JCarson

This is J.C. hockey reporter for the VHL Hockey Journal, I am sitting with Molly the Cat, recent signing with the San Diego Marlins of the VHLM. Molly the Cat, fans of the VHL Hockey Journal want to know, what brought you to the league? Well J.C. it is nice to be here. I have enjoyed hockey for a long time and always dreamed of a career in the VHL. But a few years ago, the year before my initial draft eligibility I was involved in a skiing accident which sidelined me. While I was healing, I decided to pursue a university degree to prepare myself in the case I didn’t ever make the league. I graduated earlier in April and unfortunately missed the draft. I thought I would have to wait another year but got approached by the San Diego Marlins Assistant General Manager and the Scouting team. They said that if I was interested, they could offer me a contract for this year, that they were looking for a strong net front winger. I jumped at the chance, and I have to say it has been a wonderful adventure. Molly the Cat, I have been told you have shown the greatest amount of progress this last week, in other words the analytics show that your TPE score jumped a whopping 45 points. Can you give us an idea how you accomplished such a great feat? Full honest J.C., basically I listened to my team management. Both my GM and AGM set high expectations for the team. When you get told that although you made the team that you would see little ice time unless your Analytics TPE score got above 100, it helps you push. Although they set high expectations, they also gave me the tools to get there. They explained doing interviews for media spots, hitting the practice facility, doing trivia and writing articles and reviews. They also helped track my progress and showed me how to use my wages to maximize my TPE for the week. In addition, they walked me through career tasks and how to maximize those early on. Young players have to do the work, but management showing young players the ropes can sure make it a lot easier. Molly the Cat, you played your first VHLM regular season games, give us your view? Well J.C., the VHLM is where the best young talent come to play. There are so many young talented players each looking to improve themselves and make the VHLE or VHL. Having the opportunity to work with the wonderful players on the San Diego Marlins has made my transition pretty easy. 10 games in I have been able to get my first goal, and in addition 6 assists. I think that counts as a pretty good first week. My goal is to keep improving and hopefully within another week or two I can bring that to an average of a point a game. Molly the cat, final question, the Las Vegas Aces have had a tremendous start to the season. Are they the team to beat this year in the VHLM? J.C. the Las Vegas Aces have had a great start to the season, nobody is going to argue with that, but I am not sure it will continue. Only time will tell for sure but I don’t think they have the talent to keep this up for the full season. 587 Words, Week ending May 1

Phil The Rock Johnson F @leandrofg

Tom Eagles D @Banackock

Xavier Booberry -G @leandrofg

Have to be honest, never thought 6 people picking 6 players (especially in a snake draft where 2 people always pick twice) could take so long. Praying for a quick finish to this.

Molly the Cat Junior Review Molly the Cat grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and played recreation hockey for fun. Molly the Cat always enjoyed playing hockey but also enjoyed other sports so tended to do numerous sports and not focus on any particular one. Volleyball, golf and basketball were among the other sports Molly the Cat played. That was until, at the age of ten, Molly the Cat had the chance to go to a Toronto Legion game that sparked a greater love for the game and a drive to make the VHL. Molly the Cat’s parents enrolled Molly the Cat into skills training with a local VHL retiree and their skills increased immensely. Over the next couple years Molly the Cat improved and became a scoring leader on their team. The next hockey season Molly was approached by the local travel team and over the next couple of years continued to develop into a net front forward. It was not long until Molly the Cat built a minor league career that would lead to an expected VHL draft. Unfortunately, that draft into the VHL did not happen. In Molly the Cat’s draft year they experienced a broken arm which led to Molly the Cat not being drafted. Molly the Cat broke their arm in a skiing accident while on vacation in Whistler. Molly the Cat started to suffer from depression while trying to deal with their broken dreams. Getting some help from a trusted medical professional Molly the Cat decided to refocus and decided to pursue a university program, doing both their Bachelor of Accounting and a Master of Business Administration. In Molly the cat’s second year they were approached by the University Coach to come out and do tryouts for the team. Molly the Cat made the team. Molly the Cat University Hockey career spanned 5 seasons. Molly the Cat found a love of the game again and refocused on becoming a professional Hockey player. During this time Molly the Cat excelled at University level Hockey. Three of the five years Molly the Cat’s team won the University Hockey championship trophy. Of individual credit, Molly the Cat was in the top five for scoring in each of their seasons (being number 1 in three of those years), had the top +/- rating in their final year and played over 25 minutes a game on average. Molly the Cat was a main contributor on both the power play and penalty kill and was team captain for 2 seasons. Finishing their academic pursuits Molly started talking to various agents and Team representatives and is happy in their choice to join the San Diego Marlins. 441 words

