Advantage

Just wanted to bump this with the finance cutoff right around the corner. By the looks of things everyone is in agreement with 1.5 instead of 1.75 for the 400-500 TPE bracket while on a rookie contract.

BRENDAN MARNER: LOCK FOR FIRST BALLOT HOF?
 
Brendan Marner enters the VHL Board of Governors' attention for the first time when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration, as of this year.  After a career that saw him record 685 points in 504 games (remarkable total given seven seasons) and an impressive 1622 hits to go along with it; Marner was an impressive power forward for his excellent seven season career, spent entirely on Warsaw. 
 
This actually was a fairly interesting conversation in the Board of Governors and while I won't go too in detail, but it certainly wasn't a unanimous opinion on whether Marner deserved to be a first ballot Hall of Fame player ot not.  Once I started diving into it though, while he had a few award wins, it was his All-Star Team finishes that seemed most impressive to me on first notice.  To be considered a top-6 forward in the league in four of his seven seasons seemed like an absolutely ridiculous accomplishment.  Once I looked into it, it was even more impressive as he had four finishes in the Top-3 of the league in points, which is incredible company I would have to imagine (maybe I will look into that at some point).  This goes with two Top-5 finishes in goals and four Top-10 finishes in assists.  
 
To me that was the moment I had to say he deserved it 100% and while I am not sure how the vote will go, I hope this becomes the end result because that kind of elite statistic in a league full of as much parity as the VHL has, would deserve such a prestigious honour in my opinion.

Jensen Quitting Hockey?
 
Viktor Jensen stunned some reporters today at his home in Oslo when he announced that he may be stepping away from the sport of hockey to pursue a career in the links.
 
”I’m definitely going to play a lot of golf this off-season. Keeps me active and I really enjoy it.  I’ve definitely thought about golf after hockey.  Could happen soon even as my body has been telling me that it’s taking a toll from all the physicality.  Hard to say, but I am definitely looking forward to a relaxing off-season mixed with hopefully some tournaments and training.”
 
Jensen is coming off what he even admitted to being a pretty difficult first season in the Victory Hockey League. The rookie recorded 33 points in 72 games and was once again hit quite a lot compared to his peers.  This comes off a VHLM season that saw Jensen as one of the most heavily hit in the entire league. Despite staying relatively healthy, he has mentioned potentially an off-season operation for something he was playing through.  No announcement on what that could be yet though. 

I think it has to be Marner and Booberry for the players.
 
For the builders (if we decide to vote this year), the two I’d be picking between would be Eno (for long-term GMing, helping with key things like the Hybrid atts and general significance of being the first member to make a 2000 TPE player) and Acyd (for commissioner work across three leagues with the E being built up from scratch).

Jensen Struggles
 
Viktor Jensen has not been having an easy go of it lately.  With the Nighthawks having a tough season being one of the lower ranked squads in the Victory Hockey League, some attention has been shown to a struggling over Viktor Jensen during the clubs mediocre start to the year. 
 
“I expected a bit better quality to be honest.  He plays an honest game and he does show flashes, but I think he’s been a bit of a disappointment.  The offense just hasn’t been there liked you hoped it would be Gotta think the Nighthawks want a little bit more from him.”
- Anonymous VHL Executive
 
Jensen was sitting close in second place in rookie scoring after the first leg of the season, before falling significantly down, currently sitting 17 points back of Jasper Davis for the lead.  Jensen though doesn’t seem to be concerned:
 
“I know what I can bring. It hasn’t been my best campaign, but it’s my first season out of the VHLM.  Davis spent his in Geneva of the VHLE.  I will grow at my own pace.”

I should not be a Commish
 
Good evening y’all for this fairly late PT I am submitting.  I am here to discuss what I would do as a commish in the VHL but more importantly why I shouldn’t be a commissioner probably ever!
 
For those that don’t know, there was a very real chance I could have became one at point. In fact, if not for Victor not taking my interest as anything more than a joke, I may just have donned blue at one point in this league. Alas, it was likely for the best that didn’t happen. 
I have been doing these sim leagues since I was around twelve years old (fun fact I’m 31 now). I have held many positions in a ridiculous amount of leagues in numerous different sports. I have been a GM, a Simmer, a Grader, a Magazine Writer and yes, even a Commissioner. And it hasn’t always been my best performance, commissioner that is. 
 
I have commished in several leagues including most notably the MFA (Madden Football Association) where things were notoriously hectic as multiple older football leagues joined together and ultimately struggled to co-exist at time. Although, positive news is some of the remnants came through and eventually joined other leagues including the Victory Hockey League.  So I guess it’s not all bad.  
 
With that being said if the league was ever dumb enough to give me such a role I probably wouldn’t do anything too crazy.  
 
I would want to bring back something similar to the VHL Mag or perhaps branch out the VSN Presentation a bit. This was always one of my favourite parts of these leagues, and like the Portal can be quite an eye catcher to newer members, especially if they are being featured.   Heck we used to have people pay to be featured!
 
Additionally, I’d want to rebrand every teams logo in conjunction with my new reign of terror.  Everyone needs a new logo and a fresh cut with brand new jerseys and fits. I would want the Christopher Miller Era to be one of similar hockey but with cooler uniforms!
 
