JCarson

Press Conference week of Sep 8 2024 Okay so we are in the final stretch of the season answer these questions related to the end of the season? 1) What do you expect our ranking in the league will be at season end, why? 2) Do you think we will get any more free agents before year end, explain? 3) What is one thing you hope to do in the playoffs? 4) How many shut outs do you predict our goalie will have by season end, why? 5) What is one expectation you have for next season? 6) We have 16 games left and currently have 33 wins, will we reach 40 wins on the season, explain your answer?

week 2 claim

This season’s theme week is rookies. Which it obviously should be considering the depth of this seasons VHL rookie group. Although there are 2 season 95 players who have snuck their way into this rookie class (Konstyantyn Shevchenko(der meister) and Roger Eagles (Greg Di)) and a season 89 breakout star in Med (first generation player Med, drafted 36th) the bulk of the rookie class is formed by the draftees of season 94. For those that don’t remember that draft, I can only guess that you joined the VHL after that date or you have or very soon will be diagnosed with a brain disorder, because that draft contained the most depth of any draft in seasons. Of the 17 players who have made it to the VHL from that draft class it represents a powerhouse of talent that will be shaping the league for seasons. The interesting thing about that list is they currently represent only 8 teams. For full disclosure 9 teams drafted in the first round, but one player got traded afterwards. Not sure what the other 8 teams in the league are thinking but seriously you missed out severely on this draft. Those benefiting from the season 94 draft being: Moscow Menace (2), HC Davos Dynamo (3), Vancouver Wolves (3), Toronto Legion (1), Los Angeles Stars (4), Prague Fantoms (1), New York Americans (1) and Helsinki Titans (2). Moscow Menace: General Manager Spartan was somehow able to position both the first and second pick in this draft and took 2 guaranteed superstars: Maverick Goncalves (leandrofg(GM of Calgary)) and Jillian Woods (jacobcarson877(ex GM of London)). Can we say max earning, highly engaged players who know how to build. Does anyone remember the Calgary Wranglers in the 80’s. Somehow everyone but Spartan forgot that outside Daniel Janser the Calgary Wranglers were built on the back of leandrofg and jacobcarson877’s prior players. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a repeat of those performances in the 90’ with these new players. Vancouver Wolves: General Manager Frank must have been paying attention as he was able to pick up 3 players who, by the way sit 4th, 5th, and 6th in TPE within this group. Pierre Marc Bouchard (Gaikoku-hito, drafted 3rd, AGM of Vancouver), Bollos de Trueno (Thunder, drafted 4th) and Soju (Frank, drafted 5th, GM of Vancouver) are all well-established strong earning players who will make any team better. Having all 3 will provide Vancouver a solid foundation to build on for seasons to come. Toronto Legion: General Manager Moon may have taken a significant risk and gotten a magnificent reward with the 11th overall pick in the season 94 draft by taking first generation player Andrew Skilton (ace five), now sitting 7th overall in TPE this defender is going to provide significant back-end depth over their career. This may have been the steal of the draft. Los Angeles Start: General Manager Instant Rock Star has four fearsome competitors in Erik Thorvaldsson (Tetricide, drafted 14th, GM of Prague), The Phantom of the VHL (Hogan, drafted 12) and Wally Lose (youloser1337, drafted 20th) and Pombo (Samx, drafted 8th, GM of Helsinki) . The collective group may form the strongest depth picks. These players now sit 8th, 10th, 11t , and 13th in TPE meaning they have worked their way up the charts and are prepared to crush anything that gets in their path. Prague Phantoms: For anyone who is counting we have discussed the top 2 in TPE and 4th through 11th, skipping only 3rd and 9th. Prague was able to pick up the player who now currently sits 9th overall in Lazlo Holmes (Gustav, drafted 10th, VHLM commissioner). Now don’t let the current TPE position of 9th fool you because we are talking about the Gustav that wrote the book on how to build players. A quick forum search and a few hours of reading very lengthy posts will let you know that they know what they are doing and will maximize every TPE they earn. That will only help General Manager Tetricide in taking the Phantoms to the playoffs repeatedly. New York Americans: Don’t ignore General manager STZ as they have the privileged of having Tommy Shelby (Will, drafted 9th) sitting at center for their team. Tommy Shelby will be putting up steady numbers throughout their career. Helsinki Titans: General manager Sam got in on Season 94 by picking up two magnificent players in first generation player The Mighty Ice Wizard (Royski, drafted 7th) and returning veteran Maple Dogwood (dogwoodmaple, drafted 13th). Currently sitting 15th and 17th in TPE these two will provide a strong backbone for Helsinki to build on. Lastly HC Davos Dynamo: General manager Alex picked up 3 players that are coming together on the team this season. Felicia Hardy (JCarson, drafed 6th) Johnny Tsumani (Vice, drafted 18th) and Matteo Stefano (mmrs617, drafted 15th) may be the second biggest steal of the season 94 draft. Currently sitting 3rd, 12th, and 16th in TPE they have merged in well with the Davos lineup. I would expect you will see Davos finally holding a regular playoff spot in the European Conference and potentially contending for a cup in the near future. Rookies can make a substantial difference in the VHL, with high performing rookies providing a boost to the team without a large charge to the salary cap. The noted 8 teams definitely hit it big in getting players from this draft class to fill out their rosters. I expect that only time will tell which of these players will earn Hall of Fame honors. If I were a betting individual, I would suggest that more than one of the individuals on this list is destined to have their names added to the VHL Hall of Fame. So you heard it here, the rookie class of Season 95 is filled with top talent to keep an eye on, to follow throughout their careers and potentially watch their induction into the Hall of Fame. Rookies, a great theme week topic for a great group of rookies. 1004 words, will be claimed over 2 weeks

