dogwoodmaple

D - Yun Chiang

Game 29 D.C. Dragons vs. Prague Phantoms Talk about a game with some delayed fireworks! After a first period that saw virtually no offense, both teams woke up with a vengeance. In the second period, Prague seized control of the game with goals from Nikolas Kauppi and Saku Kotkakoivu. Their 2-0 lead seemed safe at the time, but D.C. had other arrangements. In the third period, D.C. responded with two goals of their own, thanks to Baxter Arcanum and Corey Kitson who both found the back of the net on the power play. With the game in balance, Prague turned once more to its offense to squeeze out a win which is precisely what happened. John Jameson scored the go-ahead goal, giving Prague a 3-2 lead and eventually tapped in an empty netter to seal the 4-2 victory for the Phantoms.

Game 7: Oslo Storm vs. Cologne Express In this do-or-die Game 7, it was the Cologne Express who drew first blood. In the first period, David Cobberson found the back of the net, giving the Express an early 1-0 lead that they held until the second period. In the second, Oslo struck back to nod the game at one, thanks to Ben McLaughlin. Feeling the tide beginning to turn, Cologne ratcheted up the pressure and broke through the Oslo defense twice more in the second, giving them a commanding 3-1 lead. In the final period, Oslo mounted somewhat of a comeback and clawed one goal back, but just couldn't find the equalizer. Cologne wins and leaves with the trophy.

1. I think it was fair, given the salary situation. Would've loved to not have to do it, but the front office did a good job making sure we're good with the cap and good with the roster. 2. Probably the Puk trade, to be honest. But again, I have full faith in our front office to make the right moves. 3. I am THRILLED to get Bob back! Great on the ice, great in the locker room! 4. Spoiler alert as I know who we picked now, but needless to say it was a fantastic selection. 5. I love Vancouver and would prefer to live out my time here, but I understand that the team has to come first. 6. I'd give us an 8. I think we'll make some noise in the postseason!

I've always been interested in word association, so I figured why not take some time and do it with all of the VHL franchises. Hopefully I don't end up on anyone's bad list for this. Vancouver Wolves - Greatness Am I biased? Maybe. Am I wrong? Absolutely not. We've established a great culture in Vancouver and it's clear that it has spilled out onto the ice as well. We won't let one early playoff exit knock us off course. We're aiming for the cup this season. Calgary Wranglers - Jeans There are a lot of great things to say about Calgary, but I just can't get denim out of my brain when I hear "Wranglers". Take it as a compliment, though. Who doesn't love a good pair of jeans? Los Angeles Stars - Hollywood L.A. Stars. Hollywood. It just seems like a natural fit for the Stars to go with Hollywood. Great branding and coming off a strong season with 45 wins. Chicago Phoenix - Pizza I was firmly in the New York style pizza camp...until I had deep dish. Yes, it's completely different, but man does it absolutely hit the spot. I don't know if it's because I'm hungry, but that's immediately where my mind went. Toronto Legion - Disease I guess I was thinking of Legionnaires' Disease. Probably won't be too popular in the Toronto locker room for this one, but I don't make the rules, I just make the associations. I have a fondness for the city of Toronto, if that counts for anything. D.C. Dragons - Fire I wish this one wasn't so obvious, but I can't think of a dragon without immediately picturing the fire it shoots at its enemies. Props to D.C., as their team name really rolls off the tongue. New York Americans - Wrestling Yeah, I can't explain this one. My mind immediately went to the WWE and I guess I pictured a wrestler draped in an American flag who styles himself as the New York American. Seattle Bears - Grizzly Yawn. Another obvious one, but I've never pictured a teddy bear or anything cuddly when it comes to Seattle. It's always a ferocious grizzly ready to rip your face off. HC Davos Dynamo - Switzerland Apparently, I'm on a roll with another layup. I thought my mind would go to something with "Dynamo" but that wasn't the case in the least. Malmo Nighthawks - Nightcrawler Great movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal for those who haven't seen it. Nighthawk is a fantastic mascot and this association really could've gone in a bunch of ways. Riga Reign - Royalty I went with the alliteration here and it just fits. Riga. Reign. Royalty. Getting really majestic vibes from those and I can picture the Reign's goalkeeper sitting on a throne holding a scepter. Moscow Menace - Cold There are plenty of cold cities in VHL, but for some reason Moscow makes me think of the bone-chilling weather they get in the winter time. Great for outdoor skating! Helsinki Titans - Remember Who doesn't love Coach Boone and the Titans? Great sports movie and probably the first thing I always think of when I hear "Titans" in any context. Prague Phantoms - Spooky I love Halloween and everything spooky, which is why I went with that adjective here for Prague. Nothing like a great scare to make you feel alive. London United - Parliament This one could've gone a few different ways, but I guess I had Westminster Palace on the brain and went with parliament here. Safe answer, no doubt. Warsaw Predators - Poland Womp, womp. A low end to this list, but like I said earlier I don't make the rules. I hear Warsaw and I'm immediately yelling Poland. (603 words)

