dogwoodmaple

1. That's gotta be up there with Cal Ripken's consecutive game streak and Cy Young's 511 wins. Unbreakable, untouchable! 2. I think they'll end in a tie. Our balance is our best attribute in Vegas so it seems fitting that they would end up with the same amount. 3. I'm stoked to see Pisco get High Roller! Definitely a future VHL All-Star 4. Dylan being destroyed by the bots is a timeline that I have predicted for some time. 5. I'd give out an award for team total TPE gained during a season...haven't come up with a name yet. 6. I think we'll get close....very close.

Time to give some props to some of the users who I'm grateful for and those who have made my time in VHL really fantastic so far....: I would be remiss if I didn't start with the user who picked me up as a free agent when I was brand new to the league - @Ledge. I knew absolutely nothing about this sim league, how updates worked, when the sims were, or any of the mechanics at all and ledge answered every single one of my billion questions without hesitation. I think it's safe to say that my time in the league would've gone much worse if I didn't have such a great experience in Miami as a Marauder. It was a truly great locker room and I appreciate everything Ledge did for me in South Beach. I'm honestly not sure what made me pick Miami among my other FA offers, but I am so glad that I did. Great locker room, great users, great team! Next person I want to give a shoutout to is the user who's had the biggest impact on me so far and the user I'm most grateful for... @Shindigs During the pre-draft process, Shindigs and I spoke at length and I knew it would be a great fit for a new user if I were to end up in Las Vegas. Lo and behold, I'm an Ace! And to say that Shindigs has been a fantastic GM is the understatement of the century. On top of all the stats, sim updates, and leaderboards that are always posted, Shindigs always does a great job of making sure our locker room is interactive, enjoyable, and just a great place to hang out. And that's not even mentioning the great squad he's put together in Vegas. It seems like all of us gel really well together and that certainly adds to the camaraderie in the locker room. Lastly, and definitely most importantly, has been Shindigs' willingness to help out anyone in the locker room who asks for help, whether it be from a build perspective or otherwise. We spoke at length about potential builds for my player and it never once felt like a chore to pick his brain about attributes, TPE opportunities, or anything at all for that matter. Just can't say enough! I've had a lot of GMs in my time across the various sim leagues and Shindigs and Ledge are most certainly among the best of the best as GMs and as users. Lastly, I want to throw out some rapid fire shoutouts to @Lemorse7 for our ever increasing joint locker rooms across the sim leagues, @OrbitingDeath for helping out whenever I bug you with a question, @Spartanfor all the advice and question-answering you've done for me, @samxfor the great time we've has in Vegas, @dylanjj37for instilling a hatred of bots, @Xflexzfor laying the boom on our opponents on a regular basis, @MMFLEXfor being an all around baller, @rory and @Doomsdayfor being really welcoming when I joined the server, and last but not least, I officially want to thank whichever mod approves the graphics that I post from time to time. While they might not always end up great, I always spend a lot of time to try and make 'em look at least passable. I know I'm forgetting a ton of people who have helped me along the way. If we've interacted at all in VHL so far, just know that it's appreciated and all of you have all made my VHL experience fantastic so far. I never once felt out of place and I cannot express my gratitude enough for how y'all have treated me and welcomed me into the league as a brand new user. Cheers!

1. I can't even begin to explain how incredible our goalies have been. They always pick us up when the forwards aren't scoring and keep us in every single game. Just a fantastic job all season. 2. I'm predicting a 10 game streak! 3. I can only hope so. It's time to snuff out the bots once and for all 4. I don't really know much about the E league, but I'm definitely curious to see how the picks shake out. 5. I just remind myself that I can only control what I can control. I try to work hard every single day and just focus on that. 6. I absolutely love trivia. There was one week where the question was something like "who scored the third goal on the second Tuesday of February 19 seasons ago" that I couldn't find, but other than that it's been great.

