We just had someone recruited from our Instagram account recently! ... I know it's just one person so far, a work in progress for recruitment for sure. But there's still hope!
Heading into London for Triller's S88 rookie season there were many unknowns. The United's GM, Dil, had announced their retirement from not only GM'ing, but the league as a whole. This left the team and its prospects wondering what the future would hold for the leadership group. Rumor's swirled as to who would land the job but only one candidate had been endorsed by the former GM, Jacob Carson. Applications were taken and after some time, the former San Diego Marlins GM was brought in to lead the London United. Having won a Founders Cup with Jacob, Leonard was excited to be paired with a GM he had a past connection with and that excitement kept going as the new VHL GM started executing the plan for his new team. Off-season moves brought in high level talent while maintaining London's core. Mainstays improved over the off-season and we're better than ever. The team had high expectations for themselves and Triller hoped to deliver in his rookie season. Being a top candidate for the Christian Stolzschweiger award, he needed to shine and contribute to his team's success. A debut in the playoffs in his first season would go a long way to securing his spot on the team and with a new GM in place and new teammates to play with, things were feeling great! Before the season began, Leonard was chosen as an Assistant Captain, which was exciting news but also a heavy burden that he knew he had to earn in the LR and on the ice!
1st Half of Season
We are officially at the halfway point in Triller's rookie season and things could be going better in London. With an 18-13-4 record the United sit at 5th in the European Conference. Struggling to find consistency, the team continues adjusting to the roster changes. While mostly outplaying their opponents they seem to lack the finishing to bring these games to the win column. As for Leonard, he is performing quite well in his rookie debut. Sitting 3 points and 3 games back of first in points among rookies at 26, his playmaking skills have translated well to the VHL. It is interesting to note as well that his former teammate on the Geneva Rush, Kronchy Kardashian is who he is chasing. With 21 assists, he has been able to contribute and make an impact on the team. GM Jacob has shown trust in the rookie by playing him mostly on the first line alongside Igor Molotov and fellow S86 Founders Cup Champion, Adam Rage.
TEAM
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SHT
HIT
SB
Vancouver Wolves
3
0
3
3
0
2
10
6
2
Calgary Wranglers
0
Los Angeles Stars
0
Chicago Phoenix
2
0
0
0
-1
4
6
1
2
Seattle Bears
1
1
1
1
4
4
4
0
New York Americans
2
1
0
1
1
2
1
4
1
DC Dragons
2
2
2
2
4
11
4
1
Toronto Legion
2
1
0
1
2
0
4
2
1
NAC Totals
12
2
6
8
5
16
36
21
7
TEAM
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SHT
HIT
SB
HC Davos Dynamo
4
0
1
1
1
6
10
11
0
Moscow Menace
3
0
1
1
1
2
9
3
3
Malmo Nighthawks
7
2
6
8
6
6
20
13
2
Riga Reign
5
1
3
4
1
10
9
3
2
Warsaw Predators
1
0
1
1
0
0
3
0
0
Prague Phantoms
1
0
1
1
0
0
3
0
0
Helsinki Titans
3
0
2
2
0
0
7
6
0
London United
0
EUC Totals
24
3
15
18
9
24
61
36
7
TOTAL
36
5
21
26
14
40
97
57
14
Second Half of Season
The second half of the season has come to a close. London fought hard for the third spot in the conference but fell just short to Moscow by a single point, finishing with a 39-25-8 record. A 21-12-4 record for the second half of the season. After some creative line juggling by Jacob the team found a bit more consistency that had them in the third spot for most of the second half. A few OT losses that couldn't be closed out were a contributing factor to the drop to 4th. Leonard finishes the season leading all rookies in points with 47, 11 goals and 36 assists. With a bit less output than the first half of the season, he would fall just shy of 50 points. Triller has made large strides this season in his defensive play and it has shown with a +17 along with 106 hits. Knowing in his rookie season that he would not be dominating the league in points, Leonard focused on defense to help his team win. An overall, impressive, regular season rookie experience and one that Leonard Triller can be proud of.
