JCarson

Article Review: This article reads a little short but on the other hand if you listen to most interviews done with sports professionals this would not be an uncommon experience. It has enough of the cliche statements to make it feel authentic and as usual the player doesn't really say much of anything. The reporter in this short piece follows the normal pattern, friendly greeting, some useless piece of trivia, generic question (get answer), generic question, (get answer) Good Luck. As I move on here I am starting to think this writer worked really hard to keep this article true to life. I'm giving this article a 10/10, great work. Good luck in the playoffs.

1) We play Moscow first, which team will score the most goals in the series? 2) Which player on Moscow will have the most penalties? 3) How many games will the series go? 4) Will either of the goalies get a shut out in the series? 5) Can you predict who the most valuable plyer for the series will be? 6) Final question: Which team will win the series?

Thus my comment about intention vs perception. I'm very glad those in charge are hiring GM for the VHLM knowing they may have the most difficult job of the 3 GM'img positions. To be the main source of teaching and encouragement, as well as manage potential waivers that could happen at any time is not easy. But as you said the general conversation when it comes to GM positions is that you enter as part of one of the offseason tournaments, you get a VHLM job and then you move up (are promoted to higher positions).

I wrote an article previously about how I think the VHLM GM is the most important as they have a significant job related to training and retention of first gen players. However, my experience in the last 3 seasons would suggest that actual hiring of GM's generally puts those with less GMing experience in the VHLM, they then work their way to either the VHLE or VHL. Sometimes we have to accept that there is intention of those doing the hiring, and then there is the perception of everyone else. I am glad that those doing the hiring aren't using the VHLM as a training ground but the perception still exists.

There have been several articles and media spots posted over the last season that have asked a variety of questions regarding the league structure (VHLM – VHLE – VHL) and if that structure is being effective in accomplishing what it was intended for. I will admit that I am guilty of bringing this topic up to resolve some frustration, or better put, perceived frustration I have. I would like to start by first apologizing. After reading several recent articles and considering the conversation that went on, I entered the conversation with my concept of things but never stopped to ask the most fundamental question. Why is the league structured as it is, what is the history and what was the purpose? VHLM – I have been working under the assumption that the VHLM is a separate league designed to allow new and recreating players an opportunity to come into the league at any time (let us be honest you would never be able to have a league if you only allowed player creation during the offseason and up to draft day) and be able to join the league and get immersed in the process without disturbing the VHL ongoing activities. Secondly, the VHLM is designed to assist first gen players get introduced to more veteran players, to learn the overall process of building TPE and to learn how the system works. The VHLM works as an expansion of the recruiting function and does support this activity by focusing on the first gen player experience. Lastly, the VHLM is meant to be a place where those who join and then drop out can do so without causing downstream problems in the VHL. From a GM perspective it is my assumption that the VHLM is used as a training ground for new GM candidates before they move on to VHL positions. Would really love if one of our more veteran players, especially a board member could address these assumptions, set me straight where needed or confirm those items that are true. VHLE – From what I have been told the VHLE was initially a reaction to an influx of players during Covid. That it was introduced to allow more players to be involved without disturbing the overall process and integrity of the VHL. I believe it has evolved from that initial position and now the VHLE is that secondary level of player development hoping to ensure that only those who are dedicated to regular play will make it to the VHL. Thus, allowing for a more competitive VHL experience. Overall, it also allows for further GM development. As the only way to get to the VHLE is through draft it does provide an added level of competition between the teams. The VHLM is not meant to be competitive as there is no guarantee of when or how many new or returning players will join. VHL – is designed to allow a player to experience a hockey career. Draft, contracts, trading, championships, free agency, an overall experience. Part of the design is that you must reach a certain level of commitment to the process, to reach a minimum threshold of involvement (400tpe) before you can join. This ensures that all people and all teams within the league can compete. The purpose is to push both players and GM to do their best to develop their skills and to take pride in what they accomplish. In the VHLM and VHLE participation ribbons matter as it is about learning skills and finding out if you are having fun in the league, in the VHL it is about coming in 1st participation becomes an expectation, striving to win becomes the goal. This is like real hockey, you enter hockey as a child to learn to skate, pass and shoot. Once a player reaches the NHL you do not questions their dedication to the sport and their minimum ability. As I noted, I am asking this question to confirm my assumptions and to learn what the starting point of a discussion should be.