I’d also like to really incorporate some kind of money reward system similar to SHL as more of a side option for equipment to boost attributes or even to work on lesser statistics specifically, like team bonding sessions to increase leadership. 
 
Finally, I would close the book on our statistical records and accomplishments and enter a new era with 10 season caps. 8 and 9 are not enough and I want an even 10 to be what our players can experience when they get to the pros.  We don’t get enough time with our creations and why put such a low cap on some of the greatest careers in the history of ice and pucks. 
So obviously I wouldn’t be a very good Commish.  Those ideas are likely beyond trash but ultimately with the goal being to improve our league. That’s what matters…I’ve been in this league since Season 17 (I don’t count my inactive S12 12 TPE ass) and the league has drastically made incredible growth over time. 

Good article @Alex, although I feel like for the Stolzy, Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro qualifies no?  And with those numbers, I imagine he’s more than just in the race. 

1. Foo Fighters at Wembley for me.  
 
2. Team has been about what I expected but we've been better of late so hopefully we will see it keep up.
 
3. Currently finishing Manifest and watching through Virgin River with the wife.  I'd probably recommend both though Manifest is incredibly cringe.  I love the cringe but is what it is.
 
---
 
1. You can blow up one Fast Food Company from this planet with the hands of whatever God you believe in.  Which one is it?
 
2. If you are being approached by your greatest enemy that is threatening yours and your entire team's lives, and you have the ability to destroy them but have to sacrifice multiple members of your team that are currently captured by them.  Are you taking that shot and why?
 
3. Greatest memory as a member in this league?

I genuinely am curious how it isn’t “easy” for Marner? Not to come after anyone specifically but those are some pretty ridiculous accomplishments for someone that played 504 games (4 of 7 seasons as a top 6 forward in the league is very elite). 
 
I am 100% Booberry and Marner here myself but curious to hear other arguments if people feel that way.  I might do a little deep dive myself tonight too so I’ll post stuff here if so. 

VHL Trade Wars: Edition 9 (Season 60 Off-Season)

 
Good evening and Happy Canada Day to any of my fellow Canadians.  I decided to be a little bit of a procrastinator and save my media spot writing until Saturday evening, but ultimately better late in the week rather than not doing it at all.  This Trade Wars will have a few more trades involved as the overall bulk of the moves isn’t as large as some of the last few trades we have looked at.  So this edition will see three transactions looked at as there are only three other moves to review in the Season 60 Off-Season, and once again we see some familiar faces that seemed to have dominated the Season 60 Off-Season’s transaction log.
 
There are two themes that this edition has going for it with veteran players looking to win their first and only Continental Cups and a salary cap scramble, with the Calgary Wranglers looking to get under the cap ceiling and two teams looking to take advantage.  So buckle up as we look at three more moves that shaped the rest of the Season 60 off-season and gave the audience of our league more perspective on who may come out on top during the campaign.   
 
--------------------
 
S60 OFF-SEASON
 
To DAV 
D - Luca Volkov @Kyle
 
To TOR
S62 DAV 3rd Round Draft Pick (F - Kasper Loh @MrMaxx44)
 
General Managers: @Tyler (Davos), @DollarAndADream  (Toronto)
 
Date: June 14th, 2018
 
This trade sees the Davos Dynamo, who are entering a season where they are looking to compete for the Continental Cup, adding a veteran defender in Luca Volkov who was entering the final season in his VHL career.  Volkov, whose player agency has a familiar history with the Dynamo franchise, had played the previous six seasons as a member of North American organizations, with time spent in Calgary, New York and then Toronto.  
 
Over the course of his time in Davos, he would have a decent year as a solid accessory piece on the backend.  He finished the season with his worst offensive performance in six full seasons in the VHL, but still finished with a solid 46 points, 94 hits and 91 blocked shots in the most limited his minutes had been since entering the league.  In almost heroic fashion though, Volkov would step up for the S61 Playoffs, recording 8 points, 8 hits and an incredible 24 blocked shots over 14 games on route to the Continental Cup.  This was Volkov’s first and only Continental Cup in his VHL career, and the fact that he was able to step up and play a pretty important role during their run, just caps off his career in the best way possible.
 
During his entire VHL career, Luca Volkov would record 330 points in 447 career games, and added on 1081 hits and 720 blocked shots over that seven season (S55 was just a 15 game campaign for Volkov) career.  He would play on some really solid teams that just couldn’t follow through in the playoffs, finishing with 57 career playoff games and a respectable 35 points.  He also even put some time in on an awful young team that relied on the veteran to be one of the only go-to players, as he finished with 53 points and a statistically horrendous -102 plus-minus.  He certainly had a noteworthy career and it’s nice to see that not only did Davos get what they wanted out of this deal, but so did the player.
 
Toronto really shouldn’t receive much criticism or anything here.  They simply were doing right by the player in moving him off to a team that could compete for the Continental Cup, and basically were just giving him away for a cheap asset.  The pick they received was used on a forward by the name of Kasper Loh, who signed briefly with the Saskatoon Wild before showing a disinterest in playing professionally and moving on from the league.  There was no official word on why he chose not to continue on his hockey journey, but the only rumour I had heard was that his family business was a better fit due to the unlikelihood of making it to the pros.  
 