F Daniel Janser @Subject056

In what would have been an absolute disaster to start the coming season, Dogwood Maple was nearly left off the team's official opening day roster. "I was talking to my agent and he asked me if I had seen the official roster that the Wolves posted for this year. I never really look at that, because I know I'll be on it. Apparently, @Frank left me off of the paperwork he turned into the league office. I would like to think it was on accident, but we all remember the helicopter incident," Maple said. When the paperwork was submitted to the league office, that normally locks in a team's roster to start the season. There are strict rules about when a player can be added or removed, but Maple does not qualify for any of those exceptions. It looked, for a time, like Dogwood Maple would be teamless this season. That was the case until a few favors were called in. "I know a couple of people down at the league office and I called them panicking about the mistake. They all knew that I should've been on that list, but just wasn't on it for whatever reason. My agent started calling everyone, I was freaking out. And they assured me that all we needed was to get @Frank on the phone and he could clear all this up since simple mistakes happen from time to time. The problem was that Frank wasn't answering his phone. Me and my agent called him probably 20 times and it went straight to voicemail. I was sure that his phone was just dead, until I had one of the folks at the league office try and call him from their own number. And wouldn't you believe it? Frank picked right up," Maple said with a grin. Fortunately for Vancouver and Maple, the mistake was fixed after just a few hours and he was properly re-added to the Wolves official roster, but the situation did cause a bit of tension in the Vancouver locker room. "I'm not saying that Frank was trying to get rid of me, but I do find it interesting that he wouldn't take my call or my agent's call, yet just picked right up when some random number called him. What's even more bizarre is that on the official roster sheet, the names were written out by hand and there seemed to be an erased sentence on there. My buddy at the office got me the document Frank turned in and I could see the old pencil marks that had been erased. So I took that, put it underneath some blank paper and shaded over the relief. And wouldn't you know it? It sure looked like the writing said "...ot Maple". Now, I don't know if that was "not Maple" or "I forgot Maple" or what, but it all just rubs me the wrong way, I'm not going to lie," Maple explained. The Wolves start the season soon with hopes of getting another championship after a disappointing early exit last season. There are unconfirmed rumors that Dogwood and Frank had to be separated after a fight in the locker room concerning all this, but no sources would speak on the record to that effect.

1. I was a little surprised, but they earned it. I always give respect to a team who takes home the ultimate prize 2. I think I'd rather lose in 7. There's just something about getting swept that feels ultra defeating. 3. I LOVE these changes! I think they'll really help us out and hopefully get us back to the finals 4. I honestly wasn't really plugged into all that news. But I'm sure the new GMs will do a great job with both of those franchises. 5. I really hope one of them wins and I think both were deserving. Love it when Wolves get recognized! 6. Uhhh...a bad golfer means to hit the ground?

Game 87: HC Davos Dynamo vs. Calgary Wranglers Both teams' defenses started off playing fantastic hockey, leading to a scoreless first period. Calgary finally broke through to take a 1-0 lead a few minutes into the second period, thanks to a goal from Sax Justice. Davos tried to answer back, but the Wranglers' defense again held strong, keeping the score 1-0 entering the final period. The Dynamo weren't finished, however, as Mason Jones tied the game with a goal in the waning minutes of regulation. Many fans seemingly thought the game was headed to overtime, but Calgary dashed those hopes with a game-winning goal with less than two minutes left in the game. Larry Abass Jr was the hero for Calgary and helped lead the Wranglers to this huge victory.

