPE: 82

Osborne joined the rush as a rookie free agent on just the second day of the season and since then has developed into a physical defensive defenceman that should strike fear into the opposing team. In just 59 games Osborne has recorded 114 hits, 91 shots blocked and 82 penalty minutes, the most impressive stat has to be Osborne’s +/- as he currently is the only player on a struggling team to have a positive +/-, sitting at a remarkable +10. Osborne’s offensive production is not quite at the level of others in the draft class as he only has 6 goals and 23 assists for a total of 29 points. With that being said those 6 goals have come off of only 57 shots for an above average shooting percentage, Osborne has also been solid on the powerplay scoring 4 powerplay goals on the season. Heading into the final week of the season Osborne is ranked 59^th for the VHL draft and 31^st among those eligible for the VHLM draft. Osborne was unavailable for comment.

 

Jacob Rask @BostonBruinsFan1806 

Position: G

Age: 16

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 189lbs

Birthplace: Canada

Current TPE: 86

Rask has had an impressive stretch of games lately and has contributed positively toward pulling the Rush out of their recent slump. Having played 19 games Rask has recorded 6 wins, 11 losses, and 2 overtime losses. Throughout the time that Rask has been in the league he has put up a 0.88 save percentage and a 4.05 goals against average. Given the small sample size it is difficult to identify any strengths and weaknesses yet however, it will surely be interesting to see how Rask develops in the coming seasons and to see if he can earn a starting role next season in the VHLM. Currently Rask is ranked 47^th for the VHL draft and is the 5^th ranked goalie, Rask is ranked 21^st among VHLM draft eligible players. When asked about his thoughts going into the draft Rask said that he hopes to go in the first round, in the VHLM draft he hopes to stay in Yukon furthermore, Rask also hopes to get drafted by Toronto in the VHL draft as it is "Close to home".

 

 

As @Juice prepares for the VHLM Draft I decided to ask him a few questions regarding his hopes for his draft eligible players, as well as if he had any words for his players, here is that conversation:

 

With 2 of your first 4 picks in the last VHLM draft you selected Powers and Lemiuex, what sort of impact have they had on the team this year?

 

Juice: “Immense impact. To be honest, going into the draft as a newer GM with only a few picks, and all of them only being in the very late rounds, I was a bit scared that we'd only hit inactive players if anything. To grab a top-2 defenseman and a top-6 forward, both of whom are earning like crazy as well is absolutely heart warming to see. Their impact on the stat-sheet says it for themselves that they're top line players, but their impact as great team members away from the sim is also great to see. Both Powers and Lemiuex want to make their players the best they can be, and ultimately be a great addition to the team overall. I've been approached a few times to see if they are at all available, and I can for sure say that they are untouchable.”

 

You have made several rookie signings throughout the year, what are your expectations for them heading into both the VHL and VHLM draft?

 

Juice: “Yes, thankfully the Rush have been able to pick-up quite a few rookies, and some great rookies at that like Johnston that have been amazing additions to the team and ultimately core members that have 'Yukon Rush' written all over them, and are obvious targets for me in the upcoming draft. In regards to expectations, I have none. I want each player to experience the VHL anyway they please, whether it's max earning and making a god-tier player, or having a more casual route. Thus with that being said, don't let the draft mold your experience either. You can be taken 1st overall or 50th overall, but where you go from there is what counts. What I will say is that I have glowing recommendations for all my Rush players, as each one has amazing qualities and I'll definitely be looking at them at the VHLM draft.”

 

Being a GM do you have any words for your draft eligible players?

 

Juice: “My only words would be to have fun with the draft. I know several players have approached me and let me know that they want to be Rush for as long as they are with the VHLM. Don't be gutted if you don't go where you're hoping to in both the VHLM and VHL draft. You are all amazing players and people in your own right, and I know that wherever you go that you'll be quality there too. You'll always be a Rush at heart though.”

 

As the Yukon Rush’s season comes to a close there is still a chance that they could overcome the 16 point deficit and squeak their way into the playoffs as they do have several games left against the team that they are chasing. Let’s keep extra attention on these draft eligible players to see if they can impress the VHL or will they crack under the pressure.

