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Have you ever asked yourself which VHLM franchise provides the best pathway to becoming a VHL GM? No? Well I did, a while ago in fact, but let the potential article idea sit there through Rara Rasputin's career and my recent second semi-hiatus. Now it is time to answer the eternal question however.
 
How does one quantify such a broad subject? A successful VHLM GM is not necessarily one who spends a season with their team and uses it as a springboard to a VHL career. Getting appointed in charge of a VHL team does not necessarily reflect VHLM GM success either. Furthermore, not every VHL GM tenure lasts long and/or goes well so are those GMs really a good reflection on their VHLM franchise? Finally, given our long and storied history, there are more than a handful of GMs who have managed in the VHLM on multiple occasions, often both before and after their (frequently multiple) VHL stints. How do we handle those? And these days, how do we handle time spent in the VHLE as well?
 
You'll be pleased to learn that I didn't bother tackling most of these quite complex questions. What I have produced instead is effectively a statistical analysis and ranking of VHLM franchises through the years based on the future employments of their GMs. I don't think it is necessarily a best-to-worst VHLM team list or even a best-to-worst GM list, but rather a fun way to look at the long and disorganised history of the M. Whilst this introduction has made it all look quite chaotic, there have been a few basic principles I followed in putting the ranking together:

 
All VHLM franchises ever to exist have been included, meaning 17 teams in total, including those which haven't been around for nearly 50 seasons
If a team has had the same GM multiple times, they are counted as 1 GM, with an exception or two which is explained separately
For the five franchises which existed both before and after the start of the “modern” VHL (I used as a cut-off the expansion to Halifax in S62 as most of the other expansion teams followed shortly after), some consideration has been given both to their performance before and after that date
This is mostly about VHLM GMs who subsequently worked their way up to the VHL but some teams have had good representation from experienced heads who did their stints in the big leagues and then came (back) down later on so that's been incorporated as well
The VHLE has been ignored entirely in keeping with public opinion

 
Without further ado then, let's count down the best franchises for an aspiring VHL GM, probably.

 
17. Vasteras IK J20 / Moscow Red Wolves (defunct S51)
Total GMs: 17
Future VHL GMs: 2 (Jochen Walser, Tyler Edgar)
Former VHL GMs: 2 (Frank Chadwick, Sterling Labatte)

At the bottom of the list is a franchise that always seems to be at the bottom of VHL lists. There is not much left to be said about Vasteras that hasn't been said before, other than that by association it seems to have cursed both Moscow and the Red Wolves (the former having won 1 of 6 Continental Cup finals as the Menace, the latter being contracted in the VHLE in its Istanbul incarnation). As for the purposes of this article, the most relevant piece is Tyler Edgar being the J20's longest-serving GM, finally getting his cup in S27, and then having a successful spell in Toronto in the 30s – but the franchise has not much of a lasting legacy otherwise.

 
16. Miami Marauders
Total GMs: 6
Future VHL GMs: 1 (Kris Rice)
Former VHL GMs: 1 (Zack Gagnon)

The VHLM's youngest franchise is next on the list which surprised me slightly, given its early success. But most of that came under the two names above, with Rice then going onto a very successful time as Calgary GM. As for Gagnon, Miami was his last gig before getting the Los Angeles job, but that was neither his first VHL role nor his last appearance in this article.

 
15. Las Vegas Aces (formerly Toledo Scorpions and Bern Royals) 
Total GMs: 34
Future VHL GMs: 8 (Matt Defosse, Zach Arce, Sam Helberg, Chad Murphy, Conner Low, Sachimo Zoidberg, Julian Borwinn, Euron Leonidas)
Former VHL GMs: 6 (Zack Gagnon, Tyler Barabash, Vince Wong, Sterling Labatte, Robbie Zimmers, Ron Dayne III)
Since S62, 11 GMs of whom 2 were future VHL GMs (Borwinn and Leonidas)

As you'd expect for a team that's been in the VHLM since the start (although in a wide range of locations), it's been a turbulent history for the Aces. There will be those that have fond memories of the franchise and those that think it's a forgettable one. In truth, recent history punishes Vegas a bit – unfortunate that its most successful modern era GM (Anthony Pratt) disappeared before getting a VHL job most expected him to get. Other than Borwinn and Leonidas who went onto long-term careers with Helsinki and Moscow, there's a lot of recent names which fizzled out way too quickly.