After a recent win, Las Vegas Aces center Dogwood Maple and some teammates took to the Strip to celebrate. They found their way to Caesars Palace where Maple bellied up to the blackjack table and hardly moved or an astounding 8 consecutive hours. In that time, Maple turned his initial $1,000 into a staggering $213,495 thanks to aggressive play, numerous double-downs, and some good old-fashioned luck. "Let's be honest - it's mostly luck. I mean, I split when I needed to, I doubled when I should have, and I just kept catching good cards. There were even a couple blackjacks that hit when I wagered $1,000 a hand. It was a lot of fun, there's no doubt." When asked if he would become a regular at Caesar's after games, Maple was quick to shoot down any firm associations. "Well I have that sponsorship with MGM, so I don't think they'd like me over at Caesar's too much, but I definitely like to celebrate by throwing some chips around. Even if you lose, it's great entertainment...not to mention they're pretty friendly with their pours at the bar over there. I even think Velociraptor Greg won a big payout on a slot machine, something like $75,000 on a single pull. Love to see my fellow Aces bringing home the cold-hard cash!" (218 words)

One of the downsides to a long season is the incredible amount of stress that can continually build up on each player. Whether it's the daily grind of the rigorous practice and game schedule or the ever-increasing involvement of fans and social media, stress is something every player in VHL has dealt with. As such, it's crucial for players across the league to have some sort of outlet for their stress. Some do yoga, some read or write in their spare time, and some even hike, but Las Vegas Aces center Dogwood Maple has found something else entirely to destress - gardening. "I really got into it when I was younger, but it's something that I spend a little time every day doing and I find it incredibly rewarding. Right now I've got some great tomato plants, some squash, and more pepper than I know what to do with. And yeah I eat my "crops", but it's more about the journey for me. Because when I'm in my garden, there's no cell phone, there's no television, there's no social media blowing me up. It's just me, my tools, and the plants. It's incredible peaceful." When asked how his move to Las Vegas has impacted his gardening hobby, Maple admitted that the change in climate was difficult to overcome at first. "Growing up in Georgia, we have all four seasons. Hot summers, mild falls, cool winters, and warm springs. There's really plants for anything and everything regardless of what time of year. Plus, with all the trees we have in Georgia, it's easy to get partial or full-shade plants growing really strong. When I moved to Vegas, I had to make some major adjustments, though. There's not nearly as much shade and the hot weather lasts a lot longer. Plus there's the soil differences to account for. I'm not happy to say that I lost some of my leafy greens when I first started planting them out here, but I was able to make some adjustments. And that's something else that I love about gardening - it's not just putting plants in the dirt. There's a science to it. You have to be intentional with what you plant, when you plant it, how much sun it gets, how much water, and so on. But the biggest thing for me is just the peace and quiet. When you think about your day to day life, you might not have much time at all while you're awake that you get silence. Just being outside and getting to experience that has really helped me counteract the stress of a long hockey season." Maple also added that none of his vegetables go to waste, no matter how big his harvests are. "I'll eat as much of this as I can and it usually lasts me a while. But if we ever have an extended road trip or I just can't quite make it through that week's harvest, I'll make sure to donate it to a local food bank or charity. I never let this stuff go to waste if I can help it. There's so many folks out there who struggle with access to fresh vegetables so I figure it's the least I can do. And the better I get at this whole gardening thing, the larger plots of land and more ambitious I'll get with it. It helps people, provides me some good relaxation, and is a great excuse to spend some quality time outdoors. What's not to love?" (583 words)

1. I'm going with James Kagelberg to take home the title. He's been on a tear lately and has been one of the best players in the entire league. Fantastic season for a great player. 2. Main thing I've learned is to not get too up or too down about any particular week. You have stretches of games where you overperform, stretches where you underperform, and stretches where you're somewhere in the middle. Just have to keep at it and not worry about a bad game or two. 3. I could not be more excited for the postseason. I think we could do some real damage in the playoffs. 4. I'm nervously excited. I have loved my time in Vegas and I honestly think it was the best possible landing spot for me. It'll be a sad day when I walk out of the arena for the last time, but hopefully I can help bring a championship to our wonderful fans. 5. I think it's all about how balanced our roster is. We have a handful of players who would be unquestioned stars on other rosters, but we have the depth and teamwork that results in some impressive splits. 6. I'm an avid reader!

