Bulduray_1

Starting In Style
 
 
Vancouver - Going back to last season, Vancouver had accomplished one of the greatest feats known in hockey, winning the Continental Cup. With the likes of star players such as Alexandre Leduc, Biggie Cheese and trade deadline acquisition Sergey Preobrazhensky helped lead the Vancouver Wolves to promise land.
 
Coming into next season, the goal was just the same as last year, go and win it all. The off-season was jam packed for a team like Vancouver, who sought to build on their amazing season. By trading picks and signing players left and right to find any sort of talent to bring into their already amazing roster. This led them to bring in a few key players to help out on their run once again, most notably Nezuko. The D.C Dragon’s star forward who throughout his career, has posted very respectable offensive numbers with the teams he’s played for. 
 
Bringing in Nezuko was thought to compensate for the fact that Vancouver was going to lose Alexandre Leduc in a trade with the New York Americans for young forward Hasbulla Magomedov and a couple of other draft picks. Leduc was still fresh in the minds of many Vancouver fans, as he helped this team accomplish winning the championship. Having some of the most clutch moments on the ice throughout Vancouver’s playoff tenure. Needless to say, he will be missed by many fans and players alike in Vancouver.
 
As the season started, Vancouver kept their energy and success alive from last season. Going on an absolute tear with only a shootout loss in over eleven games played. Placing them at a well deserved first in the North American Conference. Today, we'll have star center Sergey Preobrazhensky give some of his takes on how the season has unfolded so far.
 
Reporter: "Sergey, a new season means new opportunities. How will you approach this season?"
 
Sergey: "I approach this season like any other season to be fair with you. I want to win, plain and simple, not only for myself, but also for my team. After getting a taste of winning the Continental Cup, I want to go and run it back. You can never have too much success."
 
Reporter: "Some players left the team, while other players and rookies joined the team. What are your thoughts on this?"
 
Sergey: "It’s great to have some new players out on the ice with us now. I know it’s hard to get familiar with a new team, but I know as a team, we’ll be able to show all the new guys the ropes."
 
Reporter: "This Vancouver team was expected to do well on paper, but these first several games had even the Vancouver fans surprised. How has your team been able to keep such an amazing tempo throughout these first eleven games?"
 
Sergey: "I feel like we picked up from where we left off last season with this team. Even if we have some new additions on the team. We’ve been able to capitalize on our opponent's mistakes and play spectacular fundamental hockey as of late."
 
The season has started for Sergey’s Vancouver Wolves. It’ll be interesting to see if Vancouver can keep the good times rolling throughout next week. Until then, we’ll be signing off for now.

Starting In Style
 
 
Vancouver - Going back to last season, Vancouver had accomplished one of the greatest feats known in hockey, winning the Continental Cup. With the likes of star players such as Alexandre Leduc, Biggie Cheese and trade deadline acquisition Sergey Preobrazhensky helped lead the Vancouver Wolves to promise land.
 
Coming into next season, the goal was just the same as last year, go and win it all. The off-season was jam packed for a team like Vancouver, who sought to build on their amazing season. By trading picks and signing players left and right to find any sort of talent to bring into their already amazing roster. This led them to bring in a few key players to help out on their run once again, most notably Nezuko. The D.C Dragon’s star forward who throughout his career, has posted very respectable offensive numbers with the teams he’s played for. 
 
Bringing in Nezuko was thought to compensate for the fact that Vancouver was going to lose Alexandre Leduc in a trade with the New York Americans for young forward Hasbulla Magomedov and a couple of other draft picks. Leduc was still fresh in the minds of many Vancouver fans, as he helped this team accomplish winning the championship. Having some of the most clutch moments on the ice throughout Vancouver’s playoff tenure. Needless to say, he will be missed by many fans and players alike in Vancouver.
 
As the season started, Vancouver kept their energy and success alive from last season. Going on an absolute tear with only a shootout loss in over eleven games played. Placing them at a well deserved first in the North American Conference. Today, we'll have star center Sergey Preobrazhensky give some of his takes on how the season has unfolded so far.
 
Reporter: "Sergey, a new season means new opportunities. How will you approach this season?"
 
Sergey: "I approach this season like any other season to be fair with you. I want to win, plain and simple, not only for myself, but also for my team. After getting a taste of winning the Continental Cup, I want to go and run it back. You can never have too much success."
 
Reporter: "Some players left the team, while other players and rookies joined the team. What are your thoughts on this?"
 
Sergey: "It’s great to have some new players out on the ice with us now. I know it’s hard to get familiar with a new team, but I know as a team, we’ll be able to show all the new guys the ropes."
 
Reporter: "This Vancouver team was expected to do well on paper, but these first several games had even the Vancouver fans surprised. How has your team been able to keep such an amazing tempo throughout these first eleven games?"
 
Sergey: "I feel like we picked up from where we left off last season with this team. Even if we have some new additions on the team. We’ve been able to capitalize on our opponent's mistakes and play spectacular fundamental hockey as of late."
 
The season has started for Sergey’s Vancouver Wolves. It’ll be interesting to see if Vancouver can keep the good times rolling throughout next week. Until then, we’ll be signing off for now.

1. It feels great playing with a team like the wild, even though we didn't have that great of a start into the season, there are still plenty of games to play and I have no doubt that we will get better. 
 
2. We need to get used to playing with our new teammates and work on our synergy. 
 
3. My player gets more assists than goals judging by my JST performance. 
 
4. A redbull and a energy bar
 
5. Yes, it is. I prefer something like celsius which tastes better in my opinion. 
 
6. One thing that Henrik couldn't live without would be his lucky paracord bracelet that he wears during his games. 

I found and watched the tutorial videos.  Managed to piece it together through that and I think those are crucial.  People these days don't want to read a wall of instruction when they can watch someone else do it and the younger generations, from my experience, learn the best through visuals.
 
Straight from signing up to the site all the way to creating a player and joining the VHL discord and their teams locker room.  Next is how to complete every point task available.  Not just how to post a graphic, even though the theory is the same for most every point task, every one should be run through especially things like VHFL, the fantasy zone as well as trivia and predictions since it they live elsewhere entirely.  Build guides already exist but there needs to be a tutorial for navigating to your players page, adding TPE and also how to view the games and find your stats.  Any confusion at any point is enough for most people to call it quits.
 