Press Conference Week of Sep 1 2024 1) What is your greatest VHL experience? 2) Tell me about a bad VHL experience you have had? 3) Tell me about any thoughts you have about your next potential player? 4) What is the best thing about your current player? 5) What is the worst thing about your current player? 6) If your player was going to be arrested what would it be for?

Press Conference Aug 25 2024. 1) Why have we been doing so well recently? 2) How has you player contributed to that success? 3) What skill is your player working on during training? 4) What is your opinion of pineapple on pizza? 5) What do you think of goal celebrations? 6) Name one thing your player does between games?

An analysis of Felicia Hardy so far. The VHL just finished game 33, almost halfway through the season. As such it makes a wonderful time to stop and look at what Felicia Hardy has accomplished and where I think things will go. Looking at the base stats that get sent to the Portal this is what Felicia Hardy has done so far: Goals: 4 Assists: 19 Points:23 +/-: -7 PIM: 34 Hits: 50 SB: 62 GW: 4 PPG: 3 So first things to note is that Felicia Hardy has not been trained to be a high goal scoring player, so the fact they have only 4 goals in 33 games is not concerning. What is interesting about their goals is that 3 of the 4 are on the power play and all 4 goals are game winners. Felicia Hardy has become a clutch player in tough situations. We will see if that trend continues. With Felicia Hardy spending most of her training on the defensive aspects of the game it is also not surprising that they have only 19 assists and a total of 23 points so far. In fact, that is slightly higher than I was initially expecting especially with Felicia Hardy playing on the second defense pairing. To be on a Davos team sitting fourth in team points trailing the likes of Grimgor Ironhide, Antonia Bucatini and David Jokinen is a very reasonable place to be. Looking at the statistics. Currently Felicia Hardy is just over a penalty minute a game, that would suggest that although they have a reasonable physical side to their game, they are being disciplined and not taking penalties. Hits at 50 are somewhat concerning as I expected that Felicia Hardy would be a slightly more physical presence on the ice. It was my expectation that hits would range closer to 2 per game so they are off what was expected. I am not sure that this will improve in the short run unless a change in team dynamics such as line changes occur. I am willing to live with this given that penalties are also low. Blocks are also lower than I was initially expecting currently sitting at 62. Again, hoping they would be in the range of 2 per game so they should be closer to 66 at this point. So not significantly off pace but trending lower. This may improve over time and can be written off as variances caused by STHS. Like my view on hits, I am not expecting to change anything in future training to try and improve this. So having looked at all this where does it lead me. Right now, my focus is on building Felicia Hardy’s skating ability, looking to bring it up to closer to 80 overall. After that I expect that I will continue to build Defense to try and get it closer to 95 which is where I hope to maintain it. I have not thought about what I will do after that. We will see.

