Baozi

Like Yakupov driving up his goal totals in the final 10 games of the season

So if some of you read it, and miss the little OOC at the bottom, then you won't know that I've lost a very good friend. Yesterday afternoon, one of my best friends from back home Adam passed away after taking his own life while on vacation with his family. It was unexpected, as he had never been bullied or talked down to that we knew of. However we did know he was struggling with his own body image and identity. Adam, formerly known as Audrey back in the day had transitioned from female to male at a younger age, not too many people knew but his close friends, including myself, and some family members. 
 
We're unsure if that played into it at all, but I felt inclined to post this here as well, so people know I may be a little quiet in the rest of the week maybe even through into next week. I've done my PT's in advance and will post them at the respective times, but now you all know my story behind the biography I posted. 

Wannabevechkin!!

A Statistical Review of the S44 VHLM Dispersal Draft: Round Three
 

Third Rounders Wesley Babiy (left) and Evgeny Nezhmetdinov (right) of Oslo celebrating a goal
 
When a draft consists of just 27 names the list can certainly thin out before you even get to the 15th pick.  In this past season’s draft, picks 15 to 22 were a mixed bag of goods. With some solid scouting up front there good choices made early, but a late surprise may have been the steal of the draft. Here are the picks:
 
 
15th Overall
Evgeny Nezhmetdinov        53 GP  20 G  23 A  43 P  +38  44 PIM  20 PIM5  6 SB  2 PPG  5 PPA  7 PPP  21:24 ATOI  3:04 PPATOI  0:01 PKATOI  6GW  1GT Nezhmetdinov is looking to be the best choice in the third round.  Being picked first among his peers he clearly was the solid choice as his 20 goals and 43 points rank first among this group.  One question about his stats so far is his relatively low PPP despite leading this group in PP time with over 3 minutes a game.  Regardless he is still the best option.
 
 
16th Overall
Archie Wagner              53 GP 8 G  28 A  36 P  +28  46 PIM  10 PIM5  43 SB  6 PPG  9 PPA  15 PPP  22:53 ATOI  2:48 PPATOI  2:03 PKATOI  1 GW  0 GT Defenseman Archie Wagner has posted good numbers in the point department.  As an offensive defender he has proven himself to be a quality player in any situation, sporting a respectable +28 and the most PPA among the group.  His defensive ability isn’t a premium, but still good enough for a third rounder.
 
 
17th Overall
Wesley Babiy               53 GP  10 G  23 A  33 P  +16  12 PIM  0 PIM5  7 SB  20:11 ATOI  3 PPG  5 PPA  8 PPP  2:54 PPATOI  0:52 PKATOI  2 GW  0 GT Oslo continued their dominance in this round picking the first centre.  Babiy has played well for the Storm in all situations, being used primarily as the number two centre in all situations.  With 20 minutes a game he has done well for himself, tied with teammate Nezhmetdinov for assists by a forward, and posting the best PIM per minutes played.  He has played some PK time over the season, but not enough to make an impact.
 
 
18th Overall
Danger Van der Merwe       52 GP  6 G  3 A  9 P  +1  7 PIM  5 PIM5  8 SB  1 PPG  1 PPA  2 PPP  10:51 ATOI  0:38 PPATOI  0:01 PKATOI  0 GW  0 GT Danger is the first pick that is looking to have not panned out in the third.  At only 11 minutes a game there is nothing that Danger could really show with his opportunities given.  He has been given minimal special teams play and the only positive to his game seems to be his discipline (one minor penalty in 52 games) and defensive play (8 blocked shots).
 
 
19th Overall
M. Nocturne Shamalamalamalon 53 GP  8 G  14 A  22 P  -22  79 PIM  15 PIM5  103 SB  4 PPG  5 PPA  9 PPP  21:60 ATOI  2:14 PPATOI  2:34 PKATOI  1 GW  1 GT Defender Shamalamalamalon has not had the offensive year that Wagner has put up, but with over a hundred blocked shots you have to appreciate the effort.  Even if it has not helped him with a piss poor -22.
 