Now, should a lot of this be on the shoulders of M GMs, sure, but if the resources are there for them to utilize, it would help ensure that less users fall through the cracks.  GMs are people with lives too so making their lives easier can only help.

1. The Welcome Message Leads To Heavily Out Of Date Information
 
 
Now this message has actually been fixed at some point at some point between August and December (where this quote came from) as the link to the point task forum was broken from at least when I made my account back in Nov 2021 to August. There is maybe a chance it's even been fixed now (A December PM was the earliest I could retrieve), but if not, then the PM is linking new players to a thread that was last edited four years ago for how to earn TPE, so yes, that means the guide we're potentially linking new members to was last edited before some of our current commissioners joined the league. That's kind of frightening. 
 
2. The Newcomers Guide Needs An Update/Overhaul
 
While Gustav's guide to attributes has been updated, quite a bit of the information is behind the times along with the tutorial videos being long out of date. Also, why on earth is probably the best written tutorial piece on the site in Ricers TPE Earning Guide in Media Spots and not in the Newcomers Guide (although it does need some slight tweaks to be up to date). 

Well, I've come across a thing in Discord that ended up being a "fuck it, we'll do it live" moment. I'm taking this public because I don't think it deserves to stay hidden, and I think it's about time that someone tried to be direct about it. Maybe I shouldn't be doing this tired, but whatever. It's in the thunderdome for a reason.
 
[screenshots and story posted with permission, of course]
 

 

 
 
Yesterday, @Spartan  and I opened a (civil!) dialogue with the VHLM GM crew after gaining the general sense that our league was running short on highly active first-gens and running high on what, to the uninitiated, our league refers to as clickers--players who spend their days clicking buttons on the portal, never completing a forum-based task, and being a drag on their respective teams as (generally speaking) they don't contribute much to the community or to their locker room. I want to make it clear off the bat that I think this discussion has gone well, I got my general point of "you guys should be earning your pay, thank you to those who are, those who aren't should step it up" out there peacefully, and that we found some of the GMs' feedback in that thread helpful. To any one of our GMs reading this--please don't feel the need to defend yourself, because we just went over something like this and I like to think some of what I'm going to talk about has been partially resolved behind the scenes (or, at least, that we got the word out well enough that you get what we want).
 
However, that doesn't excuse any VHLM GM from reading the rest of this thread, because this concerns GMs of all different shapes and colors and I think everyone should be aware of it. Here, we're talking about a player who was, in order:
 
Signed in the VHLM, multiple seasons before portal waivers (making some recent concerns about our current system invalid in this case) Traded in the VHLM Drafted to the VHLE Drafted to the VHL Drafted to the VHLM Traded in the VHLE Re-signed in the VHLE Let go when their VHL contract expired and spent 2 full seasons as a VHL free agent Signed with a VHL team  
...and apparently NOT EVEN ONCE ALONG THE WAY had earning explained properly despite playing for SIX different teams on all three levels of the league. London is team #7, and this player literally just learned how to earn tonight. Some more facts:
 
Said player's last forum-based claim was in December of 2021, which didn't involve a point task of any sort but was rather a free holiday TPE giveaway Player asked in said holiday giveaway thread, about a full month after joining the league, what a PT was (to their credit, a couple people, including one GM, briefly explained) Player's only forum-based earning through their own post was one press conference, once, in their very first week. Aside from that, the holiday claim, and one single TPE claimed through predictions, once, this player has earned nothing but welfare, practice facility, and training camp for over a year straight. It's a miracle they're still in the league, especially given that they apparently have never had any real idea how to earn more. I am personally not sure why some of this didn't catch on more at the start, but it apparently didn't because the player was surprised to learn that even press conferences exist today. Yes, the part about the player having a good build is completely true. It's clear that they have been given some instruction in this regard, and that GMs have been in contact. This isn't someone who's just never left the portal.  
 
Call it what you want, and play the "first-gens are weird" card all you'd like. What I call it is a complete failure of GMs at every level to provide the single most vital service to a new player, that being their time and respect.
 
 
This kind of thing makes my stomach turn. I could never win anything at any level as a GM, but something that no one can ever take away from me is that I put my heart and soul into making my teams all they could be for my players. Some people can even do that and win, which is incredible. Part of the reason why I stopped GMing is that I felt I wasn't up to my own standard of what I felt a GM should be anymore, but even near the end, when I knew I was lacking in some respects, I'd be pinging my lower earners once in a while and checking in, and I'd try to ping all my players and prospects at the start of the season with a reminder about where to find earning opportunities and an open invitation to come to our press conference at any time. I even automated part of this by having MEE6 ping anyone who accepted a special role every week. Since my tenure as a whole isn't going to go down in the history books as much of anything, though, I'll get off my high horse in this paragraph and move on to what I think this proves about our league.
 
One does not simply play for six teams without learning how to earn. Let's say I count this player's first couple weeks as a "half-learning" experience where things may have been explained, but just didn't stick well--what does that leave us? 0.5 out of 6? We'll throw that into a data set of 6 points--one "half" and five zeros--and take a few numbers out of it:
 
Mean: 0.083
Standard deviation: 0.204
90% confidence interval: 0 --> 0.494
 
I don't think the numbers are realistically this low leaguewide, but until tonight, this player's perspective can be summed up as follows:
 
"On average, 8% of teams I'll play for will help me earn" "I can be 90% sure that at most, only half of the teams in the league will ever help me, and I can be just as confident, if not more, that none of them will"  
And that isn't a pair of general statements--that's statistics at work. I do feel that this is someone who's come across a series of unfortunate events to a greater extent than many others, but if this is the experience of a clicker, then it's no wonder why we have so many clickers (and it's also no wonder why so many go inactive). I do know that more than zero to 49 percent of our GMs put in the work that they need to, but that's as someone who's formed friendships with most GMs. For someone who isn't, and someone who isn't as established, is it that easy? I already know it's not, but I didn't think it was to the extent that anyone could ever go to six different places and never even once get the right explanation of even the bare minimum of what's happening in the league. It's been OVER A YEAR!
 