 
14. Mississauga Hounds
Total GMs: 9
Future VHL GMs: 2 (Jerry Garcia, Cole Pearce)
Former VHL GMs: 1 (Dominic Gobeil)

The team founded by the Gus/Berocka tandem has seemed to attract GMs who are happy staying at the VHLM level – lots of current actives but other than Garcia's stint in Davos, only Warsaw's Cole Pearce represents the Hounds in the VHL. However, after finally breaking the Founder's Cup duck in S90, maybe fortunes will be changing for Mississauga going forward.

 
13. Houston Bulls
Total GMs: 8
Future VHL GMs: 2 (John Frostbeard, Nils Godlander)
Former VHL GMs: 2 (Zach Arce, Vince Wong)
 
Similar proportion of VHL GMs to the Hounds with one difference – Houston's alumni have both won championships with Frostbeard's Malmo in S75 and Godlander's Toronto most recently in S91. Four different GMs have won the VHLM Top GM trophy while at Houston, so the Bulls are clearly doing things right at the minors level anyway.

 
12. Philadelphia Reapers
Total GMs: 7
Future VHL GMs: 2 (Victor Grachev, Alex Johnston)
Former VHL GMs: 0

Ranking higher than its fellow expansion franchises purely based on percentages, Philadelphia has had lots of VHLM success and provided the current Davos and Malmo GMs, with Alex in particular finally turning around the Dynamo's years of despair. A theme in this article now will be that I have increasingly little new insightful information to say about each franchise beyond the information already provided at the top.

 
11. Minnesota Storm (formerly Gothenburg Eagles, Oslo Screaming Seamen, and Oslo Storm)
Total GMs: 33
Future VHL GMs: 8 (Vladimir Kliment, Damien Walec, Zack Gagnon, Mitch Higgins, Thomas Corcoran, Thomas Landry, William Shaw)
Former VHL GMs: 7 (Brett Slobodzian, Joey Kendrick, Greg Harbinson, Jason Glasser, Tyler Barabash, Jim Gow, Matthew Boragina)
Since S62, 4 GMs of whom 1 was a future VHL GM (Funk), before moving to the VHLE and back to Oslo in S81

If you thought Las Vegas' history was tumultuous, spare a thought for the fans of the Storm. Three cities, two leagues, and screaming seamen, but also an impressive list of former GMs. Oslo peaked probably from S24 to S30 during the streak of Gagnon, Higgins, and Corcoran managing the team immediately before taking over Riga, Helsinki, and Vasteras respectively, although Higgins had by far the most success. There's been some dry spells followed by the Oslo reincarnation doing very well in the E, and overall the team's done good enough for midtable.

 
10. Minot Gladiators (briefly Syracuse Wolfpack) (defunct S42)
Total GMs: 15
Future VHL GMs: 4 (Matt Bentz, Chad Murphy, Jardy Bunclewirth, Tyler Edgar)
Former VHL GMs: 2 (Greg Harbinson, Zack Gagnon)

A blast from the past franchise brings a blast from the past in terms of VHL GMs too. Other than the ever-present Gagnon, none of the men listed has managed a VHL team since the 50s at the latest but several will be recognisable to the average reader. Minot did well when it was affiliated with Calgary, including producing two future Wranglers GMs and in the eyes of many did not deserve its contraction, although its name lives on in Rome today.

 
9. Saskatoon Wild (formerly Fresno Bulls and Buffalo Jr Bears)
Total GMs: 33
Future VHL GMs: 7 (Greg Harbinson, Jack Reilly, Jack Sixten, Spencer Flammer, Rylan Peace, Roger McWolf III, Thomas Landry)
Former VHL GMs: 5 (Brett Noiles, James Assayag, Brett Slobodzian, Thomas Corcoran, Vladamir Komarov)
Since S62, 10 GMs of whom 3 were future VHL GMs (Peace, McWolf, Landry)

A storied franchise, still adding to its impressive list of championships to this day, has also predictably churned through a fair few GMs, most famously the namesake of the VHLM's Top GM trophy, Jack Reilly. The Wild fall surprisingly low on the list, in part due to the lack of huge success either side of Reilly, but also few GMs making the leap in the modern, post-S62 era.

 
I sadly have nothing insightful to say about San Diego, Turku, and Brampton so am skipping my commentary straight to the top 5.
 