 
20th Overall
Matej Križ                53 GP  6 G  3 A  9 P  +13  18 PIM  0 PIM5  7 SB  0 PPG  0 PPA  0 PPP  14:09 ATOI  0:01 PPATOI  0:00 PKATOI  3 GW  0 GT Križ is the third Storm skater picked in the third round.  With no special teams time Križ is far behind his teammates Babiy and Nezhmetdinov in terms of points, but his defensive play and secondary role on the team have made him a decent addition to the team.  Clearly there were better options however.
 
 
21st Overall
Lee Sang-Hyeok             52 GP  19 G  15 A  34 P  -4  47 PIM  15 PIM5  13 SB  6 PPG  5 PPA  11 PPP  26:55 ATOI  2:57 PPATOI  2:40 PKATOI  3 GW  2 GT Sang-Hyeok is that better option.  On the cusp of 20 goals the sniper has had a memorable year.  With a ton of ice time and responsibility on a weaker team Lee Sang-Hyeok’s numbers may be a bit inflated but the results cannot be argued with.  He has excelled in the Power Play (11 points) and the Penalty Kill (13 shots blocked) and should look to carry those accolades with him as he enters the VHL draft looking to get drafted at a much higher spot than 21st overall.

This scrub didn't have have 366 hits

Lee Sang-Hyeok has been making great strides for Asian ice hockey over the past season. One of the rare Korean ice hockey talents to make the jump to North America, Sang-Hyeok is known as 'the frozen pearl' in his home country, thanks to the skill and finesse which have propelled him to ice hockey stardom. He is a hero in his home country thanks to his hockey exploits as well as a storied League of Legends career which saw him dominate e-sports before moving onto his athletic career.
 
Selected 21st overall by the Moscow Red Wolves in the S44 VHLM Dispersal draft, not much was known about the Korean phenom besides rumours of his talent. After a very strong training camp in Moscow, he was tipped to be one of the steals of the S44 draft. Through his first 12 VHLM games with the struggling Red Wolves, he posted 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points. This offensive production paved the way for a move from the European Conference to North America, when Moscow cashed in on their 3rd round selection by trading Sang-Hyeok to the Brampton Blades for a plethora of high draft picks.
 
The sacrifice of picks looks to be paying off for Brampton, as Sang-Hyeok has continued his high-level of play, racking up 26 points in his first 40 games with the Blades, which has helped them lock down a playoff spot only 52 games into the season.
 
Despite all of the individual plaudits and fame in his home country, Sang-Hyeok, or as his teammates call him, "Faker", has made it clear to the media that he will not get ahead of himself and his priority is winning the Founder's Cup with Brampton this season. 
 

 
 

Perron makes his mark in Brampton
VHL.com | Brampton Blades
 
BRAMPTON, ONT. -- There's been no sophomore slump for Maxime Perron in the VHLM this season. The seventh overall pick in the VHL's S44 Entry Draft has taken a victory lap in the league's minor league circuit in stride, and then some, tearing the league up to the tune of 43 goals and 82 points in only 50 games.
 
With expectations sky-high for Perron this season, the Frenchman has responded by carrying his squad into the playoffs with little help from his supporting class. Perron's 82 points already eclipse the 74 he put up in S44 and he is already 30 points clear of the team's next leading scorer, Franklin Romanowski.
 
Perron's big season has played a large role in helping the Blades qualify for the VHLM's playoffs, but with 22 games still remaining on the team's schedule, the work is by no means done here.
 
His big league club in Helsinki will be keeping close tabs on their first-round investment, desperately hoping the 6-foot-1 centre can develop into a player capable of playing a regular role in the VHL next year. Early indications show that Perron has clearly outgrown the VHLM, but if he wants to make an impact at the next level, question marks remain just yet.

Woo!

Will miss the fuck out of you guys. Fong you are a class act GM and the best junior GMs I've ever had the experience playing for

Good luck next season. Back to work for me

Brampton claims Parechkin

I'll swap you on the next set then.

Hopping on Perron's back!