Molly the Cat has yet to play a regular season game with the San Diego Marlins but as the Lead North American Scout – North Eastern Region, I had the opportunity to watch, a number of, Molly the Cat’s University Games. During my time watching Molly the cat I was impressed with their work ethic in trying to improve in addition to their skills. Specifically, Molly the Cat has 4 main strengths that we believe will benefit the San Diego marlins, these being net presence, scoring touch, defensive responsibility, and hockey sense. Molly the Cat has a strong physical presence in the offensive zone. You will normally find Molly the Cat stationed in front of the net, screening the goalie or looking for a puck tip. Defenders have an issue trying to move Molly the Cat, meaning that Molly the Cat draws a lot of penalties from the opposing defense. Molly the Cat gets most of their scoring from being stationed just outside the blue paint. Tips and scrambled rebounds will be where Molly the Cat gets most of their tallies. One of the things I noted in my scouting of Molly the Cat is that they push to be involved in every defensive play while the are on the ice. Whether it is digging in the corner to retrieve the puck or supporting the defensemen by making sure they get back to cover the trailing opponents, Molly the Cat keeps a balance of offense and defense in mind. Lastly Molly the Cat has a great hockey sense, they seem to have their head on a swivel and can see everything going on. Whether it is knowing where the shot is coming from or knowing where to put their stick to block an opponent’s pass, Molly the Cat sees what is going on like few others. Although Molly the Cat has some good strengths there are a few areas that we are working with Molly the Cat on. Although Molly the Cat is an average skater, we are encouraging Moly the Cat to work on their skating skills, specifically top speed and endurance. If Molly the Cat wants to have a long career in the VHL they will need to learn to keep up with the top players in the league. As such we have Molly the Cat working with our skating coach and doing drills over and above the normal practices. We expect that if Molly the Cat puts in the extra effort we will see improvement occur quickly. Secondly, we are working with Molly the Cat on stick handling skills. Molly can handle the puck effectively but putting extra effort into this skill will allow Molly the Cat to excel even more in front of the net. Handling the puck in small confined spaces and either putting it into the net or dishing it to available teammates will make Molly the Cat even more valuable. Molly is working on a number of skill exercises with the team practices to help work on this. We expect to see great improvement over the year. As noted Molly the cat is a great pickup and we expect to see significant development over the year. 532 words

Currently at 102TPE, Molly the Cat

Zeedayno Chara - F @Banackock

Molly the Cat's Thoughts on things Well as a first year player the process of preseason was exciting. I have to say I played a couple reasonable games even getting my first point, an assist. Talking with the coaches I still have a few things to work on but I am improving quickly. I have been told I should go back and review my scouting report (Career Task for 5 TPE) and my Junior Review (another Career Task for 5 TPE) that should help me focus on things I need to improve as the season starts. Our last 3 preseason games I took a step back and played less minutes so that I could focus on some basics. I also got some time on the PK so that I could start to get a handle on how the team focuses there. Lots to learn in this new system but I plan on being ready for opening night. The goal of this year is to put myself in a position that I can be on the top line for next year. To contribute to a winning team and take home a cup. San Diego looks like a great team and has a chance to be top of the VHLM.

Brendan Telker - F @leandrofg

As my first official media interview with the San Diego Marlins, I want to start by thanking the administrative staff who work tirelessly over the last few days to make it possible for me to be here. to those who worked through the US immigration process, to the people who worked to make the arrangements for my flights, for my accommodations, and for shipping my personal belongings. Again, I want to say thank you. Your endless effort to make my trip to this great city possible is greatly appreciated. To the fans, I want to thank you for your acceptance. Over the last couple days I have taken the opportunity to travel around this great city, to take in the San Diego Zoo, Torrey Pines State Reserve and a couple beaches. The San Diego area is one of beauty, and I have to say that it is great that you also have such fantastic weather. I have had the opportunity to meet a number of fans during that time and I have to comment that your appreciation for the game and for your team is tremendous. We are as excited for the coming season as you are and thank you for your support as we puss for the Cup. I look forward to spending more time getting to know the city and the surrounding area. Enjoying the world class restaurants, wineries and breweries that San Diego has to offer. I also hope to spend some time immersing myself in the rich history of the area by visiting some of the wonderful attractions. The USS Midway, the Maritime Museum, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and the Balboa Park are tops on my list of things to see. I also look forward to visiting our neighbors to the south, Tijuana Mexico, your nightlife, your restaurants, the Lucha libre wrestling. To have such a unique, friendly and robust culture within short distance will allow for some great adventures. But we also invite you to come and enjoy San Diego as well, come watch a game, experience the excitement. To my teammates, the last couple of days in the gym, in the locker room and on the ice have been a great experience. I look forward to getting to know each of you better, to working with you and to winning with you. I can see through your dedication to practice and to improving your personal abilities that I will have much to learn from you. I know that no matter what line I get put on I will have the chance to work with significant talent and some great people. Off the ice, I look forward to making some great friends, having some fun, some laughs and enjoying life. There is so much that I could say and it has only been a few days since I have arrived here in San Diego. I will finish with this thought. This coming season is filled with hope, for me personally and for the San Diego Marlins as a team. We have hope for a great year individually as players, a fantastic expectation of the hockey season as a whole and unending potential for a wonderful future. 534 Words, weekApril 24