Dogwood Maple - C 6'2" 195 lbs Atlanta, Georgia, United States VHLM Career Dogwood Maple is a center from Atlanta, Georgia. He stands 6'2" and weighs 195 lbs and played collegiately at the University of Georgia. He was drafted fourth overall by Las Vegas and immediately slotted into the first line for the Aces. Through his rookie season with Las Vegas, Maple is averaging 1.39 points per game and has been one of the main reasons the Aces are in prime playoff position. He looks to be in the running for Rookie of the Year if this play continues. Strengths Maple's main strength is his tremendous work ethic. During the scouting process, GMs were wowed by his dedication to practice, the training facility, and spending his free time studying game film. That work ethic has allowed him to stay in tremendous shape and has increased his on-ice stamina, allowing him to play increased minutes this year for the Las Vegas Aces. In addition, Maple has fantastic vision and anticipation and seems to always be one step ahead of the defense. Whether it's passing to a teammate, finding open space on the ice with the puck, or just sensing where the defense will be, Maple always puts himself and his teammates in position to advance towards the goal. Something that shouldn't be overlooked is his puckhandling, although it's not as advanced as his anticipation or work ethic. He's able to beat multiple defenders with the puck in tow and has been known to pull off a miraculous goal or two. Weaknesses One main area of concern for Maple is his discipline. He gets himself into the penalty box too often which hurts his team. He can be overly aggressive in trying to win the puck back, which leads to penalties and power play opportunities for the opposition. This lack of discipline also manifests itself when he's making quick decisions in front of goal. He sometimes gets the puck stuck on his stick and tries to play the hero role instead of passing to a teammate. Likewise, there are times when he foregoes shooting on net in favor of passing to a teammate who is in a worse offensive position than him. He also isn't the fastest skater on the ice and is routinely beat to loose pucks in the corners. He certainly works hard, but he was just not blessed with natural blazing speed. That will set a ceiling on his play and is a valid concern of general managers. Overall On the whole, Maple is a very good VHL prospect and has all the tools necessary to have a long and successful career. His defense is good enough to earn him top-line minutes, especially when you factor in his innate ability to score goals and set teammates up for easy scores. While he has some physical limitations that may hold him back, his hard work and intangibles make him one of the premier prospects in the league. Projected Draft Range We project Maple as a late first round pick in the coming VHL Draft. (513 words)

After 28 games this season, the Las Vegas Aces have quite the showing on the individual leaderboards. Both Dogwood Maple and Velociraptor Greg are in the top 10 in points on the season, with 39 and 35 respectively. In fact, Greg also leads the entire league in assists (32) and is second among all defensemen when it comes to points. Thanks to the Aces' overall team success, Maple ranks first in the league in plus/minus with three more teammates ranking in the top 10 as well: Anton Bielas (3rd), Jimmy MacElroy (6th), Velociraptor Greg (7th), and James Kagelberg (10th). Aces' legend Al Land ranks second among all players in game-winning goals with four total and he's one of just seven players to have a hat trick this season. Joining him on the hat trick list is Aces forward Anton Bielas who is putting together yet another strong campaign in Vegas. Don't think Vegas is just about scoring, though. We also have three players in the top 10 for most penalty minutes, led by Jimmy MacElroy who ranks first overall. As a team, the Aces have the second most points of any team in the league and are tied for the most wins with 21. If these numbers continue, there could be some team hardware as well as individual hardware headed to Vegas this season. (225 words)

1. I'm in both! It's a great way to keep VHL and SHL interesting with me being down in VHLM right now. I'm able to watch with interest night in and night out. 2. I think we need to just stay calm. If we start to panic, we'll let some of these mistakes compound and this thing could snowball out of control. Just stay the course. 3. It's straight up unbelievable what our maintenance and ice crew folks do. We have the best rink in all of hockey and they recovered from that unfortunate melting incident faster than expected. 4. Futch has been awesome! It wouldn't surprise me to see him take home more of those awards and end up leading the team. 5. Mostly just spending time outside! Hiking, going on walks, just enjoying nature! 6. I'm a huge college football fan and would definitely consider that my main sport that I follow. Go Dawgs!