I know that most members of the league have disagreements with many of the posts made by Tate before he left--and while I actually am in that group, as anti-mod as I am sometimes, one nail he absolutely managed to hit on the head was that retention efforts should never stop past the VHLM. Do we just feel that we don't need to help our players when they graduate? If we draft a clicker, do we consider that all they'll ever be and hope we can ship them to a tanking team in their graduation year (in the VHL) or hope their earning never speeds up and that they stay down to help me win games as long as I can possibly keep them (in the E)? Does anyone recognize that on the other side of the screen is a real person, with goals and dreams and hobbies and needs of their own, someone who might have joined our community on a bad day, who might want (or even need) to make a few friends to talk to and to have something fun to do to take their mind off of whatever's getting them down--or do we just see a liability that we'd just as soon get rid of as take 3 minutes to talk to? We talk all about how we're into helping the new members, but never recognize that a lot of the time, we're just referring to those new members that it's actually cool to help--those who show their own drive and initiative in reaching out to you to solve their confusion and making your job easy.
 
The VHLM has failed this player. The VHL has failed this player. And the VHLE has clearly failed this player. Every team this player was a part of could have done better, and this doesn't happen by accident to one person, once. It's an indicator that we've got a certain unspoken culture in league management, whether or not any GM in particular is part of it, that very much exists in general and needs to be talked about.
 
And please don't try to tell me that this only pertains to one case. The fact that we had a list of unsigned players not long ago says quite a bit. 
 
I still have no personal issues with any GMs and have cooled off quite a bit since I started writing here (it's good stress relief!). If you feel I've talked about you unfairly here, feel free to reach out so we can hug it out.
 
 
To end on a less holier-than-thou note--what do you think the league could do to do better? I'm going to start by challenging GMs (and welcoming anyone else who would like to join in) to do one simple thing--reach out to a clicker today. Check in, ask what's up, make sure they're aware of opportunities to earn in our league (especially the easy ones!), and make it clear that you're there to help if needed. If you do that, I grant you permission to tell me to fuck off in this thread, in as many insulting words as you'd like.
 
Not claiming, but I should. Good night!

F - Sergey Preobrazhensky 
@leandrofg

D - AK92 Wit da Hoodie
F - Sergey Preobrazhensky
 
@jacobcarson877

1. I would say first impressions are that this town is very hockey oriented yet has a peaceful atmosphere to it. 
 
2. Some season goals I have for this upcoming season is to at least get a 45+ point season.
 
3. My player is getting ready for the upcoming season with training camp and practice.
 
4.I would say some expectations for the team is to be a contender and hopefully take the championship this upcoming season. 
 
5. As of right now, my player trys to make impactful plays mainly trying to assist with scoring. 
 
6. My favorite fast-food place right now would be Wendys 

World Cup Bound/Saskatoon Update
 
 
The off-season has been fairly relaxing and quiet for the most part around the VHL. That was until the Hockey World Cup rosters had been selected. Sergey got the call that he would be participating in the exciting event. 
 
Reporter: "Sergey! The World Cup roster has finally been formed, what do you make of it?"
 
Sergey: "It’s always great to be back out there playing hockey, but it’s even more special that I’m going to be playing for one of the most notable and historic hockey events in the world. It’ll be a great competitive opportunity for me."
 
Reporter: "Going through the roster, your team hold’s some key stars, with old-time vet, Sigard Petrenko and fellow Russian Igor Molotov with you on offense. While you have AK92 Wit da Hoodie and Mikhail Kovalchuk with you guys on defense. What was your initial reaction when you finally got a hold of the roster list and how confident are you in this group of guys?"
 
Sergey: "Yeah, when I first got informed of my teammates, I was thrilled to have these guys on my team. Some I have some experience with playing with in other tournaments so I have a bit of familiarity with some of them in the locker room. Not only that, but these guys are the best of the best in the region, some of them, even being the face of the franchise in their respective VHL teams. I feel like we can go very far in this tournament for sure, it’s not only the skill that we have, but the chemistry as well."
 
It’ll be a great and fun experience to see how Sergey and his buddies in team Eastern Europe do in some of the most fierce competitions we have seen in a while 
 
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Back across the other side of the world, Saskatoon will be back in their draft room once again for the VHLM draft that is set to take stage in less than 24 hours. Although Saskatoon is still projected to have a hard time this season in terms of success, the front office is trying to do everything they can to keep this team competitive. Some glaring holes coming into the draft are a starting goaltender and defense. Which you can recall, where some of Saskatoon’s biggest weaknesses last season. The Wild will have to do something about this problem, whether it's through drafting or waivers. On the bright side, the Saskatoon Wild still have the likes of Mats Zuccarello, Nick Trash and Zlatan Ibrahimovic under their belt. They hope to build around this young core leading up to the draft.
 
Not only that, but the future seems incredibly bright in Saskatoon, most notably, next off-season will bring a ton more drafted players for the Saskatoon Wild as they have a much more favorable draft picks. We look forward to see what the future has in store for the prestigious Saskatoon Wild organization. Sky’s the limit for such a promising future

All Smiles
 
 
Moscow - Winning the Continental Cup is something that every hockey player would love to accomplish in their lifetime, but very few manage to overcome the odds to obtain such a prized trophy. 
 
It has been a long time coming for Vancouver’s Center Sergey Preobrazhensky, who was able to finally win the VHL playoffs in a long and treacherous journey. In Moscow, Sergey was subjected to upsetting series defeat’s in the Continental Cup Final’s multiple times throughout his career. After finally achieving his goal, he showed a very visible amount of emotion after the game with reporters. “You dream of moments like this as a kid and I’m proud to win it all in front of all the fans. It really goes to show, dreams really do come true.” Sergey will try to repeat Vancouver's success next year after it was announced that Sergey Preobrazhensky would come back to Vancouver on a one year deal. 
 
It’s safe to say that Sergey’s season was an incredible success, as you might’ve recalled earlier in the season. Sergey wanted to boost offensive production this year after a lackluster offensive performance by his standards in S85. Sergey went out and smashed his goal, posting a career high 89 points this season, furthermore, Sergey would also go on to obtain 26 points in the playoffs. “I really caught fire in the second half of the season and really picked up my offensive production. I'm more than satisfied with my numbers this season. But we always want to improve, next year will be another fun-filled year for myself."
 
After several days of celebration with teammates and fans alike, Sergey was ready to head back home to his friends and family in Russia. When he arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, he was pleasantly surprised as many of his supporters welcomed him after a successful VHL season. “It’s always great to come back home to where it all started, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with everyone again after a hectic hockey season."  He said to the Russian Reporters. Sergey planned to go on a big travel haul throughout Russia, meeting thousands of youth hockey players from all around the country and watching them play competitive hockey around Europe. It was always a dream of his to inspire the hockey youth around his country. “I’m just giving back to my community, it’s great helping these players out and helping them reach their hockey goals.” 
 
