JCarson

Situations like this are very rare but not unheard of. This situation was the most tragic outcome but injuries from skates happen regularly enough that we need to rethink the entire protective layer that players have. With new technologies that exist it should be possible to create a significantly improved protective layer for all players that doesn't restrict their ability to play the game. We also need to create a culture where player safety comes first, even above winning. Great article, we need to have more and more conversations about making sports safe so that they can continue to be fun. I give this article a 9/10. Keep up the good work.

Excuse me Simon but WTF. At the time of this article, we are 8 games into season 91 (okay a couple teams have 9 games) and it can only be said that the European conference is shaping up to be a close race. In fact, as I write this article the European conference has 5 teams tied in the standings, all for first place. You read that correctly, we have a 5-way tie for first place in the European conference. Prague has played 8 games and has a 6-2-0 record, has 12 points, have 30 goals for and 23 against for a 7-goal differential. HC Davos has played 8 games and has a 6-2-0 record, has 12 points, have 30 goals for and 25 against for a 5-goal differential. London has played 8 games and has a 5-1-2 record, has 12 points, have 20 goals for and 13 against for a 7-goal differential. Helsinki has played 9 games and has a 6-3-0 record, has 12 points, have 29 goals for and 23 against for a 6-goal differential. Riga has played 9 games and has a 6-3-0 record, has 12 points, have 31 goals for and 26 against for a 5-goal differential. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out over the season, will London’s lack of scoring result in them falling behind the pack, or will their strong defensive play allow them to steal a game or two? Will we end up with a tie and how many tie-breakers will be needed to sort it all out? I think the only thing we know now is that Simon is shaping this up to be an interesting season to watch.

I am writing this media spot after the sim of game 8, London has had a reasonable start to the season and currently sits with 12 points, tied for first in the European Conference with Prague, Davos, Helsinki, and Riga. Yes, 5 of the 8 teams in the European conference are sitting with 12 points, but that is not the focus of this media spot. As I noted in last week’s edition, this season’s media spot (except for theme week) will look at how depth players play a role in the success of a team. We are doing this by evaluating the contributions of three players: Sjin, Ivan Retoslav and Thor Odinson. Here are the stats in the categories we are reviewing: Sjin Ivan Thor Goals 3 2 2 Assists 4 2 0 Points 7 4 2 +/- 4 3 3 Penalty Minutes 4 7 2 Sjin – based on these statistics Sjin is providing a great secondary support for the team. For a team that has low scoring, having seven points (just less than point per game) is a great start. This level of production can easily support Sjin’s expectations of being Rookie of the Year. A +/- of 4 shows that the Sjin is providing secondary support defensively. 4 penalty minutes in 8 games is very reasonable. Ivan Retosav – based on these statistics Ivan is providing a reasonable level of support for the team. With four points, Ivan is below where he wants to be in production, as he has a target of 50 points for the season. (this allows him to reach 500 career points) However from a secondary scoring perspective on what has so far been a low scoring team it is within expected levels. A +/- of 3 shows a positive impact on the team. His 7 penalty minutes are slightly higher than his linemates which may be why he is slightly lower in production than he wants, can’t score if you aren’t on the ice. That said his penalty minutes are within acceptable range at less than 1 penalty every 2 games. Thor Odinson – based on these statistics Thor is providing acceptable depth to the team. 2 points in the first 8 games will project out to 18 points on the season. This is in line with last year’s production, which we were hoping would surpass. There is still room for improvement so this is not a huge issue at this point. Thor’s +/- is sitting at 3 which provides terrific value to the team. Thor only has 2 minutes in penalties which is well ahead of expectations. After looking at the information we have from the first 8 games it can be concluded that the secondary offense is assisting London in meeting the target of being a playoff team and pursuing another championship. Small productivity improvements would help meet personal goals, but with London’s strong defensive play, it doesn’t seem required to win games. All things considered; these players are providing adequate secondary offensive output for the team, are supporting defensively, and aren’t creating unnecessary issues by taking excessive penalties. We will continue to monitor as the season progresses.

