badcolethetitan

In all seriousness gl @Garsh dont mess us up PLEASE

A Look Into the Moves for the Chicago Phoenix We will start in chronological order and look over the three trades that were made and to give some insight to them. CHI/PRG The trade was as follows: The Chicago Phoenix acquire a S94 PRG 3rd and rights to Spanish Moon Moth in exchange for goaltender Amir Redzic. This one is pretty simple, doesn't need too much explanation. As the off-season rolled around, I was looking at our options moving forward as we lacked a #1C on the team. Currently, Spanish Moon Moth is not yet signed, and with FA about a week away, the plan is to get them to sign. Is there a chance they want to test the waters in FA? For sure. However, the plan is to get them to sign, as if they do, it would be an absolute steal for us. If not, it would just basically be a backup goalie for a 3rd, which isn't the end of the world in my eyes. Also, the user behind the player Amir Redzic is a friend of the Prague GM, so it just seemed like a nice thing to do at the end of the day. We'll see how this pans out and if Spanish Moon Moth will sign. CHI/NYA The trade here was as follows: The Chicago Phoenix acquire Francesco Mancini in exchange for Yaroslav Trunov and prospect Kevin OConnor. The trade talks here started before the off-season began, as both teams were looking for a change of scenery. We were looking to swap Trunov for a player around their skill level, and I believe we were able to do so. NYA also was looking to acquire a player around the same caliber of Mancini, so it ended up working out for both teams. Losing a prospect in Kevin OConnor was due to the season gap between the players, which is one. I believe this is a win-win hockey trade for both teams, as both the teams basically acquired what they wanted to. It ends up helping out NYA to shake things up, while CHI is able to acquire a season younger player who won't be hit as hard by depreciation in the upcoming season. Regardless, a fair trade, and hopefully both teams end up benefitting from it. CHI/HSK The last trade on the list: The Chicago Phoenix acquire YaBoi Oven from the Helsinki Titans in exchange for Bryce Woodworth and S94 CHI 1st, the 7th overall pick in this draft. This one is probably the biggest trade out of the three, as acquiring a stud D man was always on the agenda for Chicago. There were multiple talks with teams, or beginning of talks, including DC and MOS, but nothing really came to fruition. Eventually, I was able to snag a young D man for Chicago, who is only going to get better and fits our timeline perfectly. Helsinki is going in the rebuilding direction, and adding a young forward who is active is a small consolation prize to picking up 7th overall in a very strong draft class. Again, I don't really think there's any team that came out on top of this deal, as both teams do end up getting what they wanted. There were also other teams involved on YaBoi Oven, but ultimately he ended up coming to Chicago. We'll have to see what ends up becoming of the 7th overall pick, as it could realistically end up replacing YaBoi Oven for Helsinki in the future. In the end, both teams are happy and it seemed to work out.

@samx Thanks for the trade talks. @SirRupertBarnes Good luck in Helsinki, you were great for us in the time we had you! @Doomsday THUG LIFE HUNGARY

Well, what a big one! Thanks @STZ for the trade talks. Ended up working out for both teams. @qripll Thank you for your time in Chicago. You were our #1 for a while and put up crazy numbers on our team. I wish you the best of luck in NYA! @GioSivo Welcome to Chicago! I'm super excited to have you apart of the team, I think we're going to do huge things this upcoming season.

He's a pending FA... There's a very likely chance he's walking to FA. LOL

Since Masu is stepping down, I will be taking over the press conferences for the future until a replacement is named. You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 Questions WEEK OF May 6th - May 12th 1: What is one area of your player's game you will be focusing on this off-season and why? 2: Who do you think is going to win the championship for the VHL, the Seattle Bears or the London United and why? 3: This off-season, what do you think the team needs to do to be better in the upcoming season? 4: What VHL team this season (besides Chicago) has been the biggest surprise to you and why? 5: What do you think of the first round of the playoffs in the NHL? Did you favorite to win make it through, or have you chosen a new team? 6: Do you currently play any sports in real life? If so, what sports do you play? If not, what is one sport you would like to get into? 7: Who is your favorite NHL player and why do you like them? 8: Where is one place you want to travel in the world and why?