Winner: Davos @Tyler - It kinda has to be doesn’t it?  The Dynamo were looking to bring in a veteran defender to give them some solid minutes and hoped to return a Continental Cup run in his final season in exchange.  The Dynamo went on to win the Continental Cup and Volkov not only had a near 50 point campaign in a more limited role, but he also stepped up in the playoffs to help win it all.  Toronto didn’t make a bad move but ultimately the pick they made just never ended up getting it going.  Tough break but at least they did right by the player and Volkov got his chance to get his name in the history books.
 
--------------------
 
To TOR
F - Slava Aleksei @Tyler
S62 CGY 3rd Round Draft Pick (F - Jack Stucky @stucky71)
 
To CGY
D - Boner @Corco
 
General Managers: @DollarAndADream  (Toronto), @Bushito (Calgary)
 
Date: June 15th, 2018
 
This trade was one of two parts of the Calgary Wranglers trying to get under the league salary cap and this one even had a bit of controversy that I will briefly touch on first.  This trade saw Calgary move veteran defender Slava Aleksei, to the Toronto Legion along with a pick for Boner, a depth defender.  Aleksei, who is represented by the agency that runs the Davos Dynamo at the time, was pretty unhappy as they didn’t feel Calgary made any effort whatsoever to consider their player’s wishes in playing for Davos, and proceeded to move him to Toronto without communicating anything about a transaction.  This was in part due to the cap issue and Calgary scrambling to get under, but it is important to note that Aleksei would end up being moved to Davos during the regular season, in order to give him a chance at the Continental Cup (that they would win!) as opposed to being on the hopeless Legion who were in the midst of a rebuild.
 
As already stated, the Toronto Legion acquired Aleksei, who was fresh off another impressive season with 22 goals and 68 points to go along with 141 blocked shots in 72 games.  This was an excellent accomplishment for a veteran defender in his fifth year in the league as it was his first time surpassing the twenty-goal-plateau as a defender during his career, only having more than that as a forward in his rookie campaign.  Aleksei went on to play six full seasons, ending it with his Cup in Davos, and finished his career with 415 points in 432 games to go along with 659 blocked shots, five of which he played on the backend. 
 
The Legion also acquired a third round pick that they would use to select Jack Stucky, a Canadian winger who played 137 games over the span of two seasons in the VHLM, first with Yukon and then Oslo.  Over that span, he scored 32 goals and recorded 77 points, with all but 7 of those points coming in his second VHLM season, with the Oslo Storm.  Despite being drafted, his development just never got off the ground and while he showed some glimpses during the Season 62 campaign, some concerns were released about work ethic and overall talent, and Stucky would be let go and never seen in the VHL Professional System again.
 
The Calgary Wranglers got some much needed cap relief out of this deal, but also acquired Boner, a defenseman who was in the prime of his career and was known as a depth defensive defenseman.  Boner went on to play an impressive 576 games in the VHL and would record 211 points, 1972 hits and 1058 blocked shots, reaching the 1000-1000 club.  Boner played for Stockholm, Calgary, Riga and Toronto over the course of his career, with him being mostly known for his time with the Wranglers and his one explosive offensive season that he had with the Riga Reign.  However, it was his final season with the Legion where he captured his first and only Continental Cup, contributing a goal, 26 hits and 24 blocked shots over the playoff run. 
 
Winner: Draw – Yeah, I mean this is a tough one cause Aleksei ended up being moved on and he was only in his final season.  While Aleksei was definitely the best player in this deal, weighing what he could do in that one year versus Boner, who played for another four seasons in the Victory Hockey League and did so providing solid defense and physical play, is something to consider.  Ultimately I feel both teams got similar value in the end and given all that I can see, I ultimately would probably consider this is an overall draw.  I almost went with Calgary though, because their ability to clear cap space and not really lose too much on value was actually not a bad move, especially given the amount of criticism Bushito received for the transaction.  Not necessarily a defender of him not notifying a player of a potential move (cause I have been on that side of things and it can definitely be
frustrating) but it was still an okay deal all-around I think.
 
--------------------
 
To CGY
S62 QUE 4th Round Draft Pick (G - Matt Aloisi @twoplayable)
 
To QUE
F - Josh Stronk @Beerfridge
 
General Managers: @Bushito (Calgary), @Beaviss (Quebec City)
 
Date: June 15th, 2018
 
This was the second and final trade to get Calgary under the cap and involved them trading young forward Josh Stronk for a S62 QUE 4th Round Draft Pick, which is pretty much as good as nothing.  In fact, some teams had passed on their pick before the selection was made.  Quebec City swooped on in and acquired the player who has a well-known agency in the sim league world.
 
Calgary moved Stronk, a young Canadian forward entering his third season of professional play, for essentially nothing, a fourth round pick used on goaltender, Matt Aloisi, who played one season with the Saskatoon Wild in Season 61, before dropping out of the VHLM Farm System.  During that season, Aloisi would go 6-17-2 for a 4.54 GAA and .857 Save percentage, in what was a fairly inconsistent 25 games for the Wild.
 
The Quebec City Meute swooped in and acquired Stronk, a young Canadian forward who had just finished his fifth season in the VHLM, three of which were with the Saskatoon Wild.  He was an incredible VHLM talent, who recorded a remarkable 430 points in 362 games over the course of his six seasons in the minors.  These tremendous statistical accomplishments were capped off by three consecutive Founder’s Cups, and with three different clubs (Yukon Rush, Saskatoon Wild and Oslo Storm).  Stronk finished his career by playing two seasons in the VHL; his first with New York and his second with Helsinki.  The two seasons he played were fairly similar statistically as he recorded 71 points and 114 hits over his 144 games in the VHL, where he played as a 2nd line center on two fairly mediocre squads.
 