The season 85 regular season has finished, and every team fought hard for a place in the playoffs. Currently the wildcard play is occurring and at this point Chicago has advanced. The European conference is tied 2 games each with a single game left to decide the winner. As the team contest of champions starts the individual regular season awards can be evaluated based on a complete picture. Molly the Cat had the goal of being named Rookie of the Year for season 85 VHL awards and they put in a good fight to ensure that happened. Overall, Molly the Cat had a 73-point season, with 36 goals and 37 assists. Molly the Cat was the only rookie to have a more than point per game season, but it must be noted that Phoebe Bridger had a remarkably close 71 points. In addition to a 73-point season Molly the Cat was able to get 8 game winning goals, which is a top 10 performance in the league. When asked about their season starts Molly the Cat quickly changed the subject to discuss the accomplishments of fellow player Jerome Reinhart. “I had a wonderful year and I am immensely proud of what I accomplished but I could not have done it without my teammates. They deserve much of the credit. Honestly, if you are going to make a big deal out of player production you should be interviewing Jerome Reinhart. Being fourth in scoring as a defenseman, with a combined production of 99, that is impressive. I get the fact that I am a rookie and to you that means something, but I look at the legends like Jerome, another full season still left ahead of him. With the chance to potentially reach 800 career points, honestly there are people who play full careers that would be excited to even reach half that amount.” The VHL Board of governors will have some tough picks ahead of them, there are many awards that they will have to choose and many great candidates. We will wait and see who the Rookie of the Year ends up being, but Molly the Cat definitely will be in the conversation

1) Prediction Question, with 8 games left in the season does London United Make the Playoffs? 2) Who do you think will be the top playoff team in the North American Division? 3) What color is your players hair? 4) Do any of the London United win individual awards this year? 5) If we win the VHL championship, what should Dil do and post a picture of in our discord server? 6) Do you have a pet, if yes what is it and what is its' name?

This media spot is going to focus on a few items related to the Forum that I have questions on, frustration with or am inquisitive about. I think it was last season, I finally realized there was an upcoming events section which after reviewing it I found to be extremely helpful. First it provided useful information allowing me to know what had to be done and by when. The second thing it did was help manage my expectations. Knowing when things were to happen meant I was not guessing, anticipating, worrying about the next step or timeline. I could look ahead and know what the days held. At this point I know that the regular season ends next week (I think Wednesday) and that we will be entering playoffs, but after that there is nothing on the calendar. I do not know who manages this, but I would like them to know that somebody does look at this and it is helpful so please, when you have time, update this. Thanks in advance. I am inquisitive on how much time some people spend on the forum. For example, I have written 2 articles on various aspects of the league in which I asked some questions. To be honest I was not expecting answers to the questions as they were more a list of thoughts running through my head versus actual questions, yet one of the league management, in each instance, took the time to read and provide very insightful responses. Firstly, I was not expecting that anyone would read my articles or media spots but secondly, I was not expecting answers. Is it someone’s job to go through various forum posts and respond to questions/comments. Just inquisitive on how this works? Okay I brought it up in another post recently, but I think I would like to express my frustration in greater detail. Being a newer player (3rd season), I have always found trivia questions difficult. Honestly, I do not have a large background on the league so do not know the history. Great not an issue as the information should all be available on the forum. Right!, um, well kind of! Honestly, I would recommend just dropping Trivia from the system. The various information sources are so poorly coordinated, incomplete/inconsistent, or just randomly organized that no sane person would be able to figure it out. For 1 TPE spending more than 2 minutes finding the information is a pointless task. I get the fact that there have been various individuals managing, some comments on a system change at one point. Blah blah blah, yeah whatever. Can we just accept that, for whatever reason, the amount of time it takes to determine an answer does not line up with the TPE earned and so it becomes a waste. Okay so I think I am done ranting about the forum. Maybe in my next post I can talk about all the good things about the forum. To be honest it is not all bad. For example, the choice of emoji’s people picks to respond to articles humorous. Now in my best Adam West Batman announcer voice “Tune in next week to find out if I write about the good side of the forum, or will I choose another completely random topic write about”