I'm sneaking in for the press conference! 1. I'm going to go with Liv Slater. They were a very solid defenseman and led the team in points, plus almost dropped 30 goals. 2. I think the unsung hero for the Wolves was Dalkr Vidarsson. He didn't have too much help, but still found a way to put up a .913 and a 3.08. 3. I'm going with Logan Ninefingers. They had 63 points in 72 games played, including a 30 goal season in their rookie season, which is very impressive. 4. I'll go with Liv Slater. I think they were the best player on the team and deserve the award. 5. I'm going to say the Jake Wylde Trophy. 6. I think just continue to build on the young core and supplement the pieces. If they do that, they could make it into the playoffs. Thanks!

2. I am happy with my players performance. I wish I didn't fall off at the end of the season though. 3. I think the biggest threat will be their goalie, WWWWWW. 4. I'm going to say Trunov. He's been our #1 guy and hoping he can continue to do so. 5. Meh, I don't think they are cheating, just bending the rules. 6. I can't wait to see how Marvin Harrison Jr does in the NFL (believe that's how you spell his name). He's a beast WR. 7. I did watch the draft. As a Bears fan, I have to say Caleb Williams.

Had to make it interesting

I'm sorry for your loss. I know losing someone so influential and close to you, especially a parent can be tough. I'm sure she's always going to be watching you from here on out. If you ever need anything or to talk, don't hesitate to reach out. The VHL is an amazing community and we're all here for you!

A Season in Review: Chicago Phoenix Expectations coming into the season Coming into the S93 season, expectations were set high. The team was hungry for playoff hockey and the expectations were in some way or another, to reach the post-season. It didn't matter if we were 1st or 5th, just somehow get in and play meaningful hockey. Now, keep in mind, this was at the beginning of the season before a bunch of teams decided to buy. Realistically, I thought we would end up being around 7th in the conference, better than LA, but battling with VAN/SEA for the last spot. However, that's obviously not what happened. The expectation was the post-season, and we ended up making it, even though NA was not the best this season. A 29-33-10 record nets us a playoff appearance, despite not even securing 30 wins on the year. Calgary was able to pick up 31, but us heading to overtime multiple times, securing extra points was the difference maker. On top of that, Chicago ended up going 4-1-0 against Calgary this season, which is a big reason why we made it in, including a 5-1 win against Calgary on the last day. In all seriousness, we got lucky. We should've never made it over a Calgary team that on paper, is way better than our team, but we did, and we're here. Chicago has always found a way to play better than what they are on paper, which is good when you're trying to compete, but not the best when you're rebuilding. Where we're at now Well, we're here. We're in the post-season and it's time to create some chaos. Am I expecting us to win the cup? No, I'm realistic. I wanted to make the playoffs as a stretch, and it happened. Our goal is to try to make things unconventional. We want to make noise and make things difficult for the New York Americans. Do I think we will win? Possibly. We went 2-4-1 during the regular season against NYA, so we can beat them, but that only puts us at a ~28% chance to win the series. We could potentially roll the 28%, but I just want to make life difficult for them. Make them earn the victory. I truly believe we're finally turning a chapter for Chicago and this off-season is going to be the busiest off-season under my tenure in Chicago. Last season was supposed to be busy, but with deals falling through, it just didn't happen. Now with a chance to compete in the post-season, and our young core starting to develop, it can hopefully attract more players to the city. First though, we've got NYA and we'll do our best to take them down! What's the plan for the future? For the future, we'll be looking to compete for a while. I think with our core starting to develop, we're only going to be getting better. We've got pieces in place to the point where we can start supplementing those pieces and picking up some other stars to help aid the core. I'm excited moving forward and I think we can finally start making noise, starting next season.