I broke my own rule and now I am struggling. Every season so far, I have chosen a theme for my media spots and articles, this has allowed me to stay focused and has made it easier for me to write. This season I intended to do that again but as we entered the season my attention was pulled onto a different topic, so I went with it. If I would have only understood that it wasn’t a single event I triggered, but a series of cascading events that now have left me fighting for the next piece of content to produce. So now I sit at the end of a long work week trying to find enough words in my head to satisfy the requirements of both a VHL.com article and a media spot. I am quite sure I am not the only person in the league that has been in this position, I expect that I may find myself in this position again at some point but I do know that in the future I am going to stick to my plan of doing all my tasks related to an overall theme. For me it has just been easier and sometimes making things easy is the best way to get them completed. I will apologize for this rant, pull myself together and

Working from the VHLM side I feel the pass off can be kind of rough. Not sure what can be done to assist but I feel the sooner a player gets invited/re-invited to the VHLE locker room the better.

With another intense set of games for tonight, Moscow and Malmo, the coaching staff of HC Davos Dynamo made the practice optional. Felicia Hardy after taking a couple bruises from the last game decided that they would sit this one out and get some rest. Rest today looks like a time to make players on the team a fantastic BBQ smoked meal. On today’s menu will be smoked Brisket, Hash Brown Casserole and Pit Beans. It will be a long 21-hour process to do the brisket but will be well worth it when it is done. A slow process done over low heat (225 degrees) with hickory wood. Smoking brisket could be used as an analogy for training a player, it is a long slow process that takes constant monitoring, doing little adjustments over time but once it is finished you get a level of perfection that you can’t achieve if the process is rushed. It is a process that can seem daunting, or it can be a relaxing journey that allows you to sit back and enjoy. I encourage you to look at building your player as the journey. Take it in, enjoy each step, build slowly, purposefully. Know that the process works, you can achieve a great result if you keep at it, a slow constant pace. Today there is only 6 more hours until the brisket is finished, in building Felicia Hardy I will have 7 more seasons. It is a slow process, but it will result in something great. So, I am sitting back, having another cup of coffee, and am enjoying the process.

Okay so it is time to do a get to know the players Press conference 1) What is your favorite thing about Mexico City? 2) If you could pick a sponsor who would it be and why? 3) If you weren't playing for Mexico which team would you choose to play for and why? 4) Describe your players pregame routine? 5) Wooden stick or composite, why? 6) What is your opinion of Mexico's logo?

Odd by design When I started the build for Felicia Hardy, I decided that I would focus on a player who was first designed for defense. The goal was to focus on a player who was strong in defense and passing. No sense stealing the puck if you can’t get it where it needs to go. It was a conscious decision to put as little as possible into the offensive stats. Overall, I would say I am happy with how things have gone but I still feel a little odd when I look at the sim results. Our current sim output is very offensively minded, we track checking and shots blocked but those are relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. So, a defensively minded player very often feels like they aren’t doing anything to contribute to the team. A look at the index does provide a little more depth from a statistical basis but not a lot. So what is a defensively minded player to do. I expect the first thing defensively minded players do is give in to the pressure and add some TPE towards the scoring statistics. They hope that this gives themselves a boost on the sim output and as such it will make them feel like they are contributing to the team. And to some degree this makes sense in the hybrid statistics era, If you are looking to build statistics like strength and passing at some point it is only efficient to build statistics that also include some scoring as well. The second thing I expect some player to do is get bored. Honestly if you don’t feel you are contributing it will psychologically get more difficult to keep focused on building. TPE starts to trail off and the player languishes in mediocrity. Lastly, I expect there are those players out there who are stubborn. Who will push through and stick to the build that they wanted to begin with. Either they will stop caring to look at the sim results to validate their player or they will start looking beyond the statistics and will find other ways to evaluate their player. Either way they will continue building. Now what does this leave us with. It would be nice if those who do the data collection could start adding additional information to look at, interceptions and turnovers would be a good start. Giving the defensive players added information to look at to evaluate how their performance is could go a long way towards validating other build options. It would add depth to the Defensive defensemen award and may finally allow for a defensively minder player to be selected as MVP. So those are my thoughts on how I have been building my player, how that has made me feel in relation to the sim output and my thoughts on one thing that could be done to change things. Do I expect anyone to cater to my wishes and make changes, no I don’t. Yet maybe one day we will see some changes in this direction.

Welcome to Season 95 remember to answer all questions with full sentences. 1) What do you see as Mexico's greatest strength currently? 2) What do you see as Mexico's greatest weakness currently? 3) What is your players greatest strength currently? 4) What is your players greatest weakness currently? 5) Which team do you think is our greatest opponent this season, why? 6? Which team do you think will place last this season, why?