As we have a number of new players (returning) this season we are going to do a more basic get to know you sort of press conference. Please ensure all answers are in sentence format 1) If your player could be hired for one company/product for endorsement purposes, which company would it be and which product? 2) If your player could change to any other position on the team which would they choose and why? 3) If you could give the GM a nickname what would you call him and why? 4) If you had the responsibility to choose the pregame meal, what would everyone be eating, why did you pick this? 5) What is your expectation for personal production this year (Goals and Assists) - I even want the goalie to answer this one? 6) What is one positive thing you could do in the locker room to help the team?

Article review: This is a fun way of announcing the World Cup team, hope this helps create a bond between team members as you strive for the gold medal. For a team that is made up of random locations around the world and the leftovers of countries that have already picked it as to be tough to introduce a team and get excited. This author always creates a positive and uplifting atmosphere with their articles, keep up the good work. Hopefully the World team can make a great showing, if not they will probably have fun anyway. Good luck. I give this article a 9/10

Article Review: Even with this article being well written and organized I found it lacking and objective analysis. We will obviously see by the end of the season if this writer can subjectively analyze a team and rank it among the others in the league. Is their bias, do they have some link to Simon, who knows. I give this article a 7/10 for now, if they are right then that will increase, if they are wrong then they can be allowed to hold their opinion.

Molly the Cat wants to announce they recently signed an endorsement contract with Lloyds of London and TripAdvisor. As a result of these contracts Molly the Cat will be featured in several advertisements within the United Kingdom and across the internet promoting these organizations. When asked about the recent announcements Molly the Cat had the following to say. These two companies provide great services to individuals. They are vastly different organizations however each is focused on providing quality products and services to their customers. I have used both organizations personally and had great experiences. While speaking with Molly the Cat we asked about the recent trend of some athletes signing endorsement deals with gambling websites. Here is what Molly the Cat had to say. So, we have been able to hook up with Molly the Cat and get an idea of what is going on outside the world of hockey for this star.

Over the next season this reporter will be doing a feature series on a group of London United players, tracking several indicators to determine if they are providing the talent that is needed to contribute to a team targeting a Continental Cup Championship. This article's purpose is to identify how secondary players contribute to the success of a franchise. The Factors that will be reviewed to determine contribution to the team will be the following: Training commitment which will be measured by looking at the Change in TPE – minimum expectation here is that these individuals will increase at least 6 TPE per week over the season. By targeting a minimum training commitment, it helps a team to continue developing over a season, which allows it to be better in the playoffs than it was at the beginning of the regular season. Productivity – which will simply be measured by points produced, however we will track both goals and assists as some of the identified players have personal targets, they have set for themselves in one of these aspects. +/- although this measure has some faults in its’ construction, it does provide a basic understanding of the number of goals a player is on the ice for versus the number of goals a player is on the ice against. The expectation is that these players could be net 0 by the end of the season Penalty Minutes, one of the best ways a secondary player can assist their team is by not taking penalties. First this limits the advantage the other team receives by getting to put their best players on the ice with an advantage, but it also limits the defensive zone play the team must endure. This will simply be measured by penalty minutes taken. Other stats may be looked at as time goes on if they are relevant to the player and their productivity to the team. This article series will feature the following players: Ivan Retosalv, Sjin and Thor Odinson. Ivan Retoslav is a veteran player in what is expected to be his last year in the league. The London United hope that he can provide veteran leadership on the second offense line. Ivan currently has 1030 TPE of which 20 are banked. From a productivity perspective, Ivan hopes to be a goal scorer; as a team, the London United hope he can achieve 50 points on the season. Sjin is a VHL rookie, although he is later in his career spending a few seasons in the VHLM and VHLE. Sjin’s main goal is to be in a competitive position to win the Rookie of the Year award. Sjin currently sits with 606 TPE. From a productivity standpoint London is hoping that Sjin will reach 50 points on the season, Sjin himself would like to be closer to point per game levels. Thor Odinson is playing his second season with London. They currently have 458 TPE. London is hoping that Thor can increase productivity from last year’s season where they achieved 19 points in 72 games to a total closer to 40 points on the season. So, this will be the focus over the next few weeks. We are hoping to celebrate these player’s accomplishments over the season. Hope you enjoy it.