Any team with @Dil on it is surely a contender in my eyes

Chicago Phoenix staying put and the race for the post season Chicago Phoenix make no moves amid busy trade deadline The Chicago Phoenix currently sit at a 21-21-10 record in the NA conference, with a GD of -20, yet they have themselves in a wildcard spot and would currently be eyeing post season action. There were a lot of moves at the trade deadline, where teams were selling and buying, thinking about the future of their team. However, the Phoenix decided their best course of action would be to stay put, and not make any trades at the trade deadline, as the market for the players they wanted just weren't there. The biggest buyer at the deadline was the Seattle Bears, who are currently second in NA with a 31-17-4 record and a +20 GD, and seem to be poised to make a run in the playoffs. We interviewed the Chicago's GM and asked him about the deadline, to which he said, "There were potentially deals in place, but to only slightly upgrade our team would not be worth it. We are still a very young team and are getting better and better each day. Even if we were to add at the deadline, and add some superstar players, we still lack playoff experience and that could come back to haunt our team in the long run." The Phoenix have a good chance at getting the final wildcard, but would currently play the New York Americans, who would most likely end up making quick work of the team. There really is no ideal opponent for Chicago, as the gap between the top 4 and bottom 4 is pretty substantial. On top of that, you have teams like Vancouver and Calgary who are not out of the race just yet, so Chicago can for sure feel the pressure. Every game is a playoff game currently for Chicago, and they'll be battling it out till the end. The race for the final wildcard in NA There are currently 3 teams in the race for the final wildcard, Chicago, Vancouver, and Calgary. The Phoenix currently hold a 6 point lead on the next closest team, the Vancouver Wolves. However, the Wolves have decided to sell, as they've shipped away Sunglasses Joyo and a 4th for Zyn Westwood and a 2nd. A downgrade for the Wolves for sure, but continuing to build on the young core they have in the future. I would pretty much say that Vancouver is out of the running, however, with how bad these NA teams are, and the wildcard spot only being 52 points currently, they could still make it in. Calgary is currently sitting 9 points out of the wildcard spot, and a 3 game loss streak to boot is not ideal. On top of that, a tough loss to HC Davos Dynamo have them questioning what is happening. Calgary on paper is a good team, and I expect them to make a late season surge back to contesting a playoff spot. Chicago is not an amazing team, so they will drop games. Calgary needs to capitalize on the losses and make up ground, which they can do with about 20 games remaining for each team. It's not too late in NA and any team can find themselves in the final wildcard position come season end.

1. I would say that the team is very active. It's nice to have a bunch of people talking about the games after sims. 2. I think for skaters, it's probably defense. For goalies, I don't know because I've never really created a goalie before. 3. Arizona had to move eventually. I don't think it's going to solve the problem, but it's a solution to one problem. 1. How is your player doing this season? Better or worse than you expected? 2. Who do you think is going to make the playoffs (last wild card) in the Eastern Conference for the NHL? 3. If you could play with one player in the VHL, who would it be and why?

1. I think if the timing and trade is right, we should, otherwise we don't have to make trades now. 2. I would name it "The Nest". 3. I think it's pretty cool. You get to see the creative side of people. 4. Columbus Blue Jackets. I like the cannon, just not a fan of the jerseys. 5. I mean, it has to happen eventually, right? 6. I'm going to go with the Dallas Stars. They've got some great depth and seem pretty stacked.