After his long travel days are over, Sergey plans on going back to his strict off-season conditioning phase, which consists of intense workouts to build his stamina and explosiveness needed for someone who plays professional hockey. “I’m getting up there in age, it’s becoming more and more important I stay on top of my conditioning. After a few weeks of training here I’ll be back in training camp with the guy’s back in Vancouver.” Sergey mentioned.
 
There you have it, after overcoming tons of adversity throughout his career, Sergey’s hockey journey should be an inspiration to anybody. As he now winds down with the off season approaching.

All Smiles
 
 
Moscow - Winning the Continental Cup is something that every hockey player would love to accomplish in their lifetime, but very few manage to overcome the odds to obtain such a prized trophy. 
 
It has been a long time coming for Vancouver’s Center Sergey Preobrazhensky, who was able to finally win the VHL playoffs in a long and treacherous journey. In Moscow, Sergey was subjected to upsetting series defeat’s in the Continental Cup Final’s multiple times throughout his career. After finally achieving his goal, he showed a very visible amount of emotion after the game with reporters. “You dream of moments like this as a kid and I’m proud to win it all in front of all the fans. It really goes to show, dreams really do come true.” Sergey will try to repeat Vancouver's success next year after it was announced that Sergey Preobrazhensky would come back to Vancouver on a one year deal. 
 
It’s safe to say that Sergey’s season was an incredible success, as you might’ve recalled earlier in the season. Sergey wanted to boost offensive production this year after a lackluster offensive performance by his standards in S85. Sergey went out and smashed his goal, posting a career high 89 points this season, furthermore, Sergey would also go on to obtain 26 points in the playoffs. “I really caught fire in the second half of the season and really picked up my offensive production. I'm more than satisfied with my numbers this season. But we always want to improve, next year will be another fun-filled year for myself."
 
After several days of celebration with teammates and fans alike, Sergey was ready to head back home to his friends and family in Russia. When he arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, he was pleasantly surprised as many of his supporters welcomed him after a successful VHL season. “It’s always great to come back home to where it all started, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with everyone again after a hectic hockey season."  He said to the Russian Reporters. Sergey planned to go on a big travel haul throughout Russia, meeting thousands of youth hockey players from all around the country and watching them play competitive hockey around Europe. It was always a dream of his to inspire the hockey youth around his country. “I’m just giving back to my community, it’s great helping these players out and helping them reach their hockey goals.” 
 
After his long travel days are over, Sergey plans on going back to his strict off-season conditioning phase, which consists of intense workouts to build his stamina and explosiveness needed for someone who plays professional hockey. “I’m getting up there in age, it’s becoming more and more important I stay on top of my conditioning. After a few weeks of training here I’ll be back in training camp with the guy’s back in Vancouver.” Sergey mentioned.
 
There you have it, after overcoming tons of adversity throughout his career, Sergey’s hockey journey should be an inspiration to anybody. As he now winds down with the off season approaching.

@a_Ferk

Review: This is a nice graphic, I love the layer's added onto the player to give it a busy but simple feeling to the graphic. Not only that, but the logo's are blended in well together and you've got a nice text size and font which is easy to depict. From what you've done, I really don't see anything to critique, but adding onto Triller's point, putting more effects or details onto the font without losing it's simplicity can give the graphic more sparkle. You've already done great things with the player edits and background, having the text do something special along with everything else will take this graphic to the next level.  But overall, it's not a bad graphic at all. 8/10

EASTERN EUROPE ROSTER S86
 
Countries represented by players below:
~Russia
~Latvia
~Romania
~Ukraine
 
FOR OUR FORWARDS: 
Sergey Preobrazhensky @Bulduray_1
Sigard Petrenko @SlapshotBear
Igor Molotov @Dom
 Ivan Retoslav @eagle_3450
Vasile Lamb @dlamb
 Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems @FrostBeard
 
FOR OUR DEFENSEMEN:
K92 Wit da Hoodie @hedgehog337
Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan
Mikhail Kovalchuk @Banackock
 Faith Hope Love @MMFLEX
 
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST OUR GOALIES:
Boris Tsezar @comrade cat
Ed Nu @npuBeT
 
 
Time to show the world what we are made of!!
 
🇺🇦🇱🇻🇷🇴🇷🇺 vs 🌍
 
 
https://discord.gg/KjDTdugV
 

It was difficult for Donny Carter to take the moment in. He’d had a long career. An extra year in the VHLM had cause for a late entry into the VHL. Though it also gave him the ability to play in the first ever VHLE season, which was one of his favorite seasons of his career. It didn’t end in a championship however. 3 years in Riga that started rough, and ended with a revival season, however the playoff success did not follow. Then came the second half of his career, where stability was thrown out the window. A year in Davos was mostly an experiment, and it did not go well, he put up the lowest point total aside from his rookie season. After Davos, he was traded to Malmo, and rediscovered his love for hockey. Even though they were not successful, he finally knew what it was like to be an elite player for a team, and was a key piece to many of the Nighthawks’ wins that season. Entering his final year, he was hoping Malmo would be a contender, and unfortunately that dream was not realized. So GM @KaleebtheMighty decided to trade him to a contender to give him one last chance at a championship.
               His time in Vancouver started rocky, the team was struggling to click. Then, in the final stretch of the season, in a race for the playoffs, the Wolves became a super team. Every single player on the team was contributing in the right way. The wins added up quickly, and the Wolves easily clinched a playoff spot. The path would not be easy however. Starting with a quick wild card series win against Seattle, the Wolves would have to take on the top team in the league, the Calgary Wranglers. This was where this Vancouver team showed they would be a difficult team to beat. Calgary was out in five games. Up next was Chicago, a more difficult series that went 7 games, though again Vancouver was victorious. All of a sudden, Donny found himself in his first ever finals, in the final year of his career. The pressure got the better of him at first, and in the first 4 games, where the team went 2-2, Donny was almost invisible. However in a decisive game 5, he exploded with 4 assists, and he and the Wolves were one win away. However after a loss in game 6, the series would come down to a game 7. Donny didn’t sleep great that night, but he had tons of energy in the morning, more due to his nerves. The game was intense, both goalies were showstopping, and after regulation, it was 1 to 1. Then, in overtime, the pass by mid-season arrival via blockbuster trade, Sergey Preobrazhensky @Bulduray_1, to defenseman Pierre Emile Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito. The shot, a seeing eye wrister from the point, right into the back of the net. The Vancouver bench exploded, and Donny Carter was finally a champion. Hoisting the cup above his head, there were too many emotions to take in. It was a wild journey, and never an easy one, but in his final season, Donny was able go out on top.
 
