JCarson

Great article, with the change to the VHLM we are definitely seeing some change in how players are distributing their TPE and how that is impacting the game in that league. In my opinion is doesn't really translate into a change in the VHL and the distribution of stats hasn't changed as a result. No big discrepancies in how the stats effect players but a noted indication that their is a level of difference. 2 players with the same stats won't produce the same, there is some interplay between the differentials of other team members that make for the sim software to sometime come up with a few odd results. I give this article a 9 out of 10.

Great article, okay first it helps that I am named as a player to watch for and it also helps when your team is listed as the top expected team in the league, or at least the EU. That aside I think it is a very reasonable assessment of each team and of each division. Season 99 is going to be a tale of 2 teams, those who are built to compete and those who are playing for draft lottery odds. It is very easy to pick out which teams fit into which categories. the interesting view will be what teams lose less because other teams just suck and end up in the playoff as a result. I give this article a 10 out of 10.

A very brief look at the European conference As this is being done as a CHL.com article we are looking at about 250 words to analyze the European conference and as I have taken up about 55 of those on this introduction there are not a lot of words left to put forward my point. Which is fine as there is not a lot to talk about in the European conference this season. There are a lot of teams that are rebuilding or are in a situation where they need a couple more assets to make themselves competitive. Helsinki – 5 forwards 1 defender and a modest goalie, highest TPA 671, honestly not much to offer. No chance at playoffs London – as noted full roster but no current outstanding superstar. Some potential in 2-3 seasons but right now they will only make the playoffs because there are more worse teams. Malmo: Forward core has some potential as you can never count Ironhide or Del Rocco out in a game but they are lacking defensive depth and solid goaltending. They may make wildcard spot in playoffs at best Moscow-Typically a leader in the EU they have started rebuilding, still have a solid defensive core but re lacking up front. Goaltending may steal a few wins for them. My opinion is they will capture a wildcard spot in the playoffs. Prague- fairly balanced team with reasonable goaltending. They should easily take second in the conference Riga – 3 forwards 1 defender and a good goalie. Unfortunately not enough strength to make a go of things, will not make the playoffs this season. Warsaw- 4 forwards and 3 defenders with a young goalie, highest TPA 620, with slightly more balance in players they should do better that Helsinki and Riga but there is much to improve before they make the playoff. Currently that is not happening in season 99. Davos – only down side of Davos is they are missing a defender but the strength of the team should be able to offset the use of one bot. Currently forecasted to be top team in the European conference. Well balanced with strong goaltending.

End of season 4 Well Felicia Hardy is now 288 regular season games into their VHL career, all the games have been played with the HC Davos Dynamo. This article is going to look at how they have performed so far. We will then look at what will be coming next for season 99 and beyond. Here is a quick list of Felicia’s stats through the first four seasons: Games Played 288 Goals 34 or .12/game Assists 261 or .9/game Points 295 or 1.02/game +/- 46 or .16/game Shots 536 or 1.86/game Hits 605 or 2.1/game Penalty Minutes 452 or 1.57/game Shots Blocked 504 or 1.75/game From an offensive standpoint being over point per game player is impressive. It is the hopes that this will improve over the next four seasons and potentially get closer to 1.25 points per game. The biggest area of improvement will hopefully be goals but adding more assists would be beneficial as well. The goal remains to have one season with over 100 points. Season 99 may be a good chance for that. The other target is to increase shots per game as this should help impact overall offensive production. From a defensive perspective Felicia is very stable holding a 46 +/- and maintaining hits and blocks at above 1/game. They fact that this is done while keeping penalty minutes to below 2 minutes a game is beneficial for the team overall. Strong defensive players only do their part when they aren’t sitting in the penalty box. Felicia’s focus for Season 99 and beyond has changed slightly. Instead of focusing on play making Felicia is going to take more opportunities to shoot. Management identified that Felicia is foregoing great scoring opportunities in order to set up others. With that in mind we should be seeing Felicia spend less time passing and more time shooting. With Management having asked Felicia to increase shots on net, it has led them to develop new 5 on 5 and power play strategies. Davos is expected to increase their net front positioning to capitalize on rebounds and tips from these additional shots from the point. This change in style should help the team overall. Other VHL teams will need to learn and adapt to the new style which should take time. Over the offseason Felicia has been working with several of the forwards looking for a winning combination. Bucatini, Tsunami and Pastanap seem to be the front runners when it comes to playing net front. It appears that Sheppard will be playing the side wall on power plays, and it will be left to Schwarzrer and Gingy to play more of a scrappy power forward position and retrieve pucks from the corners. Nothing is for certain at this point, but training camp practice has shown some promise with these new positions. Management and coaching staff haven’t finalized anything yet but as the regular season approaches, we are seeing more consistency in lineups. One thing for certain is that Davos is looking at making a significant push this season to land another championship and the work going on now during training camp is focused on making that happen.

