BOOM

THE HIT LIST
 
Updated!
 
Only four games to go, so let's stat pad! Kidding, let's go undefeated and carry that into the playoffs.
 
 
WE.ARE.DAVOS.

THE HIT LIST
 
Updated!
 
Only four games to go, so let's stat pad! Kidding, let's go undefeated and carry that into the playoffs.
 
 
WE.ARE.DAVOS.

I am offended. I have absolutely no idea why you guys think I am obsessed with boobs! It's not as if I dedicate long hours of my time here in the VHL with them or anything. I try to contribute in various ways all over the place and to think it's all I do is very upsetting. What is wrong with you? Anyway, I have important work to be doing and cannot waste any more time in this thread.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Boom

Our captain will appreciate this classic....
 

I read this and now my knee is sore.

Triton Jackson
Defense
Points
Goals

They have some 4ths stockpiled.

Mikael Svensson
Forward
Points
Hits

Thanks for the 1st.

Brookside: Season of an Era?
 

Brookside, seen here for Bratislava
 
VHLM goaltender Martin Brookside of the Bratislava Watchmen is having a phenomenal season; a 1.43 goals against average and a .924 save percentage have him leading the league by a hefty margin in both categories. Additionally, his 16 shutouts thus far are four times as many as his nearest competitor, and probably one of the best all time, with 14 games to go to earn even more shutouts. There’s really no question he’s the best goalie in the league this year, but then again, that was expected of him going in. He’d spent much of the prior year with the Oslo Storm and spent more time on the ice practicing than any other VHLMer going into the season. The question that would then naturally arise, given how dominant Brookside has been just this season, is how he might stack up when compared to his counterparts from other seasons. Is Brookside having one of the best seasons of the era, or does he fall behind other dominant VHLM goalies?
 

Que Cumberbatch, last season's best
 
The best goaltender last season was Que Cumberbatch, playing for the Minot Gladiators. Brookside played last season, but was earlier in his development and didn’t really threaten Cumberbatch. Based on regular season stats, Cumberbatch had a .914 save percentage (.010 behind Brookside’s current numbers) and a 2.11 goals against (a hefty 0.67 behind Brookside). Cumberbatch also only recorded 9 shutouts on the whole season, a number Brookside might very well double by the end of the season. Mike Szatkowski Jr. led the league in wins last season with 60; Brookside stands on 52 so far and only needs a measly 8 wins in the remaining 14 games to match or beat Szatkowski.
 

Lennox Moher, Evgeni Chekhov, and Mike Szatkowski Jr., three of the VHLM's recent best
 
Going back a little farther, taking into account the Sawchuk Trophy winners in all seasons from S30 on, the best goals against was Lennox Moher in season 35 with a 1.94. That is impressive in itself, falling below 2.00 in a league that prides itself so highly on scoring, but nonetheless Brookside is currently over half a goal per game below Moher’s mark. Save percentage is a much tighter race, and in fact only barely favors Brookside. Evgeni Chekhov of season 32 held a .923 save percentage, a number that Brookside is only beating by a thousandth of a point and might very well finish behind that number by the end of the season. As for the wins cap, Moher’s season 35 total was 60, which matches Szatkowski. Brookside is again on pace to beat both. Moher’s 10 shutouts have already been surpassed by Brookside.
 

Brookside stretching back for a remarkable save
 
Taking into account the Sawchuk winners from the very beginning of the league on (and again, this is just the Sawchuk winners, so a goalie might have had a higher individual stat in any one of these seasons but was not adjudged to have the best overall season), Brookside still holds up quite well in comparison. Only season 7 winner Drew Barclay and season 8 winner Marek Van Urho can boast a better goals against than Brookside, with a 1.41 and 1.26 respectively, to Brookside’s 1.43. By the end of the season Brookside might fall below season 6 winner Greg Eagles and his 1.47, but he has just as strong a chance to pass up Barclay’s 1.41 (Van Urho’s 1.26 is almost assuredly safe). In save percentage, Brookside’s .924 matches Van Urho for what would currently be second all time, behind only Barclay’s .927. Near competitors (.920 and over) are season 6, Greg Eagles, .922; season 18, Aidan Shaw, .923; season 24, Cal G, .921; season 25, Cal G, .920; season 28, Pekka Svenson, .921; and the aforementioned Chekhov. Greg Eagles holds the highest shutouts with 19, a number that Brookside should be at about 50/50 to beat.
 

Van Urho in his prime
 
On the whole, it looks like Brookside’s performance this season is not only the best of the season, but the best of the season 30 and onward era. Additionally, he might have one of the top three VHLM goaltending seasons of all time, if this pace keeps up. To be mentioned even in the same sentence as guys like Van Urho, Shaw, and G is an honor that few players get, but Brookside has earned it with his play.