Word Count : 533
For Week of 1/8

Back in the Press Box with Sergey Preobrazhensky
 
 
We are back with Sergey Preobrazhensky just before a crucial game six between the Wolves and Phoenix to go more in depth about more thing’s VHL related. As of now, the Vancouver Wolves have been able to cruise into a 3-2 series lead in the semi finals, but there is still more work to be done if Vancouver wants to be crowned Continental Cup Champions.
 
Reporter: We are here once again Sergey, your team has one more game to win before they earn their ticket into the Continental Cup Finals. Explain your emotions going into the potential series-deciding game six?
 
Sergey: I would be lying if I were to say that I wasn’t incredibly excited to help bring my team into the finals. Joining this team during the trade deadline has been nothing but a blessing for me. I’ve already made great friends here and this playoff ride has been spectacular, I just want to keep the good times rolling with the boys. But just like last series, we still have to play like there's a fire up our ass if we want to make it through. It is still entirely possible for Chicago to find their groove and win these last two games.
 
Reporter: I would like to point out that you burst out on the stage, being one of Vancouver’s most productive player’s during the second half and going into the playoffs. You are on a talented, but sometimes overlooked line with Alexandre Leduc and Donny Carter. They say that success is built around a team. Those guy’s must’ve done an amazing job getting you integrated with Vancouver eh?
 
Sergey: For sure, without them I would’ve not been able to do some of the thing’s I have done with this team. You know, it takes days if not weeks to master and fully understand a team’s playbook. Although there were some visible hiccups along the way, being in an all-veteran line that has had plenty of experience in the VHL really helped me get familiar with the team along the way. It also helps that my line is not full of scrubs, these are some very talented players on the ice.
 
Reporter: You were in the same position in the playoffs a few times with Moscow earlier in your career. During your playoff career with Moscow versus your newly made playoff career with Vancouver. How have you changed?
 
Sergey: I think I changed drastically when I first came onto the scene with Moscow several seasons ago. Especially during my first few playoff season’s with Moscow, I was much more inexperienced and was more naive. I tried to play hero one too many times during my time in Moscow and sometimes looked lost on the ice. During the years, I’ve learned to stick to our game plan and trust my team during crucial situations. Not only have I performed better in the playoffs, but my team has as a whole. I take pride and learned from my playoff experiences
 
Make sure to tune into your local hockey broadcast as a heavily hyped up game six will go down in less than 24 hours. Can the Wolves move onto the finals? Or will the Phoenix comeback from their deficit? 
 

Prospect Scouting Report

 
Name: Leonard Triller
Position: RW
Height: 6’3"
Weight: 210 lbs
Place of Birth: North Battleford, Saskatchewan
Preferred Number: 14
 
     After late waivers during his debut S85, Leonard Triller chose to play for his hometown team, the Saskatoon Wild led by GM @Bulduray_1.  Being new to the league, playing close to home helped Leonard adapt quickly and improve his game significantly.  He continued his development as a 2-way, Power Forward with a flair for playmaking while playing on the 2nd and 4th line along with special teams. He managed almost a point per game.  Leonard likes to throw his body around amassing 116 hits in his stunted, 55 game season.  He also managed to sign a sponsorship deal with the custom hockey stick company KGW.  This deal is ongoing.

VHLM - Regular Season
Season      GP      G      A      P      +/-      SHT      PIM      HIT      SB      GW      PPG      SHG
85 (SSK)    55      14    38    52       7       202       42       116       27         2          2           0
 
     After being swept in round one of the playoffs with the Wild, Leonard Triller's post season play was relatively unknown heading into the offseason.
 
VHLM - Playoffs
Season      GP      G      A      P      +/-      SHT      PIM      HIT      SB      GW      PPG      SHG
85 (SSK)     4        0      1       1       -3        13          2          7         2         0          0           0


 
     During the offseason, Leonard participated in the Junior Showcase Tournament and was drafted by GM @RElblein of The Royals at 26th overall.  Leonard had a good showing at the tournament.  After a few games In his forward position, Leonard offered his services on defense when it was asked of the forwards to help bolster the back end.  He was happy to put his defensive capabilities to the test.
 
Junior Showcase Tournament
Season      GP      G      A      P      +/-      SHT      PIM      HIT
85 (ROY)    41      4      27    31       0        73         64       100
 

 
     In the S86 VHLM Dispersal Draft, Leonard Triller went 31st overall to the San Diego Marlins.  GM @jacobcarson877 had this to say about his late draft steal.
 
"This must have been a gift from Simon himself. The top TPE forward in the draft, falling to me at 31st overall. There must have been some confusion about his eligibility because this guy is a graphics machine, a great LR guy, great earner and a dominant player."
 
     Leonard was also drafted 8th overall by the Geneva Rush of the VHLE then 11th overall by the London United of the VHL.  *The VSN Scouting Mock Draft had projected a 15th overall pick to the Moscow Menace.  In regards to the pick by the Rush, @Bobo wrote in the VHLE Draft Recap of S86:
 
"They drafted Marlins right-wing Leonard Triller at eighth overall–a shining star for San Diego that scored 52 points and 38 assists last year. He will show up and show out for the Rush this season with his incredible playmaking ability and capability of quarterbacking an offensive rush from both ends of the ice."
 
     In regards to the pick by the London United, @sadie graded it a B+:
 
"Triller is from what I've seen a fun person and someone you'd definitely want on your team and in your LR! They are a pass-first forward (which we don't see too many of) and they are excellent on and off of the puck."
 
     With high expectations, Leonard entered S86 ready to bring a full season of production to a very solid lineup in San Diego.  His contributions matched those from his first season in Saskatoon while playing mostly on the second and fourth lines and also working the power play.  He again brought a physical presence along with a penchant for passing.