Back in the win side! With a big win over Yukon

Defense Gone Wild
 

Kyanon is the main piece of the Saskatoon bluelne
 
Biggu Kyanon is an Asian player from Japan currently playing for the Saskatoon Wild of the VHLM. Biggu is currently one of the best, if not arguably the best defender in the VHLM and will likely be a top draft pick in the S45 Victory Hockey League entry draft. His career in the VHL system started when he was claimed on entry waivers by the Brampton Blades at the season 43 trade deadline and played 15 games for them to finish off the regular season. In those 15 regular season games he recorded 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points. Then in the play-offs Kyanon went off scoring 6 goals and recording 10 assists for 16 points in 12 games played. The Blades ended up falling to the Bern Royals in the final but the play-offs were a coming out party for the young Asian defenseman. Biggu made his mark on the VHLM in those play-offs which would then help propel him to become a top pick in the VHLM dispersal draft.  
 
As a top ranked prospect in the VHLM Biggu Kyanon went third overall to the Saskatoon Wild in the Season 44 VHLM Entry Draft. So far this season Biggu is leading defenseman in scoring for the Wild with 72 points, which 26 are goals and 42 are assists. He is second in total team scoring to the high scoring Marcel Faux who currently has 79 points. In the entire league Biggu sits at third overall in total points which is impressive for a defenseman. The Saskatoon Wild are sitting on top of the North American Conference and the entire VHLM with Biggu’s presence on the blue line being a major reason why. Biggu is a major part of Saskatoon’s success on and off the ice. He is a great leader for the team and has easily been the team’s most valuable player up to this point. He comes from an agency that has produced many quality players that move on to become great VHL players and Biggu is most likely going to follow that same road.
 

MC Hammer, one of the best defenseman this season and last season
 
The second defenseman on the Wild’s blue line is MC Hammer. MC Hammer is an older player drafted by the Riga Reign in season 43 and has been sent back to the VHLM to develop for the last two seasons. He was a top defenseman in the VHLM last season with the cup winning Bern Royals but was traded to Saskatoon in the offseason in a blockbuster trade along with Marcel Faux. Now MC Hammer is back at it again, siting fifth in total league scoring and third in team scoring with 67 points. MC Hammer is an amazing defenseman in the VHLM and is a proven winner. The trade made Saskatoon’s defense one of the best in the league, if not the best and arguably the best one-two punch in the league on the blue line. Hammer has been an excellent addition to the Wild that has given them the depth necessary to go as far as possible this season and go for the cup. He’ll most definitely be on the Riga Reign’s opening night roster next season.
 

Erik Hedman is a rock on the Wild's blueline
 
Erik Hedman was drafted by the Wild in season 44 and spent the entire season with the club last season posting excellent numbers on a weak team. He is property of the Stockholm Vikings in the VHL. This season he is a part of a great defense core where he is less relied upon and can play his game. Being less relied on, he has seen his numbers dip a bit to 34 points but Hedman is still an important piece to the Wild’s impressive defense. Hedman could see himself on the Stockholm roster or maybe in the free agent pool if he does not pick up his practicing hours as his VHLM rights expire after this season.
 
These three defensemen are one of the main reasons the Saskatoon Wild are on top of the VHLM. The Wild depend on their defensemen to defend in their own zone but also produce offensively which all three are doing. If these three can find an even higher gear, they will be running rampant around the competition. 
 

In my thread??? Wooooo. I feel honored.

Thanks Phil haha.

Pussy, 90+ checking is the way to go if you want to be badass!

Kachur players allow us to have players that fit under the cap
 
Long live depth players!

No excuse not to get this, its been sitting at the top of the forum.
 
http://www.vhlforum.com/index.php?/topic/21992-happy-8th-birthday/
 
Basically a free weeks worth from last week.
 
Not to mention I posted this last week.

Scrub.

An internal solution with a veto right for the blue team should be the usual method. When there are no good replacements available though and a GM steps down without naming a successor then I think there should be an open applications process instead of the system we have right now where the BoG more or less arbitrarily considers a few people they like and then chooses one of them.

News Alert!
 
