Scurvy

Ok. Thanks !

I hate the off-season, but I will do my best to find some fun things to chat about for this week’s Around the League in 500 words. I was bouncing around the forum today and I see that today is dreaded depreciation day so for those of you getting stung by that, I am sorry. Happens to all of us at some point but watching that delicious TPE fall truly hurts. The cool part is free agency is around the corner and it’s always fun to see where people end up. The Pro-Am is close at hand too so I anticipate some fun fight filled games. RIGA REIGN First off, all congratulations to @Lemorse7 and the Riga Reign for their Cup victory over Toronto. A truly stacked team they were impressive all season. They have already added veteran defenseman, Mark Calaway @Beketov to the club this off-season so it’s looking like they will be deadly again next season. Not sure their cap issues but looking up and down the roster with players like Axle Gunner @steve, Kimi Raikkonen @mattyIceman, and Shubham Anand @Will3 up front and fellow defenders’ tough guy Fradin McGryer @Fradin99 and 86-point scorer in her sophomore season, Lucy Leitner @LucyXpherthey will challenge for another deep playoff push. Prediction: Red Panda will have breakdown when he plays Vancouver and give up record amounts of goals. TRIVIA DOWN For the last couple weeks, it’s been noticed that trivia has ran out of questions. A mild transition until a new person takes over the job but has left many without a chance for a couple TPE a week. I spaced it last week and forgot to do some reviews to make up for it. Question? Can we do two VHL.com pieces in the interim? DRAFT ORDER It appears Prague has the #1 selection in the upcoming S96 draft. Followed by Helsinki, DC Dragons, London, and amazingly a team that ALWAYS seems to have multiple first round picks, Moscow has #5 and #8. Prague is looking to re-build quickly and have the option to draft. They have needs just about everywhere and will get a “Can’t Miss” player at #1. The current highest TPE player is Defensman, River Harrington @kirbithan at 403 followed by fellow dman Pan Daffleck @OrbitingDeath with 389. The first forward available is Brandon Petan Jr @sadie at 372. The first goalie is Deadpanda @Alex with 293. So, either way Prague goes there really is no wrong answer as any of these listed players will be game changing franchise players. VHLM Dispersal Draft Pretty exciting event occurring soon will be the VHLM dispersal draft. Right now, Vladimir Trunov @qripll is #1 in TPE with 214 which would be cool to see a goalie go #1 overall. 3 goalies are currently top 10 overall in TPE so interesting to see if these are the future superstars of the league or if the goalie market is getting crowded. Brett Slobodzian Trophy update: Right now, it appears that Moscow’s David Rashford is the leader for the most outstanding player award with 35 votes. He had an amazing season with 127 points. Hard to pick this winner as different positions, stacked teams vs re-building, etc. But I have one question for the group? If a player on your team is nominated, do you vote for them automatically ?

GOLD QUOTE! I should get that tattooed on my arm. And so true. Can't wait to see him tmrw now

The dreaded off-season is among us, and I find it hard to type my articles for much needed TPE. However, in Vancouver there has been a ton of media buzz with some recent moves. First, heavy power forward Owen Lazaro @traphag was traded to Davos for up-and-coming right winger, Matteo Stefano @mmrs617. Matteo has big shoes to fill but played very well in a rookie campaign with Davos scoring 24 goals. Davos gets a proven scorer and absolute menace to play against in Lazaro while Vancouver frees up some much-needed cap space. In another trade, Vancouver traded their #1 d-man in Mark Calaway @Beketov for a first rounder pick. A very tough trade to make Vancouver GM had to move a high TPE dman for cap space and was forced to trade a true leader on the club who can do it all. A great addition to the defending champs in Riga. Both Lazaro and Calaway will be missed in Vancouver and I can speak for the whole locker room that it was great playing with both of you.

1. I don't like how y'all got eliminated. Feels incomplete and unsatisfying really. If you lost and there was not glitch it would hurt but not taste so bad. 2. I'd say Mac and Longstreet were co-MVPs. Both brought it. 3. Doesn't apply really but I will always try to play in Miami on my re-creates 4. I'd say goalie. With a good goalie I feel you can go far in VHLM 5. Yes, my wife is from California so been a few times. It's fun but SUPER crowded and the lines are insane, even with a fast pass. Makes it much less enjoyable 6. Fuck Oreos, marry skittles, and kill Doritos