VHLM - Regular Season
Season       GP      G      A      P      +/-      SHT      PIM      HIT      SB      GW      PPG      SHG
86 (SDM)    72     25    38     63     16       236       36       138       3         3          1           0
 
     Triller ends his regular season career in the VHLM with 39 goals and 76 assists for 115 points along with a trip to the playoffs on a very strong Marlins team.  During the playoffs, his productivity stayed consistent with his regular season contributions and in turn, helped the Marlins bring home the Founders Cup.  His physical presence kept the Marlins motivated and his playmaking kept them scoring.  Leonard is looking to vastly improve in the offseason and head into Geneva as a VHLM Founders Cup Champion with a large amount of experience.
 
VHLM - Playoffs
Season      GP      G      A      P      +/-      SHT      PIM      HIT      SB      GW      PPG      SHG
86 (SDM)   16       2      8     10       3         44         4         31         1          1          0           0
 
     
 
     At the end of season 86, Leonard Triller was selected to represent Team Canada at the World Juniors in the off-season.

 
PROs
Leonard Triller quickly and consistently improves his game.  He is a student of the sport and improves where he can as quickly as he can. Very strong playmaker with good vision on the ice.  Selfless player with an ability to set up his teammates. Very positive influence in the locker room.  A young player himself, he still brings a teaching mentality to anyone less experienced. Big physical player who brings it at both ends of the ice.  Shutting down a top line is as important to him as a game winning goal. A team first player who will sacrifice individual success if it means team success.
 
CONs
Pass first mentality can cause frustrations when open shots should be taken.  Triller can get too fancy with his playmaking when a shot would do. His enthusiasm can cause him to take on more responsibility than he might be able to handle and may need to dial back to avoid burnout. Triller's relaxed and casual demeanor can come across as uncaring towards tough losses and can rub teammates the wrong way.  
 

Review: Very interesting and busy graphic. I love the detail that was put into this. Blending of the VHLM logos/numbers could use a bit more work, try using different effects like a shadowing tool to make it look more convincing other than a straight copy-paste. It may just be me, but I would've preferred the fire edges to be lowered down in terms of opacity. But overall, it's a graphic that is unique and I commend you for attempting something many other's haven't done. Overall, I would give this a 6/10

Season 86 Vancouver Wolves Awards
 
 
With the regular season ending just before Christmas and the wildcards being played, the team assistant manager was unavailable to write, produce and direct such a huge award show without facing the wrath of his wife. Frank is a bit more understanding but either way we are here to recognize some of the players that seen the Vancouver Wolves make the play-offs once again this season and are currently one win away from the Continental Cup finals. Vancouver Wolves season was an interesting one that seen the team trade away Nico Pearce; who last year took home majority of the awards, which mean we should have a bunch of new award winners. Enough of the faff as I shouldn`t need to add to my word count too much so let get on with the first award.
 
 
Best defenseman:


Having not really checked the stats even as I start writing this as this has been a clear cut award for most of the season. This player lead the team in scoring with eighty-five points. Twenty goals and sixty-five assist and not mention also second best in plus/minus on the team. The best defenseman award for the second season in a row is awarded to:
 
 
 
 
 
Rookie of the Year:


This season seen two rookies make the roster out of training camp with William Futch and Jimmy MacElory being these two rookies. After a long-awaited debut of this highly touted defensive defenseman and the trading away of the other rookie of the year candidate if should be to no one surprise that this season Rookie of the Year goes to:
 
 
 
 
 
Unsung Hero


This is always one of the hardest awards to award as it really comes down to who I think played a huge role on the team but not get the credit that they deserved through the season. Last year the team was carried by Brandt Fuhr but a year removed he has really gotten a lot of love from the team so is he really still our unsung hero? This season Unsung Hero is:
 
 
 
 
 
Most Energetic


This season has seen a drop off overall in locker room activity due sadly to the real life events surely effecting everyone ability to have a few minutes to chat since this has also been the case for myself over this busy holiday season but that hasn`t stopped a few members from at least from showing their faces on a regular basis and they add a lot of value to the team locker room. This season Most Energetic award goes to:
 
 
 
 
 
Most Valuable player


Nico Pearce ran away with this award last year and this season I think it has been very clear since the trade deadline that Vancouver Wolves MVP has been:
 
 
 
 
 
Little Wolf Award (Most Hits)


This award was lead for a very long time and would have been awarded to Nico Pearce as he had 129 hits in 32 games for Vancouver this season before being traded to Moscow. Only one player managed to catch him in the end; which is a bit shocking but the Little Wolf Award goes to:
 
 
 
 
 
Sniper Award (Shooting percentage)


I have a feeling this award winner might surprise me since I haven`t looked at the final stats until the moment that I am writing this but I am guessing Biggie Cheese, Dogwood Maple or Henry Eagles will win this award this season so without much more faff the Sniper Award is awarded to:
 
 
 
 
 
QB Award (PP Assists)


This award is the player that runs the powerplay and set his team mates up for the easy goals and like the Sniper Award once again I haven`t checked the stats until this moment. Okay, I have seen the results already and I am guessing this might surprise a few as it did me as well when I first seen the winner but stop and think about it for a few seconds!! Yup, he always seemed to be on the score sheet; right? That player is none other than:
 
 
 
 
 
Tooth Fairy (PM Award)


Common theme here as I haven`t looked at the stats most of the past few weeks so I am guessing this might surprise me a bit as well but if I had to guess based on the leadership shown this season; I would place my bet that Biggie Cheese is amongst the finalist of this award. This award goes to the player that is usually ready and willing to stick their neck on the line for their team mates so without ado the Tooth Fairy Award goes to:
 
 
 
 
 
Always responsible (Plus/Minus)


I have a feeling that this award won`t surprise many as they lead in this area last season as well and has been a huge factor in the team overall success this season and has already won a few awards during this Banquet and it only fitting that they are award this award again this season. The winner is:
 
 
 
 
 
Oops Sorry Eh!! (Least hits)


Now onto some of the fun awards and something team mates look forward to every season as this award isn`t always something that you should be proud of since it will hang with you like an odor of sticky socks. Okay, I am delaying once again since I actually haven`t looked at the stats again so let look together and award the Oops Sorry Eh!! to:
 
 
 
 
 
It wasn`t me(Least PM)


