Advantage

I fell off a bridge trying to located a pokemon. Also got hit by a parked car. 

@gorlab Toronto won 4-1 in the end.
 
Making some work on my off-season stuff right now, just wanted to pass on now though that I'm probably going to make this upcoming season my last one as Americans General Manager. I'm going to be taking on a big role in the VFL project when it opens, which is hopefully going to help bring in a lot of new and returning members to the VHL and I probably won't be able to put in the extra effort that the GM role requires on top of that. I haven't decided on a replacement yet, I know that Advantage has mentioned in media spots that he wished he hadn't given up the GM role in the first place, so maybe I'll see if I can bring him back in for Season 51.

3 - The New York Americans were knocked out of the first round in six games after making two big moves to acquire both Ariel Weinstein and Lord Karnage.  While they had their struggles at times during the season, many thought they would hit their stride with the newly acquired Karnage and take off into the finals.  However, Toronto proved them wrong and dismantled New York in six.  Why? The New York Americans surrendered three goals per game (eighteen over the six games).  When playing a top notch goaltender in Hans Wingate, you really cannot afford to struggle that much in your own end.  While Wingate did not have a banner series, surrendering seventeen himself, he stepped it up in games six and seven, surrendering two in each of those all-important games.  Now the New York Americans have to get back to the drawing board as they lose Karnage and now need to figure out what the next step is for the team that has made the playoffs in six consecutive seasons.
 
7 - Lets be honest with ourselves, no one thinks Riga is going anywhere in their current playoff run.  However, after slipping past the Dynamo, Riga finds themselves the underdogs once again versus the Express, and yet still stand 1-1 through the first two games.  Why? Their offense has been absolutely exceptional, scoring twenty-eight in the nine games they have played.  Additionally, seven players on the Riga Reign are over a point-per-game, with Jordan Maverick leading the way with twelve points.  Of course, this is the same Riga Reign team who only has one player above 300 TPE in Bronson Faux.  Therefore, the fact that the two top players offensively so far during this playoff run, combine for around 580 TPE is rather ridiculous.  Nevertheless, the Reign could very well be the surprise horse in this year's race for the Continental Cup.  While they are still very unlikely to move on past the Express, you can never count out a team in the Victory Hockey League.
 
12 - Frankly, Jordan Maverick needs his own category with how well he has played during this playoff run for the Reign.  Maverick currently leads all players in scoring with twelve points, goals with seven and hits with thirty.  He has been the steady force behind the Reign's surprising play and could be the guy who drives them past the Express.  In terms of training, Maverick would be the fourth best on Cologne, yet here he is with all the talent on the ice, leading the way in practically every category.  Admittedly, I don't think he can keep it up because I don't see the Reign taking out the Express.  While they did have an offensive explosion in game two, I imagine that Cologne will get it together and prove why they earned that bye into the second round.  While Riga certainly has the confidence right now, they are going to need the likes of Maverick and Faux to propel them past the big green engine in Cologne.

It's a one-year deal. That's about as low a risk as you can take. Great signing from MON in my humble opinion. 

Weber is at best on the same level as PK at this point.  Add the deteriorating play and the 10 years remaining for a guy who will soon be 31..not a fan at all. 

I'm an analytics guy so I know I'm not always gonna share opinions with someone, but PK trumps Weber, especially defensively, when it comes to analytics.  Mainly due to his puck movement and shot suppression.
 
My big worry with Montreal, is their defense is incredibly slow now and they don't really have any great puck movers.  Beaulieu and Markov can both move the puck, but Markov isn't really what he used to be in that department.  Shea Weber adds a more physical element and a better shot, but I'm worried that without PK and with a slower less dynamic defender, the defense might struggle against the fast Eastern Conference.
 