Game 47: Ottawa Lynx vs. Mexico City Kings The Lynx got off to a hot start in this decisive game, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Jagger Bomb was the first Lynx to find the back of the net, followed by Gregger McKeggegger to take control of this game. Mexico City came roaring back, however, with a goal in the second period cutting the lead in half. In the third, the Kings continued their offensive outburst with a pair of goals of their own, taking a 3-2 lead late in the game. With the minutes ticking away, FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist of the Ottawa Lynx leveled the game a three apiece with a clutch goal, ultimately sending this game to not one but two overtimes. In the second OT, McKeggegger completed his brace and clinched the enormous victory for Ottawa.

1. I was surprised...after our regular season I thought we were primed for a postseason run. 2. NOPE. If it ain't Vancouver, I couldn't care less. 3. I will let it slide. We're all due for a mistake or two. 4. Definitely hope Oreo plays well! 5. I was not surprised and truly thought everyone deserved the awards they got! 6. We were a very deep team, so I'm not sure any of us will be bringing home any hardware.

This week, Dogwood Maple was honored by the University of Georgia as they retired his jersey and raised it to the rafters. "I'm a Georgia Bulldog, through and through, and this honor is one of the highlights of my entire life. I grew up an enormous Georgia fan and spent many, many days in Athens with my family growing up. I formed some of my core memories there and it's a place I'll always consider my second home. To have my jersey retired there is just incredible. I cannot put into words what this means to me and my family," Maple said. In addition to the jersey ceremony, there was one more surprise waiting for Dogwood. When he arrived at the arena for the actual ceremony, there was a new name adorning the hockey complex. THE DOGWOOD MAPLE ARENA "I was absolutely shocked. When I walked up and saw that the name was covered up with a white banner, I just figured they were doing renovations or something. I was astounded when they dropped it and my name appeared. I spent so many hours there in college training, working, and honing my craft, which makes this honor that much more special. The blood, sweat, and tears shed there made me the hockey player I am today and I'm so thankful for all of that," Maple explained. But the fun didn't stop there! After the ceremonies wrapped up and the awards banquet ended, Maple was getting ready to head back to the hotel when he was stopped by one of the organizers. "I had an early flight the next morning, so I wanted to get plenty of rest. Thanks to my sponsorship with Delta, I get to fly first class so I knew it would be an enjoyable flight. But then someone came up to me and told me that my flight had been cancelled, which was a huge bummer. Their face lit up, so I knew it wasn't bad news though. That's when they told me that @Frank was sending his personal private jet to haul me back to Vancouver! I recently had a bad experience with helicopters and Frank, but I had full faith that he would come through. Not to mention that they even had my favorite coffee, my preferred pizza, and 19 flavors of ice cream all on board! What an incredible gesture from a great GM!" Indeed, the flight went off without a hitch and they were wheels down in Vancouver after just a few hours. The only hiccup had nothing to do with the plane or the flight, but rather Dogwood's meeting with the training and nutritional staff after his return. "So I went to meet with our training and nutritional staff, which is something I do every week, and they were not pleased. Apparently they found out that I ate four pizzas and had six ice cream sundaes on the flight back from Athens. I don't know who snitched on me, but I guess it's not that big of a deal after all. I knew I'd have to get in great shape for the coming season anyways, but that didn't stop the staff from being mad. Can't a guy enjoy a little ice cream?

NA Finals, Game 5: Seattle Bears vs. Calgary Wranglers What a game! If you like high-scoring affairs, this was the game for you. Seattle got off to a white-hot start, scoring a trio of goals in the first period to get out to a 3-0 lead. Not to be outdone, Calgary answered with a much needed goal in the last few minutes, cutting the lead to 3-1. And just as Seattle was hot in the first, Calgary took that mantle in the second. The Wranglers scored a trio of goals of their own, with Seattle squeezing in a single goal to tie the game at 4-4 heading into the final period. That final period was dominated by Calgary as All-VHL scorer Daniel Janser found the back of the net twice, sealing the 6-4 win for Calgary. What a game!

1. Sadly, I do NOT like our chances against Seattle in the first round. I have a bad feeling... 2. I did not expect them to pull off the upset. That was a huge shock around the league. 3. a B! Or maybe we're going with "bee" to keep it in the animal kingdom. 4. I know this one! A DRIZZLY BEAR!!! 5. Because they're stuffed? 6. I think McFleury will do everything in their power to advance. Fingers crossed!