Winner: Quebec City….kinda? – I personally think I have to say Quebec City since Stronk had a solid VHLM career and played a couple seasons in the minors, while the player that was involved on the other side of things played 25 goals before being going released and going unsigned in the VHLM.  With that being said, this is barely a win since Stronk didn’t debut on the VHL side of things until Season 62 and played a minimal role on a rebuilding club.  With that being said, Stronk was known as a great teammate and a breath of fresh air at Training Camps, so I give the Meute the win since he’s someone that brings joy to people’s faces in the locker room.  Plus he is a 6”8 250 lb behemoth who had the nickname “The Iron Giant”, so obviously he is the best player in the deal.
 
--------------------
 
And with that the ninth edition the VHL Trade Wars is complete and we have completed the Season 60 Off-Season, which had a tremendous amount of trades made.  This one saw three interesting moves made involving later round picks and veterans looking to end their career with some glory, and thankfully they did indeed find this success.  Luca Volkov and Slava Aleksei went on to win the Continental Cup in their final season, as a member of the Davos Dynamo.  A tremendous finish for two solid veteran defenders, and one that makes that tremendous cup win a really precious memory for the Victory Hockey League.
 
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the VHL Trade Wars and I look forward to bringing you the next edition, which will move on to Season 61 as I strive to continue breaking down the trades that shaped our incredible league history.  Once again, Happy Canada Day and I hope you all enjoy your day and continue to live life with your head up (if you can’t tell my stoner brain has taken over by the time I finished this article).
 
 
- 2024 Words (Claiming Week 1 of 4)
 
 

Jensen Having Decent Rookie Campaign; Nighthawks Fans Looking Towards S90 Draft
 
Viktor Jensen currently sits third in VHL Rookie Scoring with 18 points in 33 games.  The Norweigan center has played a solid 2nd line center role on the rebuilding Malmo Nighthawks, who have mostly struggled this season despite a decent start.  He has even been fairly physical and has improved on draws as the course of the season has progressed, so that’s a positive sign of hopefully things to come.
 
The Malmo Nighthawks fans are already seemingly looking towards the Season 90 Draft which features tremendous prospects like YaBoi Oven, Walter Fitzroy Jr and Maxim Anisimov, among others showing out through the currently VHLM Season.  One fan was quoted on a local Malmo podcast saying this:
 
“I feel like we are heading in the right direction ultimately.  We need to bottom out with how strong this draft is and use it to get that final piece before moving to try and compete.  If our young guys continue to develop, that’s going to be an awesome addition to them.  Especially Jensen who has had a decent first season in the league, especially given his age.”
 
Time will tell whether the Malmo Nighthawks will be able to bounce back and try and make a run closer to the VHL Playoffs, but they definitely seem to be trending towards the lottery in what looks like an excellent draft, so it could be a tremendous chance for the team to load up on another elite building block.

VHL Trade Wars: Edition 9 (Season 60 Off-Season)

 
Good evening and Happy Canada Day to any of my fellow Canadians.  I decided to be a little bit of a procrastinator and save my media spot writing until Saturday evening, but ultimately better late in the week rather than not doing it at all.  This Trade Wars will have a few more trades involved as the overall bulk of the moves isn’t as large as some of the last few trades we have looked at.  So this edition will see three transactions looked at as there are only three other moves to review in the Season 60 Off-Season, and once again we see some familiar faces that seemed to have dominated the Season 60 Off-Season’s transaction log.
 
There are two themes that this edition has going for it with veteran players looking to win their first and only Continental Cups and a salary cap scramble, with the Calgary Wranglers looking to get under the cap ceiling and two teams looking to take advantage.  So buckle up as we look at three more moves that shaped the rest of the Season 60 off-season and gave the audience of our league more perspective on who may come out on top during the campaign.   
 
--------------------
 
S60 OFF-SEASON
 
To DAV 
D - Luca Volkov @Kyle
 
To TOR
S62 DAV 3rd Round Draft Pick (F - Kasper Loh @MrMaxx44)
 
General Managers: @Tyler (Davos), @DollarAndADream  (Toronto)
 
Date: June 14th, 2018
 
This trade sees the Davos Dynamo, who are entering a season where they are looking to compete for the Continental Cup, adding a veteran defender in Luca Volkov who was entering the final season in his VHL career.  Volkov, whose player agency has a familiar history with the Dynamo franchise, had played the previous six seasons as a member of North American organizations, with time spent in Calgary, New York and then Toronto.  
 
Over the course of his time in Davos, he would have a decent year as a solid accessory piece on the backend.  He finished the season with his worst offensive performance in six full seasons in the VHL, but still finished with a solid 46 points, 94 hits and 91 blocked shots in the most limited his minutes had been since entering the league.  In almost heroic fashion though, Volkov would step up for the S61 Playoffs, recording 8 points, 8 hits and an incredible 24 blocked shots over 14 games on route to the Continental Cup.  This was Volkov’s first and only Continental Cup in his VHL career, and the fact that he was able to step up and play a pretty important role during their run, just caps off his career in the best way possible.
 