1. Yes, I try to take part in everything I an for TPE 2. Honestly busy hasn't been an issue, taking time to rest has been 3. EU is Davos, NA is Calgary 4. Kind of expected. 5. Probably something by AC DC or maybe Rush 6. They can give me 100 TPE 7. I have 2 cats, Molly and Seamus 8. Honestly not a big concert person, if I had to pick it would be a early 90's alternative band.

Great article, there has been significant movement in the league so far with trades. Teams shedding players to position for season 100 draft, or just trying to reposition themselves for a better season. Put on top of that changes in salary cap and it has definitely meant a lot of changes. With the draft over and free agency beginning, it will be interesting to see how this trade specifically changes the roster in Toronto. I expect we will see a few more interesting adjustments before season 99 begins. I give this article a 4.98756 out of 5.

Outside of the fact that this is hard to read due to the way it was loaded into the system it is a very interesting look at the top prospects for this draft. Defense hevy to say the least this draft looks to provide significant strength to the teams as long as the players continue their TPE push. The variances in build strategy will make it interesting to watch as time goes on. Well written article, keep up the good work. 8 out of 9 on this one. Yes I scored out of 9 because I wanted to.

Media Spot Reviewing Well I have to say it is getting more difficult to do Media Spot reviewing. Don’t get me wrong the quality of the writing is perfectly fine so it isn’t difficult to put together a quick note, add a relevant statement or two and then provide some arbitrary scoring. The issue I am having is that there is becoming less and less articles. I don’t know if it is the fact that less people are engaged, that graphics are taking over or that people are fine getting less TPE and having an average player. Whatever it happens to be it is resulting in less articles around each week to comment on. I expect that if something isn’t done about it at some point then there won’t be enough relevant material to make the reviewing task worthwhile. Here are some solutions I am proposing. First, make the spread between a media spot and welfare larger. This could mean making the media spot worth more, or reducing the TPE earned for welfare but having a larger difference will make this task more sought out. Second, allow reviews to be done on VHL articles. Yes, they have less content to review but sometimes the discussion is relevant and allows for significant comments even at a reduced size. Anyway, those are my thoughts, I don’t expect that these in themselves will solve the issue or that these are flushed out enough as options to be implemented as I have noted them here, but I think we need to start looking at options before it becomes a significant problem.

1. Nothing specific to them, just hoping they help out 2. It does help with salary cap, I think there is a balance, definitely don't need a max earn goalie 3. Rest, relax, train. 4. Obviously Felicia Hardy 5. Nope, was busy with other things 6. Obvious answer, but play VHL hockey 7. Toronto Ottawa had some great moments 8. Will see it at some point, may wait until it is on Disney +

