teknonym

Clean little jersey swap here! As a VHL.com gfx, it's high quality. The colour swap is super nice, and fits the Lynx colour palette perfectly. The outline to the right of Bergeron also makes for a nice negative space killer. The only real criticism I have is the weird background. The colours don't really fit nor does the texture in my opinion. Other than that, really nice graphic! 9/10

Review: Overall, I'm think this is a sound graphic. Lots of what has been mentioned before I feel similarly about. I think the logo swap is clean, but the jersey colours are slightly off and you can see that even through the desaturated filter. I like the filter, but I wish you had made the render slightly sharper so that it felt less like you had your glasses taken off. The glitchy effect is super nice though, and I hope you find a way to work that in more. I think you also could have added some other material to make the negative space a little less present. Overall, sound graphic! 7.1/10

The Vasteras Iron Eagles picked up goaltender Tadhg Byrne in the entry draft this past week. This acquisition is one that even Tadhg himself will tell you was a bit of a surprise. To be fair, for as arrogant as the media believes Tadhg to be, Tadhg Byrne was relatively humble in the sense that he didn’t believe any team would draft him ever. As a kid growing up in a country where hockey was an extremely foreign concept, being drafted by any team in the VHL system was a privilege he’d never take for granted. The city of Vasteras seemed to open their arms to the Irish goaltender, preparing to take him in as one of their own. Tadhg had found that cities tended to feel strongly for their goaltenders, the Anaheim Ducks of old and Toronto Maple Leafs being prime examples of this. Both cities treasured their goalies, and Tadhg could only hope that he’d be able to meet the expectations that the city of Vasteras were putting on their new team. With many of the members of the championship team graduating to the VHL, the city watched carefully over the top of the new fledgling Iron Eagles. Tadhg felt the eyes close in on him when he walked around Vasteras. No matter, he thought. It was part of his job description, and he'd do anything to meet his challengers.

1) Personally, I look forward to just playing in the E and trying my hardest to do everything better than last season. 2) Maybe the time zone lolol. It's a little off-putting as an Australian, but it's certainly manageable. 3) Probably dedication. It's important to find time to do the tasks or even just be a little active in my opinion. 4) The dream is to grab a Shaw trophy in the VHL. 5) I think the key to having a good team is a lot of active players and positions being filled out. Having an active starter, top line, and top pair is the key in my mind. 6) Tadhg likes being a homebody, but he has always wanted to go camping in the Canadian wilderness.

D - Ove Dyrdahl @KaleebtheMightyotc

G - Artem Tretiak @OrbitingDeath otc

F - Christian Mingle @KaleebtheMightyotc

D - Kristof Welch @OrbitingDeath otc

F - Jivere Zolnek @KaleebtheMightyotc

The VHLE draft had come quickly after the headrush that was the VHL draft. It was nowhere near as exciting, but Tadhg would be a liar if he said he wasn’t curious to see where he ended up in Europe. He’d done a little research about all of the teams, and a few teams had even done research on him. He’d gotten more calls from VHLE GMs as time went on, with roughly half the league contacting him. As he sat in the arena, he watched the draft board go up and names get called. It was another VHL situation, he expected to be drafted later, maybe still in the first round this time around. Being the top goaltender in a draft really helps out with your stock, Tadhg had learned. When it got to the fifth pick, Tadhg had the pleasure of hearing his name called by the GM of the Vasteras Iron Eagles. Getting drafted to a cup winner was nothing that Tadhg was going to complain about. Vasteras had multiple VHL graduates on that cup winning team, former first overall pick Xavier Booberry being one of them. Tadhg would be a liar if he said that the shadow of one of the best young goalies in the world didn’t scare him a little. Tadhg would also be a liar if he said that he wasn’t ready to dispel that shadow with the brightness of his own future. He was ready to get to work in the lakeside city, hoping that he can help bring a cup back to his new home of Vasteras.