I know some people bring up the 2 year window because of Price but I'm not really that worried about him signing and all that..especially given how young Galchenyuk and Gallagher are.  I think there was room for PK in that.  Obviously management doesn't agree and that's fine.  I was just hoping we'd go in a bit of a different direction than Weber, who frankly was rather abysmal towards the end of the year.  Excellent player still and he might not have as much wear and tear put on him, playing in the Eastern Conference.  But as someone who as been watching PK since he was 16 (was season ticket holder for Belleville)...this admittedly has been pretty tough because I did have an emotional attachment to him.  As much as I am a diehard Habs fan, I will cheer for PK wherever he goes as well.  Just too many positive memories with him on the ice and off the ice.

I'm an analytics guy so I know I'm not always gonna share opinions with someone, but PK trumps Weber, especially defensively, when it comes to analytics.  Mainly due to his puck movement and shot suppression.
 
My big worry with Montreal, is their defense is incredibly slow now and they don't really have any great puck movers.  Beaulieu and Markov can both move the puck, but Markov isn't really what he used to be in that department.  Shea Weber adds a more physical element and a better shot, but I'm worried that without PK and with a slower less dynamic defender, the defense might struggle against the fast Eastern Conference.
 
I know some people bring up the 2 year window because of Price but I'm not really that worried about him signing and all that..especially given how young Galchenyuk and Gallagher are.  I think there was room for PK in that.  Obviously management doesn't agree and that's fine.  I was just hoping we'd go in a bit of a different direction than Weber, who frankly was rather abysmal towards the end of the year.  Excellent player still and he might not have as much wear and tear put on him, playing in the Eastern Conference.  But as someone who as been watching PK since he was 16 (was season ticket holder for Belleville)...this admittedly has been pretty tough because I did have an emotional attachment to him.  As much as I am a diehard Habs fan, I will cheer for PK wherever he goes as well.  Just too many positive memories with him on the ice and off the ice.

Weber is at best on the same level as PK at this point.  Add the deteriorating play and the 10 years remaining for a guy who will soon be 31..not a fan at all. 

Magazine 290 - All Star Edition
 
This week's By The Numbers will look at three players who were recently traded.  They all just happen to be All-Stars and we will see how these three All-Stars are trending going into the All-Star Game.
 
1.43 - Jeff Hamilton, whose agent has represented the likes of Sterling Labatte, Alexander Labatte, James Bencharski, Grimm Jonsson and Tom Slaughter, has had an incredible season so far.  Since being traded by Seattle to the Quebec City Meute, Hamilton has recorded 33 points in 23 games, blocking easily over a shot per game and handling just under 33 minutes per game.  He has been an absolute workhorse for the Meute, and while his stretch for the Bears this season was good as well, the way he has played with Quebec might help him bring some hardware home this season.  His play has earned him an All-Star birth as he has combined for 72 points, 81 hits and 95 blocked shots in just 59 games.  He is expected to be one of the league's best defenders and that will likely continue to be the case going forward.
 
19 - Lord Karnage is also trending upwards since being moved to the New York Americans.  He has recorded 19 points in 11 games for the blue, red and white.  This is a far cry from his disappointing start to the season with the Vikings which saw the four time Boulet Trophy winner record just 44 points in 50 games.  While his surrounding core is likely the reason to blame, it's hard to argue that he has been anything short of spectacular for New York so far.  Lord Karnage has also recorded 258 hits to go along with his 63 points to make him, once again, one of the best two-way threats in the league.  He is trending upwards as the New York Americans are looking for a spark to keep up with Toronto and Quebec who are currently one and two in the North American Conference.
 
2.89 - Atticus Von Braxton is trending down going into the All-Star game.  After being traded from the elite New York Americans team, it wasn't too surprising that he couldn't keep his pace up with the Stockholm Vikings.  Alas, Von Braxton has fallen a bit with a .925 save percentage and 2.89 GAA.  He also sports a 7-24-0 record, which isn't anything to write home about, but is expected given the team in front of AVB.  There are some who are surprised that he has kept a decent pace on the Vikings, but this writer sees him struggling as the season continues, leading to a save percentage in the lower 920's.  While he has held his own, it's going to be tough for him to handle the workload with how many shots he sees in Stockholm.

Howd your player do?

@Advantage

McDonald's playland is pretty strict with cancellations.