A Cat’s Eye View: On Ice Coach Rick Gilmour HC Davos Dynamo Rick, thanks for meeting with us. You have just left the ice after a session with Felicia Hardy. I have been watching for the last half hour, from what I can see you have been working on several shooting drills. How are things progressing? Molly the Cat, it is an honor to chat with a player of your renown. Felicia is doing extremely well; it helps that they have a great hockey sense and can view the ice like few others. Most players who have the passing skills that Felicia has typically see the ice well. It is often said they seem to have eyes in the back of their heads. At this point it is working on the little things; we still want Felicia to be able to pass to other players, but we also want them to be able to see those opportunities when a shot may be a better choice. It is coming but it is something we will continue to work on. Rick let’s move away from the concept of positional play and talk about Felicia shooting ability. Can you discuss which types of shots Felicia feels comfortable with and what we expect to see this coming season? Molly the Cat, as Felicia has been very proficient in passing, they have a strong wrist shot having a natural ability to raise the puck up and feed it through tight spaces. We are not expecting that to change. Whether you are trying to get the puck to another player or to the net, when you are shooting from a place where there are potentially several people between you and the target you must first get the puck through. That said we have been working with Felicia on their slap shot, mainly from a perspective of one timing the puck as it gets passed from various angles. Most people find it easier to onetime a puck as it is coming directly at you, however often time defenders are having to shoot pucks that come from their defensive partner across the ice. I feel like that work is going very well for them. We have been playing around with several stick options to see what power we can transfer to the puck. Right now, we have been able to clock a few shots over 100 mph and we feel there is still some room for improvement. Rick, thanks for taking some time to talk with me, I have one last question for you. Most players spend their entire careers with one focus whether that be defensive or offensive. Have you ever been involved in a change of this nature and how did it work out. I have. Prior to season 98 I spent a considerable amount of time working with Mina making changes to their game. Mina ended up having a career season when it comes to productivity. You are correct, very few players make a major change like this and do it well but with the correct level of determination it can be done. From what I am seeing I think Felicia has a great chance of making this work. Felicia is dedicated and focused at this point I truly believe we are going to see a much different player in Season 99.

Congrats, well deserved.

Great work on this article. Always good to see a story from the players perspective, the ups the downs, the emotional roller coaster that is felt. Enjoy the offseason tournaments, keep pushing for more training opportunities and you will find yourself in the VHL. You will make a great addition to the VHL, there is always a need for goaltending. Good luck on your journey. I give this article a 8 out of 10, great job, keep it up.

Draft predictions are always one of my favorite media spots (next to highly analytical novels) so when I see them I tend to use them for reviewing. This one is arranged well, is well written and provides some good insight. I do like the additional commentary (especially since this is early in the offseason) regarding potential changes due to trading of picks. I don't expect that this will be what happens, it never is but you can tell the author put some thought into it. Great work, 9 out of 10.

Cat’s Eye View: An interview with Davos GM Alex Alex, thank for taking time with us this afternoon, Season 98 has now concluded, and a champion has been named. We now move into the part of the season where GMs around the league are front and center. In a short amount of time, we will see free agency open, the drat occur and prime trade season start all before the next season begins. Can you give us an idea of your thoughts on each of these. Molly the Cat, I am happy to chat with you today, I will try to touch on each of those aspects, obviously I can’t tell you what we have planned. Free agency is always the toughest, you look at the potential contracts ending and must guess on which players are just holding out for a better potential contract but are set on resigning and then there are those players who are looking for a better playing option. I think we have a good group that could offer the right piece an attractive place to compete. The Draft is always a little more difficult, so many talented young players but you never can tell how they are going to develop. Some will eventually become superstars, but it is not uncommon for players to fall off and never really live up to the potential you expected. Then there is trading. Trades are always the toughest because it means you need to give up something to get what you need. Even when you can come to an agreement that sounds good for you there is always the period where you look back. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, you hope you win more than you lose but not always. Alex thanks for your time, I know you are busy, your phone has been ringing the entire time I have been here. We will let you go. Good luck in Season 99.

1. Felicia didn't play up to expectations 2. Hope is to put up a much better season 3. I'll say Moscow because they won 4. I'm fine with the length, gives a chance to get some TPE 5. I don't have one, never built an attachment 6. Toronto Ottawa has been entertaining 7. I don't remember, probably one of the marvel movies 8. Don't remember the last video game i played, it was probably a Zelda game, definitely nothing from 2025.