8. San Diego Marlins
Total GMs: 7
Future VHL GMs: 2 (Thadius Sales, Jacob Carson)
Former VHL GMs: 3 (Zack Gagnon, Frank Chadwick, Zach Arce)
 
7. Turku Outlaws (formerly Jonkoping Warriors, Kolari Wolves and Kolari Panthers) (defunct S42)
Total GMs: 18
Future VHL GMs: 6 (Matt Bailey, Tyler Edgar, Chris Miller, Pavel Koradek, Zack Gagnon, Clinton Chevy)
Former VHL GMs: 0
 
6. Brampton Battalion / Blades (defunct S53)
Total GMs: 22
Future VHL GMs: 7 (Scotty Campbell, Tyler Owens, Tyler Barabash, Bryan Svec, Ryan Power, Steve Smeall, Conner Low)
Former VHL GMs: 3 (Jochen Walser, Joey Kendrick, Matthew Boragina)

 
5. Yukon Rush
Total GMs: 22
Future VHL GMs: 5 (Austin Gow, Daniel Anderson, Josh Da Silva, Jordan Tonn, Dominic Gobeil)
Former VHL GMs: 3 (Sam Helberg, Victor Alfredsson, Conner Low)
Since S62, 5 GMs of whom 3 were future VHL GMs (Da Silva, Tonn, Gobeil), before moving to the VHLE and Geneva in S81
 
It's no surprise there was uproar when Yukon was the franchise stolen by the VHLE (Minnesota was less of an issue given Oslo was its home before) and moved to Geneva where it had a short and unsuccessful life. Up to that point, Yukon was a hugely successful and popular franchise, producing multiple future VHL GMs from the 40s through to the 80s at an impressive rate given the Rush were only founded in S31. Alas, they are no more, just like their fellow S31 expansion brothers below.

 
4. Bratislava Watchmen (defunct S53)
Total GMs: 8
Future VHL GMs: 3 (Vince Wong, Blake Campbell, Benjamin Zeptenbergs)
Former VHL GMs: 1 (Sachimo Zoidberg)

Ah Bratislava, back now in the VHLE, but never likely to reach the heights it climbed in its short 23-season spell in the VHLM. 7 cups, 8 GMs, of whom 3 are managing in the VHL today – Vince Wong in his third stint, Campbell and Zeptenbergs meanwhile in their roles pretty much since the Watchmen went extinct the first time, the longest VHL tenures ever, by a distance. A model VHLM franchise so no surprise to see it high on the list.

 
3. Mexico City Kings
Total GMs: 9
Future VHL GMs: 4 (Nyko Nax, Christopher James, Cole H, Mickey Dickson)
Former VHL GMs: 2 (Chris Miller, Christopher James)
 
A modern day Bratislava? The Kings are the first of the three teams rounding out this list which have one thing in common – a GM who did the VHLM stint, went to the VHL, and came back to the same minor-league franchise. In Mexico City's case that is Christopher James, who led Malmo to the Continental Cup and is now back with the Kings. With a threepeat winner in Nyko Nax and the current GMs of Chicago and Helsinki, it's a good return on investment so far.

 
2. Halifax 21st
Total GMs: 9
Future VHL GMs: 6 (Shawn Glade, Roger McWolf III, Ted Mosby, Dylan Wallace, Jeffrey Pines, Mickey Dickson)
Former VHL GMs: 1 (Shawn Glade)
 
Shawn Glade is Halifax's returning GM, with bonus points for being the first GM of the franchise as well, although his VHL stint was not quite as successful. Glade did open the door to a host of VHL GM hopefuls and whilst the 21st hasn't won a championship of their own, 66% of this GMs have graduated to the big leagues – maybe more than a coincidence?

