ctots

Bruise Banner has never been the 1C franchise cornerstone that some centers are - he’s a depth guy that can get the job done. Or at least he used to be. During his season in the VHLM, Banner tallied 48 points over the 72 game season. Those numbers aren’t earth-shattering, but they’re respectable. Smash cut to season 90, where Bruise Banner has suited up for the Rome Gladiators in ten games and has only a single point to show for it. At this rate, Banner will finish the season with a paltry 7 points to his name, a far cry from the production he achieved in Ottawa. Is it the yips? Sophomore slump? What could be the problem? No one has a firm idea of what might be causing this drastic performance drop off, but it’s a huge concern for everyone - Banner, his coaches, trainers, fans, and family. The only people gaining from Banner’s performance are his opponents. Will Banner find the next gear and rise to the level of competition he faces? Only time will tell.

Game 51: Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Game 51! The Americans clash with the Wranglers in an early season contest. The tale of this game is an usual one: despite New York’s relentless offensive pressure, the team found themselves unable to get past Merome Dilson, who saved 28 of 28 - an incredible effort, rewarded with a shutout. Scoring was distributed across several lines in Calgary, which is a testament to their depth. I think both teams can walk away from this one feeling good - NYA got goalied, Calgary find a way to win against a more active offense. A great game by two great teams.

https://anchor.fm/ctots/episodes/Drafted-e284upe thanks for listening, ya goofs

https://anchor.fm/ctots/episodes/Get-re-hype-drated-e27mmtc k thx

https://anchor.fm/ctots/episodes/July-28-e27fool thanks for listening

A lone reporter stops Bruise Banner after practice to ask some questions. The man looks disheveled but optimistic. Not someone I recognize from the media circuit, Banner thought. Maybe he's a blogger. Guess it couldn't hurt to stop for a minute or two. "Hey Bruise! I'm Todd from Degenerate Hockey Gambling Website, hoping to talk to you about your team's upcoming playoff run! Seems like you guys barely squeaked into the offseason, how are you feeling about it? What's your confidence level?" Ah, cool, I can just give this guy canned answers. "The team has been getting tuned up throughout the season and we're really in a great position to show the rest of the league what we're made of. Spirits are high in the locker room, that's for sure." Todd nodded along, holding his cell phone like a microphone to record the impromptu interview. "What adjustments are you making to face the increased pressure of the playoffs?" "A strong focus on fitness and diet, warmup and recovery. The key is to avoid injury: the offseason is going to be a long road, and only the toughest teams are going to make it to the finish line." Banner said into the microphone, practicing for his future media appearances. "Thanks for your time, I have to get to an appointment. I appreciate your support."

the sam without the x. I won't tag them again because we all know you're the true sam

This is new information for me - I assumed your history was littered with totaled vehicles. Let’s go on a road trip

Shit. I should have known that that name needed some color

16 whole dang years! Congrats, VHL

I don’t know about you guys, but the news that the VHL is 16 years old really blew my hair back. That’s a long time for fellas to gather around a pretend hockey league, and I love that. It speaks to the power of community, and specifically this community. You guys are great. In honor of all of you and in honor of the VHL’s 16th birthday, I’m giving out 16 shoutouts to users who help make the league amazing. @JardyB10 – Starting off strong with the influential legend himself. Jardy my dude, your podcasting skills are unmatched. Truly something to behold. I sincerely BjorkBjorn breaks their ankles in Europe and is forced to retire early just so you have an excuse to make more content. The people demand it, Jardy. I know your adult life driving on rural roads and heating minerals is thrilling and wonderful, but you can do both. You can do it all. @MubbleFubbles – our first interaction was me asking you to be my co-gm in the OST for Team Royals, when Team Clue was an option and your player was TBGCOS. I had no idea that’s who your player was, and I’m glad that I made that faux pas because you’re a cool dude and I enjoyed learning about GMing from you. It’s a fond memory from my early times here. Your podcasts are always enjoyable and insightful, too. Top marks all around. @Lemorse7– No one in the VHL thought to ask if we needed more red pandas around until you got here and made it clear that the league needs at least one red panda around all the time. You’re a true discord amigo. I don’t even think we’ve played on the same team before, and that’s beautiful to me. @Thunder – My favorite shark in the league by far. So glad I got to spend some time hanging in the locker room with you. I really appreciate being included in your media spots and stuff – nothing delights me more than getting a ping from one of your articles. @JB123 – Oslo’s best GM ever, hands down. Your welcoming attitude when I came on as AGM was really reassuring. Thanks for all the good that you bring to the VHL. @Enorama – Eno! You got Baxter Arcanum a cup! D.C. is legendary (in my mind) and it’s all thanks to you. From the dog pics to the gallery wall to the book discussions, I ate up every bit of that locker room. Somehow you filled it with delicious culture, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy. You’re a master of your craft. @FrostBeard – Third in the shoutouts in terms of my former GMs, but #1 in my heart. Bees and streaming, what more could we ask for? @Grape – Thanks for keeping Ottawa competitive this season. We’ve had some struggles with bad luck and OTLs, but spirits are high and we all appreciate the effort that you’re putting in to lead the team. @thadthrasher – Thad, you’re the moral compass that this league needs. Or really you’re just a generally good person who cares, and those are rare qualities. I encourage you to continue being great. @samx – You do too much. You’re in all the discords. You might be AI. In spite of all that, you’re a really important part of the community. VHL wouldn’t be the same without you talking about how much you don’t want to be around the children under your care. @Berocka – Berocka for Elmebeck. Every season. All of the work you do for the league is valuable. I love Super Coach! I also love Bite Sized Berocka. Bonus shout out to your kiwi friend Buruku. You’re lighthearted and positive and that provides good balance to some of the gloomier figures in the league. @dasboot – I’m sorry I missed the heyday of you and Berocka doing VHLN Australia, but I’ve listened through a lot of the backlog in the last year or so. You make a great teammate in the Lynx LR, and I hope we get a chance to play together again in the bigs. @Spartan – When I think of forum activity, I think of you. You’re always approving my updates, which is much appreciated. You also tend to be one of the first people to react or comment on my content, which is super cool and shows how involved you are. I’d be scared to get in a car with you, but I’d trust you with mostly anything else. @Daniel Janser – You know in the Avatar movie, where there’s that big bird dinosaur thing that just cruises high in the sky without a worry because he’s so strong and well-respected? You’re the VHL version of that weird dinosaur bird. I mean this in the kindest, most respectful way possible. You’re an unstoppable force. Respect. @Tate – I haven’t heard from you in a while but I found your podcasts to be super relatable – our kids are around the same age I think. Also really love your delivery of *PACIFIC* when reading the time. You’re a swell guy. @jRuutu – You’re the resident pot-stirrer of the league, and that’s what I love about you. You really know how to get the people riled up and create some conversation. You raise interesting points, too. Thanks for keeping an eye on the people in charge for us. Thanks for making the VHL a good place on the internet.

The problem with this kind of guidance, maybe, is that building a "style" of player is pretty far divorced from what is visible from the simulation. When we only have the stat lines to go off of, there isn't a lot of flavor to draw on to get the sense that your player is doing what you had hoped. The only real feedback from the sim is what you see in the box score, and that feels (to me, maybe not to others) like if you're not producing stats, your player is "bad" even if they're making the correct plays. And I guess the other thing is that if someone says "I want to play an Enforcer" there should probably be a conversation along the lines of "making that choice will make it impossible for your player to chase most awards, etc" just so that they don't pursue a build that is totally out of line with their goals in the league.

Hey, that’s neat! Really wish I knew that was a thing at any point in the past. Thanks for bringing this to my attention