Henry Eagles won this award last season as rookie with limited ice time so one would assume that he will once again be in the running for this great award but can he hold onto the crown of the It wasn`t me award and the award goes to:
 
 
 
 
 
Shoot the lights out (Most shots)


Another award that I think will change hands this season after Nico Pearce was traded away so one might safely assume that Biggie Cheese will be a front runner? I don`t know once again as I haven`t looked at the stats so are we once again in for a surprise? The Shoot the Lights out is awarded to:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Work Horse Award (AMG)


The Work Horse Award is given to the player that plays the most minutes and has the biggest potential impact on the game than any other player, I am not going to guess this time at the winner as I am almost 100% sure we all know who most likely has won this award. The winner is:
 
 
 
 
 
Common Coach (Least played)
This season we have had a very balanced attack and depth through the line-up so this one might actually really surprise me as once again I haven`t checked the stats usually this tends to be a rookie or player down the depth charts a bit so without making my prediction and having be wrong again let’s just award this award. The winner is:
 
 
 
 
 
Bruised and Battered Award (SB Award)
I think I have mentioned who has lead this category a few times since they have won a few awards already and I am starting to run out of great things to say about this player like I did last season with Nico Pearce winning a majority of the awards. So the Brusied & Battered Award goes to:
 
 
 
 
 
Three Star Award


Ugh!! I haven`t done any research into this award yet so give a hot minute and go get a drink from the back while I figure out the winner of this award. Okay, I am back from stat collecting for the Three Star Award and the eventual winner might not surprise anyone but I was happily surprised by who finished in second place as I hadn`t figured that they had that large of an impact on the season. Guess I wasn`t paying close enough attention. Either way, This season Three Star Award winner is:
 
 
 
 
 
 
1ST Star
2nd Star
3rd star
Total
Points
Biggie Cheese
4
8
8
20
360
Sergey Preobrazhensky
9
3
2
14
350
Alexandre Leduc
5
5
3
13
280
Brandt Fuhr
4
3
4
11
220
Henry Eagles
5
2
3
10
220
Svatopluk Puk
5
2
1
8
200
Dogwood Maple
2
3
7
12
190
Nico Pearce 
2
2
5
9
150
Pierre Emile Bouchard
1
3
3
7
120
Donny Carter
2
1
2
5
100
Wattson Power
1
 
1
2
40
William Futch
 
1
 
1
20
Jimmy MacElroy
 
 
1
1
10
 
 
Top Prospect Award:


The last award of the night will take a look at the Vancouver Wolves prospects and like always it gives a bit of concern for management when the team has seven players in the prospect pool but as of writing only two are active so congratulation to the two players as you have a 50% chance of being our Top Prospect this year. So, that being said let’s look at the two prospects:
 
 
Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ – a small center that currently playing in his first season in the VHLE with Rome and really should be his last season playing in Rome as he clearly looks ready to join the Wolves next season after scoring 37 goals, 47 assists for 84pts. It was a slight drop off from his VHLM numbers but also against much stiffer competition. He led all Rome is scoring this season.
 
 
Jens Lekman @Bobcat– a big defence first defender, who also played his first season in the VHLE with Rome as team mate to Kerr. He will try to make the decision tough on the Wolves management this off season as he is right on the cusps of becoming a VHL rookie next season so it will be interesting to see what the player and the management decide for this player. Lekman had a very impressive season consider he is a defensive defenseman with 21 goals, 34 assists for 55 points.   
 
 
Our Top Prospect this season is award to:
 
Finals thoughts: It was an up and down season with the team under performing at different points in the season but in the end making the play-off was the end goal. The team succeed in making the play-off and oh, boy has it been a ride since with Vancouver Wolves heading to the Continental Cup Finals against Prague Phantoms. In the end it has been a great season and hopefully the team can win the cup. Either way it has been a exciting season with breakout season for most of the players on the roster and the future continues to look bright for season to come in Vancouver!!
 
Congrats to all the players on making the finals and make it another great season.
 
2700 words good for Jan 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th
 
 

Back in the Press Box with Sergey Preobrazhensky
 
 
We are back with Sergey Preobrazhensky just before a crucial game six between the Wolves and Phoenix to go more in depth about more thing’s VHL related. As of now, the Vancouver Wolves have been able to cruise into a 3-2 series lead in the semi finals, but there is still more work to be done if Vancouver wants to be crowned Continental Cup Champions.
 
Reporter: We are here once again Sergey, your team has one more game to win before they earn their ticket into the Continental Cup Finals. Explain your emotions going into the potential series-deciding game six?
 
Sergey: I would be lying if I were to say that I wasn’t incredibly excited to help bring my team into the finals. Joining this team during the trade deadline has been nothing but a blessing for me. I’ve already made great friends here and this playoff ride has been spectacular, I just want to keep the good times rolling with the boys. But just like last series, we still have to play like there's a fire up our ass if we want to make it through. It is still entirely possible for Chicago to find their groove and win these last two games.
 
Reporter: I would like to point out that you burst out on the stage, being one of Vancouver’s most productive player’s during the second half and going into the playoffs. You are on a talented, but sometimes overlooked line with Alexandre Leduc and Donny Carter. They say that success is built around a team. Those guy’s must’ve done an amazing job getting you integrated with Vancouver eh?
 
Sergey: For sure, without them I would’ve not been able to do some of the thing’s I have done with this team. You know, it takes days if not weeks to master and fully understand a team’s playbook. Although there were some visible hiccups along the way, being in an all-veteran line that has had plenty of experience in the VHL really helped me get familiar with the team along the way. It also helps that my line is not full of scrubs, these are some very talented players on the ice.
 
Reporter: You were in the same position in the playoffs a few times with Moscow earlier in your career. During your playoff career with Moscow versus your newly made playoff career with Vancouver. How have you changed?
 
Sergey: I think I changed drastically when I first came onto the scene with Moscow several seasons ago. Especially during my first few playoff season’s with Moscow, I was much more inexperienced and was more naive. I tried to play hero one too many times during my time in Moscow and sometimes looked lost on the ice. During the years, I’ve learned to stick to our game plan and trust my team during crucial situations. Not only have I performed better in the playoffs, but my team has as a whole. I take pride and learned from my playoff experiences
 
Make sure to tune into your local hockey broadcast as a heavily hyped up game six will go down in less than 24 hours. Can the Wolves move onto the finals? Or will the Phoenix comeback from their deficit? 
 

