AJW

AJ Williams’ First Week in the VHLM The first week of my VHLM career has been an absolute blast fuelled by the great teammates, coaches, and community of the VHL/M. It’s crazy to think of how much I have learned, how many relationships I have built, and all of the new people I have met in such a short time. I plan on playing in this league for a long time after the great first impression I have gotten. My career started off on a random Tuesday morning when I decided I should join the VHLM in hopes of pursuing my professional hockey career. I was so thrilled when I made the call to join the league and instantly get an offer to play for the Ottawa Lynx. I had just missed the draft so I was a free agent, up for any team who wanted me. I had been told by friends and coaches that accepting the first offer is not the best idea, waiting to see what your options are is the smart move, but I did not care. Overcome with excitement I accepted the offer from the Lynx and the next thing you know I was chatting one on one with the GM. He was a very welcoming guy and I instantly knew I picked the right place to be. I then signed my first entry level contract and was now part of the VHLM. After the signing, I headed to the locker room to meet all of my new teammates. I did not know any of them right away but after a couple of days I had chatted with all of them at least once. They are a good group of guys and I am very excited to spend the season with them. After that I did a lot of talking with the GM. He said to come to him anytime I needed to, for anything, and that I did. I probably asked him a million questions; “how can I improve my game?”, “what are and where is everything I need to know?”, “who’s who?”... I felt like I was bombarding and overwhelming him with questions but he had all the answers to everything which helped me get on my feet fast. I did as much training and researching as I could the first day in order to figure out how to succeed in this league to eventually take on the big show, the VHL. But this is only my first week and I've got plenty of time until then. After an insanely busy first day, I was already lacing up my skates for our first game and home opener against the Miami Marauders. I did not know what to expect, I have only been in the league for one day and do not know how good all the teams are, so I went into the game free minded just hoping for the best. I was pretty nervous though, I can not lie, and I think the stat line showed those feelings because I put up a big goose egg in the point category in a 3-2 loss. I guess I can not expect to show up big every game, and this was my first one, so I did not let it get to me. The second and third game went a lot more smoothly as I got an assist in both games. We won one game and lost the other. It was a lot more comforting to know I got my first points but also that the team got their first win of the season. Now game 4 is a game I will never forget, we played the Mississauga Hounds and were up 4-3 in the third period. With 11 minutes left to play in the game we get a power play and my coach puts me in. I do not even remember how it happened, it is all a blur already because my adrenaline shot through the roof the second I saw the puck leave my stick and hit the back of the net. It was the best feeling ever. I am sure the crowd was going crazy and the goal horn was loud but I could not even hear it over my screams of excitement. We won that game 5-4 and my first ever VHLM goal was the game winner. I did not think my time in the league could get any better than what it was at that moment. The next morning I woke up to an announcement posted from our Ottawa Lynx GM about this season’s captains for the team. To my surprise my name was listed, I was the new assistant captain for the Lynx. I felt as if I was too new to the team and the other players who had been there longer deserved the honour, but I was not going to turn the leadership role down. I guess my impact on the team has already been shown and I have the trust from my management and teammates which made me feel well appreciated. I was going to make sure I was dedicated to the team and my game now that I have people looking up to me at all times to be a leader in this great organization. With all of these highs in my career already, the lows were sure to come. And they did come. The next five games all resulted in losses for the Lynx squad. Halifax slapped us around in a 7-1 embarrassment, Philadelphia had their fun with us leaving our arena with a 5-1 win in their pockets, Minnesota showed us who’s boss in a back to back matchup winning 6-4 and 6-2. Then we faced Mississauga who we beat earlier in the season, but this time they got the best of us in a 5-4 victory. I left all 5 games with nothing to show for, no points, and a -6 plus/minus stat. A hard couple games for sure, but with my leadership role as an assistant captain I did not let it affect me and team morale in the locker room. There is a long season ahead and I made sure my teammates know that a couple bumps in the road does not determine the final result. The Ottawa Lynx may not be the best team in the VHLM at the moment, but I am positive we will turn people’s heads when we make it to the playoffs. It is a lot of confidence coming from a new player to the league, but I have faith in the men I sit beside in the locker room everyday. So there it is, my first week in the VHLM. It went by so quickly in my books with all of the fun I have had so far. Even with the tough times the team and I experienced in the last half of my first week, I am fully determined to keep pushing ahead and not dwell on the past. There’s a long road ahead for me and I am extremely excited as to what it will bring me. (1171 Words, using PT for weeks May 30, June 6)

Are VHLM players able to do this or just VHL?

Great review, great name, amazing smile lmao

Ah dang no worries though!

Randomly guessing teams works apparently

(S79) AJ Williams - RW AJ Williams is a 5’10, 215lbs right winger currently playing for the Ottawa Lynx in the VHLM. AJ Williams missed the draft but shortly after was signed on waivers. He is S79 VHLM Dispersal draft eligible and S79 VHL draft eligible. Pros AJ Williams is a hard working first generation player. New to the league but is getting his feet wet quick. AJ Williams is active daily working on his craft in order to get the most out of his training every week. As a right winger who likes to score, scoring, puck handling and skating are Williams’ stronger skills. In his OHL career he was known as the top scorer in his position in his final season, winning the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy for top scoring right winger in the league. Williams’ is ready to work, has a great mind and attitude towards the game and community, and will happily play for any team that decides to pick him up. Cons Williams’ is an offence first mentality player who is trying to improve on his defensive game more and more but still needs to put in some more work. The result of this is his defence and checking skill is lower than what he would like. Even as a built guy, 215 pounds at 5’10, he is still trying to better his physical game. Williams is still very young and has a lot of more learning to do. He is ready to go big but still needs time to figure out all the ins and outs of the VHL/M. VHLM Review At the time of writing, Williams only has six VHLM games under his belt for the S78 season, his first VHLM season. In his first four appearances Williams tallied 3 points including his first goal which was the game winner. Williams is already playing second line minutes and has seen some power play and penalty killing time. Williams is well appreciated by his management and teammates as he was named as one of the Assistant Captains for the Ottawa Lynx after only being on the team for two days. As stated in the announcement from Ottawa’s GM, @dlamb , “Although very new to the team as a waiver-signing, Williams' impact has been felt strongly and immediately.” Williams knows his role on the team and is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Williams is eligible for the S79 VHLM Dispersal Draft and is already projected to go in the first round. Sources also say that his training each week is top notch and will improve his game and draft ranking very quickly over time.