1. I think our depth is what's carrying us. We have the ability to score at every position and we roll out line after line of elite players. 2. I love the breakdown. It's a lot more in-depth than just the box scores which is appreciated. 3. I prefer the pings. It's a good way for me to quickly see how my player did, especially if I'm on mobile and can't readily access the game links. 4. I would follow Ceson into battle. He is our fearless leader on the ice and I'm not sure we'd have the same level of success with someone else wearing the "C" 5. Easily the steal of the draft. To be a 4th round pick and have the impact that he's had so far is remarkable. Of course, that's why we drafted him! We knew what kind of potential was there. 6. I somewhat adopted the Blackhawks because I went to a game in Chicago once and had a great time. So we'll go with them.

BREAKING NEWS The Las Vegas Aces community and fanbase is in utter disbelief this morning as they awoke to the news that the ice at their home arena completely melted and turned into a swimming pool, more or less. What complicates matters is that the Aces are due to host a home game today, raising questions about what exactly the teams will do. "I saw someone on Twitter suggest that we just play water polo instead," remarked Dogwood Maple, a forward for the Aces. "And while I appreciate their creativity, I'm not sure I can tread water for that long. Do you ever watch those games at the Olympics? I'd be at the bottom of the pool after just a few minutes." A preliminary investigation ruled out foul play and seemed to lay blame on some faulty wiring inside Aces Arena that led to power surge that fried the freezing mechanism underneath the playing surface. While many in the league office are in a downright panic over what to do with scheduling and whether or not this will have long term impacts to the regular season, many Aces fans have taken a more laid back approach. In fact, just after news broke that the arena was more or less a pool, there was a line around the block of Aces fans in bathing suits, with beach towels, noodles, floats, you name it, ready to go for a swim inside the facility. "It's 100 degrees out here and they've got a nice indoor pool? Sounds like a perfect day to me," quipped Lawrence Sign, an Aces fan from nearby Henderson, NV. "Plus, it sounds like a nice way to give back to the community. We love our Aces so it's only fitting that they show us some love back. Bring on the ice water!" Sign led the fans in various chants while they waited in line that we aimed at the Las Vegas Aces owner: "DON'T BE A FOOL, OPEN THE POOL!" "LET US IN, LET US SWIM!" When asked about the potential for fans using the facility as a swimming pool, Dogwood Maple seemed keen on the idea. "Look, if they can't get it fixed, why not? I mean I'm not actually sure if it's even really a pool or if this is something that's just exploded on social media, but we have the best fans in the world and they deserve a break from this heat if you ask me. Just have to make sure they're all out of the water before it gets refrozen. That would....not be good." The Aces have issued a statement, only explaining the situation and giving a tentative timeline for fixing the problem. They have not addressed any swimming plans and simply maintain their focus on getting games going back as soon as possible. A source within the general manager's office confirmed that while he doesn't see anything wrong with letting the fans splash around, there may be some liability concerns that prevent that from happening. He also indicated that the problem with the wiring has been fixed, which should hopefully not delay the Aces' upcoming home stretch of games. On the year, the Aces currently sit in 1st place overall with 35 points and this ice-melting situation seems to be the only thing to slow them down, even momentarily. 556 words