Tage Thompson my KING

Chicago Phoenix Potential Rebrand to... Why Rebrand? First off, I just want to say that I like the Chicago Phoenix currently. I wouldn't actually want to rebrand the team and I'd want to keep it pretty much how it is. However, that's not the whole point of this week, which is the theme: rebranding. I had a couple ideas on how to take this, but ultimately landed on this one as the final choice, I think it's a cool idea, but it will never become a reality, thankfully. Team Name and Colors, Reasoning The team name I'm going to be rolling with is the Windy City Locomotives. You might be wondering, where is the Chicago name going? Well, we are going to be changing it to the "Windy City", as it's one of the nicknames for Chicago. If you didn't know, this actually comes from the 1870s, where a newspaper by the name of the "Cincinnati Enquirer" called Chicago this, because of a tornado that went through the city of Chicago. On top of that, they were doubling down on the name, highlighting the local speakers at the time who were "full of wind," basically calling them egotistical (I had to look this part up, because I had no clue why it was called the Windy City, I thought it was just because of how windy it is). Now that you know why we're switching to the Windy City, we can now focus on the team name, the Locomotives. I ended up choosing this over the "trains" because it obviously sounds way better in my opinion. Chicago actually has many trains that go in and outside of the city, as it's in the middle of the mid west and acts as a hub for most train companies as a middle point, hence why I chose the name Locomotives. As for the coloring, I decided to keep with some of the same colors that the Phoenix have. Overall, the main colors would be Red, Black, and White, however I decided to keep a bit of orange in the jersey to still have the "Chicago Phoenix" touch even though we are rebranding. Our goal horn would then change, as we would probably have a train horn as our goal horn, as for the song I have no clue. The coloring for the jersey was just my own opinion, because I think red and black work really well with each other. As for the logo, I basically found it online and recolored it, hence why I didn't use it for a full tpe graphic, and wrote an article instead. The logo belongs to the Syracuse Mets, which is the Triple A affiliate of the New York Mets. I think they've got a sick logo and it fits perfectly with the "C" standing for Chicago and the train obviously being for our team name. As for our arena and such, we'd still be located in Chicago and wouldn't end up changing location, as it wouldn't make any sense. Overall, this is all for fun and at the end of the day, I wouldn't want to rebrand the Chicago Phoenix, but I think this is a pretty fun spin on rebranding.

You telling me you had Chicago slotted as a playoff team? Plus, not really. I think I actually have not done the best job as a GM, and it's widespread that I think that about myself. lol

The Fire Rages on and the King of EU Chicago Phoenix continue to surprise The Chicago Phoenix are currently sitting in the final wildcard spot in NA, with a record of 17-14-7. They currently have a 7 point gap over 6th in NA, that being Vancouver, with a 15-19-4 record. Chicago coming into the season was projected to finish around the bottom of NA, as their team on paper wasn't as good as other teams, like the Calgary Wranglers and the Vancouver Wolves. However, as we've seen time and time again, Chicago continues to perform when they aren't expected to. They find way to win games and collect points, despite being on paper worse than a lot of teams. The spirits are high in Chicago where they might find themselves back into the post-season as they're ending the tail end of the rebuild, ready to start competing. Leading the way for Chicago is veteran Yaroslav Trunov @qripll, who has 55 points in 38 games played, with 30 goals and 25 assists. Trunov is currently on pace to break his career high that was set last season, where he's been on fire ever since he's joined Chicago, picking up a bigger role in the process. This team has some solid depth, but no real superstar player, as they rely on the sum of their parts to be a good team. Compared to the top teams, Chicago is a way off, but just making it to the post-season are baby steps to what the final goal is, to lift the trophy at the end of the day. George Richmond impresses and Menace on top The Moscow Menace have been the Kings of EU this season, finding themselves in first place in the conference, with a 26-9-3 record. Axle Gunner @Steve and Jeff Lewis @nerji have been the focal points on this team so far, both amassing over 50 points and bringing to life the offence. Richmond a rookie in the VHL currently finds himself at a point-per-game pace, with 38 points in 38 games played, 18 of those being goals. Currently, Richmond finds himself second in the rookie race, where he has a good shot to take home ROTY if he can continue to perform. We caught up with George Richmond and asked him about the pace of the VHL compared to the E, and how he's been able to adapt, to which he replied, "It's a lot faster for sure. You go from playing with players who are either veterans on their last leg, or young players trying to develop, to playing superstars and the best the world has to offer. It's for sure been a difficult process to adapt, but I felt like I've done my best in adapting. I'm still learning game by game on how to be a better player and read situations better, as Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage @Grape has been helping me out, so shoutout to him. He's been like a brother to me and we hope to continue our dynamic duo on the ice." Moscow looks geared up for a playoff run, as they have been at the top of EU for a while now. While many players on Moscow have hopes for a championship, Richmond is just taking it all in and learning from the experience game after game.