The season is over for me, so I am not super pumped to write an article for my next week’s media spot but here we are. For this week’s Around the League I plan to chat about the VHL playoffs, maybe some draft hype, and any other random stuff to get me to 500 words. VHL Playoffs In the North American conference Toronto and Chicago are neck and neck. The Legion dominated all season in the NA and with a goalie that is 490 TPE. Their team defense and a legendary squad of forwards have been impressive all season. We will see if they can keep it up against a stacked Chicago team hungry for a title. In the European conference I think I was most shocked that Malmo and Moscow were eliminated so quickly. Both teams are nasty, and I thought they would have deep playoff runs. Riga and Davos remained locked, and I am impressed by both teams. Sophomore forward Antonia Bucatini @CowboyinAmerica is leading the playoffs in scoring with 20 points pretty much showing that cowboy is a genius at building amazing players. My prediction will be Davos vs Chicago in the finals. EARLY DRAFT OUTLOOK I know it’s still a bit soon for draft hype, but I was looking today at the S96 draft class and see some familiar names populating the draft class. At #1 and I think more than likely the #1 overall pick is Pan Daffleck @OrbitingDeath . This 50-year-old monster comes in at 608 250lbs. Skipping the VHLM and going directly into the final season of the VHLE he personifies a stay-at-home d-man with 117 hits, 63 blocked shots, and 8 points in regular season. Points haven’t come easy as of yet but playing against top tier talent in the E will prepare him well for next season where either Prague or DC will certainly try to snatch him up. Next up is another defenseman, Ottawa’s River Harrington @kirbithan. River was a beast for Ottawa this season with 21 goals 59 assist for 80 points. An absolute sniper on the power play with 11 goals RH has a solid two-way mentality. Another pick that certainly won’t be long on the board. Number 3 in TPE currently is our first forward on the board, center, Brandon Petan Jr @sadie. Another Ottaway body who lit it up with 39 goals 40 assists for 79 points. A crazy 421 shots and 157 hits shows that Petan always has the gas pedal pushed. 7 game winning goals as well. At 314 TPE next we have another bone crushing dman in Alagsantere Geoenvold @VattghernCZr at 605 232 I heard Mexico City had to fly in more food and beer to keep AG from eating his fellow teammates. AG plays with grit for sure but his size fools many into thinking he only has a physical element to his game. 16 goas 46 assist 64 points to go with 157 hits AG looks to bring that combination of physicality and offensive prowess to whatever team is lucky enough to get him in the top 5. Rounding out the top 5 in TPE is Youre Not Fucking Retiring @twists. Our first winger on the list YNFR crushed the season with 58 goals 58 assists 116 points in Phili. 502 shots and 11 PPG TNFR loves to shoot often, and it pays off. Another player with some sandpaper to go with his game as well. Any VHL club that grabs the oddly named winger will be happy. See ya next week

Well, the season is officially over for the Vancouver Wolves. After a tough game 7 loss to the Chicago Phoenix the Wolves will begin the locker clean out process and move on to the golf course. The talented club just couldn’t seem to put the chemistry together in the playoffs despite finishing the regular season on fire. Most disappointing was the play of third year forward, Logan Ninefingers. Completely absent in 7 games the former first overall pick scored a whopping 0, yes ZERO goals and had a mere 3 assists. When the team needed an offensive spark, he just didn’t answer the bell. In fact, in 16 total playoff games, Ninefingers has managed to score just ONE playoff goal beckoning the question, “Is Logan Ninefingers a playoff performer?” Clearly to this point he is not. 7 career playoff points in 16 games isn’t going to cut it for a club who is expected to win now and in a town that does not forgive losing. This off-season will be telling for the young player and team captain. He told reporters after his game 7 loss he was going to stay in Vancouver all summer and continue to work out and skate with defenseman, Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts and backup goalie Soju @Frank. We will see if it pays off.

1. Seattle has it I believe. And I want to face Seattle soon anyway. 2. I did follow and was surprised Warsaw lost too. I thought they had a pretty decent club. 3. I picked Warsaw but Davos fooled me. 4. Try to earn TPE to improve skating a bit before games 5. Vancouver in 6 6. I think Moscow is the club to beat for sure. The curse is real but I think Moscow has the team to beat the curse really. Although they lose to Vancouver in 7 with a GWG by Riley Martin

so true

Well…I spent the weekend in Nashville Tennessee to visit some friends and was shocked to see a forum post that the VHLE had been disbanded. Now I know there are a lot of opinions about the VHLE, some pretty emotional on both sides. I came into the league in S81 as a free agent and my S83 year was played in Bratislava with GM @FrostBeard and some truly high caliber players like @Shindigs and @Girts, whom I have played with more most of my career with two players. It was in the VHLE that It (THE VHL) finally clicked and I could prepare a player that could be good. Fast forward to Logan Ninefingers and I again spent time in Bratislava where I was fortunate enough to win a championship with GM @roryRory. Again, I had a fun time and was a great locker room to be a part of. I understand the logistics of the decision and I think it will be a positive thing for the league will be In the long run but cheers to my time in the VHLE and a thank you to all who made the VHLE a fun place.

week 2/2 claim

Bouchard good- Ninefingers bad!