 

A special thank you to everyone who answered my questions:

@Juice

@hockeyis66

@bRaidsz

@JB123

@pippo

@BostonBruinsFan1806

 

Words: 2283

Claiming 1/4

34 minutes ago, Juice said:

 

Yukon Rush Press Conference

(for week ending in 4/18)

 

1. The team is finally starting to fully fill up, as we now have several more defenseman, 3 full forward lines, and 2 goalies. However, we are getting closer to the end of the season. Do you think we still have it in the tank to make a final playoff push?

I think we do still have a chance at playoffs as we have 5 games left against San Diego, if we can win those playoffs would be possible. Also, If our scoring touch comes back playoffs are certainly not out of the question.

2. The draft is slowly approaching us. (For the undrafted players) Are you excited for the draft? Have any teams approached you with interviews as of yet? (For the drafted players) How prepped are you to eventually make it to the VHL?

I am really excited about the draft, both the VHL and VHLM. I have had a couple of VHL teams reach out, and I look forward to more interviews down the road.

3. The seasonal theme week has come out! Do you have any plans on participating for that sweet, sweet extra TPE?

Already Done! (https://vhlforum.com/topic/101983-if-yukon-beat-san-diego-in-their-last-game-alternate-reality-theme/)

 

 

4. What is your go-to ice cream flavour?

Ben and Jerry's Half Baked

5. What is your hometown most known for?

Niagara Falls

6. The NHL Trade Deadline just passed the other day, did your favourite team make any trades before it ended? And if so, how did you feel they made out?

Well they traded away taylor hall for a fraction of what he was traded for a year ago... It's a painful time (decade) to be a sabres fan

 

Transaction ID: 20594180775030801

 

5 TPE uncapped 

$1000000 in player store

First Career Hatty! Let's Go Rush!

Wow! This looks awesome! Thanks!

Review

 

The player cut out is super clean and the background looks great. The text almost makes it look like a movie poster and is easy to read. The logo placement is well done, but would have benefited if the colours on the jersey were adjusted as well.

7.5/10

Review

 

This looks INCREDIBLE!!! the level of detail is impressive to say the least. I love the logo built into the game 7 score as well as just how clean everything looks. Everything is easy to read as the contrast is great. Amazing job!

10/10

Having only been around the league for a couple of weeks I decided to create a few images that we would have seen if the Yukon Rush came back from behind and beat San Diego in their last game. (Claiming capped portion next week)

Let's go Rush! We'll get them next time!

581

Growing up in Vancouver Alex Johnston had a childhood like many young Canadians, the early mornings at the community rink, after school running to the pond behind the church Where he would pretend he was playing for the Vancouver Wolves in the finals of the Continental Cup and staying there until the sun goes down. Once it got dark Johnston would head home to turn on that nights Vancouver Wolves game with his brothers.

 

Once Johnston reached high school that's when hockey started to become more competitive as he started playing at a AAA level with the Vancouver spirit. Throughout his years of minor hockey Johnston was never the best player putting up an average of 15 goals and 20 assists in 42 games during his minor hockey career. Johnston was named team captain in his final year of midget hockey as he led his team to a provincial championship.

Following his minor hockey career Johnston joined the Vancouver Giants of the WHL where he would play for 3 years. During Johnston’s rookie year he struggled only scoring 4 goals and 18 assists for 22 points in 62 games. The following year Johnston battled injuries the entire season tearing his ACL in the 5 game of the year and returning with 8 games left on the year, Johnston would only play 1 game in the playoffs missing the rest due to a concussion. During the 13 games Johnston played that injury riddled season Johnston had 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points. In Johnston’s third and final year with the Giants he was named an alternate captain, for the second time in 3 years Johnston would play an entire season and would have a career year putting up a staggering 45 goals and 62 assists for 107 points in 62 games. Sadly Johnston’s season would end on a sour note as the Giants would fall flat in the final game of the memorial cup to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies during the tournament Johnston would continue his dominance scoring 7 goals and 3 assists for 10 points in 5 games.