Well Season 91 is fast approaching and so I want to first welcome all our new players to the team. For the last few season I have had the pleasure or writing the teams press conferences (it started because Dil was late getting them out) I try to make them fun, sometimes challenging but generally kind of weird. Please remember all answers must be in the form of a sentence. This weeks press conference will be a association game, for each category please pick one London player (management is allowed) then pick a character from that category you associate with the London player and let us know why you picked that. 1) Winnie the Pooh 2) Lord of the Rings 3) Saturday Cartoons 4) Your favorite Book 5) Harry Potter 6) Disney Cartoons Have fun

Great article, always love to read about a players experiences and optimistic view of how their season went. Good luck in season 91, hopefully you can come together as a team and put together a great season. I expect there will be a number of teams pushing to make the North American Conference a tough place to play. One side comment I have is that if Montgomery Burns can afford to have a porch while living in the heart of Toronto then the team is obviously breaking league contract rules. Toronto isn't cheap these days and porches are a luxury. I give this article a 9/10. Keep up the great work.

Politics and procedures aside the very nature of this article makes great forum content for the VHL. The drama that surrounds this top player looking to enter free agency to find a place where they can finally put their offensive talent to the test is a great story. Hopefully this player will be able to find a place to play and play well, but on the other hand drama seems to follow some people around. In an era of salary caps it is the early bird who gets the better choices of where to play. Waiting for free agency may result in this player losing out on what may have been their best opportunity. We will have to see. Love the story, 9/10. Good luck finding a home you enjoy.

Season 90 World Cup Molly the Cat is looking forward to representing team Canada at the World Cup. The official team announcements have yet to be made but after Molly the Cat’s performance at the season 88 tournament it would be surprising if they did not represent their country again. It will be interesting to see what management does in filling out the roster, but it would be a shock if league leading center Todd Cooke and RW passing sensation Leonard Triller were not selected. Most also agree that Goalie Joel Castle and Defenseman Pierre Emile Bouchard should be locks on their positions. After that many believe it so be a tight race between players vying for the last spots wit team Canada having several young talented players to choose from. Does management give one of these young talents a chance or do they follow tradition and choose the veteran players instead? This reporter reached out to the World Cup Team Canada General Manager for comment but as of the printing of this article has yet to get a response. We will see how things turn out but what we know for sure is that Team Canada will have a strong presence at the tournament and will surely be in contentions for the gold medal.