 
1. Ottawa Ice Dogs / Ottawa Lynx
Total GMs: 33
Future VHL GMs: 12 (Tyler Owens, Brandon Best, Sandro Desaulniers, Victor Alfredsson, James Assayag, Jason Glasser, Jim Gow, Keaton Louth, Esso Drunkmann, Acyd Burn, Dakota Lamb, Nils Godlander)
Former VHL GMs: 6 (Sam Helberg, Frank Chadwick, Zack Gagnon, Jardy Bunclewirth, Joey Kendrick, Jason Glasser)
Since S62, 7 GMs of whom 4 were future VHL GMs (Burn, Lamb, Godlander)

And finally, to the surprise of no one probably, the VHLM's most successful franchise, and the only to be in the same city since S2, is top of the list. Percentage-wise, Ottawa is not actually ahead of Bratislava, Mexico City, and Halifax, but that gets overlooked as a lot of the early numbers are noise from the VHLM's affiliate era. Since Jason Glasser took over and gave the team its own identity, it's been a a very steady run of success both for the franchise and its GMs – 10 of the 12 future GMs listed above have won at least one Continental Cup. Glasser of course came back for a second stint, completing the cycle and keeping Ottawa as a model team into the modern era and very much the type of team I had in mind when coming up with this article.
 
@Ricer13 @InstantRockstar @Arce  @scoop @Smarch @Spartan  @STZ @MubbleFubbles  @Gustav  @N0HBDY @Dom @FrostBeard @Moon @KaleebtheMighty @Alex @Doomsday @JardyB10 @Ahma @McWolf @thadthrasher @jacobcarson877 @Frank @Toast @eaglesfan036 @Josh @MexicanCow123 @Banackock @hedgehog337 @Nykonax @hylands @badcolethetitan @samx @Advantage @ShawnGlade @fonziGG @Dil @rory @Esso2264 @Acydburn @dlamb

The VHL magazine forum has been hidden for a while which seems a shame as that was a pretty big part of the VHL back in the day - so influential it even got its own 20 in 20 article and ended up with 340 editions up to late 2017 (+4 in an aborted 2018 revival). So I've decided to stick them in the publicly available VHL history forum today.
 
You can see what they looked like from edition 328 to 340 as the rest seem to have been destroyed by Dropbox - unless @STZ has them stored away somewhere.
 
In case, they can not be resurrected, I have also brought back the Articles Submissions forum which has all the raw copies. Regardless if they don't look pretty and in mag format I think it's right for them to be in the public domain as this is a fair few years of articles from some of the VHL's best writers which would otherwise be in the Media Spot archive.
 
In a similar vein, the VHLM magazine submissions are also now in the HOF (I don't think any of the actual magazines can be retrieved): https://vhlforum.com/forum/51-vhlm-magazine/ That ran for about 3 years and 100 editions in the previous golden age of the VHL/M.
 
Shameless tag of some of the past contributors of both magazines and other old farts: @diamond_ace @Banackock @InstantRockstar @Da Trifecta @Smarch @sterling @Advantage @MubbleFubbles  @CowboyinAmerica @Toast @OrbitingDeath  @BOOM @JardyB10 @Doomsday @Ahma @der meister @Baozi @eaglesfan036 @Phil @Knight @Frank @jRuutu @Beketov @frescoelmo

Lloyd Braun - OV

1. I think everyone expected that Calgary was not going to be a threat as they went into the rebuild and that's where they sit right now. Seems to be according to plan for me.
2. It might be a step up for the team but I'm expecting that it's going to be a lot of the same for the Wranglers.
3. It will be a crime against the hockey gods if Calgary doesn't find a way to get another Janser in the system. 
4. More picks could never hurt but Calgary has done a fantastic job to move the pieces to bring in future picks already. 
5. I have three pets. A grey tabby cat name Mew and two miniature schnauzers, Dorian and Lexie. 
6. Winter! I'm not a fan of the heat but perfectly okay with the cold weather and snow. 

1. Yeah, I don't have an issue with it. It's the natural cycle of a team and one that is pretty dang successful as long as the manager is on top of things. 
2. Dilson is standing on his head out there with how the team is performing overall. That is a crazy good save percentage.
3. The team was probably hoping for a better performance from the likes of Vinny hoping that older players would lead the way. 
4. Old man Phil has been a tough sumanagun this season. Not afraid to make a point with his hits and fists. If it's legal or not is another discussion.
5. Dragon Ball binge on repeat. My childhood and comfort show!
6. I mean they're essentially confirmed to be real right? What is our leadership hiding from us?!

Taking this opportunity to say farewell to the Calgary media!
 