Back in the Press Box with Sergey Preobrazhensky
 
 
We are back with Sergey Preobrazhensky just before a crucial game six between the Wolves and Phoenix to go more in depth about more thing’s VHL related. As of now, the Vancouver Wolves have been able to cruise into a 3-2 series lead in the semi finals, but there is still more work to be done if Vancouver wants to be crowned Continental Cup Champions.
 
Reporter: We are here once again Sergey, your team has one more game to win before they earn their ticket into the Continental Cup Finals. Explain your emotions going into the potential series-deciding game six?
 
Sergey: I would be lying if I were to say that I wasn’t incredibly excited to help bring my team into the finals. Joining this team during the trade deadline has been nothing but a blessing for me. I’ve already made great friends here and this playoff ride has been spectacular, I just want to keep the good times rolling with the boys. But just like last series, we still have to play like there's a fire up our ass if we want to make it through. It is still entirely possible for Chicago to find their groove and win these last two games.
 
Reporter: I would like to point out that you burst out on the stage, being one of Vancouver’s most productive player’s during the second half and going into the playoffs. You are on a talented, but sometimes overlooked line with Alexandre Leduc and Donny Carter. They say that success is built around a team. Those guy’s must’ve done an amazing job getting you integrated with Vancouver eh?
 
Sergey: For sure, without them I would’ve not been able to do some of the thing’s I have done with this team. You know, it takes days if not weeks to master and fully understand a team’s playbook. Although there were some visible hiccups along the way, being in an all-veteran line that has had plenty of experience in the VHL really helped me get familiar with the team along the way. It also helps that my line is not full of scrubs, these are some very talented players on the ice.
 
Reporter: You were in the same position in the playoffs a few times with Moscow earlier in your career. During your playoff career with Moscow versus your newly made playoff career with Vancouver. How have you changed?
 
Sergey: I think I changed drastically when I first came onto the scene with Moscow several seasons ago. Especially during my first few playoff season’s with Moscow, I was much more inexperienced and was more naive. I tried to play hero one too many times during my time in Moscow and sometimes looked lost on the ice. During the years, I’ve learned to stick to our game plan and trust my team during crucial situations. Not only have I performed better in the playoffs, but my team has as a whole. I take pride and learned from my playoff experiences
 
Make sure to tune into your local hockey broadcast as a heavily hyped up game six will go down in less than 24 hours. Can the Wolves move onto the finals? Or will the Phoenix comeback from their deficit? 
 

Sergey’s Success
 
 
It’s been a while since we’ve heard about the trade deadline acquisition center, Sergey Preobrazhensky. But it’s worth noting that he’s not gone quiet. Since Sergey’s departure from Moscow, he’s seen much more success on the ice, looking more flawless and comfortable on the ice. As of now, Sergey has been putting up unprecedented numbers in such a short time,  putting up 58 points in just 40 games with the Wolves. In contrast with Moscow’s 31 points in 30 games, you can see that all Sergey needed was a new place to call home. 
 
Not only has Sergey done well in Vancouver, but his whole team has as well. All of a sudden, Vancouver started making enormous gains in the North American Conference. Eventually settling in with the top wild card spot for their conference. Vancouver would go onto face a lower ranked Seattle team that was a team still on the prowl. With well renowned stars such as Hulk Hogan 2 on offense and Tavish DeGroot on defense, this was a team still capable of hurting the Wolves if they took their gas off the pedal. But in the end, Vancouver breezed right through the competition with ease sweeping the devastated Seattle team. Sergey and his teammates knew what was at stake and made sure to kill any thoughts about Seattle winning this series. 
 
But the challenge was only getting started, next up the Vancouver Wolves would have to face a much more feared opponent, the Calgary Wranglers. Coming in as the number one seed, this Calgary team has arguably been the best team we’ve seen in the regular season. Vancouver’s player’s knew that they were going to be facing an uphill battle. Although many games have gone down to the wire, Vancouver still seems to keep stride. Taking a commanding 3-1 series lead up until now. All Vancouver needs now is one more win to send Calgary packing and be one step closer to winning the Continental Cup. 
 
After winning 4-3 in Game 4 of the series with Calgary, Sergey sat down to answer some questions. 
 
Reporter: “Sergey, it’s been a pleasure to watch you play with this Vancouver team, with crazy numbers in offensive production, what changed when you got here to Vancouver?” 
 
Sergey: “To be completely fair with you, I don’t know what changed when I got to Vancouver. I guess just having a clean slate with a new team really changed my perspective for the better.”
 
Reporter: “You got on more games until you knock out one of the favorites to win it all, what will be a key to success for you guys to win this series?”
 
Sergey: “We just have to remember to keep on playing with the same intensity we have had all series long. The finish line is right there, we just have to make sure we finish strong.
 
Reporter: “How great would it be to face Moscow in the finals?”
 
Sergey: “I’m not going to lie, it would be pretty sweet to face Moscow in the finals. Just that thought of beating your former team gives me goosebumps. But right now we still have a lot on our plate with Vancouver and furthermore, facing the winners of D.C vs Chicago. So there are still ways to go before we talk about the final battle.
 
There you have it, Vancouver has been on a tear so far within the playoffs. But can Sergey and his team keep the good times rolling? Only time will tell.

1. We are now tied 1-1 with Ottawa in the playoffs, what will be some key's to success for this series?
I suppose it would have been aggressive style with a bit more lucky rebounds in front of the net. However we lost the series and it's to look in the future season.
2. The regular season has finished! Looking back at it, we're you satisfied with your player's performance overall?
Yeah there is nothing i could complain about. To be honest i would be more satisfied if we passed at least one playoffs series.
3. In the VHL, which team do you think is going to in it all?
Warsaw. Their champion window is closing soon. Best players are having their last season and they are looking for another trophy
4. Which player in the VHLM deserves the MVP award?
Stroheim. He is by far the best player of the league. 66 goals in 72 games is impressive
5. Messi and Argentina have finally won the world cup! Does Messi finally receive GOAT status? And is the lifelong debate of Messi vs Ronaldo over?
Yeah the "Messi or CR7" debate is over now it's completely understandable that Messi is greatest of all the time
6. What is the biggest part in your player's game that he has improved on throughout the season?
Scoring. Trunov improved his timings, accuracy as well. Nevertheless, I also think that accomplishment of my teammates