News just came in that for the first time, a player from the Fong agency Hockey Academy Asia, has opted to goto the route of the SHL rather than the VHL in a shocking turn of events. Sekkusu Gan, a young sniper in the line of many prospects crossing the pond over to the VHL declared that rather than follow the latest prospect Biggu Kyanon across the pond, he would opt for the SHL league. Just yesterday, he formerly declared his registration for the SHL and entry into the S25 draft. Sekkusu Gan on the choice says,
 
"I felt that this was the best route for me at this current time. Prior to this the Academy has always preferred its candidates going to the VHL but they does not restrict its players from choosing other leagues to enter, so I thought I'd take a shot at SHL. They have quality players as well there and I think it will open new doors for the Academy as far as our reputation goes. The instructors here and Fong have been very supportive of my decision and I think this will be a good route for my development." - Sekkusu Gan, SHL S25 Draftee
 
For those that have yet to see Gan, rated as a speedy offensive forward with flare for dramatic stickhandling moves and a powerful shot. Not quite the potential of XXX prior, but favourably compared to Ying Qin, formerly of the Helsinki Titans, Riga and Davos.
 

Should've stayed in the VHLM

So if SHL was havning issues up until a little while ago, they certainly did something right witht he influx of members.
 
VHL peeps need to jump on this train!

So if SHL was havning issues up until a little while ago, they certainly did something right witht he influx of members.
 
VHL peeps need to jump on this train!

Fire the Oslo GM, Watchmen need to beat the Storm
www.VHLHockeyNews.com
 
It was boring to watch the New Jersey Devils, it was boring to watch the Minnesota Wild, boring to watch any team that Lemaire coaches, and of course its been really boring watching the Oslo Storm. Of course anyone on the Storm possibly could tell you that it is more important to get the W and lead the standings. What they don’t know is that how they are winning is a huge detriment to the game because due to their defensive posture, which has been hard to beat this season, the Storm have slowed down the action to the point where the secondary markets are flooded with season holder tickets. No mistake that system works to get wins, but it is mind numbingly boring to watch. The Oslo Storm are as entertaining as watching paint dry and it really is not good for the league in the long run. VHLM team cycles are typically fairly short so if you lose a fan, you may lose them forever as the marketing campaigns of VHLM teams are not nearly as robust as say, the NHL where they pumped enough money to gain back fans after their lockout season.
 
Oslo is leading the European conference with a 25-8-1 record right now, but with only 85 goals scored for, this puts them 5th in the league. Their top scorers are Giovanni Reuel and Le’Sean Coutzen both of whom were touted as strong dynamic playmakers. Both only have 31 points in 34 games. In a league that stresses development of young players to enable them to get to the next level, this is a terrible development path for many of these young kids that are having their creativity smothered and having them play defense first games.  Brampton GM commented on Coutzen, whom had played for Brampton previously,
 
“Couts is a great player, I saw it when he was with us last season. He started off the season at 0.42 points per game with the Watchmen, and when we acquired him his production began growing. He jumped to 0.67 points per game and had 37 points in 40 games playing mostly even strength minutes. He is a naturally strong two-way guy, good on the dots and had tremendous vision. I figured he would take the next step here in his final VHLM season but it just hasn’t really happened now and I think it has to do with the system he plays in. I think they are employing him in the wrong capacity and system and until they change the system or he plays in a more offense orientated style, it is going to stunt his growth. As it stands right now he probably wouldn’t even get more than half his bonus development from the system playing this way. I mean look at some of the other guys that are suffering in this system. Ken Anderson had 100 points in 72 games last season, he is on pace for 26 this season. Supa Hotfire had 48 points, he is on pace for 34. Goody had 128 points last season, yeah he is going to have 44 or 45 at the current rate. I could bet you that they would turn Scotty Campbell into only PPG player honestly. We can’t allow this to continue, the fans are leaving the arena seats empty in droves. I spoke to the financial stats guy for the league and Oslo has not had higher than 25% attendance since early in the season when they discovered how the team was playing. They are just stifling player creativity and offense on that side and I hope they change it soon as they have to realize that if the fans don’t like it, the team is going to lose its financial foundation. Someone needs to beat the boredom of their system so it doesn’t get employed anymore, preferably Bratislava or something. Otherwise if all teams decide to adopt similar systems, we as a league are headed for bankruptcy.” – Terence Fong, Brampton GM