During his entire VHL career, Luca Volkov would record 330 points in 447 career games, and added on 1081 hits and 720 blocked shots over that seven season (S55 was just a 15 game campaign for Volkov) career.  He would play on some really solid teams that just couldn’t follow through in the playoffs, finishing with 57 career playoff games and a respectable 35 points.  He also even put some time in on an awful young team that relied on the veteran to be one of the only go-to players, as he finished with 53 points and a statistically horrendous -102 plus-minus.  He certainly had a noteworthy career and it’s nice to see that not only did Davos get what they wanted out of this deal, but so did the player.
 
Toronto really shouldn’t receive much criticism or anything here.  They simply were doing right by the player in moving him off to a team that could compete for the Continental Cup, and basically were just giving him away for a cheap asset.  The pick they received was used on a forward by the name of Kasper Loh, who signed briefly with the Saskatoon Wild before showing a disinterest in playing professionally and moving on from the league.  There was no official word on why he chose not to continue on his hockey journey, but the only rumour I had heard was that his family business was a better fit due to the unlikelihood of making it to the pros.  
 
Winner: Davos @Tyler - It kinda has to be doesn’t it?  The Dynamo were looking to bring in a veteran defender to give them some solid minutes and hoped to return a Continental Cup run in his final season in exchange.  The Dynamo went on to win the Continental Cup and Volkov not only had a near 50 point campaign in a more limited role, but he also stepped up in the playoffs to help win it all.  Toronto didn’t make a bad move but ultimately the pick they made just never ended up getting it going.  Tough break but at least they did right by the player and Volkov got his chance to get his name in the history books.
 
--------------------
 
To TOR
F - Slava Aleksei @Tyler
S62 CGY 3rd Round Draft Pick (F - Jack Stucky @stucky71)
 
To CGY
D - Boner @Corco
 
General Managers: @DollarAndADream  (Toronto), @Bushito (Calgary)
 
Date: June 15th, 2018
 
This trade was one of two parts of the Calgary Wranglers trying to get under the league salary cap and this one even had a bit of controversy that I will briefly touch on first.  This trade saw Calgary move veteran defender Slava Aleksei, to the Toronto Legion along with a pick for Boner, a depth defender.  Aleksei, who is represented by the agency that runs the Davos Dynamo at the time, was pretty unhappy as they didn’t feel Calgary made any effort whatsoever to consider their player’s wishes in playing for Davos, and proceeded to move him to Toronto without communicating anything about a transaction.  This was in part due to the cap issue and Calgary scrambling to get under, but it is important to note that Aleksei would end up being moved to Davos during the regular season, in order to give him a chance at the Continental Cup (that they would win!) as opposed to being on the hopeless Legion who were in the midst of a rebuild.
 
As already stated, the Toronto Legion acquired Aleksei, who was fresh off another impressive season with 22 goals and 68 points to go along with 141 blocked shots in 72 games.  This was an excellent accomplishment for a veteran defender in his fifth year in the league as it was his first time surpassing the twenty-goal-plateau as a defender during his career, only having more than that as a forward in his rookie campaign.  Aleksei went on to play six full seasons, ending it with his Cup in Davos, and finished his career with 415 points in 432 games to go along with 659 blocked shots, five of which he played on the backend. 
 
The Legion also acquired a third round pick that they would use to select Jack Stucky, a Canadian winger who played 137 games over the span of two seasons in the VHLM, first with Yukon and then Oslo.  Over that span, he scored 32 goals and recorded 77 points, with all but 7 of those points coming in his second VHLM season, with the Oslo Storm.  Despite being drafted, his development just never got off the ground and while he showed some glimpses during the Season 62 campaign, some concerns were released about work ethic and overall talent, and Stucky would be let go and never seen in the VHL Professional System again.
 
The Calgary Wranglers got some much needed cap relief out of this deal, but also acquired Boner, a defenseman who was in the prime of his career and was known as a depth defensive defenseman.  Boner went on to play an impressive 576 games in the VHL and would record 211 points, 1972 hits and 1058 blocked shots, reaching the 1000-1000 club.  Boner played for Stockholm, Calgary, Riga and Toronto over the course of his career, with him being mostly known for his time with the Wranglers and his one explosive offensive season that he had with the Riga Reign.  However, it was his final season with the Legion where he captured his first and only Continental Cup, contributing a goal, 26 hits and 24 blocked shots over the playoff run. 
 
Winner: Draw – Yeah, I mean this is a tough one cause Aleksei ended up being moved on and he was only in his final season.  While Aleksei was definitely the best player in this deal, weighing what he could do in that one year versus Boner, who played for another four seasons in the Victory Hockey League and did so providing solid defense and physical play, is something to consider.  Ultimately I feel both teams got similar value in the end and given all that I can see, I ultimately would probably consider this is an overall draw.  I almost went with Calgary though, because their ability to clear cap space and not really lose too much on value was actually not a bad move, especially given the amount of criticism Bushito received for the transaction.  Not necessarily a defender of him not notifying a player of a potential move (cause I have been on that side of things and it can definitely be
frustrating) but it was still an okay deal all-around I think.
 