Season 91 is fast approaching, and the London United Team is coming together. There have been several changes and still a final piece to fall into place. We will discuss the activity so far and what the team is expecting as a result. Resigning of Free Agents London United had several players that became free agents, the first step in securing a competitive team for season 91 was to resign some of those individuals to contracts. The first individual to sign was veteran Defense Deron Nesbitt. Deron is a core piece on the blue line who provides both strong defensive ability and a pass first offense. London United is looking for Deron to be a key piece of the offensive push for season 91 while still providing their usual reliable defensive play. Soon after Deron signed, fellow blue liner Jack Jeckler signed. Jack is an up-and-coming player who provides toughness and grit on the blue line. London United expects Jack to continue developing during this season, with the goal of providing a strong defensive presence while working on their offensive game. Thor Odinson was the next to sign. Thor is a key piece of London United’s second forward line, and the hopes are that he will click with fellow season 86 draft pick Sjin to form a strong secondary scoring unit. London United is committed to helping Thor continue to grow in their game with the goal of creating a strong two-way player. Thor has significant potential. The last returning free agent player is Hunor Solyom. Hunor is a veteran player who provides significant value on the blue line. London United is hoping that Hunor can provide veteran depth to the blue line and help mentor the younger players. Rookie Potential London United has been working for several years with Season 86 prospect Sjin and are pleased to announce that Sjin is making the jump to the VHL. Sjin enters the league with high hopes. They have a focus on winning the Rookie of the Year award and establishing their career. Sjin will be doing that as a key component of the second line of London United. Trading for Key Components London United put the VHL on notice when they brokered a deal with the Vancouver Wolves to pick up two key components for what may be another Continental cup push. London United were able to secure all-star center Wann Kerr and defensive specialist Lloyd Braun. Wann Kerr is a high-flying center who will be playing on the first line with Leonard Triller and Molly the Cat. The expectation is that the combination of passing excellence and scoring ability that this line will have will skyrocket London forward in offensive production. Wann Kerr provides a first line center which London United has lacked the last few seasons. They also provide significant scoring depth and are also known to be a powerplay specialist. Lloyd Braun is a hard as nails gritty defender who will provide a much-needed backbone to London United’s defensive core. Lloyd was a fantastic addition to help round out the defense for season 91. We are excited to see how these two individuals make their presence known within the locker room and on the ice. What is left to come London has made great strides this offseason, but they are not finished. However, I am not going to let the cat out of the bag early on the next announcement. Just know that London United is still looking to secure one last piece, a veteran piece to lead the second offensive line and mentor Sjin and Thor Odinson this year. Hopefully, we will be able to conclude that acquisition shortly and focus on coming together in the locker room. So, there you have it, London is focused on another playoff bound year and has made some key changes to make that happen.

Okay so we are now officially between seasons so we are going to play a different Press conference game: You are going to get to write in methods: 1) Give me a rhyming couplet for a player on London United from season 90. 2) Give me a simile for your own player 3) Give me a metaphor for one of the commissioners 4) If Jacob's name was an acronym what would it stand for 5) Make an anagram of one of the players names on the team in season 90 6) Write an acrostic for London United I know I am a horrible person.

This is a great summary of draft eligible players, well laid out, to the point but insightful comments. Very well done, the author of this should be proud of their work. If you are looking at ideas for other articles you could use this format and do an analysis of the VHL free agents and rank them on who is most sought after, or just rank them by TPE and position. It is always nice to see when someone took a few extra minutes to go that little beyond what is expected. Well done, 10/10 a great article.

The offseason and the various methods of building teams always makes for a good article. In this perspective a discussion regarding Moscow and free agent signings provides a unique twist. Should people sign there or should people just avoid them altogether. Take your chances and find the glory of late playoff hockey or run screaming away from being doomed to not make the playoffs at all. We will have to see how things unfold. What players and teams choose. One thing is for certain, there will be movement in the league. I give this article a 8/10

The London United and their Captain, Molly the Cat would like to congratulate the Prague Phantoms on their Season 90 Continental Cup victory. You can now be added to the long line of European Conference teams that earned the right to lift the VHL’s top award. You should be proud of yourselves it takes hard work and determination to get to this point. Take some time to celebrate your victory, enjoy this moment, don’t let anything ruin it for you. I would also like to put out a challenge to the North American Conference, there has been a long discussion trying to suggest that the North American Conference is the stronger part of the VHL. That they possess the best players, the highest goal scorers, and the greatest goalies. Yet for the last 3 seasons the cup has found itself hoisted by European Conference teams. Here is the challenge, if you think you are the stronger conference then take the cup from us, try to take it. Note however that we are prepared for war, we will fight to the end, and we don’t plan to give up the glory we have achieved. Season 91 will be your opportunity; will you face the challenge; will you join the battle or will you surrender and allow the European Conference to attain victory once again. Just note that we are not just sitting back waiting. We are preparing, we are planning, we are getting stronger. We will be ready for you when you come and we will once again show you who is the better Conference.