TEAM
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SHT
HIT
SB
Vancouver Wolves
4
0
4
4
-1
2
11
10
3
Calgary Wranglers
4
3
5
8
4
0
12
5
2
Los Angeles Stars
4
2
2
4
-4
2
5
4
0
Chicago Phoenix
5
0
2
2
0
8
8
5
6
Seattle Bears
4
0
1
1
-2
6
9
6
1
New York Americans
4
1
0
1
2
8
5
6
0
DC Dragons
4
0
2
2
4
6
13
7
3
Toronto Legion
4
1
2
3
2
2
15
7
1
NAC Totals
33
7
18
25
5
34
78
50
16
TEAM
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SHT
HIT
SB
HC Davos Dynamo
6
0
1
1
1
6
17
14
0
Moscow Menace
5
0
1
1
-2
4
13
5
3
Malmo Nighthawks
7
2
5
7
5
6
19
9
2
Riga Reign
5
1
3
4
1
10
9
7
2
Warsaw Predators
5
0
2
2
2
0
15
7
2
Prague Phantoms
5
0
2
2
-1
2
10
5
1
Helsinki Titans
6
1
4
5
6
2
14
9
1
London United
0
EUC Totals
39
4
18
22
12
30
97
56
11
TOTAL
72
11
36
47
17
64
175
106
27
The London United now find themselves playing for a spot in the playoffs as a Wildcard against the Riga Reign. Despite being 7 points ahead in the standings, London has struggled this season against Riga with a 1-4 record. With a goal, 3 assists and a +1, Leonard has found success against Riga in these mostly losing affairs. However, he will have to stay disciplined as he has taken his most penalties against Riga with 10 PIMs.
Wildcard VS Riga Reign
In this wildcard series, Leonard would get his first taste of playoff hockey and would use it to steady his nerves and settle in with the team. Handily taking the series 3-1, London would show it was ready to dig into the playoffs. Triller started slow and exited the series with only 1 goal in the 4 games but with a +3 rating, he made sure he was keeping the puck out of harm's way when on the ice. His defensive play showed as he had 8 hits which is 1 more than in 5 games against Riga in the regular season while managing to stay out of the penalty box the whole series. Next up, the Prague Phantoms.
Conference Semi Finals vs Prague Phantoms
After developing some playoff legs against Riga, London would face the Phantoms who, like Riga, had bested them 4-1 in the regular season. Leonard did not see much success against Prague having only tallied 2 assists with a -1 rating. One of only five teams he had a minus rating against throughout the season, but it became evident very quickly that Triller had changed his game for this playoff series. In game one, Leonard would net his first career Hat-Trick, putting his passing on the backburner for a short time. London would continue to dominate the series going forward with everyone on the team contributing to the 4-1 series defeat of the Prague Phantoms. Leonard would continue to be a prominent player throughout the series with 7 points and a +6 rating. Triller continues to keep his opponents on their toes as the hits keep coming with 13, resulting in only 2 PIMs. Discipline continues to be a factor and will need to remain going into the conference finals.
Conference Finals vs HC Davos Dynamo
After a decisive win in Prague, London comes in fresh against a well worn Davos team that managed to defeat Moscow in a huge series comeback. The Dynamo are the first team the United will face in these playoffs that did not have a winning record against them in the regular season. With a 4-2 record, the United look to continue their dominance over the Dynamo. Leonard however looks to up his game again having only 1 assist in those 6 games. With a +1 rating though, he looks to maintain his defensive stature and in this series. After a hard fought back and forth series that sees a game 7, London clinches the European Conference Championship with a decisive 5-2 win over Davos. Leonard finishes off the series with 2 goals and 3 assists, crushing his point production of 1 assist in 6 regular season games against the Dynamo. Triller keeps showing up for his team in the playoffs and the rest of his team is doing the same.
Continental Cup Finals vs Seattle Bears
With one thing left to accomplish, the United gear up to go for glory against the Seattle Bears who are coming off a 4-2 series win against the Calgary Wranglers. With a 1-3 record against the Bears in the regular season, London comes into the series with the same mentality they had against Riga and Prague, the regular season record doesn't mean anything and Leonard is looking to match that sentiment. With only 1 assist against Seattle, he looks to flex his playoff build and increase that point production while also locking down Seattle's stars. The Continental Cup is all that remains and all the London United needs are four…more…wins.
After dropping to 3-1 in the series against Seattle, London's magical cup run seemed to be over, but you wouldn’t have known that in the locker room. The team buzzed with excitement at the chance to fight their way back into the series, and fight they did. Game after game, London would start to pile up the wins. OT wins, decisive wins and outshot wins, all while fighting discipline issues. The penalty kill was solid and even more so, Jesse Teno. With everyone contributing at opportune times the United managed to pull off what everyone would have said was impossible, becoming the Continental Cup Champions!