The London United has just finished game 64 and Molly the Cat continues to pursue Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, Molly the Cat has had a rough week and has experienced a small slump. Here is how Molly the Cat sits compared to our last analysis at Game 51 Game 51 Game 64 Goals 27 32 Assists 25 30 Points 52 62 +/- 18 15 Game Winners 6 7 First, item to note is that Molly the Cat has fallen off the point per game pace they were keeping. This was a result of several tough games against top teams where team scoring was kept low. Even during that time, Molly the Cat was able to get 10 points (5 Goals and 5 Assists). In talking with Molly the Cat, it is evident that they are focused on making a final push to the end of the season. Being able to end the season at a point per game level would be a great accomplishment for this rookie. Second item to note, Molly the Cat has fallen behind Phoebe Bridger as top rookie point getter on the season. The two players have been jostling back and forth for the last couple of weeks. In that time, they put distance between themselves and the third-place player Mo Probert who currently has 53 points. Most believe, that the rookie scoring title will go to either Phoebe Bridger or Molly the Cat but in the VHL you cannot rule anything out until the last game is played. Last item to note, hockey is a team sport and the first line of London United are fighting hard to help each other achieve some personal awards. Currently, Jerome Reinhart is pushing for VHL assist leader and top points by a defensemen, Ivan Retoslav is pushing for most improved player and Molly the Cat, as we know, is pushing for Rookie of the Year. If these 3 players can continue their co-operation they may be able to achieve numerous personal awards on the season.

Valid point, but doesn't that also happen with 400tpe players joining the VHL facing 1000tpe players

As another option, would it be possible to roll back the concept of the VHLE. Merge the VHLM and VHLE into one, cap TPA at 400 and plan on players staying in the minors for 2-3 years. I like veteran players and first gens co-existing. I think there would be a lot of good things that could happen to increase competition in the minor league, actually make drafting and trading of value and would increase the excitement factor for everyone. It potentially would increase first gen retention. You could have a 16 team VHLM feeding a 16 team VHL.

Jerome Reinhart has only spent one season with the London United but in that time has shown his dedication to the game, his leadership on and off the ice and a level of professionalism that is an example to all. It is with great excitement, and the utmost of respect that the London United congratulate Jerome Reinhart on achieving his 700th career point (273 Goals, 427 Assists). To acknowledge this milestone the London United Players and Management would like to announce that the last regular season home game of Season 85 will be a Jerome Reinhart appreciation game. Some of the events that fans will experience are : Before the game we will be doing an engraved stick presentation to commemorate this achievement, we will be hosting a video tribute to Jerome during the first intermission and, we will be giving Jerome bobblehead collectables to the first 5000 fans. Additional details will continue to be released as we approach the day. Jerome (@MexicanCow123) congratulations on this amazing career milestone. We know that you have much more to show us, we look forward to celebrating more accomplishments with you. As Captain of the team I would personally like to take an opportunity to thank you for the leadership you display on the ice and in the locker room. Your wisdom and guidance are a tremendous asset to this team as we continue to grow and compete. Thank you and congratulations. @Dil@Gustav

As much as picking on this author is a favorite past time for me, I have to admit this article provides a reasonable summary of the players season. You can feel the frustration of the players slow start to the season (for which I gleefully mocked him), the excitement when things started to turn around and the hope for the future. Expectations are pretty high for this young star, hopefully he will be able to live up to it. I give this article a rating of 9/10. Not a perfect score as it lacked a little honesty. Maybe next time you can admit that your offensive turnaround was the result of your visit to London (Discord) and a private chat (stream) you had with Molly the Cat and GM Dil. Glad we could help out. Good luck in the championships.

Appears that nobody answered the press conference for the week ending Oct 2 2022, but I will try again to see if I can draw someone in. 1) Do you follow anyone on the forum, why do you follow them? 2) What is your favorite TPE task and why? 3) Team prediction question: We have a number of players who could potentially win individual awards, which London United player has the best chance at this point in the season and why do you believe that? 4) When you retire, what position will your next player be. Why would you choose that position? 5) Personal Question: Wood or Composite Stick and why? 6) Get to know you question:

We are now 51 games into the S85 season and Molly the Cat’s quest continues. Last time we caught up with our VHL Rookie was right after game 37. In the last 14 games Molly the Cat has been working hard to achieve their goal of Rookie of the Year. Below you will find a quick statistical comparison of Molly the Cat showing results at game 37 compared to game 51. Game 37 Game 51 Goals 17 27 Assists 20 25 Points 37 52 +/- 17 18 Game winners 3 6 Molly the Cat has continued to rack up the points, finally taking the lead on the rookie points leaderboard. The next closest competitor is Pheobe Bridger with 48 points in 50 games. Which means that the competition will continue to be fierce over the remaining 21 games. What is important to point out about Molly the Cat’s points contribution over the last 14 games was that most of those were goals, including 3 game winners. In addition, a number of those points were gained against top teams, including a 4-point night against Seattle Bears (3 goals, 1 assist) and a 2-goal night against the DC Dragons. If the contributions on the ice continue for Molly the Cat it will be hard for their name to be held off the ballot for Rookie of the Year. Everyone knows that anything can happen in the last third of the season, so it is not a lock at this point. The fans of the VHL must be enjoying the competition this year.