 

After leaving the WHL due to being over age Johnston decided to join the VHLM and attempt to break into the pro hockey scene. To accomplish his lifelong goal Johnston decided to sign a 1 year contract with the Yukon Rush, as it is very important to him that he stays close to his hometown of Vancouver. His VHLM career got off to a tough start as Johnston tore his ACL during off-season training causing him to miss the first 20 games of the season. Since the start of his VHL career Johnston’s short career it has had some ups and downs. Starting off with scoring a goal in each of his first 2 games Johnston would then go through a long rough patch scoring only once and adding one assist over the next 9 games. Recently Johnston is having some success scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 2 games, hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

12 minutes ago, Juice said:

 

Yukon Rush Press Conference

(for week ending in 4/11)

 

1. We're currently sitting at 5th in the Western Conference, slowly trailing San Diego (with their awful manager @thadthrasher at the helm) for 4th and a playoff spot. It seems out main problem is keeping the puck out of the net compared to putting them in the net. Would you prefer to keep the offensive approach, or try to switch to a more defense orientated tactics?

I think a more defensive strategy could be beneficial at least in the short term, as scoring is not an issue for the team.

2. We've recently declared war on the San Diego Marlins for their sinister acts of...existing. We are currently at 0 to 1 in our season series against them out of 7. How are you contributing to the war effort and what words do you have for the Mar-lames?

I haven't played a game against San Diego, so we'll have to see how that goes.

3. More Assistant GM jobs are slowly starting to open up, do you see yourself wanting to be an AGM (or even a GM) in the VHL?

I could see myself stepping into the role once I'm a few more seasons in.

4. How was your Easter Weekend (if you celebrated it)?

Good, got to see my family over zoom and introduce them to my puppy.

5. What is your favourite dessert?

ice cream

6. Do you have a go-to song for your player when he snipes a goal? If so, feel free to share!

Brass Bonanza.. because why not?

 

+ 10 for Alex Johnston

This was my first attempt at making my own graphic, any feedback and ideas for how to improve would be greatly appreciated.

Name: Alex Johnston

Age: 20

Position: RW

 Nationality:  Canadian

Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia

Current Team: Yukon Rush

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 198 lbs

 

Overview

Alex Johnston, A self described scoring playmaker has only showed 1 aspect of that in his short time in the VHLM scoring 2 goals in his first 2 games. He followed that up with his first career assist in his fourth career game against Mexico City. In the future Johnston hopes that he can add depth scoring and potentially be a solid powerplay option for the Yukon Rush and a future VHL team. Currently Johnston is playing on Yukon's 3rd line and is averaging 11:31 of time on ice per game, and has  2 goals, 3 points, is a +1, 3 shots, 4 hits, and 1 game winning goal through 4 games. One thing that sets Johnston apart from other prospects is how he values team success over individual success as he has firmly set his career goal to win a VHL championship. Currently Johnston has shown determination and a constant drive to improve to help his team succeed. 

 

Strengths

Scoring

Having already shown his scoring touch in his first few games, Johnston has shown his quick release and ability to capitalize off the rush. Although his scoring does need further development as he seems hesitant to shoot the puck having only 3 shots through 4 games.

 

Playmaking

Johnston prides himself on his ability to pass the puck and is a pass first type of player always looking to set up teammates. This mindset has yet to translate into assists as he only has 1 assist on the year. Based on his style of play this should improve as the season goes on.

 

Skating

With Johnston's style of play it is integral that they be able to skate well to avoid hits and get the puck into the offensive zone. Johnston uses his skating ability and hockey IQ to avoid the physical aspect of the game, and to facilitate the offence off of the rush.

 

Weaknesses

Physicality

Johnston lacks development in his physical game and only has 4 hits in his first few games in the VHLM. As prefaced in the skating section Johnston prefers to use his skating and hockey IQ to avoid the physical aspect. Furthermore, Johnston will more likely hover around the faceoff dot in the offensive zone and look for a play, rather than engaging in net front battles. Having a larger frame at 6’3” and 198 lbs this could be an aspect of his game that could be improved in the foreseeable future.

 

Defence

The defensive side of Johnston’s game leaves a lot to be desired. Throughout his career Johnston will likely not be able to kill penalties and can be exploited in the defensive zone. This was recently seen in a recent game against Mississauga where Johnston finished the game a -1. With this being said Johnston has hinted that his main goal in the upcoming off-season will be to improve his defensive game and become a solid 200-foot two-way forward that teams can rely on in the defensive end.