1. Once decided on the retooling, it took no time for the Wranglers to get to work. I think the return was worthwhile and I understand pulling the trigger. 
2. Seattle always seems to be a buyer whenever I'm paying attention to the other teams. I'm sure this one took no time at all to negotiate with how active the GMs are.
3. It was me!! Obviously I gave Ricer my blessing to do what was best for the team and going back to Helsinki seems to be a great opportunity for Lloyd to wrap up his career. 
4. Really looking forward to seeing the new generation of the Wranglers! Since I've got the royalty role in the server for whatever reason I'll be following along but don't want to jinx anyone's season!
5. Yeppers. Nothing scary thankfully but the delays and crowding of the airports is a nightmare. Thoughts are with all the tourists who were in Hawaii for these awful Maui fires and all of the affected locals as well. Terrible news. 
6. Me? I have no idea who is in this class. I could just go check but I'm sure Calgary is thrilled that I'm going to stop talking. Good luck Wranglers!

Calgary receives:
S91 CGY 1st

Helsinki receives:
Landon Wolanin
Lloyd Braun


This trade has been accepted by all parties and is pending league approval.

Woohoo, happy birthday VHL!

1. As successful as me answering press conference questions before a Sunday! Looking forward to another cup run.
2. I think momentum is building up quite nicely for us so hopefully we'll be able to get it done. 
3. I think Braun has exceeded expectations. Would've been another inactive for the Toast agency if it weren't for Calgary!
4. I'm partial to my SHL roots here but would be nice to see a Montreal team or one in San Francisco!
5. Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?
6. I got quite a few genres I enjoy but Fire Emblem has always been a stand-out turn-based strategy game to me. 

After having quite the nice start to the season, reporters in Calgary were sure to ask Lloyd Braun what changed between seasons to transform him into a decent contributor for the team. While his shooting percentage is leaving a lot to be desired in the finishing department of his game, there is no denying that Braun is a solid piece of the Wranglers core as we approach the halfway mark of the season. 
 
"I've done a lot of learning over the years in Calgary," said Braun. "There are a lot of talented players I've gotten the opportunity to play with and learn from and I think it's just clicking this season finally. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best player that I can be for Calgary and I think that mindset was doing more harm than good. I now know the kind of player I am and where I can help the team. I just make sure to do what I can to keep the puck moving the right way and make sure that I'm not causing more harm than good for the guys. I'm really honoured to have the opportunity to play here and will keep working to improve."

huh so you were in my neck of the woods... I live about 20 minutes drive from the funicular going up to Stoos... 

1. Pretty optimistic! We've got a fantastic squad coming off last season's Cup win and we're led by some of the best in the biz.
2. It's pretty great to be involved in such a storied franchise! I likely wouldn't be in the VHL without this team. 
3. Hard not to go with Janser. Despite being a star he cares for all his teammates and the only way Lloyd gets points is if he can manage to find Janser with a pass!
4. He's just happy to be getting success as part of the team. Player success is second to him.
5. I watch when I can! Toronto is gone so I'm thrilled. I think Carolina takes it all. 
6. Absolutely not that's so outdated. 

1. I trust every move that the team makes to make us the best team possible. Rip Wheeler is a fun addition to the team and I look forward to seeing how things go!
 
2. Tet will be missed! I'm excited to see what Otis can do in the role and can't think of a better mentor for them! 
 
3. I think at this point the Wranglers have a very good roster and should try to acquire future picks with pick 14 as we may need to rebuild down the road. 
 
4. I'm hoping that Lloyd will continue to build into a great role player for Calgary and hope to stay on top of my updates!
 
5. Favourite team is the Sens as I'm in Ottawa. Have been a fan since the 2000s and cannot ever have a different #1. My secret second favourite is a close tie between Winnipeg and Columbus. 
 
6. No no no no no no no no no no no no no no.

1. Vibes are good! We're confident going into it and I hope we're going to see a repeat here.
2. Studying film and trying to sell some computers on the side. You always need a plan B when you're an athlete!
3. Especially with the recent wildfires turning Calgary into a smoky mess I see the team really getting behind the Red Cross to support any family impacted by these fires.
4. Lloyd has been working on his offense so he can get a goal here and there and help the team out!
5. I am not but I'm terrified of them.
6. Neither. I'm getting the hell out of dodge at the sight of either.

1. Theme week is a really cool concept and I should read more entries and participate but I just haven't had the time lately!
2. Nothing in particular coming to mind. I am only focused on my own player and seeing how the team is performing when I check in.
3. He's a solid little role player for the team! I think he has been decent considering his TPE levels and I hope the team is satisfied.
4. Anything in the direction of the net is a win for Lloyd but if he had to choose it's definitely the gap above the should with a clapper fired from the blueline.
5. Yeah! I need to catch up on Mando and check out Andor(sp??) I think!
6. I played a ton of video games growing up but it was definitely Pokemon that had the biggest impact on me. Will always love those games!