103 - I feel like every year I write about how Max Molholt is just destroying the league, with this season proving to be no different.  Molholt currently leads the league in scoring with 103 points in 49 games.  He currently also leads the league in assists with 66 and is fifth in goals with 37.  This ridiculous pace would see the veteran forward finish with just over 150 points, which would be a career best for him and one of the single most impressive offensive seasons in quite some time.  As of now, it would be easy to call him one of the leading candidates for several awards, and on top of that, he has led Toronto to an incredible start in the North American Conference.
 
49 - Jorma Ruutu needs to get some love along with Molholt.  Ruutu is a forward playing for the Americans and after coming off a slightly disappointing season last year, Jorma has responded by exploding to 46 goals in 49 games.  He currently leads the league in goals as he has three more than Freedom McJustice and seven more than the Meute's Tom Lincoln.  Ruutu, who is well known for being a great leader and physical player, also sees himself in the top ten in hits with 172 and fourth in points for 93.  While Aleksi Koponen is certainly the overwhelming favourite for the Boulet Trophy, look for Jorma Ruutu to be in the conversation at the end of the year.
 
1.54 - It has been a decent year for goalies but Greg Clegane is clearly in a league of his own at the moment.  The Meute goaltender currently sports the best save percentage (.933), the best GAA (1.54), the most shutouts (14) and the second most wins (38).  How good are these numbers? With eighteen games remaining for Clegane, he finds himself in some pretty interesting record talk.  While his current save percentage would only sneak himself into a tie for the 24th best in a single season, his shutouts and GAA totals are definitely looking far more promising.  Clegane currently sits just 5 shutouts back of CAL G's record for most in a single season with 19.  Even as it stands now, Clegane is tied for the second most ever alongside Steve LaFramboise and Blake Campbell.  Additionally, if the season ended today, Greg Clegane would have set a new standard for the best GAA in a single season.  The current record is held by CAL G with 1.60 but as of now, Clegane finds himself just six points lower than that mark.  If he can hold on, that would be an incredible record set.

Hell yes.  Just got it.

god bless you old friend
 
 
 

Now you know how I felt leaving Calgary for good. Still though, best of luck to you, of course

How did we get from here:
http://oldvhl.com/smf/index.php?topic=25641.msg263778#msg263778
to here?
 
Or did I just trade you so I can goalie sack your ass? (Answer: YEAH!)

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
 
Fuck New York

"It's tough being somewhere else when you have been in one place for seventeen seasons."
 
I have to admit that I was not happy when I found out I was being traded to the Stockholm Vikings.  Atticus Von Braxton IV was packaged with a pick and traded to the Stockholm Vikings for Ariel Weinstein, just a few days ago.  It was a deal to help New York in their aspirations to win a Continental Cup and it was a deal to help Stockholm get a little younger in net.  I also have to admit that I was very close to retiring after finding this news out.  I had come to dislike the Vikings since my last time there and had very little interest being a part of a younger, rebuilding team when I would soon be entering my prime years.  In some ways, I still am upset.
 
Of course, I understood why the deal had to be made.  As Matthew Lynch (YEAH!) said, "the original plan was to keep you around longer, but with the current direction of the team combined with the offer that was available, it ultimately made sense to do this deal."  He is right and I couldn't even deny that given the plans he and I had discussed, that it made perfect sense.  However, that didn't make it feel any better.  What probably made it worse was I had to suck it up in a locker room that couldn't wait for the deal to happen.  In a locker room that I had been a part of for seventeen seasons, and for a lot of it, a leader in it.
 
Four players, including Hall of Famer's Ryan Sullivan and Brick Wahl, played for the New York Americans.  In a lot of ways, when I was traded from the Calgary Wranglers for Skylar Rift, in order to GM the Americans, that is sorta where I felt like I belonged in this league.  I became a member of the Board of Governors just a year later and went on a fantastic run as I, along with the likes of @sterling, @tfong, @boom and @Smarch helped continue the legacy that the likes of Sterling, James, @Streetlight and @Mr. Power created.  It felt right at the time to hand the team off to @YEAH!stlemania when I did, but I also have to admit, that I have had regrets since.  Not due to his ability to GM, because I never had doubts about it, but that it perhaps was too soon for me to do it.  With all that being said, I knew this trade would come sooner rather than later, but I do also think that it can be hard to accept being on a rebuilding team given how long its been since I've just been a member on one.  In fact, I'm not sure I've ever just been a member on one in this league.  
 