--------------------
 
To CGY
S62 QUE 4th Round Draft Pick (G - Matt Aloisi @twoplayable)
 
To QUE
F - Josh Stronk @Beerfridge
 
General Managers: @Bushito (Calgary), @Beaviss (Quebec City)
 
Date: June 15th, 2018
 
This was the second and final trade to get Calgary under the cap and involved them trading young forward Josh Stronk for a S62 QUE 4th Round Draft Pick, which is pretty much as good as nothing.  In fact, some teams had passed on their pick before the selection was made.  Quebec City swooped on in and acquired the player who has a well-known agency in the sim league world.
 
Calgary moved Stronk, a young Canadian forward entering his third season of professional play, for essentially nothing, a fourth round pick used on goaltender, Matt Aloisi, who played one season with the Saskatoon Wild in Season 61, before dropping out of the VHLM Farm System.  During that season, Aloisi would go 6-17-2 for a 4.54 GAA and .857 Save percentage, in what was a fairly inconsistent 25 games for the Wild.
 
The Quebec City Meute swooped in and acquired Stronk, a young Canadian forward who had just finished his fifth season in the VHLM, three of which were with the Saskatoon Wild.  He was an incredible VHLM talent, who recorded a remarkable 430 points in 362 games over the course of his six seasons in the minors.  These tremendous statistical accomplishments were capped off by three consecutive Founder’s Cups, and with three different clubs (Yukon Rush, Saskatoon Wild and Oslo Storm).  Stronk finished his career by playing two seasons in the VHL; his first with New York and his second with Helsinki.  The two seasons he played were fairly similar statistically as he recorded 71 points and 114 hits over his 144 games in the VHL, where he played as a 2nd line center on two fairly mediocre squads.
 
Winner: Quebec City….kinda? – I personally think I have to say Quebec City since Stronk had a solid VHLM career and played a couple seasons in the minors, while the player that was involved on the other side of things played 25 goals before being going released and going unsigned in the VHLM.  With that being said, this is barely a win since Stronk didn’t debut on the VHL side of things until Season 62 and played a minimal role on a rebuilding club.  With that being said, Stronk was known as a great teammate and a breath of fresh air at Training Camps, so I give the Meute the win since he’s someone that brings joy to people’s faces in the locker room.  Plus he is a 6”8 250 lb behemoth who had the nickname “The Iron Giant”, so obviously he is the best player in the deal.
 
--------------------
 
And with that the ninth edition the VHL Trade Wars is complete and we have completed the Season 60 Off-Season, which had a tremendous amount of trades made.  This one saw three interesting moves made involving later round picks and veterans looking to end their career with some glory, and thankfully they did indeed find this success.  Luca Volkov and Slava Aleksei went on to win the Continental Cup in their final season, as a member of the Davos Dynamo.  A tremendous finish for two solid veteran defenders, and one that makes that tremendous cup win a really precious memory for the Victory Hockey League.
 
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the VHL Trade Wars and I look forward to bringing you the next edition, which will move on to Season 61 as I strive to continue breaking down the trades that shaped our incredible league history.  Once again, Happy Canada Day and I hope you all enjoy your day and continue to live life with your head up (if you can’t tell my stoner brain has taken over by the time I finished this article).
 
 
- 2024 Words (Claiming Week 1 of 4)
 
 

Jensen Having Decent Rookie Campaign; Nighthawks Fans Looking Towards S90 Draft
 
Viktor Jensen currently sits third in VHL Rookie Scoring with 18 points in 33 games.  The Norweigan center has played a solid 2nd line center role on the rebuilding Malmo Nighthawks, who have mostly struggled this season despite a decent start.  He has even been fairly physical and has improved on draws as the course of the season has progressed, so that’s a positive sign of hopefully things to come.
 
The Malmo Nighthawks fans are already seemingly looking towards the Season 90 Draft which features tremendous prospects like YaBoi Oven, Walter Fitzroy Jr and Maxim Anisimov, among others showing out through the currently VHLM Season.  One fan was quoted on a local Malmo podcast saying this:
 
“I feel like we are heading in the right direction ultimately.  We need to bottom out with how strong this draft is and use it to get that final piece before moving to try and compete.  If our young guys continue to develop, that’s going to be an awesome addition to them.  Especially Jensen who has had a decent first season in the league, especially given his age.”
 
Time will tell whether the Malmo Nighthawks will be able to bounce back and try and make a run closer to the VHL Playoffs, but they definitely seem to be trending towards the lottery in what looks like an excellent draft, so it could be a tremendous chance for the team to load up on another elite building block.

VHL Trade Wars: Edition 8 (Season 60 Off-Season)

 
To QUE
S62 DAV 2nd Round Draft Pick (Roctrion King) @Romaris
 
To DAV 
D - Alvara Jokinen @Ahma
 
General Managers: @Beaviss (Quebec City), @Tyler (Davos)
 
Date: June 11th, 2018
 
After not feeling up to a trade reflection this past week, I am back to bring forth another episode of VHL Trade Wars.  This one will simply be looking at one trade that we saw part one of slightly featured in one of our previous editions.  I will probably try and start extending this out soon to include a few more trades in each addition but ultimately had a fairly busy week and didn’t finish this early enough.
 