1. Lloyd is doing all right! Wasn't really expecting much from him this season as we're still building him up!
2. No, I did not submit. I don't pay enough attention anyways and I'm sure they would've been wildly wrong.
3. Very disappointing to start off with a loss after winning the championship. I expect that fans would be forgiving since it's the first game but the players would want more.
4. We'll definitely be on top of the league! There is too much talent on the team to keep us down.
5. We did have dinner last Sunday but the family all got covid from it and have been having a pretty miserable week since then.
6. Not at all for the reason above!

1. While Lloyd is very happy to be a permanent roster member in Calgary after extending his contract he does miss travelling through Europe as part of the European league!
2. It's always exciting to have new faces arriving from the draft! Dilson comes from a recognizable player agency and I look forward to seeing how our new faces do!
3. I'm too excited about our own picks and seeing how they do! The drafts are the best moment of the season in my opinion but I really only focus on what impacts my team.
4. Lloyd would appear in front of a checkboard giving himself a checkmark for making a stellar defensive play of course!
5. No of course they would still be the gummy candy. They're too addictive!
6. Yep! Coffee in the morning to survive the day but plenty of water after that!

1. Great to add a Continental Cup to the trophy case! They alluded me for so long back when I first joined the league and I'm thrilled to win it with this group!
 
2. I think everyone thinks a collapse is possible when they see that lead but we kept out focus and powered through to the win.
 
3. Probably not sober lol. I imagine most of the players piled into someone's vehicle and either went back to someone's place or a bar to party it up. 
 
4. Absolutely a wizard for getting me back into the league! He convinced me to revive Lloyd and it led to a championship. Hard to believe this player is still useful and I hope I'll stick around for seasons to come.
 
5. Absolutely! The roster is mostly the same and I expect us only to get better!
 
6. Absolutely! Love some of their jams.

1. Lloyd is amped up! Going to the finals is thrilling and hopefully he's going to have a solid performance! 
2. No hat tricks so our opponents have played decently defensive but we have had some fantastic performances to outlast them!
3. We're just on top of our game at the moment. I wouldn't say it's a skill issue from the other teams as you have to be decent to make it this far.
4. Definitely loves the energy of the home fans. Calgary is known to show up for all of their home games and the energy can't be matched elsewhere. 
5. Terrible. Had a bout last week that had me out of commission for three days with sneezing. I hate sneezing so it drove me insane.
6. Yeah, I'm a fan of Hawaiian Cookout from a chain here. Bacon, ham and pineapple!

Hello everyone,
 
Not gonna bother with a members tag on this, if you see it then great, you will be rewarded for that. If you don’t then…. Well why am I writing this because if you don’t see it how can you read this part?
 
Anyway, today marks 5717 days (that’s 15 years, 7 months, and 26 days if you’re curious) since the VHL opened its doors. What a random number you might say, why does that matter? Well if I do the math, and I have, I was born 5717 days before the start of the VHL. Given that I joined on day one and have been here ever since that means today marks the official day that I have been in the VHL just as long as I was outside of it. Is that a stupid thing to celebrate? Probably but that won’t stop me; so please let me indulge in a bit of sentimentality for a moment.
 
When the VHL started I had not yet completed high school, I had never had a girlfriend, hell I had never kissed a girl. I was a lonely nerd turning to the internet to find something to do; and I found it. The VHL was not my first sim league, wasn’t even the first one I joined ran by the people who ran it, but it was the first that felt different and felt like it had a good chance of surviving which so few at that point had done. I found a community here. I cannot honestly say that everything went perfectly or that my start in the VHL was without fault; I very nearly left for good within 2 months, but I stayed. I have now not only finished high school but university and going on 10 years working post-schooling. I have now not only had a steady relationship but a wife and two children, a life. All the while the VHL has been there, constantly evolving with the times sure but present. Over 5 years ago I took up the mantel of commissioner. I did it not because I thought I was necessarily the best person for the job but because I thought the league needed something, it was in trouble and I didn’t want to see it fail. I like to think that in these 5 years of growth I have at least stalled that failure.
 