TEAM
GP
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SHT
HIT
SB
Riga Reign
4
1
0
1
3
0
9
8
1
Prague Phantoms
5
4
3
7
6
2
17
13
2
HC Davos Dynamo
7
2
3
5
-1
2
23
14
6
Seattle Bears
7
0
4
4
2
18
12
12
4
Playoff Totals
23
7
10
17
10
22
61
47
13
Leonard Triller finishes off his Rookie Season as a Continental Cup Champion for the London United! Contributing again in the final series with 4 assists and a +2. Leonard found the series to be a challenging one that would test his patience as a rookie. Racking up 18 penalty minutes, Seattle knew what buttons to push. Unable to stay out of the box as much as he would have liked, Triller still managed to bring the physical edge he brought to other series with 12 hits. It is a learning experience he will not soon forget. With more experience, hopefully he learns to keep his cool down the stretch. Triller would end the playoffs tied for 8th overall in points, as well as tied for 7th overall in goals. He leads all rookies with 17 points, 3 more than teammate Hunor Solyom who is second and 13 more than the third place holder. He was also 8th overall in +/- with +10. A rookie season to remember on a team he will never forget. Time to defend this cup!
Milestones
Game 1
First Career Point: First Period vs Warsaw Predators
London United , Hari Singh Nalwa 1 (Sock Monkey 1, Leonard Triller 1) at 3:38
Game 6
First Career Goal: First Period vs Warsaw Predators
London United , Leonard Triller 1 (Sock Monkey 4, Hari Singh Nalwa 4) at 9:11
Playoffs Game 1 Conference Semi Finals vs Prague Phantoms
First Career VHL Hat-Trick
1. London United , Leonard Triller 2 (Siyan Yasilievich 7, Hunor Solyom 3) at 7:41
4. London United , Leonard Triller 3 (Siyan Yasilievich 8, Molly the Cat 4) at 4:59
5. London United , Leonard Triller 4 (Siyan Yasilievich 9, Hunor Solyom 4) at 8:21
Nominated for the Christian Stolzschweiger Award
Named to the All-VHL Rookie Team
European Conference Champion
Continental Cup Champion
In my temporary role as Commissioner I have decided that one of the teams in the M will be relocated. As I am a benevolent dictator I will let the league choose who goes. Don't worry, everyone on the team will have a new home and a new team. Introducing the...
I have created a logo, a shoulder patch and a home jersey for the newly introduced Shuswap Guardians. Protected by the wings of the guardian is a small slice of Shuswap Lake. It is nestled under the majestic mountains of British Columbia's interior. The jersey and socks are a gradient and the text for the number and names are a bit on the classier side. Join the Guardians!
I've just been nominated as Commissioner for a day!
What the heck should I do? What do the Commissioners usually do day to day?
I have no idea… But let's do this!
New League Announcement:
Let's revamp the league a bit starting with adding a new league - VHLA.
Victory Hockey League Asia here we come!
Who's ready for this? Pfft, anyone who loves the VHLE of course!
New League Breakdown:
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty details of how this new league will work.
The VHLA would act as another midtier step between the VHLM and VHL, much like the VHLE. Players will be drafted either to the VHLE or the VHLA before going to the VHL. To make things more fun for the GMs - There will be a lottery system in place for who gets to pick first from both leagues and in what order. Going back and forth between picks in the E and A. For example the first E team chosen gets to pick their first rounder, then when they are done with their first round pick, it will then switch to the first A team to make their first round pick. Once the A team is done with their first pick we’ll then bounce back to the next E team to do their 1st round pick. Round and round we go. How long will it take? Nobody knows! This would mean drafts for the VHLE and VHLA would happen somewhat simultaneously to ensure the same players don’t get drafted into both leagues. Live drafts streams could still happen but would most likely take double the time with both leagues picking then waiting for the other.
Is this probably going to be complicated and a pain in the ass? Most definitely, you’re welcome.
New League Cup:
VHL community I hereby present you with your new VHLA Cup - The Dynasty Cup!