This media post is going to discuss the role of the GM in assisting first generation players through their first character’s career. With the hopes that as a league we can increase player retention. The first thing I want to note is that I can only add input to this discussion from my perspective, and I must admit that I have had a enjoyable experience. I am currently in my third year and have had three different experiences with GM/AGM for my teams, none of which were negative. So, I will admit that this is not going to be a compete discussion on the topic, but I think of it as a starting point. Point 1 – First generation players know nothing about the league, its’ history, its’ structure, how the systems work. Let me repeat that so it is clear, we know nothing. The GM’s first role needs to be assisting the player in navigating the system and assisting them in getting to a team, not bombarding them with waiver pitches to have them make a choice about something they have no clue about. It might seem like a small thing but when you are sitting in an already confused state, to now be asked to make another decision with zero information does not help any player feel welcomed. Point 2 – VHLM GM need to be hands on to assist first generation players in quickly learning about player development, gaining TPE, claiming first gen bonus, first career tasks, what player store purchases will allow them to best develop, etc. As a side note to this topic, I want to suggest that the league really look at how TPE is earned and allow more options, by admitting that first generation players have enough to navigate that trying to find answers to the trivia questions is ridiculous. (Remember we know nothing) With the various changes that have occurred over the years there is no consistent methodology for finding answers. Point 3 – VHLM GM needs to have a lot of patience and an active AGM can really help. As first-generation players we will ask a lot of questions and potentially not the right ones. Please have patience and walk-through things with us. The normal, at least North American, concept of doing something focusses on achieving perfection the first time (a little unrealistic but the truth). In other words, we may ask you with every TPE we earn where that should be put. Walk the journey with us, provide guidance, provide context and perspective. Be a sounding board. Also make sure to tell us about things we have no clue about, things like career tasks, first generation bonus and player store purchases. Point 4 – VHLM GM needs to help players get connected to the larger VHL community. Your discord servers are a suitable place for team communication but at some point, players need to interact with the outside VHL community. Encourage your players to reach out in the forum, to write articles about their experience, to put themselves out there. Warn them that someone as part of the old guard might get defensive, but that others will understand. Help them understand that most articles do not cause instant change, but many can open conversations. Help them get engaged in what the future might look like and they might be around to help achieve that future. Point 5 – VHLM GM is not an entry point for promotion to other leagues. These people have a specific and incredibly important job. VHLM GM are the ones tasked with helping first generation players with becoming long term members of the VHL. If they do their job correctly then recruitment becomes easier as you will need to recruit less each year. Anyway those are my thoughts.

@AchillesI am a first generation player like yourself. This is now my third season and I like you have found that the inconsistency of the sims to be frustrating. One things that was pointed out to me was that this is a worldwide forum. It is quite possible that the person simming for you may live in a completely different section of the world. Even if you look at this stream so far we have Beketov who is in Eastern Canada, you and I are in Ontario and Rory in Alberta. that is 3 time zones, Lemorse is in Hawaii based on his location tag. That there opens a huge variability in peoples schedules. Someone did mention that the sim time overall doesn't matter as you will play your entire schedule even if a day gets missed, and that is true but no less frustrating. Now all that being said I want to address the veterans here. What nobody has stopped to recognize is that people like myself and Achilles make note of the simulation times and eagerly await for the games to run because we are excited. You have seen these threads numerous times and we can accept that they probably get old after a while. You know there isn't anything you can do and the simmers are doing the best they can. But as was noted it is always some new player, these are your first gen players who are excited, engaged, eager about what their characters may be doing. The answer to these types of threads need to be encouragement, recognition that it does suck that sometimes the sims are delayed or may not even happen for a day, but in the end remembering that this is the player you want to have here. They need to be reminded that the simmers have lives and are doing the best they can, but they also need to be heard and acknowledged. @Achilles welcome to the league, have a little patience, this can be a lot of fun. It won't always be perfect and you may have to look at your sims the next morning (which sucks) but it can be a great experience. Focus on what you can control, build your TPE and enjoy yourself. @Frank@Gustav @Beketov@Lemorse7thanks for the work you all do in the league, but you may all have forgotten what it is like to be a new player waiting with excitement to see how your character does in their games. Seeing your first goal, your first multipoint game, your first fighting major with expulsion only seconds into the first period. I hope one day that you will get annoyed (like you used to, we all know you did) when your sims aren't there at the usual time because you were genuinely excited to see how you did.