Random thoughts by Molly the Cat. It has been a hectic and I am not sure today will be any different. However, since this is the last day for me to put something forward to earn TPE I need to get something out. So, for this instalment you are going to get a selection of random thoughts of Molly the Cat. Random thought 1: We should have a much larger discussion about that group of foods that make everything else they go with better. You know the ones, cheese, bacon, chocolate, deep fried batter, etc. These foods are wonderful additional to many other dishes and just make them better. Think about it, French fries are good, but you put bacon crumble and cheese on them, and they are significantly better. Potato casserole, just add cheese and it is better. Sala, just add bacon and cheese, and you have a salad you can charge for at a restaurant. Honestly at most restaurants if you order salad or pasta they come around and ask if you want pepper and wait cheese, they know cheese makes it better. Now let’s go to the sweet world of things. Fruit, just add chocolate, ice cream yep add chocolate. In conclusion there are just some foods that make what you put them with better, so next time you have an okay dish stop for a second and think about what you can add to make it better, I bet it is cheese, bacon, or chocolate. Random thought 2: Why is there a constant debate on whether Star Wars or Star Trek is better. Are we not allowed to have 2 different science fiction worlds and allow them to stand on their own merit? Do they really need to be compared constantly, and how does that make all the other science fiction worlds feel? I am not sure that I can hold either Star Wars or Star Trek up as the pinnacle of excellence for which all other entries into the genera should be forever found inferior. Random thought 3: Do some people not understand that social media is a public space, meaning anyone can and probably will see what you have posted. In this morning's amusement I have read someone’s grocery list on Facebook, a list of what someone ate yesterday, a discussion on someone’s poop (is it wrong if your poop is green with red spots?) and a rant about how horrible someone’s parents were because they yelled at them once to go to bed. (There parents are friends with them on Facebook.) So, there you have it, three random musings of the mind of Molly the Cat. I fully agree that they may not be overly useful (except for that food thought, who doesn’t want their food to be better) but they are the random brain activities of this experienced player. Until next week think about strange things, make note of the world and if required share them with someone who more than likely won’t care. This now concludes random thoughts with Molly the Cat.

As an individual who believes rules are put in place to ensure a fair and honest playing environment for everyone, I want to thank the VHL commissioners for doing this. Nobody likes being the person to punish others and I know you aren't stupid individuals and knew before hand that this would cause significant arguments, so thank you. There are some who appreciate the tough work you do.

So here is this week Press Conference. Make sure to answer all questions with full sentences 1) Offseason can be boring, what do you do to keep it interesting? 2) Which career task did you enjoy doing the most? 3) What is the worst part of the VHL experience? 4) What is the best part of the VHL experience? 5) What was London's biggest accomplishment in season 90? 6) As Halloween is approaching, what is your player going to the London United Halloween party as?

Article Review: I like the concept of this article but like the author have come to the same conclusion that the best trio may just be the best duo plus one. That said I think anything that gives us the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of players and talk about how well people did within the league is a plus. My only concern is that this will just boil down to which group got the most points or which goalie defense pairing had the greatest defensive output. I do hope that this continues for some time, season after season of celebrating the great combinations in the league. I give this article a 8/10, looking forward to the VHLE and VHLM versions of this award. Trophy art would be cool.

Article Review: This article provides a unique analysis of potential offseason changes. Will they or won't they, does it depend on the remainder of the playoffs. Free agency seems to be ramping up early, players seem to be driving the boat, and change seems to be the target. Who will win the free agency game, will it be certain teams, will it be certain players. How will this impact the balance between the North American and European conferences. Another intriguing factor is how does the salary cap impact teams ability to go after the higher caliber free agents. I give this article a 8/10, great job.