Draft day had come quicker than expected. Tadhg found himself sat in the draftee section, next to almost 70 other prospects who he’d played against fiercely. His parents and girlfriend sat beside him, his mother looked borderline prepared to cry at the slightest movement and his father looked more nervous than Tadhg had ever seen. Siobhan was also on the verge of tears, she’d come to San Diego with Tadhg and seen everything. It was a big step for both of the young adults, independence and freewill being granted with the VHLM contract that Tadhg had signed what seemed like years ago. The beginning of the rest of his career was coming up next. ‘You two are going to stress me out, calm down.’ Tadhg had joked. He was nervous enough as it was, his girlfriend and mother were being of no help. ‘I can’t help it,’ his mother started, ‘This is one of the most important parts of your career. It’s happening. You’re getting drafted.’ Tadhg felt his mother’s hands grab his own. The smoothness of her skin was in direct contrast to his own calloused skin, worn and battered after years of taking pucks. Siobhan quietly slipped her hand into Tadhg’s, for fear that if she opened her mouth only tears would come. Tadhg interlaced their fingers wordlessly. Quiet washed over the crowd as the first GM came up to the stand. Tadhg knew it wouldn’t be him, so he was content to tune out. Tadhg was relatively certain that he’d go in the middle of the second round, maybe even early in the third. It made no real difference, all of the later rounds were the same at the end of the day. As names got further and further down the draft order, it became a matter of waiting. A few other Marlins alumni had been drafted, Wilk going to Warsaw and Preobrazhensky going to Moscow. As it came to the 16th andfinal pick of the first round, there was talk of New York selecting George Sanderson or Mason Jones. The New York Americans GM stood tall at the microphone, with a smile on his face as he gave an initial speech. He spoke of the trade that had to be made to get the 16th overall pick, and he spoke of being privileged to be at the draft entirely. ‘I’ll get to the pick now,’ the GM laughed softly. ‘With the 16th overall pick in the VHL Entry Draft, the New York Americans are proud to select, from the San Diego Marlins, goaltender Tadhg Byrne.’ Tadhg’s head shot up at the sound of his name leaving the speakers and reverberating through the arena. Before he knew it, his father had his arms around him for a brief embrace. As did his mother afterwards, and then Siobhan. All of them, even his father, were teary eyed. There were words of joy, his mother and Siobhan congratulated the newly-drafted goaltender. His father hugged him again before pointing to the stage. Right, Tadhg thought, Now I have to go on-stage. Auto-pilot had been engaged in Tadhg’s mind. He didn’t remember much about shaking the GM’s hand, nor putting on the jersey and hat. It all became a blur that was vaguely blue coloured. Tadhg Byrne had put in years of work, years of practise, years of training for this exact moment. He stood atop a stage, shoulder to shoulder with a VHL GM who believed in him to protect the goal. It was only when he saw his name on the draft board that it completely sunk in. The Boy from Dublin Town was a VHL goaltender now.

1) This week's been a big one, started work and Year 12 is running circles around me. Just glad to be able to have some time to do some fun stuff now that it's the weekend! 2) I'm a green/orange type of guy. 3) Betta fish, my brother own some real goofy looking ones and I think they're top stuff. 4) Vancouver, they're looking on fire at the moment. 5) Tough to say, I love the Spider-Man universe but DC has some incredible graphic novels. Both? 6) Is Water Wet? (It is. I have met people who think it isn't. They are very passionate)

F - Duncan Idaho @OrbitingDeath

You pronounce it like the 'Tige' in 'Tiger'! Thanks for the wishes, Western Europe should be a fun run

Timing was a key aspect in a professional athlete’s life, especially when you play such a reactionary position like Tadhg Byrne. When you think of timing, you often think of throwing your blocker or trapper out just in time. You don’t think of being next to your phone at the right time. The phone rang once, then twice before Tadhg picked up. Unknown Number flashed across the screen. ‘Hello?’ Tadhg listened to the voice across the phone, it was the GM of Western Europe’s World Cup team. Definitely not what Tadhg had expected. It wasn’t a long conversation, but not one Tadhg would forget any time soon. The call up for the World Cup had happened. Sure, he was only a back-up and it was unlikely he’d play at all. He was still on the roster. He was still an international player. It wasn’t long before Jameson O’Connor came calling for an interview, he’d clearly heard the news and wanted first (and likely only) dibs on the words out of Tadhg Byrne’s mouth. ‘So, Team Western Europe?’ He’d started off easily, letting Tadhg guide the conversation. ‘Yup. Team Western Europe. Surreal feeling. I’m only one of a handful of VHLM players on that roster, I’m incredibly proud to be representing Europe, even if I won’t see much game time.’ The smile couldn’t be wiped from the young goaltender’s face, everything about Tadhg radiated joy. Jameson nodded along with a small smile of his own. It wasn’t a common look for the stoic Tadhg Byrne to be this genuinely happy. ‘You say that you’ll get no playtime, but surely they’ll give you minutes, even if they’re small. Canada split the time amongst Brodeur and Luongo, did they not?’ Another surprise, Jimmy had been reading up on his NHL history. Tadhg couldn’t say this was unwelcomed. It was nice to see that his dedication ran deep enough to look at leagues other than his own. ‘Lu and Brodeur were two of the most prolific goalies of their time, I don’t think I can even approach Aike van Giersbergen right now. I’m also not sure I want to be in net against Canada or the U.S right now!’ A laugh filled the air in a way that sat comfortably. ‘You don’t want to play against the most elite competition in the world? That’s not the Tadhg Byrne I’ve come to learn about,’ a teasing grin came to the face of the journalist, a sight that Tadhg had come to learn to enjoy rather than despise. It was a surreal feeling, and Tadhg realised that he had lost himself a little in the sheer joy of being selected. Jimmy was probably right, Tadhg would have been ecstatic at the prospect of playing against the world’s best not even a week ago, but the draft day stress had taken a toll on him as of late. It was a feeling that was foreign, the piling anxiety mixed into an emotional cocktail of bliss. ‘Y’know what, Jim? Not wrong. I was wrong, I don’t care if I let in 5, 10, 20. I want to see what the best have to offer, and how far away I am from shutting them the hell out.’ In a small conversation, draft day anxiety had left him. All Tadhg was focused on right now was getting even one minute as an international goaltender. That’s all Tadhg wanted, draft day be damned. In a sense, Jameson O’Connor was to thank for the clarity of mind that Tadhg experienced as he walked out of the Irish Times Building yet again. It was another day in the office for Jameson, but for Tadhg it meant quite a bit. It was weird to have a journalist be the catalyst for a good mood, but who was Tadhg to complain?