5717 days likely means nothing to any of you, just as that paragraph likely means nothing to any of you, but it means something to me. This league, this place, this community has been a standard in my life for longer than most anything else. I’m not going anywhere right now, that’s not what this is, but I did want to mark the occasion because this league does mean a lot to me.
 
So if you’ve made it this far feel free to take 5 uncapped TPE for your troubles, on me. I’m not sure the insane total I’ve had over the years (probably over 10k by now) so 5 for everyone that I bored with this story should suffice as a thank you for being my weird extended internet family.

1. After those first four games feeling pretty good! Just waiting for the next round to get started.
2. We didn't get any blank sheets but those were some pretty dominate wins against LA! Let's keep it going vs Seattle.
3. I'm shocked that Lloyd has two assists already! Hopefully he keeps it going for the rest of the playoffs. 
4. Janser definitely has some coming vs Seattle! Yep, multiple hat tricks incoming.
5. I remember when I was a youngin' using one at a mall.
6. I really enjoyed reading Project Hail Mary and can't wait to see the movie adaption of it!

1. It has been a quick season! Looking forward to seeing how the team does. I think we definitely have a good shot of making a run.
2. I'm answering this pretty late in the week so I'm happy to say that we were good enough to finish second in the league. I think we have quite the shot to take it to Vancouver!
3. Lloyd's favourite arena to visit is Seattle's. There is a lot of history in that arena and it's cool to see!
4. Maybe the fact that the trade deadline happened is most surprising to me because it still feels like the season just started!
5. There weren't moves that were really surprising but the lack of value that Arizona got for Cychrun for Ottawa is pretty wild. Clearly they held out for more and expected to get a ransom which backfired on them. 
6. I'm not but I'm terrified of the damn things anyways!

1. Definitely just because they see we're the biggest threat and who wouldn't hate us because they ain't us?
 
2. That's a great run! If Pedersen can keep up those kind of performances that's definitely the making of a goalie for the future of the franchise. 
 
3. Definitely as we get closer to the end of the season it's only natural that things will start to settle and the point differences between the teams will get further apart as teams start to show who are stronger.
 
4. Lloyd Braun's role model growing up was Mr. Costanza as he demonstrated effective leadership while keeping his composure. 
 
5. I really liked Jason Spezza when I first started getting into hockey and thought he was a fantastic player.
 
6. My wife is a huge Trekkie so I'll have to side with Trek for this one. 

1. I like theme weeks as it gets people thinking of some original content! Rivalries is a good one especially in a league that's been around as long as this one has. 
 
2. Has to be Vancouver, right? We've been chasing them all season and being so close together in Canada it makes perfect sense that they would be our rivals for the season. 
 
3. It would be a very disappointing loss for Lloyd after seeing the effort the entire team put in. He tried offering his ideas on what the guys should try in the shootout next time but they didn't seem to take kindly to the terrible defender offering suggestions. 
 
4. Getting set up on the point is a dream for a defenseman. Getting to send off a rocket of a slap shot at the goalie is a great feeling and they go so fast you're bound to get one once in awhile!
 
5. Started at episode 1 of It's Always Sunny and will likely binge the entire series!
 
6. Never heard of chicken fried steak so let's stick with chicken for this one... 

Moscow's Menace: Lloyd Braun

 
CALGARY - Lloyd Braun is a defenseman who isn't on Calgary's roster for his offensive prowess, but he has certainly carved out a role for himself thus far with the Wranglers. The rookie blueliner has shown that he's got what it takes to play a responsible defensive game at the professional level, blocking 78 shots and logging a +13. He has also scored two goals and assisted on seven others for nine points. However, there is one team for whom Lloyd Braun has been an absolute menace: Moscow.
 
In two games this season, both of Braun's goals and one assist have come against the Moscow Menace. Yes, an entire third of his points have come against one team, and a pretty talented one to boot. His second goal even wound up being the game-winner in a 4-1 victory. What is it about Moscow that makes Lloyd Braun have a sudden surge of offensive production?
 

Chalk me up on the big board, Mr. Rice!
 
Well, there really isn't a good reason. This is Simon we're talking about here, where everything is random outside of Daniel Janser lighting up the league.
 
Jethro Novacek is a writer for the MSFL Times, the premium purveyor of simulation sports news. He enjoys the antics of Gordon Ramsey, the platters at Super Bowl parties, and turning down for what.