Vancouver in 4

With the season coming to an end teams in the NA conference are battling for those coveted playoff spots. Currently, Toronto has the top spot with 85 points with Chicago nipping at their heels with 83. My beloved Vancouver club has had trouble with consistency as we try to climb the standings and every good winning streak we seem to get is matched by Chicago and Seattle keeping us in the #4 spot. Obviously, the goal would be to pass our hated rival, the Seattle Bears and start dwindling down on Chicago as well. It’s coming down to the wire with 10 games left in the season so 20 points up for grabs and Vancouver needs to snag as many as possible to gain that much needed ground. Vancouver has 3 games left against Toronto and 1 vs Chicago, and DC , LA, and Calgary making up the rest. It’s time for the Wolf Pack to step and crush some wins to close out S95.

Were around 60 games in and It’s that time of year for a Tough Guy Tribute. So many times we focus on the 50 goal scorer or that defensive standout who makes it into the top ten in scoring. But this article is to honor those behind the scenes that drop the mitts for their fellow teammates and throw soul stealing hits night in and night out. Just about every team has one (or more) of these lovable brutes and while other teams players and fans might despise them at home they are valued. So here weeeee go! Toby Kadachi @ROOKIE745- at 606 236 this fearsome animal has been destroying fools in New York to the point I am surprised they haven’t tried to incarcerate him yet. TK already has amassed a league leading 12 fights (yes, 12!) this year for a very talented and tough New York team. Even more impressive is to go with his 202 minutes in PIMS is he has 315 hits already as well. Even with his toughness and PIMs TK is no slouch offensively either. 27 goals with 7 GWG and 7 PPGs his hands are relied on more than just crushing other player’s faces. Keegan Gamble @Keegan Gamble- This one is an anomaly to me. Keegan has zero points in body check, zero in Grit, and zero in fighting and yet this first gen savage has 10 fights on the year. Even crazier is he only has 54 minutes in the box meaning he only has two minor penalties on the season. Keegan also has 82 points on the season so not only does he defend his team but sinks the puck often. Tommy Sleeves @dasboot- No tough guy list would be complete without Tommy Sleeves. This hulking defenseman brings utter pain each and every night. Sleeves had an insane number of hits last season with 401 and has 274 this season so far. Added he has blocked 200 shots this season while sitting for a league leading 260 minutes in the box. 9 fights this season shows why he so beloved in Helskinki. Added to this Sleeves has beat up my player twice since I joined the VHL. Hoping at some point to get at least a draw! Callum Gary Yannick Janser @Daniel Janser- an elite defenseman on a New York club that was bit by Simon this season. Playing with Toby Kadachi, NY must be one of the toughest teams in the league. 201 PIMS and 224 hits for CGY while notching 6 PPGs with 4 game winners. An insane earner I would imagine CGY will continue to be a massive force in the league both on defense but also in punishment. Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts- What can you say about ole Guntis. There are so many stories it’s hard to know what is true. From a budding relationship with Megan Fox to the rumor he once tore a finger off a guy in a Vancouver bar following a massive bar fight. Even weirder was that he presented the finger to teammate Logan Ninefingers as an offering to replace his missing digit. It is well known that Guntis has his own side of the locker room and has fought nearly everyone on the Wolves team at one point including GM @Frank. A point per game player this season with 204 hits and 198 PIMs this season with 6 fights he is beloved and feared by his teammates. George Richmond @badcolethetitan- A name I wouldn’t have associated with making the tough guy tribute, as skilled as he is. The #2 pick of the S92 draft he already has a Continental Cup to his name and is on a power house club in Moscow poised for another deep run. 71 points this season so far is no surprise but what is, is the 9 fights he has on the season. The gritty centerman has dropped the gloves frequently and has tripled his PIM high in the VHL with 93. 134 hits as well he has evolved his game into a true power forward who can hit, hurt, and score. As if Moscow wasn’t deadly enough! Savaisk Tzesar @comrade cat- Another player who can hurt opposing players in several ways this left winger scored 90 points last season and is poised for close to that again. 8 fighting majors this season for Malmo and 226 hits puts him in the top ten in the league in crushing people. The type of player all GMs want that gives the gift of grit and scoring. Fradin McGryer @Fradin99- Fradin’s PIMS have dropped a bit this season but he is still a force to be reckoned with in the powerful Euro conference. The Riga defenseman has racked up 138 points and 182 hits and is a +46 with 40 assists. In just under 6 season Fradin has racked up 1030 minutes in the penalty box and has 1273 hits putting him in one of the nastiest defenders in the league to play against. Andrew Skilton @ace_five_- It’s not often I would put a rookie on the TGT but my hat is off to the first gen rookie from Toronto. Pretty good numbers offensively so far with 5 goals 36 assists 41 points to help the first place Toronto team keep their winning ways. Physically the kid has been great showing he’s not afraid of the older toughs in the league. 177 PIMs, 181 hits, and 120 blocked shots says everything you need to know about his type of game. Is this another Guntis in the making? Honorable mentions: Spanish Moon Moth @Renomitsu- An assist machine for the surging Chicago Phoenix he has taken up the mantle of middle weight brawler this year with 10 fights (3 fight wins). Stefan Nikolaev @Is_thatok- this journeyman forward has upped his physical game this year in Warsaw with 9 fighting majors, 103 PIMS, and 103 hits. The 46th player drafted in S90 has found a role in the physical and intimidating European conference. Thanks for tuning in. Until next week, have a great weekend everyone. 1014 words for two week claim 15th and 22nd