It is a wet and gloomy afternoon in Davos. A kind of afternoon that can dampen one’s spirits. Felicia Hardy sits in the video room at the arena going over game tape from their playoff games against the Moscow Menace. It was probably about the 10th time the Felicia and the video coach had sat and watched the same footage. Sure, there were minor things that Felicia could have done differently but for the most part they had played a solid defensive game, hard on the puck, clean passes. Yet Felicia knew deep down that something needed to change, that if they were going to ramp things up and be a bigger contributor to the team that something needed to change, drastically. It was just then, as Felicia’s mind wandered and they weren’t paying attention to the screen in front of them that the video coach stopped the playback, and said “Why didn’t you shoot there?” Felicia didn’t really catch the words as they were deep in thought but the sound caught their attention and brought them back. The video coach backed up the play and started watching again. Suddenly stopping the video again, they pointed. “Right there, you receive the puck as it comes around the boards, take two strides towards the middle of the ice, you raise your stick to shoot, and you pause.” As if by some stroke of luck, the camera position was right behind Felicia on the ice. It was so obvious looking at the position of Felicia, the opposing team’s forward they had just stepped around that no longer had a play, her own forward clearly planted in front of the goalie and the opposing defense only adding to the screen. The entire blocker side of the net wide open. It was one of those scoring chances that every player dreams of having, it was simply a matter of putting the puck on net and the video didn’t lie, Felicia paused, looked around and then passed to her defense partner who unfortunately wasn’t at the proper place to take the shot. Felicia sat staring at the screen, “Why didn’t I take the shot” echoing over and over in their mind. Hoping for an excuse, a valid reason to come, Felicia just stared but it was obvious, the shot should have been theirs to take. And they didn’t. Video replays of her time on the ice, focused on offensive zone time started to play. This time Felicia didn’t view things looking to see how they did, but what they could have done. Criticizing ever choice to pass instead of shoot. Criticizing every choice to pull back instead of pinch forward and play the puck. It soon became obvious, in an attempt to play a strong defensive game Felicia was leaving offensive opportunities uncapitalized on. Felicia knew it was going to take some time and effort. There were going to be natural habits they were going to need to break, things so engrained in them that they hadn’t seen this before. This offseason would be different, next season would be different.

All I can say is wow. I am glad there are people out there who take things seriously enough to write an article for fun that has proper referencing. This is all interesting to think about, but I have to start with the question what is a reaction and where do I find it. I am guessing being one of the older generation on here I have never had the need to look to see if others approve or disapprove of what i have posted. I give this article a 10 out of 10, Keep having deep thoughts, somebody has to offset the stupidity that shows up on social media.

I am a sucker for a good analytical article. One that has plenty of graphs and some statistical analysis on top regardless of the assumptions or the conclusion has to be a great article. I added some DI to my player this go around and I am not sure it has been helpful. I think one of the issues is that checking is one of the main ways to separate a player from the puck, by reducing the amount of times that happens it reduces a players effectiveness on the ice. Or at least that is my experience so far. I give this article a 10 out of 10 in the hopes it will encourage the writer to expand their contributions

1. We got destroyed in 4 2. I expect it will be New York 3. I have not been performing since about game 30 of the regular season. Not sure why. 4. I have no preferences when it comes to player name, do what you want 5. I do enough to get my 13 points. I will not do trivia 6. Toronto Maple Leafs 7. I fundamentally disagree with this question, a playoff game should never be decided by shoot out/ 8. I know very little, and of what i do know most of it is boring

Cat’s Eye View, Article 1: Felicia Hardy This is Molly the Cat, retired VHL player and former captain of the London United. After several seasons sitting on the sidelines watching the VHL I have decided it is time for me to come back to the league. To come back and provide a different perspective related to the goings on in the league, to provide a voice for players to express what is important to them. With that in mind I have reached out to several current players to talk with them about the season, about their play and about anything they find important. My first interview is with HC Davos Dynamo defender Felicia Hardy. I had the opportunity to meet up with Felicia after their game 4 loss to Moscow Menace in the season 98 playoffs. Felicia, thanks for taking the time to meet with me. Unfortunately, this last series didn’t go as you wanted, and you are now on the outside looking in as other pursue the coveted VHL championship. However, that is not what I want to discuss at this time. I am wondering if you can talk about how it feels as a professional hockey player to make the playoffs and be working towards everything you have worked hard for and fantasized about? Molly the Cat, it is great to be here and to be speaking with you today. Having the chance to play hockey professionally is a great honor. It is such a fun game and the VHL has the best players in the world. Having the chance to play night in and night out to win the VHL championship goes beyond words. This season unfortunately it didn’t happen, but Davos is set to go back and try again next season. Felicia, let’s change topics, I am wondering if you can talk to us about your process for selecting equipment to play in, I have noticed that you have made some changes over the seasons? You are correct, I have made some changes over the seasons with my equipment. I have been working with one of the manufacturers to find a style that fits with my playing style. The biggest thing I have been working on is my skates. As a defense first defender I spend a lot of time in the shooting lane of top players. Making sure I have enough protection to block shots is important, but I also need enough flexibility to allow for comfortable top speed skating. As we don’t have a lot of time left, I want to give you a chance to talk about the fans, when you are playing how important is it for you to hear the fans cheering the team. Does the opposing team’s fans booing impact you at all. I don’t think there is any way to properly address how uplifting it is to hear your fans cheering in your arena. The energy of the stands helps in keeping up the pace when things are getting rough. Oddly enough the roar of the crowd in an opposition arena can have the same effect. If your play can pull the opposing fans into the game, it only affirms what you are doing and pushes you to drive harder. The more I am booed the easier it is for me get the energy to keep going. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me today and for answering our questions. We appreciate your candid responses.