You don't need any more TPE job pay I would like to clarify, Jacob would do a great job with this. I don't question that. However I have heard him numerous times note he can't claim TPE as he is getting points from GM and other jobs. So if you have other candidates that will do a good job and currently don't have other positions, you should consider them.

This posting is more of a fantasy than an article. We won last year and are first in our division, we must be the best. Wait somebody is close to us, please stop don't compete cause that is the only way we will win. Oh damn, did I forget there is a whole seconds division that could completely destroy any chances for a repeat championship. Congrats on your S84 championship you fought hard to win. However, this season is far from over and there are plenty of teams in the hunt to be the best of season 85. I wouldn't take your eyes off Moscow but I would suggest that you take off the blinder and look around as there is more than one obstacle out there. As far as articles are concerned we need more fun trash talking like this to build interteam rivalries. It is whimsical, fun, positive (nothing negative said about any other team or player). I give the article a 9/10.

1) Have you ever recruited someone to the VHL, if yes are they still active, if no what would encourage you to do that? 2) Last week we asked if there was a VHL city you would like to visit, this week I want to know the opposite, is there a VHL city you would prefer to avoid and why? 3) Team prediction question: Will the London United end the season with the most goals for, explain you answer 4) If you had to give 3 players on the team nicknames which 3 players would you choose and what would their nicknames be? 5) Personal question: What food does your player detest and why? 6) Get to know you question: How did you find out about the VHL and what encouraged you to try it?

Molly the Cat, as of game 37 in the season you are sitting with 37 points, 17 goals and 20 assists. How are you feeling about the season so far? I am having a much different season than last year; I had set a season goal of 50 points with 20 of them being goals and halfway through the season I am 3 goals and 13 points short of the target. That is surprisingly good. On top of that I am second in rookie points only behind by 1. In addition, I am playing a strong defensive game and that has left me tied for 3rd in +/-. I am really looking forward to what the second half of the season will bring. Molly the Cat, I want to ask you about your teammates. Which of your teammates have you connected with the most? The entire team is a great bunch of people. The banter in the locker room is always upbeat and encouraging. As you know there are always a couple of people you connect more with. For me that is Ivan and Jerome. I feel that I can talk with Ivan about what it is like to be a rookie, pushing to make a first impression, the struggles of a new team and a new situation. He was just there last season so it is fresh in his mind. Jerome on the other hand is a seasoned veteran, to be able to discuss the difficulties of a team, building a career and having someone that can put a bad game into perspective. That type of leadership is invaluable for a rebuilding team like London United. Molly the Cat, I am going to ask you to make a prediction. Does the London United make the season 85 playoffs and do you beat your first-round opponents? I think that the London United has a great chance of making the season 85 playoffs. The First-round of these playoffs is going to be a tough fought affair. There are so many great teams in the VHL that I do not expect that any team believes it to be a guaranteed path to round 2. Any team that makes the playoffs has the chance to win, the is the great thing about the VHL. The competition is tremendous. No matter what happens the fans of the VHL are going to see some great hockey. Molly the Cat, tonight's game is against the Calgary Wranglers and your friend Landon Wolanin. How do you think London will do? I am looking forward to seeing Landon again, I am going to be taking him out for lunch a little later and we will catch up. As for the game we will both be pushing as hard as possible. Both teams are pushing to keep their playoff spot against some fierce competition. I expect it will be a close game and it would be nice if London came up on top for this one. Currently they are leading the season series 2-1 so it would be nice to even that up. I do have to note that it is nice to see that Landon has been picking up his production, he had a slow start but has really picked up the pace in the last few games.

Molly the Cat has the goal of being rookie of the year for season 85. Earning the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy would be an excellent start to Molly the Cat’s VHL career. As noted previously the competition for the award will be fierce as there are numerous talented rookies this season. 37 games into the season Molly the Cat has the following statistics: Season GP G A P +/- SHT PIM HIT SB GW PPG SHG 85 (LDN) 37 17 20 37 17 165 60 79 11 3 6 0 With 37 points Molly the Cat sits second in rookie points total, 1 point behind Phoebe Bridger. It must be noted the Phoebe Bridger started the season strong but has slowed down in recent games. On the other hand Molly the Cat, has been coming on strong as of late including 7 points in their last 3 games. Rookie points is going to be a tight race as currently 4 players have more than 30 points. Points for is a crucial factor in determining Rookie of the Year but a player can have impacts beyond pure scoring. On ice presence as defined by +/- helps determine how the team is impacted by a player being on the ice. At this point Molly the Cat is +17 and is tied for 3rd among all VHL players. A typical interpretation of a +/- would suggest that Molly the Cat is a positive influence on the players around them from both an offensive and defensive perspective. This should have a positive influence on their chances of becoming Rookie of the Year. Being halfway through the season, there is still plenty of time for things to change but if Molly the Cat can continue performing at this level Rookie of the Year should be possible.