Season 90 Postseason interview with Molly the Cat Molly the Cat, thanks for sitting with us this evening. Can you tell us how you feel about season 90? Season 90 was a significant struggle for me. At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t clicking with my linemates, the easy plays were hard for some reason. Then partway through the season things changed and everything was going great, it was like everything worked, even the hard plays were going our way. Triller and I seemed to just get each other, I didn’t even need to look, I knew where he was going to be. Then we hit the last part of the season and it all fell apart again. I don’t think we were doing anything different than we had in the prior games, it just wasn’t working. Unfortunately, that followed us into the playoffs, and we couldn’t shake it. Molly the Cat let’s talk about the offseason, what are your priorities, plans, and expectations? This offseason I am hoping to spend a lot more time resting. That doesn’t mean I won’t put in my time on the ice practicing or the time in the Gym keeping in shape. It just means that I am going to be spending a lot more time enjoying the downtime. I am also hoping to spend a little more time visiting friends and family this offseason. The VHL schedule can get busy, so it is important to spend time with loved ones. Molly the Cat, how are you feeling about season 91, what can we expect from the London United? The London United has positioned themselves very well to be perennial playoff contenders. Management has done a spectacular job of building a strong core to build around. You will hear the names Leonard Triller and Jesse Teno on the evening sports highlights for years. You can also expect some changes in season 91. London has a few players retiring this offseason and management is going to need to fill those positions. You are also going to see some prospects getting the chance to play in the VHL. You may potentially get to see the next rookie of the year candidate take the ice in London. I think the only thing that can be guaranteed is that you are going to be seeing some changes in London, but also get to watch some excellent hockey. Molly the Cat, I noticed you didn’t mention yourself when it comes to London in season 91. Is there something you are aware of that you can share? At this point I am expecting to be around for season 91, nobody has told me otherwise, but I also understand that there was significant interest in my skills at the trade deadline. Management kept me in the loop as the talk went on and from what I was told there were some significant offers. I expect that with the rebuilding going on for some teams that there may be offers that come in over the offseason as well. I know that management will keep me updated and take my wishes into consideration, but I also understand that this is a business and if the right offer is made for London’s future, one that management can’t turn down, then I will be playing elsewhere. At this point I am expecting to be playing in London and will be doing everything I can to make sure we get another chance at the Cup in season 91.

London has been eliminated from the Season 90 playoffs by the HC Davos Dynamo. It was a hard fought 6 game series. Now in the aftermath of that loss there seems to be some rumors circling. Like most rumors there is probably some level of fact within them but also a level of speculation and pure storytelling. Depending on who you listen to, the London United seem to be blaming Molly the Cat for their series departure. Some have suggested that Molly the Cat has started a decline when it comes to production, and that London Management is hoping to capitalize on Molly the Cats reputation prior to that happening. Some have even suggested that there are already trade talks going on regarding a potential blockbuster trade that would see Molly the Cat in a new home for season 91. If London United is looking to rebuild, would a trade of their captain provide them with the resources to speed that process up? Could the London United Management be looking to provide another cup opportunity for London United favorites, Leonard Triller, and Jesse Teno, and would that come at the cost of Molly the Cat? If Molly the Cat is starting to show their age and that we can only expect a reduction in output over their last two seasons, does it make sense to part ways now when the team can maximize their return? This is a business and although it is important to show loyalty, it is also important to win. However, the potential of Molly the Cat over the next two seasons is only speculation, what if Molly the Cat has a late career boost and parting ways with the team captain is a significant mistake. In the rumor mill, what is truth, what is fiction? We will find out over the coming weeks as the playoffs end, and the postseason frenzy begins. Will we see teams make significant changes, will the London United be one of them? As a seasoned reporter I know enough to not put stock into rumors, yet also understand that the biggest blockbuster deals we have seen over the years have started as just that, rumors. Rumors that have become truth. Only time will enlighten us as to which this actual is, rumor or truth.

Except in this case. London in 5