Vancouver Wolves forward Dogwood Maple ended up on the injury list this week, despite not playing a game. With the Wolves preparing for the playoffs and having a bye in the first round, the mood was mostly relaxed around the Vancouver training facility as players were getting crucial rest and recuperation this week. Star forward Dogwood Maple had hoped to get some of the same. What actually transpired could end up wrecking the Wolves' chances of repeating as champs. "Well it started off innocent enough," Maple explained. "I was in Target the other day and I saw a book full of Sudoku puzzles. You know, the ones with blocks and rows and columns where you have to write in all the corresponding numbers? Well I had never really done one of those before, but I figured why not? This was the perfect week because it was a light time for us with no game. So I started doing them and I absolutely loved them. The first dozen or so were pretty easy, which was nice since I was just starting out. But the deeper I got into the book, the more I became obsessed with them, I guess you could say," Maple said. This obsession led to some concerning consequences. According to an anonymous team source, Maple started carrying the Sudoku book around with him literally everywhere he went. Working out in the team facility? Book in hand. Doing some light practice on the ice? He literally held the book in one hand and his hockey stick in the other. Maple apparently even showered with the book. When approached about the shower incident, Maple was asked about the water ruining the pages and making the ink run, which was a more than fair question. Maple had apparently thought of this already and treated the book with an anti-water spray and bought expensive water-proof ink that he was using so the puzzles wouldn't be ruined. This all finally came to a head when a couple of his teammates and him went out for coffee. "We were ready to order and Dogwood just stood there, mumbling to himself. About how "9 couldn't go there because it already showed up in the vertical column" and just repeating a bunch of numbers to himself. The barista finally just handed him a cup of black coffee and looked at us bewildered," one teammate said. The team trainer tried to sit Maple down and explain that he needed to focus a little more on hockey, but Maple simply pulled out his Sudoku book and started working right in front of the trainer, which led to Maple officially placed on the Injured List. This was the first time Maple had been designated as injured and that's what truly woke him up out of his stupor. He's made some improvements in the last day or so and is considered day-to-day for the playoffs. "I think I just let it consume me. It was really nice to get a good sense of accomplishment when I did each puzzle. I felt like I was being productive, but it spiraled out of control there a little bit. I still like to do the puzzles, but I can't let it dictate my life. Especially with this playoff run coming up, we all have to be on our A game," Maple said.

Game 1: Geneva Rush vs. Cologne Express This duel between Geneva and Cologne got off to a bit of a slow start thanks to a pair of stifling defenses, as just one goal was scored in the opening period. Erik Finck for Geneva found the back of the net, giving them a 1-0 lead as the teams entered the first intermission. Cologne, not to be outdone, answered with a goal of their own from BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson and the two teams ended the second period tied 1-1. It didn't take long for Cologne to seize control of the game, however, netting two goals in the first seven minutes of the third period which gave them a commanding 3-1 lead. Geneva scored one goal as the final minutes ticked away, but could never find the equalizer. Cologne took this one 3-2.

1. I wasn't that surprised. I knew we had a really strong roster this year. 2. I truly don't have a preference, we just have to stay focused! 3. My money is on Calgary. Just a gut feeling. 4. Not really fair for me to answer this late in the week, but I was a little surprised by how things turned out! 5. I want to win every game we play, no matter what. 6. We play our brand of hockey!

Game 515: Malmo Nighthawks vs. Helsinki Titans If you like high-flying offensive performances and incredible scoring plays, do not read any further. This was a good, old-fashioned defense battle. In the first period, Malmo broke through the stubborn Helsinki lines thanks to a great individual performance from Max Torq, which gave the Nighthawks an early 1-0 lead. As it turned out, that's all they needed to take home a victory. Both goalies stood on their heads for the next three periods as both defenses frustrated the opposition. Gritty win here for Malmo.