176: Cologne: The Model Franchise?

Apart from being expansion franchises, there are few similarities between the Quebec City Meute and Cologne Express. One started off its existence as a tanking team, the other tried to compete in every game. One signed three major free agents, the other none. And the Meute won a cup in their first five seasons of existence (only Vasteras, Calgary, and Seattle did so of the original eight), while the Express are looking less and less likely to do so with this core. However, it would be unfair to consider Quebec superior to Cologne simply because of more on-ice success. In actual fact, the Express may be the better franchise of the two.

Building a team from the pieces the expansion teams had was never going to be easy. It wasn't impossible obviously but it would require some good fortune. The Meute got quite a bit of that when the managed to land all the Valiq brothers and then sign both Yuri Grigorenko and Skylar Rift in the same off-season. That also set up the Wesley Kellinger trade and just like that, Quebec displaced New York and Calgary from the top of the North American standings. This is not meant to undermine the Meute's accomplishments as a lot of teams are built in just a few good and/or lucky transactions, but if the pieces had fallen differently, Quebec would probably now be either mired in mediocrity or lingering at the bottom of league standings. Nothing was as easy for Cologne yet at their peak they pushed the Helsinki Titans to six games in the European Conference finals.

This season the Express have pulled the plug on their attempts at cup contention. They could still make the playoffs but it's an end of an era and by all accounts of Joey Kendrick's GM tenure. A quick rebuild is required (and it should be quick based on the selling trades so far) and it will likely be led by David Collier aka RomanesEuntDomus who may go by the GM name Alexander Schneider. Despite some turbulence at the start of the season following the Davey Jones trade, the future looks bright in Cologne and if Collier follows in Kendrick's footsteps (and he appears a good student based on our trade negotiations), he will use the Express' past to his advantage too.

Cologne wasn't built up using high picks or big trades and free agent signings. Apart from Kameron Taylor, their highest selection was fourth overall (Evgeni Chekhov and Jones) and often times they didn't have first-round picks at all. Yet through later draft picks (third and even fourth round in some cases), shrewd trade pick-ups, and under-the-radar free agents, Kendrick assembled a cast including Gregory Glass, Cody Inko, Zach Cuff, Marcus Figgarowta-Nahimal, Lauris Prikulis, and even Collier himself. Some of these are inactive now but others are integral parts of the VHL and likely wouldn't have been if they didn't spend time on the Express. A top example is expansion draft pick Abraham Sander, then inactive and now top rookie favourite Conner Low. Ironically enough, despite not having the success of Quebec, Cologne has always been the more active team and locker room and without a doubt promoted activity across the VHL.

Like their fellow European expansion team in the VHLM, the Bratislava Watchmen, the Cologne Express have made a name on member retention, reclamation projects, and uncovered gems. Unlike the VHLM, sim success matters in the VHL, but the Express have never been terrible either. There is a strong foundation and philosophy and with them, the big wins will come sooner rather than later. Then, Cologne may truly be the model VHL franchise.

Unlike Laich
 

Free sig for Ashton Galbraith(Oslo Storm)
 
I know they are repetitive but it's not for a PT, just for a guy with no sig
 

 

Unlike Laich
 

No, but after googling him, it took me to a horse steroids page.

That's a rather unfortunate middle name.

Tordahl has these for sale:
 

Yep Kesler. Just headed back from the kangaroo farm and thought I'd take a selfie gif. Must say, I'm looking pretty good considering the circumstances.

I don't type STZ... can I do this instead
 

Vladimir Boomchenko at the Vasteras announcement.
 
Vasteras, Sweden.
 
Today the Vasteras IK J20 VHLM franchise, has announced the appointment of former VHL Defenseman, Vladimir Boomchenko as it's new Assistant GM. The popular but under achieving Russian blue-liner played for several VHL teams, including Riga, Calgary, Cologne and Vasteras and it is hoped he will bring this experience and leadership to the VHLM. He will seek to develop and help the Vasteras junior team in any way possible, and provide outstanding GM, Sterling Labatte help with the day to day duties of team management.
 
Boomchenko was thought to be looking for an opportunity to give something back to the VHL and it's associated minor league, when Labatte stepped in and offered the Assistant role. It was keenly accepted and will help provide Boomchenko with an opportunity to learn the management role and take another step towards an eventual GM role in the VHL whenever that opportunity should arise.
 
"I'd like to thank Sterling for this amazing opportunity and hope that I am able to gain the knowledge that he is able to impart. I'm very excited about the future and look forward to playing a role in the development of both the players in the VHLM and the league itself".
 

Possibly. I get so over-whelmed with affection from my VHL friends that it's easy to lose track.