This article poses an interesting question. Should we have more options for earning uncapped TPE. Overall I think it could be done in a manner that doesn't upset the overall balance of players. Potentially allowing a 5 TPE task for every season. One thing I disagree with is allowing articles to criticize others. The GM review option above will only degrade into people mocking past GM for what they evaluate using a hindsight approach. it is only going to cause issues. Conceptually I like the idea of this article and what it is advocating for, in practice I think the idea needs a little mre work. I give this article 8/10 for this review.

Molly the Cat, thanks for doing another interview with us, you have just finished the 22nd game of the season. Can you give us an overview of how you have been doing and how the team has come together? I must admit that I am happy with my performance this year so far. 19 points in 22 games is well above the pace I had set for myself. That is a result of the wonderful players I am on the ice with. We are clicking out there, and as a result we are seeing everyone have good seasons, or even career seasons. Jerome Reinhart is on a tear at 32 points, Ivan Retosav and Logain Ablar sitting at 23 points, we are talking players with above point a game result. When you get to play with that talent you are going to look good. Molly the Cat, we talked earlier in the season about your relationship with Landon Wolanin, since then you have played three games against Calgary. How was it playing against your friend? As I noted before we are both extremely competitive players, we hold nothing back when we are on the ice against each other. Right now, Calgary is up one game in the season series, but we feel good going on the ice against them. They are a formidable team, but we feel we can hold our own against them. Landon and I have a tradition, whichever city we are playing in, the home team player pays for dinner. Molly the Cat, I want to touch base on your play this year versus your VHLE and VHLM seasons. I want to ask about your physical play, it has increased significantly. Is this something that you planned? I knew coming into the VHL that I would need to pick up my physical play to compete against these larger, faster players. It was inevitable and so part of my offseason training was focused on increasing my size and toughness. I was not expecting that it would also include the fighting that has happened. That part came as a surprise to everyone. Yet I am not concerned about it, as captain of the team it is partly my responsibility to ensure that the players on London do not get taken advantage of. There have been several cheap plays by members of other teams and so I have felt the need to step in and defend my teammates. The refs do a reasonable job of policing the ice but every now and then something gets missed and the players find ways of sorting it out. Molly the Cat, my last question. At the beginning of the season there was plenty of discussion of London being in a rebuild season, yet 22 games in you are sitting 3rd in your division, squarely in a playoff spot. Has something changed or is London still rebuilding? Honestly, I do not know how to answer that question. Our job as players is to go on the ice and play the best hockey we can. To put everything, we have into each game. That gives the GM the best chance of understanding the needs of the team and allows them to make the best choices going forward. Nobody expected us to be in this position but here we are. We will take it.

In an earlier article I documented my VHL career goals. The first of those goals was to try and become rookie of the year. Now I will again say that the season 84 draft class is very deep, having many strong candidates. Being 22 games into the season I am going to document how I am doing and document the reasons why I am a suitable candidate for Rookie of the Year and some reasons why there may be better options. Rookie Points – I am currently sitting 6th overall with 19 points Plus/Minus - I am currently +12, tied for 9th overall Penalty Minutes – I currently have 56, sitting 6th overall As a rookie, tracking on 3 leadership boards in the VHL is a significant accomplishment. I believe if this continues until the end of the season it would warrant consideration for rookie of the year. By doing it on a team that many players consider an underdog, a rebuilding team makes the accomplishment even more impressive. On the opposite side of the argument, 3 categories of leadership while impressive is not top of the list. Better than average may be an acceptable definition, but it does not define greatness. Rookie of the year needs to go to someone who has achieved greatness, who is top among peers. A ranking of 1st or being top 3 in multiple categories is what a star rookie looks like. The quest continues. The goal moving forward will be to cement my place in the categories I am leading in, pushing for top 3 finishes or even 1st. Until then Rookie of the year may be better given elsewhere.