Baozi

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Street

Poop

Anyone would've thought this was Calgary vs Vancouver.

I'd take Smalling still

A generic champion

You gotta carry the team like XXX

Yes, I counted 8 like u said. But AZ and Tordahl are old, I was going for younger players. Plus I think both of them put checking in later on rather than early in the beginning. And yes Landry is on the list heh.

My definition of a power forward was anyone with 75+ in checking lol. I think there are like 8 people in the entire league playing forward with that. The last true super power forward was Smalling and I tried to get a quote from him but stupid Knight isn't responding. Then you got everyone else that just has skating/scoring/passing. So generic.

Wooo Emma!!!

Gotta say I love this series

Hey Marshall

Does my hidden MMR decay if I don't play my placement games? I might not play lol ranked for awhile, thinking of playing some dota2 now that the season is over.

“…Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?” www.VHLHockeynews.com The power forward is a rare species in todays VHL game. Most players concentrate on speed and skill and the physically gifted as well as physically imposing offensive players are not easy to find. One of the best in the previous generations, one of the ISS scout gave us a statement on power forwards. "Lately we haven't seen as many of the prototypical power forward players get to the VHL, there is a huge emphasis on speed and quickness still but recent trends have provided very few forwards willing to play hard and physical. There are maybe only one or two per draft these days at the very most so when one is found, teams pay a premium on obtaining that prospect typically." How rare are power forwards now? Well they do exist, but what quantifies a power forward? In our eyes, power forwards score, they hit and they are mobile and generally are tough players. Brennan McQueen, Riga Reign McQueen is the first on our list as the new generation of power forwards. McQueen is in his second VHL eligibility year, after honing his skills and growing into his lanky frame by spending two years in the VHLM. McQueen weighs in at six foot three inches and two hundred and twenty pounds. He is big and nasty, strong and he has an offensive dimension to him as well. McQueen leads the league in hits with 206 and is third in penalty minutes with 104. His 33 points sits him fifth in rookie scoring currently and he has been maintaining a steady offensive pace. He is a bull on the ice, strong and fearless and tough to knock off the puck. His offensive game is rounding out but what he is especially skilled at is puck protection. Riley Stevens, Cologne Express Stevens, a former prospect that never seemed to reach his full potential has settled into a more defensive power forward role these days. The former S33 prospect is tough and gritty as they come and chips in with a little bit of offense here and there. Stevens sits 2nd in the league for hits at 190 and has 15 points in 38 games. Stevens has a little bit of everything, but is deployed mainly as a checking forward. Offensive point totals aside, Stevens plays a vital role in puck possession as his hits allow for Cologne to force their opponents to turn over the puck. Xin Xie Xiao, New York Americans The top pick of the New York Americans has had an up and down rookie season thus far. That is to be expected though as of the three forwards, he has had the least amount of development time before making the jump straight to the VHL from the draft. That being said, XXX as he is aptly known brings his determination, fearless play and 6 foot 6 and 250 pound frame to the rink and fights for every square inch of space when he is on. The rookie power forward sits 6th in hits with 164 and 6th as well in rookie scoring with 32 points. Something that sets him apart however is the fact that he is a +11 in plus/minus despite being on a rebuilding team. XXX has been improving in all facets of his game, though his big priority right now is balance and puck protection. Originally touted as a #1 pick, he dropped during the draft due to rumours of a limited ceiling. Sofar though he has not shown any sign of slowing down in development and looks to be a key contributor for the Americans for years to come.

Nice article, I liked it and it definitely is stirring up conversation haha.

Yeahhhhh

Street finally passes to me

The penalties are more so because Torts tried to enter the Flames LR. It just sets a bad precedent if he is allowed to do so. Like what happens if instead of being held back by McGrattan, he decks him in the face? Now we have assault and law suits occurring. The Elliot Friedman article is spot on the money. He is the commentator for CBC HNIC for whomever asked who he was. Remove the LR invasion and they get fined the same amounts likely. As Paul Cruze was on radio saying "Hartley laid a trap, and Torts walked right into it. Gotta punish him for stupidity."

Americans 5-2

TOR QUE VAS HEL

Poop again.

Poop

Like: Pavel Bure Pavel Datsyuk Niklas Lidstrom Super Mario Ryan Getzlaf Dislike Brad marchand Sean avery Bobby Clarke Wayne Gretzky Matt Cooke

Future Looks Bright for XXX www.VHLHockeyNews.com Less than a year ago, Xin Xie Xiao was the third name called in the S36 VHL entry draft. Weeks after that he was named an alternate captain straight out of training camp, seen as a mature and determined model for the rest of the youngsters on the team to follow. Despite this rapid progression, people forget that this is XXX's first season still. While he strives to improve every day, it is interesting to note how well he has played under pressure. Many are convinced that XXX is a player that loves to win and will do whatever it takes to get it done. They are not far off the mark. Despite being a really young team and finishing second last in the league last year, the New York Americans now find themselves battling for a playoff spot in the North American conference as the determination and willpower of the young players is overcoming what they lack in experience and veteran presence outside of Keiji Toryiama, who has been playing lights out for the Americans. XXX was tabbed by the majority of the scouts to be the most VHL ready player, but many if not all were convinced that he would never become an elite player. While the latter will be answered in time, XXX has proved that he is ready for the VHL now and has become a force in the turnaround season for the Americans. XXX is 7th in rookie scoring with 26 points in 30 games, a modest total combined with his team leading 131 hits, good for 6th in the league. He has been playing superb two way hockey, contributing in multiple facets of the game and features heavily in the youth movement in New Yorks. He sees plenty of action against opposing top lines and plays on the top penalty killing unit and deserves ample credit for being able to make the transition to the VHL smoothly in his first year eligibility. It may not be this season but XXX could be in contention of Scott Boulet trophy in the near future as he evolves his game play and matures. That is also not to forget the hidden X-factor in XXX that saw him claim playoff mvp honors in his VHLM season. He has one of the hardest shots in the league, landing him a spot on the point on the power play recently and he is likely the most physical player on the team. As he builds on his strength and balance, his drives to the net should prove even more dangerous for opposing teams as they try and stop this six foot six tank. On a related note, his teammate Connor Low is in the top of contention for the rookie award this year if not in the lead. 32 points in 30 games as a defensemen, second in team hits and playing a strong game from the backend has been a large factor to the Americans fighting for the playoffs right now. Connor Low as you may recall was part of the Ottawa Lynx squad that defeated XXX's Saskatoon Wild in the playoffs and ultimately rolled through the finals. Brick Wahl, a teammate from the Wild has also been equally impressive in his debut sporting a 0.915 save percentage, he has stolen a few games already this season singlehandedly and will look to progress his own development as well. The future is certainly looking bright for the Americans, whom also have a shot at another top prospect this year as they hold their own first round pick as well as the Wranglers 1st round pick. Not a bad time to start buying season tickets for the team, they may be really good, really soon.