Fashioned especially for this brand new league, The Dynasty Cup boosts a simple yet elegant design. With a base made from Teak, the cup is silver with a few floral designs near the base. The flowers chosen for the base are Azaleas which can be found in countries across the continent. A hockey stick and puck are also included between the floral designs near the base. However the rest of the cup is clean without too many design distractions. The Dynasty Cup was created in Manila at Studio 925 by a team of metal workers in the Philippines. The metalsmiths proud of their creation mentioned their hopes of their home team taking home the Cup.
VHLA Draft Teams and Countries
I present you with your 10 new VHLA draft teams and countries:
Russia:
Omsk Wolverines
China:
Shanghai Red Pandas
India:
Bangalore Legends
Thailand:
Bangkok Midnight Suns
Japan:
Tokyo Thunder
Vietnam:
Hanoi Hustlers
Kazakhstan:
Turkistan Tigers
Indonesia:
Jakarta Juggernauts
Philippines:
Manila Mystics
South Korea:
Seoul Sentinels
Which VHLA team would you like your player to be drafted too?
Any bets for which team will take home the Dynasty Cup this season?
If you liked this article give it a thumbs up! It really supports the VHLA network.
Leave a comment below and subscribe for more VHLA news and updates.
Best comment when it comes to make projections as projections are simply the projections of the known but rather miss or cannot calculate the unknown. Reminds me of a say,"We know what we don`t know but don`t know what we don`t know."
Sounds like an interesting project and maybe a bit complicated. I will be interested in reading since I have run similar projection projects on a small scale and in the end I came to the conclusion of:
Too many variable at play that cannot be calculated correctly or projected so tends to scewy the data to more of average or a "assume steady state"
I also interested in the semi-automatic aspect of your data collection since I tend to still take the long route of manual entering data that takes a much longer time. If I could ever figure out semi-automation or full automation then I am sure I would become a mad scientist running everything thing that I think of thorough a projection models; so maybe don`t tell me how you do this as I like to have a life outside the dungeon running data!! LOL!!
Also by manually running the data I cross a point where I understand that I am not going to get the projection that I want due to many different factors or that is simple too complicated to continue to run the data as the benefits, time, effort etc.... don`t equal the returns of sad project.
The problem with projecting your own teams future is the fact that it takes you way from the "now"and into the future meaning that you are unlikely to make a bad trade that helps the team now rather than dealing with the future and the assets later. Since I have run such projections so I know that these projections are really meant to be broken if not shattered when great opportunities a raise. This is where you need as a GM or AGM to ask yourself a few different things about running your team.
A. Are your projections making you make safe choices holding your team back from possible contending?
B. What is better being good over a long period of time or being great for a single season or shorter period of time?
C. Are you taking into consideration the Managers behind the players?
D. Is it fun? Playing it safe all the time rather than risky
E. Remember it is a game
F. STHS will F you when every it feels like!!
Projecting is okay but staying in the moment is more fun. Making mistakes or having a cloudy future means you have more opportunities to successful or an utter failure!! LOL!!
"We are as only as good as we are today but not as good as we are in the future"
"If you want the rainbow than you need to put up with the rain; ever if you are the one creating the rain!!"
Thanks for the work you put in and to anyone else that contributed. I think STZ was the Magazine lead when I was there, I just did GFX for ads and stuff. I can't even remember half of what you wrote, but I definitely appreciate the memory refresh!
Some of the posts I read through made it seem as if you were the one putting it together (and even pushing to switch to a podcast format) but I will adjust it accordingly. It goes for a better story since I believe STZ is a recruit of yours! In any case, I'm glad you enjoy this. We've shared the Locker Room and have spoken a number of times since then, even during my search for an AGM. I appreciate you! 🍻
Thanks for the work you put in and to anyone else that contributed. I think STZ was the Magazine lead when I was there, I just did GFX for ads and stuff. I can't even remember half of what you wrote, but I definitely appreciate the memory refresh!
I don't know Boom's history in the VHL, just that Boom is an awesome person in general! So it was cool to read this and get great insight into Boom's players and his time in the VHL. This was written really well, nicely done Leandro! 🔥
Congrats Boom on your HOF players, you've played the game well 🍻
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BOOM reacted to Subject056 in AJ is Commish for a Day
BOOM got a reaction from Triller in Houston Bulls Press Conference
BOOM got a reaction from Berocka in Math Is Hard
BOOM got a reaction from Gaikoku-hito in Math Is Hard
BOOM got a reaction from der meister in BOOM's Builder HoF Article