Coming into the league can be a daunting task given that I honestly had no idea what I was doing. Within minutes of joining I received an offer to join the Yukon Rush and everything became slightly easier as the GM was able to show me me ropes just in time for the puck to drop on my first 2 career games in the VHLM.

 

Game #1

My first career game came at home against the Halifax 21st, It started off as anyone's first game would the pre-game jitters, wanting to just have a solid first game to get it out of the way. That all changed at 16:47 of the first period when I scored my first career goal on Halifax Goalie Jonathan Bustard assisted by Brighton Grisby (4) and Nathan Powers (16) to give Yukon at 2-0 lead. Sadly, the lead would not last and we ended up losing 4-3 in regulation.

 

Game #2

Following the upset from the loss we quickly had to re adjust for game number 2 against the team who's contract I turned down the Las Vegas Aces. The first period saw some team success which established some momentum going into the second with a 2-1 lead. At 12:48 I was able to put the puck past Vegas goalie Morgan Karlsson for my second goal in as many games with an assist from Brighton Grisby (5), and Nathan Powers (17), this was enough to give us the win as we would go onto win the game 4-2 after a scoreless third period.

 

Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come not just for myself but for the team as we turn our attention to tomorrow's games against Mississauga and Mexico City.

REVIEW

 

Great use of the different layers. Name is very easy to read and I think the font chosen and works well with the image. However, the logo appears to not blend to well into the jersey. With that being said it is better than anything I could make.  (8/10)

REVIEW

 

All in all it looks very clean, I love the texture added with the different layers. Furthermore, even with all the different layers that are all different colours there is still enough contrast to make the writing easy to read and look incredible!

Transaction ID: 20579895326826070

 

12 capped TPE (claiming next week)

5 uncapped TPE (claimed)

$1,000,000 in player store (claimed)

 

On 3/29/2021 at 4:42 PM, fromtheinside said:

 

Yukon Rush Press Conference 

(for week ending in 4/3)

 

 1) The Rush recently traded away league leader in scoring Gaspar Zakrevsky. They traded him for a forward, a defenseman and a 3rd round draft pick. How did you feel about this trade being made?

I feel Good about it as it allows us to build for the future and hopefully find success1

2) Yukon currently sits at 6-10-0 about a quarter of the way through the season.  Do you think we have a chance to squeak into the playoffs this season, why or why not?

I think we have a chance, as long as we can get back to .500 its anyones game.

3) What goals do you have for your player this season. Do you have a certain number of goals/assists/points you're hoping to reach. Also TPE are you hoping to hit by the end of the season?

If i can get my first goal that would be pretty cool, but all I care about at this point is helping the team win.

4) [For VHL Drafted Players] What team are you drafted to in the VHL and have you been keeping up with how they've been doing so far? Are you excited to play for them potentially next season? [For Non-Drafted Players] Are you excited about being taken in the VHL Draft this upcoming offseason? What team or teams are you hoping to be taken by?

I am looking forward to the draft, I am currently indifferent to which team I get picked by. Although I would like to stay in Canada.

5) How have you enjoyed your time so far on the Yukon Rush? Is there anything the management can do to make your experience more enjoyable here?

I have enjoyed my experience thus far, management has done an amazing job of showing me the ropes!

6) The NHL season is over the halfway point. Do you have a favourite team or player? If so how are they doing this season? If not, do you follow any other teams or sports that are non-hockey related?

I am a Buffalo fan, so this season has not got well in any way, at least we will get a top 3 pick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 minutes ago, Juice said:

Hey @Alex_J32!

 

A very warm welcome to the league! My name is Juice and I am the General Manager for the Yukon Rush, and we are highly interested in having you added to be apart of the team!

 

We here at the Rush pride ourselves on developing our players to the best they can be, so whatever help you need both myself and the Assistant General Manager will take as much time as you need to help show you the ropes and to help make your player a star!

 

We can offer you 3rd Line Minutes to start out with, but depending on your activity and development we can guarantee you moving up the lineup!

 

If you like the sound of joining us, quote this with a comment saying "#feeltherush"

Quote

#feeltherush

 

 

Player Information

Username: Alex_J32

Player Name: Alex Johnston

Recruited From: YouTube

Age: 20

Position: RW

Height: 75 in.

Weight: 198 lbs.

Birthplace: Canada

Player Page

@VHLM GM