Well deserved fellas @qripll @BostonBruinsFan1806

very soon

An interview with VHLM news with Lynx’s new signee, AJ Williams. VHLM: Welcome to the league AJ, how are you? Williams: Thank you! And I’m good, excited to be here! VHLM: Glad to hear, first question, what is it like to be signed to a team like the Ottawa Lynx? Williams: It’s the most amazing feeling, after playing in the OHL for the last two years it’s super exciting to move on to bigger and better things. Ottawa is a great city and I love it here already. Growing up in Ontario makes playing for an Ontario team that much more special. VHLM: That’s good, Ottawa fans seem thrilled to have you already. What are your future goals with the team? Williams: My close future goal is to build team morale with the guys, a happy locker room definitely transfers onto the ice. As for further future goals it would be to bring home the Founder’s Cup of course. VHLM: The last Founder’s Cup in Ottawa was in S71, think it’ll be back soon? Williams: I’ll do my part and I trust the guys on my team will too, Ottawa should be the city of champions in no time. VLHM: I love the attitude, last question, what made you sign late with the Lynx and skip out on the VLHM draft? Williams: My father passed away around the same time of the draft so I decided to pause hockey for a while and spend time with the ones I love. After some thinking I decided I should lace the skates back up since this game was my father’s passion and I know he’s looking down on me wanting me to play again. VHLM: I’m sorry to hear, I hope you and your family stay safe and healthy and I hope you enjoy your time in VHLM. Thank you for your time. Williams: I appreciate it, thank you.

AJ Williams was born on July 2, 2001 in North Bay, Ontario. Williams grew up in a family of four with his older sister and parents. Hockey was always a part of his life, watching games with his dad since he was a baby and lacing up his skates for the first time as soon as he could walk. His dad loved the game of hockey and wanted Williams to feel the same way. Fast forward to midget hockey, where he was the captain of his hometown North Bay Trappers Midget AAA team. Williams was a great leader and has always had an eye for the top shelf, leading his team in goals and even scoring the game winning goal to win his regional playoffs. This instantly caught the eyes of OHL scouts which transferred Williams to the league at a prime age of 17 to play for the Sarnia Sting. In the OHL Williams played for two seasons with Sarnia racking up points and helping his team move through the playoffs both seasons. His rookie season took off starting on the second line and finishing on the first. Williams capped his first year with 40 goals, 26 assists, and 66 points in 58 games winning the Emms Family Award for OHL rookie of the year. His second season shot off like a rocket as he finished with 71 goals, 39 assists, and 110 points in only 50 games due to a lower body injury early on in the season. Williams and the Sting fought hard throughout the playoffs but came up short to his hometown North Bay Battalion squad in the final round. Although Williams never won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, he did pick up some other hardware along the way including the Red Tilson Trophy for most outstanding player and the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy for top scoring right winger in the league, both in his second season. After a dominating two seasons in the OHL, Williams was announced captain for his third year with the sting. Williams rejected the offer when he got a call from the Ottawa Lynx of the VHLM. Williams was supposed to be drafted to the VHLM a month earlier but held out after the passing of his father and wanted to be with his family. As time passed Williams was ready to play hockey again knowing that it is all his dad would want to see if he was still around. Excited was an understatement as he signed with the Lynx the next day.

My first graphic, nothing crazy... never been an editor let me know your thoughts!

1. How do you feel about the offseason moves made by the Lynx? If you are new to the team, what are your thoughts on joining us? I’m new to the league and Ottawa of course. Being in a big city compared to my small town is something cool for sure. I don’t know what’s to come or what to expect but I’m definitely excited to get started especially with the Lynx. 2. What do you hope to accomplish this season here in Ottawa? I hope to improve as a player and a teammate. Will be fun to meet the team and management. 3. Any recommendations for a new channel on discord? @Juice said it was kind of lacking, so we want your input! I’ve mainly used the general channel so far but new channels are always good. 4. What's your favorite NHL team? If you don't have one, what other sports/teams do you support? The Jets are my favourite team, don’t know how or why but I’ve always loved them since I was a kid. Nathan MacKinnon is my favourite, everything about his game is what I’d like to have. 5. Any players you look up to/idolize either in the VHL, NHL, etc.? Don’t know too many players yet in the VHL, I’ve been browsing around figuring out who’s who. I’m sure I’ll pick a favourite soon. 6. To get to know you better, where would you rather vacation? A. Beach B. Mountains C. Golf Resort D. Hockey Town E. Other After a long winter the beach is definitely my go to, but the hockey town vibes can’t be beat.

#FEEDtheLYNX

Player Information Username: ajwllmsn Player Name: AJ Williams Recruited From: YouTube Age: 19 Position: RW Height: 70 in. Weight: 215 lbs. Birthplace: Canada Player Page @VHLM GM