Game 511: Seattle Bears vs. D.C. Dragons For the first 18 minutes of this game, there was hardly any offense to speak of, but that all changed when Chip Stone found the back of the net for Seattle. That seemed to wake up the Dragons, however, as D.C. stormed back with two goals in the second period to retake the lead. Not to be outdone, Seattle rallied back with a game-tying goal from Yaroslav Bogatyrev to square the game up entering the third period. The final period was fairly even, but D.C.'s consistent attack proved too much for Seattle, as Ryan Vidot lit the goal siren for the Dragons, clinching the 3-2 victory

6 Things I Love About the Vancouver Wolves 1. My front office never gives me heck about updating at the last minute every week. I know there’s a fine line between reminding folks to update if they can and being obnoxious about it, but we never have that problem here. @Frankthreads that needle beautifully and never gives me crap about waiting until the last minute every week. 2. We have a jealousy-free, selfless locker room. I’ve been in some leagues where you can almost tell that not everybody is rooting hard for their teammates. Not that they’re rooting against them, but that they’re much more individually focused. Not here, though. Everybody in our locker room would gladly take a backseat from the spotlight if it meant bringing home another cup. We celebrate each other’s successes without reservation. 3. We have an elite press conference maker. Every week, @Gaikoku-hitomakes doing our press conference a joy and it never feels like a chore. Plus, if I’ve been really busy with IRL stuff it’s a great way to get caught up on the weekly happenings in Vancouver. There are always plenty of updates, stories, and topical biggest of information in those presser questions and really makes me feel like I’m part of a team. 4. We have an incredible logo. There’s just something about the combination of color, shape, and design that stands out among the others in the league. There’s no doubt in my mind that we have the best logo overall, not to mention how great it looks on our uniforms. Our fans have really taken to it as well, with Wolves merchandise consistently leading the league in overall sales. 5. Vancouver is a fantastic city. The fans here are incredible and the city itself is remarkable. They’ve supported us from day one and the city does a great job or really rallying around our players and coaches. Plus, Vancouver is just beautiful. It’s in a fantastic part of the country and close to so many wonderful sights in and around the area. Whether it’s hiking, big city sites, or fantastic food, we have it all here. 6. We have the best home atmosphere in the league. Our fans give us an incredibly rowdy environment every time we take the ice at home. Visiting fans know they have to be on their absolute A-game to stand a chance thanks to the energy and boost our fans give us on a nightly basis. There’s been many times this season when our fans have had a tangible impact on the game and that’s something we cannot thank them enough for. It truly takes a village to win a championship and our fans have fully bought in to the process. They show up early, they make noise, and they rattle the opponents game in and game out. Not every arena is like that, mind you. We go to some places and it feels more like a home game for us than a road trip. And sometimes that can be the difference between eeking out a victory and taking a tough loss. Come season’s end, those handful of points can make a huge difference in the playoff race.

1. I’m a big fan of both trades. Our front office hasn’t failed us yet and I have full faith in them. 2. Absolutely. That’s a heck of a duo up top! 3. I’d trade any of our starters for 15 first round picks and not a penny less. That’s how good our players are! 4. I’m not sure I see much overshadowing, but it does add a cool element. 5. I haven’t checked officially, but I bet I’ve set a career high in hits taken. Anything to help the team win! 6. I want to utterly dominate every game we play.

When you're the defending champions and currently in first place in the league, there's truly only one rival that can stand up against you - complacency. There's a reason why there's a saying about how it's harder to stay at the top than it is to get to the top. The big reason is that it's difficult to have that necessary competitive edge on a daily basis. So many teams get to the top of the mountain and just run out of gas or get soft. They celebrate their achievements and are happy to rest on their laurels, not wanting or not willing to put it all back on the line to make it happen again. That's currently what we're fighting in Vancouver and it is a daily struggle. Yes, we won a title. Yes, we're atop the table. Yes, it is tempting to downshift and just sort of coast for weeks at a time. But that's when we have to remind ourselves that there's a huge difference between winning one cup and winning multiple. Winning one could be a fluke. Winning one could just be a great run of luck. Winning one could mean the right player got incredibly hot at the right time. But winning that second one? Especially if it's a second in a row? The entire conversation changes. There are whispers of "dynasty". There are talks about front office members having a fast track to the Hall of Fame. And most importantly, there's no discounting that second title. One can be explained away by other teams. But not two. And that's our goal this year in Vancouver, but we face that complacency opponent every single time we look in the mirror. Each night, we get everyone's best shot. We get 110% effort from every opponent night in and night out and if we're not ready? If we've lost that battle with complacency that night? It could get ugly. And that's not what we want for our franchise or our incredible fans. They support us every single game and it's not fair to them if we don't put our best foot forward on the ice every single night. Now, we're not perfect and we let complacency get the better of us from time to time, but we have to continue to keep that monster at bay, especially with the playoffs right around the corner. Humility is a game away and if we let the complacency demon get us, we could be looking at a first round exit and draw the ire of all of Wolves nation. It's a constant battle, but the run we went on last season gave us the boost we need this year to fend it off as best we can. We saw what working hard every day could result in. How exuberant we all were. How every fan celebrated for days on end after we won. We know what's at stake and we know that it will all be worth it if we bring it home again. All those late nights, all that hard work, all those daily battles with complacency. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we know what's waiting for us. We just have to finish the drill.