D Battre Sandstrom @Banackock

sign up

Well the draft ended and San Diego is excited about the great talent they acquired, but with the Draft completed San Diego had a few important positions still to fill in both its' forward ranks and on defense. As a result they have offered a contract to Molly the Cat. Molly the Cat is expected to be a great addition on the right wing. Molly comes from the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada were they spent the last few years playing hockey at the university level while completing a Bachelor degree in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration. Scouting report on Molly the Cat is that they are a strong skater with a great scoring touch. Some have also noted that Molly the Cat has a great eye for the game, and a hockey sense that has the potential to make Molly the Cat a major factor in the league. These skills should fit right in with the other members of the team. San Diego is looking forward to testing Molly the Cat on various lines to determine best chemistry with teammates. Management believes that many of the additions they picked up in the draft and now afterwards have the ability to make San Diego a driving force in the league. The San Diego Marlins look forward to the beginning of the season, getting a strong start and carrying that through the year to a Cup win.

Great post, love your optimism for the upcoming season and how you will fit in with your team. Your apprehension going into the draft is well articulated and I felt your longing to get into the game. As a new player entering after the draft I hope that i can be as excited for my first draft. As this is my first review I would have to say this media spot sets a high bar. Have to give it a 10 out of 10. Don't think the next ones I am going to review will be up to this standard. Great job.

1) Playing, 2) Joined after the draft, have no clue who was a steal. Underrated NHL player Michael bunting (going to be passed up for rookie of the year due to his age) 3) Playing 4) Tell me how this thing works 5) They have names? 6) Maple Leafs

#jointhebigfish

Confirm that this guy recruited me to the league

Well this is all new to me. I have never joined something like this. Don't really know what I am doing. Just got recruited by someone I know who has been in the league for a couple years. Have no clue what I am doing but was told that I should write 500 words to get some TPE. Honestly don't even really know what TPE is but I know that I want it. As I tend to be obsessive about games I expect that I will be taking over shortly. So expect that i will be the best writer in the league, I will gather the most TPE and will build my character to be the best. As I like hockey I also expect that i will try to build this character to be the strongest it can be. The plan is to be a high offense winger who can equally score and set up teammates. If that doesn't work out I will focus on becoming the leader in penalty minutes. Have to be good at something or there is no point So I have been told that at this point i am to expect that people will reach out and that i will try to get a contract for a team. At this point 2 people have reached out, not sure exactly what i need to do with them but i will read what they have to say and decide what i am going to do. All i know is that i want to get in and start showing what Molly the Cat can do. Now that i have gotten all this out I am going to start discussing things from the player perspective so you can get to know Molly the Cat. Hey VHL, Molly the Cat here. Looking forward to being picked up by a team shortly and getting some great playing time. To my future teammates, look forward to getting on the ice and showing what I can do. Molly the cat has been working hard to grow as a player. I have a whole career ahead of me. Hockey is my life, and i plan on giving it my all, taking this league by storm and winning many awards. The other thing you will learn is that I am more than just talk, I will show you with my stats what i can do. So you should expect shortly that you will see my first goal, followed by my first hat trick. Yes i said it, i am going to be the offensive powerhouse taking the VHL to new scoring heights. Heard that i missed the draft, those of you who got picked count yourself lucky, if i was around you may not have been chosen. But I get free agency, the frenzy has already begun. (I actually expect it is because some teams are desperate for anything with a pulse) Within the next couple days I am going to choose a team that can give me top lines minutes, allow me to play my heart out and become the generational talent that i am meant to be. So this is me finishing this first posting. Look forward to my future reviews of my games, reviews of the league and reviews of the other teams. 550 words, claiming week of April 17 (was told to write this)

Player Information Username: JCarson Player Name: Molly the Cat Recruited From: Member (jacobcarson877) Age: 21 Position: RW Height: 74 in. Weight: 225 lbs. Birthplace: Canada Player Page @VHLM GM