In what he called one of the highest honors of his young career, Dogwood Maple was notified last night that his high school would be retiring his hockey jersey. Dogwood attended Midtown High School in Atlanta, Georgia and helped turn a struggling hockey program into one of the perennial powers in the nation. He led the Knights to two region titles, one State runner-up, and one State Championship. He averaged more than two points per game in his final two seasons and was voted as the most outstanding player in the state both of those seasons. "You know, I've been fortunate to receive some honors and awards in my career, but I'm not sure that any of them come close to getting my jersey retired and to see it hanging from the rafters at Stephenson Arena. This place had such an impact not only on my hockey career, but my life. It's honestly one of my favorite places in the entire world and it's so incredibly special to be honored in that way. The jersey isn't the only honor that Midtown High School has recently bestowed upon their favorite son. The locker room has a plaque denoting the location of Maple's locker during his tenure. To some, he's somewhat of a mythical figure in the history of Midtown hockey. "I mean, it's Maple, y'know?" said sophomore defenseman Andrew Sturgis. "He put us on the map and has been lighting it up in the professional ranks ever since. It's just crazy that this is where he played and this was his locker. He even bought us all brand new tablets. Can you believe that? We were totally in shock...I thought he was just coming to take some pictures or something and he rolls up with all these shopping bags with tablets for the entire team and trainers and coaches and everything. Wild." Dogwood's former coach, Daniel Orange, was also effusive with praise for his former player. "I don't think anybody's earned this as much as he has. We don't retire numbers all the time here. This is reserved for players who have had an incredible impact on our program. An impact that will last through the years...and that's definitely the situation with Dogwood. He was a joy to coach and I'm not surprised at all to see him do well at the next level. He was always willing to work and never once sat back and rested on his laurels. I'm just so proud to see where he's at right now and it means so much to our players and our program to have someone like him to be a role model for these kids. But I might need him to help me figure out this tablet. I only recently got a smart phone so I'm going to make him help out this old man." After the ceremony where the jersey was raised to the rafters, Maple gave a short speech and really emphasized how much hard work goes into receiving an honor like this and how important it is to remember your roots. "All the sweat, blood, and tears that I put into this arena all those years ago were definitely worth it. If you want to be great, you have to work harder than you ever possibly imagine. But to see my jersey up there? That makes all those hard practices, workouts, and the entire grind all worth it." (570 words)

It didn't take long for Las Vegas Aces' first round pick Dogwood Maple to make his mark for his new squad. Through four games with the Aces, he has three points and hopes that is the beginnings of a Rookie of the Year type season in Sin City. Maple has also accounted for four hits, one blocked shot, and has an impressive plus-minus of +5. Despite the strong start with his points, Maple is still searching for his first goal for the Aces, something which has eluded him thus far this season. A few of his shots have been the victims of incredible saves by opposing goalies, while more than a few of them have been just barely deflected at the last minute by an opponent. The Aces have high hopes for the season and are considered one of the favorites to win it all, but will need Maple to live up to the offseason hype and turn in some consistently elite performances game in and game out for Las Vegas. If they get the same level of play from the preseason, the Aces will be almost impossible to stop this year - not to mention that Maple will be on the shortlist for some awards if that happens. (208 words)

1. I think Juan Ceson is the true Captain of the People (and bots)! 2. Not to toot my proverbial own horn, but I'll ride with me, Anton Bielas and Rustyov Dusterov. 3. My family and I all got together for brunch and it was a fantastic weekend! 4. I love our chances to win this season! I think the main weakness is our youth...but hopefully we can overcome that once we gain some more experience. 5. I'm a little unsure of my build at the moment, but it's so early that I'm not going to get too high or too low either way. It's a long season! 6. I've never played hockey, but I would've loved to be a defenseman in real life.