Since the World Cup is rolling around, let’s take a quick look at the top player for each team this year. CANADA For Canada, the name to look for is Dakota Lamb, long time Warsaw Predators player with a scoring touch that suits the tournament. Lamb is expected to be a major part of Canada’s campaign and put up numbers that matter for the Canadian squad. UNITED STATES For the U.S, Justin Lose is your guy. Justin Lose is a staple of Riga’s forward pack and is more than capable of scoring on the best goalies in the world, putting up a strong 37 goals in this past season. Lose has incredible hands as well, being able to walk through his opponents with ease. WESTERN EUROPE Western Europe’s top player is none other than fellow Riga Reign forward, Cabe McJake. McJake will be an interesting watch, given that Western Europe isn’t a hub of hockey but his scoring touch along with his incredible puckhandling should lead towards fun play. NORDIC Team Nordic has arguably the best forward, as well as player, in the tournament with Gunnar Odinsson. Odinsson is an insane player, with two 100+ point seasons under his belt in the VHL. He’s expected to light up the tournament and make goalies regret being in the tournament at all. WORLD Team World is in the conversation for best player, with Duncan Idaho leading the charge for Team World. Idaho put up a 54-56-110 point in S80, showing his incredible talent for both playmaking and shooting. MERCENARIES Last but not least, Isau DaMoose leads the Mercenaries in their dream to topple the top teams in the world. DaMoose also follows McJake and Lose in being apart of Riga’s incredible forward pack, with DaMoose being a smooth skating and smooth shooting forward with natural instincts.

@RedIrish solidarity I was also surprised to see another one, always a pleasant sight

1) I think it's an interesting change, and it makes the E more competitive but it changes the way that M teams are going to draft and take players I think. I guess we'll see how it plays out in the future. 2) I think 'Vienna Rush' sounds really cool in comparison, Vienna is definitely the shout for me. 3) The compete level should hopefully be evened out now. I'm hoping it'll mean that every team can have a shot, but I wouldn't be shocked if the top teams just dominate in whole. 4) I'm hoping that, being one of the top goaltenders, I can sneak into the first round, but I think early in the second is more realistic for now. 5) I think Red Lobster is the shout, or if we're going for sports brands maybe Rip Curl. I think seeing a big red lobster in an arena would be incredibly funny though. 6) I've never had candy corn, but all of my friends say it tastes like hot garbage so I'm not sure. Pretty neutral from me!

i'm down for some fantasy!

With draft day rolling around quickly, Tadhg had been interviewed by a few teams and it would be a lie to say he wasn’t a little anxious. With teams calling about his interests, he began to wonder about where he would belong. Teams always need goaltenders, that’s just a reality of hockey, but it’s also a prestigious position. Teams rarely have more than two active goalies on their lineup, the rest of them being relegated to the lower leagues in the VHL system. This weighed on Tadhg’s mind. He was one of the top goaltenders in this draft, going as far as the top ranked goaltender to some scouts. Teams with little goaltender depth and picks to spare would definitely be interested. Despite all of the odds being stacked in his favour, Tadhg couldn’t help finding himself in the loop of ‘am I good enough?’ It was a thought process many players had, but for Tadhg it was a fresh feeling. He’d always been somebody that teams had sought after, being in such a small market with such raw talent. Now, everybody was talented. They were all incredible players with such high ceilings that put them in the forefront of every GMs mind on draft day. Tadhg had to sit with himself for a little while and rearrange his thoughts. More talent, more people to compete with. Really, it was an overachiever’s dream, and what was Tadhg Byrne if not an overachiever?

1. Off-season is time to go back home to Ireland and see family. Even pros have to take a break every now and again! 2. Likely becoming more athletic and using my size more effectively in net. Gotta stop them pucks somehow. 3. I'm hoping to just be better than last season and help whoever I end up getting drafted by make a run at a Founder's cup, picking up some shutouts along the way. 4. I'm partial to Yukon, both because they're insane and because Yukon is just a nice place to spend time. It's got incredible scenery. 5. Probably Sydney, that's where me and my friends spend our time off school nowadays. 6. It looks like JB is trying to find a coach for the team. Dolphins are the smartest animal in the ocean, I imagine they'd make great coaches.