The Cat comes Back The reporting of news, whether political or sports has become more business, more biased and less interesting. There is so much that doesn’t get reported, that is glossed over or even buried. Even worse there is the unimportant, speculative and just not true that catches the attention of broadcasters and gets airtime, over, and over, and over again. Unfortunately, many are now feeling that this is taking place in the VHL. The traditional sports news reporting companies try to do their best, don’t take this the wrong way. However, the writers are paid to make money for their respective companies. We all know that solid, fact-finding journalism unfortunately doesn’t draw attention unless it discovers some level of scandal. So much of the game, the details the fans crave to know go undiscussed because they won’t carry a top headline. Unfortunately, there is no way to solve the problem within the traditional news outlets. Any solution is going to need to come from outside of this group, is going to need to be grass roots and have a focus first on the sport, then on the news reporting. I am happy to announce that retired VHL player Molly the Cat has started an online hockey news reporting site. This new site called, Cat’s eye view will focus on providing interviews and research journalism that is focused on providing details about players and their careers from the perspective of the player themselves. The first article on the site is an interview with player Felicia Hardy, that was done soon after HC Davos elimination from the Season 98 playoffs.

Glad that you can put out a media spot. I have found this season really difficult for staying active. Not sure why but it has been later and later for me to put out the required pieces to get my TPE. I can't image there being an actual reason why I can't do things and still try to do things. Keep up with things do your best and try to enjoy things. I give this article an 8 out of 10. Thanks for being honest.

The choices players have to make each season, particularly when contracts are ending makes for interesting thoughts. How will Woods decide, will they continue with Moscow, will they go their own way and try to find a place where they can play a bigger role. We will see how this progresses. This article is well written, provides depth for the character and the extended storyline. I give this article a 9 out of 10. Keep it up, continue building on the story,

So as today is Easter, well at least for my family it is. It got me thinking about the food selections we choose when we celebrate. For today’s meal we did something slightly different. Today’s menu had smoked ham, turnip, peas and hash brown casserole. Not our traditional meal but it was very tasty. I should also note we had bread pudding and custard for dessert. What I am wondering is what other people have for their holiday celebrations. Do you do the same thing each year, at each holiday or does it change and vary. it is very common for us to do turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas but we do sometime vary at Easter I would like to hear about how the rest of the VHL celebrates, especially when it comes to food. If you have something extremely tasty and can share the recipe please do. I may decide to try it and may provide my review. For those who aren’t of an age where you are taking part in the cooking of your holiday celebrations, which dishes or meals do you enjoy the most, have you considered being part of the process so that you can learn to share with your future family. Keeping traditions, especially when it comes to food is a great way to share and remember. My mother passed over 23 years ago and I still have recipes that she made that I do for my family and I expect will be things that my son will do with his family.

1. It was acceptable, was hoping for a little better based on the first 20 games 2. I don't know but I don't expect many of them to finish a complete career. 3. Poorly, very poorly 4. Felicia shoots left 5. Nothing yet, that was the last thing i decided for this player 6. Yes, a while ago, they were first in their division 7. Rugby has to be at the top, or at least close to the top of that list. 8. Not really, probably the marvel films.