@Minion

G - Cole Pearce F - Phil "The Rock" Johnson

I'll have him on defense please

F - Jonathan Ori F - Reylynn Reinhart @Minion

@Minionyou're up

D - Aurelien Moreau F - Jerome Reinhart

The newest member of the Las Vegas Aces quickly made a name for himself in his new city. Dogwood Maple, the Aces first pick in the most recent VHLM Dispersal Draft, signed a massive endorsement deal with MGM International. The deal is reportedly worth nine figures and will include commercials, appearances, and various other media obligations on behalf of MGM. In addition to the massive pay Maple will receive, he'll reportedly be comped rooms at any MGM property at any city in the world, has 24/7 access to their fleet of private jets, and even had an MGM blackjack table and poker table installed in the Aces locker room, complete with a certified dealer on call to come to the team's facility and deal cards for the team or any private function they have there. When asked about whether this will be a distraction to his on-ice performance, Dogwood quickly shot that down. "Look around - this city is one big distraction. We're in Vegas, baby! I know how to both have a good time and work hard for my team. This way, I won't have to spend time looking for hotels or anything like that. I'll be able to have a good time while doing so quite efficiently." And to help out the atmosphere in the locker room, Maple has agreed to share his perks with his teammates so they can all enjoy the benefits of MGM and their hotel and casino properties. "I figure why should I be the only one enjoying this? It's a team sport, isn't it? I want my teammates to have a good time as well. The best teams have a great balance with on and off-ice stuff, so I think that'll work perfectly here. I've already talked to coach and he's cool with it. He knows that we're professionals and that we know how to kick it into gear when we need to." (320 words)

1. I'm thrilled to be in Vegas! I think we absolutely nailed the draft and picked up some potential award winners. 2. Main thing I've been focusing on has been my strength. I've been hitting the gym to make sure I can withstand the grind of a long season. 3. I think we should allow the winner to rename any bots and their bot commands for the week. 4. My pick for assists is Dusterov and goals would have to be Anton Bielas. 5. How big? Enormous! Elephant-sized big. Game changer-type big. 6. Well he told me that if I even looked at him, he'd slug me so...I'll let my other teammates speak about that.

To say that I was nervous about the VHLM Draft would be the understatement of the century. I'd been looking forward to it for weeks and honestly didn't have a clue where I'd end up. A few teams had reached out, but nobody seemed to tip their hand about where I was on their board or how the first round would shake out. I was perhaps most nervous about a new locker room, thanks to Miami setting the bar so high. And I have to say, so far Las Vegas has checked all the boxes. They were one of the teams on my radar and I am thrilled to be an Ace and to get my first full VHLM season under way in Las Vegas. My agent and I had really productive talks with their management and it seemed like we had some mutual goals and our visions for my player and for the team lined up almost perfectly. As soon as I heard my name selected, I got on the phone with my agent who secured me a plane ticket, temporary housing, and had my bags sent out west. I wanted to have as many things already prepared as possible for my move so I could hit the ice on day one and work towards bringing a championship to Las Vegas. After the flight, I met with shindigs and the rest of the roster and I absolutely love the camaraderie we've already built. The common thread that unites us all is that we all love being in Vegas and we all want to bring a title to these incredible fans who support us 24/7. One thing that's been an adjustment, though, has been the weather. But not for the worse! Miami and Vegas can both get hotter than half a mile from the Sun, but the humidity in south Florida can be killer. Half the time I'd leave practice and felt like I was walking around in a fur-lined sleeping bag while it's 99F outside. In Vegas? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, it's still brutally hot, but the humidity is almost nothing which makes it infinitely more bearable. Not to mention that I've been known to play a hand of blackjack or two, which makes this a perfect fit for me. My goals in Vegas are clear and it's something I'll move heaven and earth to do - win a title. I truly think we have the squad to make a run this year and I'll do anything in my power to bring that trophy home. The Aces trusted a first round pick on me so the least I can do is work all day every day at winning a title for the franchise. As a rookie, I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs of the league, but my hard work and enthusiasm will hopefully make up for that. It's why I hit the gym on my first day in Vegas and why I'll be working on honing my craft day in and day out. In my mind, if you're not improving relative to your opponent, you're falling behind so there's absolutely no time to waste. Nobody became a legend overnight - it's a long process and one that I'm committed to as a Las Vegas Ace. I'll wear that uniform proudly and hope that after my last game here, I've left it a better place than when I found it. Go Aces! (578 words)

Yes, please!