The first trade we will look at involves two teams that have found their way into a lot of the moves that I have looked at over these now eight additions.  This trade is interesting because we recently talked about the pick that Quebec traded for and how the player they selected, Alvara Jokinen, ended up in Davos has his agency usually does.  This was the trade that got him on the franchise that runs through his blood and veins.  The comments on this trade (this is why I like doing this stuff) also shed light on everything involving the deal.  It was clear Beaviss thought there was a chance he could convince Ahma of being on a different team, but as he put it, his “experiment failed……”. 
 
It's hard to fault Quebec here given their leverage was pretty much next to nothing when there is only one team that the player would play for.  That being said, the second round pick that they acquired would sadly end up being the last in the round.  With the pick, the Quebec City Meute would select a Canadian forward named Roctrion King.  While he would never play on Quebec City, King would go on to have a pretty productive six season career, recording 196 goals and 379 total points in 432 career games.  He had three point-per-game seasons over the course of his career that stretched from New York, to Helsinki and then finally to Toronto for the last three seasons of his career. 
 
Davos came way with another player from the loyal Ahma agency that has been a fixture in multiple decades of the teams history.  As usual, Jokinen was a solid number two defenseman for the majority of his career finishing with a very respectable 320 points and 914 blocked shots over 432 career games in the VHL (all of which were with Davos of course).  The only likely disappointing aspect of Jokinen’s career was his disappointing 16 career playoff games over the course of his career, where he finished with just 8 points and the team was fairly stagnant over his time on the squad.
 
Verdict: Davos wins mainly due to the impact of this move being so lasting for the squad, with Ahma being a fixture on them for his entire career.  Pretty hard for anyone else to win this trade to be entirely fair to Quebec, but I guess that’s why they probably shouldn’t have drafted him in the first place.  At the very least, the player in value that was received wasn’t far off of Jokinen but nevertheless a little more underwhelming.

VHL Trade Wars: Edition 8 (Season 60 Off-Season)

 
To QUE
S62 DAV 2nd Round Draft Pick (Roctrion King) @Romaris
 
To DAV 
D - Alvara Jokinen @Ahma
 
General Managers: @Beaviss (Quebec City), @Tyler (Davos)
 
Date: June 11th, 2018
 
After not feeling up to a trade reflection this past week, I am back to bring forth another episode of VHL Trade Wars.  This one will simply be looking at one trade that we saw part one of slightly featured in one of our previous editions.  I will probably try and start extending this out soon to include a few more trades in each addition but ultimately had a fairly busy week and didn’t finish this early enough.
 
The first trade we will look at involves two teams that have found their way into a lot of the moves that I have looked at over these now eight additions.  This trade is interesting because we recently talked about the pick that Quebec traded for and how the player they selected, Alvara Jokinen, ended up in Davos has his agency usually does.  This was the trade that got him on the franchise that runs through his blood and veins.  The comments on this trade (this is why I like doing this stuff) also shed light on everything involving the deal.  It was clear Beaviss thought there was a chance he could convince Ahma of being on a different team, but as he put it, his “experiment failed……”. 
 
It's hard to fault Quebec here given their leverage was pretty much next to nothing when there is only one team that the player would play for.  That being said, the second round pick that they acquired would sadly end up being the last in the round.  With the pick, the Quebec City Meute would select a Canadian forward named Roctrion King.  While he would never play on Quebec City, King would go on to have a pretty productive six season career, recording 196 goals and 379 total points in 432 career games.  He had three point-per-game seasons over the course of his career that stretched from New York, to Helsinki and then finally to Toronto for the last three seasons of his career. 
 
Davos came way with another player from the loyal Ahma agency that has been a fixture in multiple decades of the teams history.  As usual, Jokinen was a solid number two defenseman for the majority of his career finishing with a very respectable 320 points and 914 blocked shots over 432 career games in the VHL (all of which were with Davos of course).  The only likely disappointing aspect of Jokinen’s career was his disappointing 16 career playoff games over the course of his career, where he finished with just 8 points and the team was fairly stagnant over his time on the squad.
 
Verdict: Davos wins mainly due to the impact of this move being so lasting for the squad, with Ahma being a fixture on them for his entire career.  Pretty hard for anyone else to win this trade to be entirely fair to Quebec, but I guess that’s why they probably shouldn’t have drafted him in the first place.  At the very least, the player in value that was received wasn’t far off of Jokinen but nevertheless a little more underwhelming.

Skipping the VHLE A Mistake? Jensen Struggling of Late During Malmo Skid
 
It definitely hasn’t been the easiest of rookie campaigns for the Season 89 1st Overall Pick, Viktor Jensen.  After being selected to the Malmo Nighthawks, the Norweigan forward decided to skip the VHLE and go straight to the professional level.  While it hasn’t been an awful start there have definitely been some cracks shown in Jensen’s game of late as he now sits with 5 goals and 12 points in 20 games, struggling with just 2 points in his last 6 games.
 
“He definitely is starting to show why the VHLE skip isn’t necessarily always recommended.  While his season hasn’t been unproductive, I do wonder if another season of honing his craft and dominating the VHLE would have been smarter before heading to Malmo.  We will see as the season goes on if he can improve and be a more well-rounded player, or if he will continue to struggle and ultimately potentially stunt his growth.” – Craig Button, TSN
 
Jensen still seems confident he made the right decision when he was confronted with the question after their recent 7-5 loss to Prague: “I think I am where I am supposed to be.  I made the decision along with Malmo management to move up and I will continue to bring everything I can to the table.  It's funny people just look at my decision when others made the exact same decision in this draft class, or in past ones where there has been success for the player's that have chosen to make the same decision.  No one talks about them.  I'm tired of answering these questions and will not continue to do so.  I'm happy and I will keep bringing my best to the team I belong on, the Malmo Nighthawks.”