I have it qued up on kindle. I’m finishing up a long book now but will jump on it after and leave a review. Promoted it to a few friends on Goodreads already

Nah. First round flop pick!

Were at game 46 of season 95 and the offensive woes continue for the young Vancouver Wolves. Despite having some amazing offensive talent, they have struggled severely to score goals in the tight games. In the last 8 games the Wolves have lost 6 of those that were by one or two goals, and all were low scoring games. On the goal scoring front the Wolves are getting good production from veterans Rip Wheeler @ScottyP with 25 goals and Liv Slater with 21 goals. S92 draft class forwards Logan Ninefingers and Riley Martin @Smarch have been streaky with the goals scoring and will need to pick it up as the playoffs approach. S92 draftee and hulking dman, Guntis Gavilrovs @Girtshas picked up some slack and been great at adding offense and physicality with 9g 34a 43pts. The Wolves are too good to be struggling offensively so deep into the season. I predict that it will soon “click” and the Wolves will go on a run and gain that confidence as we battle for a playoff spot. Ultimately, scoring matters little to the players as long as the wins keep coming!

I was excited about this theme week until it was time to write something. I remember when I started the VHL and in my draft year I read forum posts where Nils Goldlander @Moon took home the ROTY trophy after an insane rookie season where he scored 53 goals 78 assist 131 points. My first player, Brian Payne was never even remotely close in consideration for rookie of the year honors as I will still figuring out how in the hell the VHL worked at that time. I was lucky enough to play in the VHLE with legend, Bo Johansson who helped guide me into making Payne better. It was no surprise that BoJo won the rookie of the year in S83 with 10g 71a 81points. We miss you @Shindigs! As I moved on to my current player, Logan Ninefingers I “thought” I knew better how to build a good power forward build. I wanted to model my player after John Jameson @Frank, Duncan Idaho @OrbitingDeath , and Grimgor Ironhide @FrostBeard. All three of which won the Christian Stolzchweiger Trophy in their rookie season. Let's take a look. Duncan Idaho- In S77 Idaho entered the VHL’s as the 3rd overall pick to the always deadly Moscow Menace. 29g 30a 59 points in his rookie season won him the honors on his way to a Hall of Fame career. When I came into the league as a first gen, Idaho was a beast with 5 straight 50 goal seasons and 2734 hits. John Jameson- the S85 #2 pick played his entire career with Prague and took rookie of year honors in S86. 6 seasons with 42 or more goals and finished his final season with a whopping 80 assists and 127 points. Added to this he had 3 straight seasons with over 300 hits. No doubt he was a first ballot Hall of Famer Grimgor Ironhide- The 7th overall pick in S91 was the exact player I looked at when re-creating my new player. Ironhide was in the VHLM when I played my short 20 game stint, and he was killing the M with 55g 70a 125pts. So, I allocated my TPE points almost exactly like his. In his rookie season with Helsinki, Grimgor hit the league with force scoring 37goals 45 assists for 82 points with 192 hits. Ironhide has continued his dominance in the league and already has 25 goals and 33 assists this season and in four seasons has 292 points in 262 games. So, did modeling my player after these three greats work? So far? Yes and no I would say. I am nowhere near as good as these three but modeling my player’s points with Ironhide in the VHLM worked wonderfully as Ninefingers had 64g 88a 152 points. In the VHL, Ninefingers was in the conversation for ROTY but ultimately had an average rookie season with a hot streak at the end. Anyway, modeling your player is a great way to learn where and what to put TPE and has been helpful to me. Congrats to all ROTY winners!

Sorry to hear about your dad and pup! My doberman (I've had 4) has a heart murmur now and has me worried. He's only 5 and is doing well but eventually it will get worse. Doby's are a special dog and are truly the best family dogs I have ever had.

Congrats. More to come I’m sure

Amen to this. My first player was drafted 26th overall and ended up in HOF.