Either way, it does seem fitting that I am leaving while another former NY star is returning in Smarch.  He's a good fit for that team and he may really lead them to a Continental Cup.  While I haven't guaranteed my long-term commitment to Stockholm, I do look forward to helping Jack with his rebuild, providing the experience I gained in New York.  Perhaps it will feel like I am not just a player if I help out so much. Maybe I will even feel like I fit in with that team he will build, which is something I haven't felt since stepping down a few seasons ago. While I am not sure I'll return to New York with future players I certainly don't regret asking for that opportunity back in Season Thirty-Two.  Not at all.

Further to my salute, I'd like to say what an honor it was to play for NY under your leadership. Thanks for making that period of Tordahl's career enjoyable and putting him in a position to succeed. Not sure if his career numbers would have been so good elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Captain Devious.

You lucky bastards.  You got lucky four times...

If Seattle does miss the playoffs as I fully expect they will, Stockholm currently holds two lottery picks as well as two firsts in the S51 draft. Help is on the way, possibly including myself.

You're a big reason for NYA's rise to one of the best franchises ever. A far cry from season 10

"It's tough being somewhere else when you have been in one place for seventeen seasons."
 
I have to admit that I was not happy when I found out I was being traded to the Stockholm Vikings.  Atticus Von Braxton IV was packaged with a pick and traded to the Stockholm Vikings for Ariel Weinstein, just a few days ago.  It was a deal to help New York in their aspirations to win a Continental Cup and it was a deal to help Stockholm get a little younger in net.  I also have to admit that I was very close to retiring after finding this news out.  I had come to dislike the Vikings since my last time there and had very little interest being a part of a younger, rebuilding team when I would soon be entering my prime years.  In some ways, I still am upset.
 
Of course, I understood why the deal had to be made.  As Matthew Lynch (YEAH!) said, "the original plan was to keep you around longer, but with the current direction of the team combined with the offer that was available, it ultimately made sense to do this deal."  He is right and I couldn't even deny that given the plans he and I had discussed, that it made perfect sense.  However, that didn't make it feel any better.  What probably made it worse was I had to suck it up in a locker room that couldn't wait for the deal to happen.  In a locker room that I had been a part of for seventeen seasons, and for a lot of it, a leader in it.
 
Four players, including Hall of Famer's Ryan Sullivan and Brick Wahl, played for the New York Americans.  In a lot of ways, when I was traded from the Calgary Wranglers for Skylar Rift, in order to GM the Americans, that is sorta where I felt like I belonged in this league.  I became a member of the Board of Governors just a year later and went on a fantastic run as I, along with the likes of @sterling, @tfong, @boom and @Smarch helped continue the legacy that the likes of Sterling, James, @Streetlight and @Mr. Power created.  It felt right at the time to hand the team off to @YEAH!stlemania when I did, but I also have to admit, that I have had regrets since.  Not due to his ability to GM, because I never had doubts about it, but that it perhaps was too soon for me to do it.  With all that being said, I knew this trade would come sooner rather than later, but I do also think that it can be hard to accept being on a rebuilding team given how long its been since I've just been a member on one.  In fact, I'm not sure I've ever just been a member on one in this league.  
 
Either way, it does seem fitting that I am leaving while another former NY star is returning in Smarch.  He's a good fit for that team and he may really lead them to a Continental Cup.  While I haven't guaranteed my long-term commitment to Stockholm, I do look forward to helping Jack with his rebuild, providing the experience I gained in New York.  Perhaps it will feel like I am not just a player if I help out so much. Maybe I will even feel like I fit in with that team he will build, which is something I haven't felt since stepping down a few seasons ago. While I am not sure I'll return to New York with future players I certainly don't regret asking for that opportunity back in Season Thirty-Two.  Not at all.