VHL Trade Wars: Edition 8 (Season 60 Off-Season)

 
To QUE
S62 DAV 2nd Round Draft Pick (Roctrion King) @Romaris
 
To DAV 
D - Alvara Jokinen @Ahma
 
General Managers: @Beaviss (Quebec City), @Tyler (Davos)
 
Date: June 11th, 2018
 
After not feeling up to a trade reflection this past week, I am back to bring forth another episode of VHL Trade Wars.  This one will simply be looking at one trade that we saw part one of slightly featured in one of our previous editions.  I will probably try and start extending this out soon to include a few more trades in each addition but ultimately had a fairly busy week and didn’t finish this early enough.
 
The first trade we will look at involves two teams that have found their way into a lot of the moves that I have looked at over these now eight additions.  This trade is interesting because we recently talked about the pick that Quebec traded for and how the player they selected, Alvara Jokinen, ended up in Davos has his agency usually does.  This was the trade that got him on the franchise that runs through his blood and veins.  The comments on this trade (this is why I like doing this stuff) also shed light on everything involving the deal.  It was clear Beaviss thought there was a chance he could convince Ahma of being on a different team, but as he put it, his “experiment failed……”. 
 
It's hard to fault Quebec here given their leverage was pretty much next to nothing when there is only one team that the player would play for.  That being said, the second round pick that they acquired would sadly end up being the last in the round.  With the pick, the Quebec City Meute would select a Canadian forward named Roctrion King.  While he would never play on Quebec City, King would go on to have a pretty productive six season career, recording 196 goals and 379 total points in 432 career games.  He had three point-per-game seasons over the course of his career that stretched from New York, to Helsinki and then finally to Toronto for the last three seasons of his career. 
 
Davos came way with another player from the loyal Ahma agency that has been a fixture in multiple decades of the teams history.  As usual, Jokinen was a solid number two defenseman for the majority of his career finishing with a very respectable 320 points and 914 blocked shots over 432 career games in the VHL (all of which were with Davos of course).  The only likely disappointing aspect of Jokinen’s career was his disappointing 16 career playoff games over the course of his career, where he finished with just 8 points and the team was fairly stagnant over his time on the squad.
 
Verdict: Davos wins mainly due to the impact of this move being so lasting for the squad, with Ahma being a fixture on them for his entire career.  Pretty hard for anyone else to win this trade to be entirely fair to Quebec, but I guess that’s why they probably shouldn’t have drafted him in the first place.  At the very least, the player in value that was received wasn’t far off of Jokinen but nevertheless a little more underwhelming.

I’ll take Dil on!

I’ll take Dil on!

I’ll take Dil on!

1. As me the person - @Jericho @Devise are two of my closest friends.  They were in my wedding party and both mean a great deal to me.
 
As Jensen - Probably @AJW who was a great mentor in Houston and helped a lot with the transition through the minors.  
 
2. I enjoy the camaraderie with other similar minded individuals and keeps the mind kinda busy even when life can be boring. 
 
3. I would probably choose @twists Eric Queefson.  Dude went toe to toe with me in the draft rankings and will be a special kind of Defenceman going forward. 
 
—-
 
1. What is your players spirit animal and why?
 
2. Magically you are dropped onto an expansion team and can take any single player or prospect in the league to start your team with….who ya takin?
 
3. What is one team that you would rebrand if you had the chance to? (From any of the 3 leagues)

1. As me the person - @Jericho @Devise are two of my closest friends.  They were in my wedding party and both mean a great deal to me.
 
As Jensen - Probably @AJW who was a great mentor in Houston and helped a lot with the transition through the minors.  
 
2. I enjoy the camaraderie with other similar minded individuals and keeps the mind kinda busy even when life can be boring. 
 
3. I would probably choose @twists Eric Queefson.  Dude went toe to toe with me in the draft rankings and will be a special kind of Defenceman going forward. 
 
—-
 
1. What is your players spirit animal and why?
 
2. Magically you are dropped onto an expansion team and can take any single player or prospect in the league to start your team with….who ya takin?
 
3. What is one team that you would rebrand if you had the chance to? (From any of the 3 leagues)

Hey guys! Happy to compete with you  
 
So i guess i'l pick  2 now  
 
F - Brendan Marner
D - Pierre Emile Bouchard
 
@UnkemptCL4PTP i belive it's you right ?
 
 
Thanks @Spartan
 

S89 MALMO NIGHTHAWKS CAPTAINS
Hello everyone! I am very pleased to announce our next group of leadership for the Malmo Nighthawks in S89!!

CAPTAIN - Jacob Stone - @scoop
 
ASSISTANT #1 - Viktor Jensen - @Advantage
 
ASSISTANT #2 - Ivan Retoslav - @eagle_3450
 
We've got a great team and a great locker room this season, and I'm excited to watch this team perform with our new leadership group motivating our new core. Here's to a great season for Malmo!!