What started as an exciting trip to Super Bowl LVII turned into an absolute nightmare for Dogwood Maple. From his in-season home in Vancouver, Maple first flew to Las Vegas for a quick weekend getaway. "Things were going great at first. I got hot at Caesars Palace and won a couple grand at the blackjack tables. I figured that was a good omen for the rest of the trip, but I could not have been more wrong," Maple explained. After Vegas, Maple hopped on a quick flight to Phoenix for some pre-game festivities in and around State Farm Stadium. "I have a couple of close friends on both teams so they let me go out on the field before the game, tour the locker rooms, and everything like that. They were also kind enough to give me a field pass during the game so I was able to hang out on both sidelines throughout the back-and-forth game. And what a game it was. Always great to be on the field for one of those games that comes down to the wire, to almost the last second of the game. Just an incredible time. But that's where the fun ended," Maple said. After the game ended, Maple was set to get a ride back to Phoenix and his hotel room, so his agent ordered him a ride. But apparently, the driver not only got lost, but accidentally picked up someone who was not Dogwood Maple. "I don't know if the driver just got turned around or what, but he just picked up some random fan and took them back to their hotel. Which is fine, stuff like that happens, so after waiting for an hour we booked another ride for me back to my hotel. Fortunately, I actually got picked up, but there was a miscommunication on where I was going," Maple said. Maple was staying at the Hilton Phoenix, but was dropped off at the Hilton Phoenix Chandler, 26 miles away. "I told the driver that we were headed the wrong way, be he assured me that he had it right. So when we got to the Hilton Phoenix Chandler, he was so sure that he told me to go ahead and check in because he had another pickup and he couldn't wait. But when I went to the front desk, they confirmed my fears that I was supposed to be at another property," Maple told us. But that's when @Frankcame in handy. The trusty Vancouver GM has a contact in the helicoptering community who was all to happy to help out. Maple had to make his way to the roof of the hotel and await pickup in the helicopter. "I'd never ridden in a helicopter before, so I was a little scared. I made sure I was buckled in tight and was white-knuckle-gripping one of the side handles. But luckily everything went fine....for a while. There was a sudden updraft and we started spinning wildly out of control, causing one of the back doors to fly open which flung all my luggage out the side. And you know what was in my luggage? You guessed it: my wallet," Maple said. After making an emergency landing some 5 miles from his actual destination, Maple was too shaken up to get back in a vehicle so he walked to the hotel. He tried to check in, but the front desk demanded an ID, which he did not have. "Luckily someone in the lobby recognized me and vouched that I was who I said I was and they let me check-in. Definitely not how I planned the trip, but I'm just glad I made it safe and sound."

1. There isn't one in particular, but I'm going to take a long look this offseason to see how I can improve. 2. I think defense. The goals will come, but being able to shut down the opponent is a huge plus. 3. I would LOVE to sign a sponsorship with a luxury car company! 4. Probably when I scored my first VHL goal. That's when I felt like I really belonged. 5. I'm definitely a Ravenclaw, zero doubt 6. They...use sticks?

1. I absolutely did! I knew that the coaching staff would put us in the best position to be successful this season. 2. After spending ice-time with them, I'm not at all surprised. Incredible talent! 3. I think our current MVP has to be our front office. They made some really key moves to keep us successful. 4. 10! We're lucky to have them 5. Most impressive attribute has been our camaraderie. We all play really well together 6. uhh....centers?