That is why you teach your children how to play. Then they can be involved. If I am remembering correctly yours is too young but there will come a day that they can learn. I think I had Jacob playing by about age 10.

welcome

How can anyone have not played at some point in their lives

welcome

depending on timing I would be interested.

With Games starting tomorrow, Felicia Hardy has found themselves feeling comfortable in the Davos locker room. The jersey hanging in their locker, name across the back is a testament to the work they have put into making it to the VHL. The meet and greet of players and management is now over. Team meetings have been had, lines set, and practice drills have been completed. Felicia Hardy waits with anticipation for the first puck drop against the Moscow Menace, season 94 Continental Cup champion Moscow Menace. The game itself will have meaning for numerous reasons, it is against the reigning champions, it is Felicia Hardy’s first game in the VHL, and it is their first VHL game against longtime friend Jillian Woods. This game starts what will be a multi season rivalry between the friend to see who the better player in the VHL can be, who can win the most awards and who can hoist the Cup the most times. A chance to prove which player is the better defender. It all comes down to tomorrow night. The lights will shine, the fans will cheer, the puck will drop, and history will be made. Season 95 starts with a bang, or at least it does for a single player looking to prove that they have what it takes in the VHL. One game will not define their career, will not prove their league success one way or the other but it is the first step. Davos Vs Moscow, greatness in the making. Come and experience is for yourself.

Last week prior to the VHLM draft I put out an article detailing out the priorities of the Mexico City Kings. I posted this article well in advance of the draft partially hoping that the other GMs would take the time to read it. I know that in the past I had several of other GM’s comment on my postings related to being a GM and how I thought about things. I will admit that the article, although it held some truth was meant as a red herring. I was subtly hoping to influence some of the other GMs to make their selections with my not so trustworthy information in their minds. Now I can’t tell you if it worked, and for the most part what I wrote wasn’t a complete and outright lie, it was just a reorganization of my thoughts. I in fact did want to add to my forward depth, it just wasn’t my first priority. In fact, it was my last priority. I did need to add to the defensive component of my team, which did happen to be my first priority. And goaltending was a close second. The fact I was able to pick up veteran player Alagsantere Groenvold (VattghernCZ) was one of my biggest surprises. I had expected that by the 7th pick he would be off the draft table. Follow that with the ability to pick up goaltender Chazz Michael Michaels (Xflexz) and I can say it made my draft. With my first 2 rounds picks secured and priorities satisfied, I started to look at options for my third pick which was in the 2nd round. I quickly exercised the ability to pick up Nathan Blaize (Maple) and with my fourth pick I got Rick132’s player David Michael in the hopes of gaining some added strength as the player developed. That left 1 last expected pick and unfortunately this one was a bust. Having seen most of the later round players I had scouted and heard back from leave the draft board I was left picking blind. I decided that I would pick a low TPE goalie that potentially would be around in season 96. As goalies can be the toughest position to fill. Unfortunately, I got caught on an Alt that had not been removed from the system. Severely frustrating but I should have done my due diligence. Not a massive loss, I will just need to position myself for season 96 in another fashion. With the draft done that will leave me with 4 forwards 3 defenders and1 goalie, not optimal but I am not sure any of the VHLM rosters are optimal. Waivers should come in and provide some support over the season, with expectations of that happening closer to trade deadline. All said I am happy with how things turned out with this draft and look forward to how this team will perform. Season 96 will be a strong showing for the Mexico City Kings, we will push for another chance at the Founders Cup. Come join us and cheer us on.

@leandrofg Group 8 done

1. @kirbithan F - Axle Gunner F - Catia Goncalves F - Severus Targaryen D - Jacob Stone D - Fradin McGryer G - Dalkr Vidarsson 2. @dstevensonjr F - Harry Callaghan F - Mac Atlas F - Maxim Anisimov D - Bobby Bob D - Kronchy Kardashian G - WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW 3. @grall4918 (GM) (JCarson) F - Liv Slater F - Logan Ninefingers F - Thor Reingaard D - Callum Gary Yannick Janser D - Mark Calaway G - Olober Syko 4. @mskil10 (MMRS617) F - Raimo Tuominen F - Antonia Bucatini F - Adi Dassler D - Yaboi Oven D - David Jokinen G - G - Merome Dilson 5. @orbitingdeath F - Diego Machado F - Grimgor Ironhide F - FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY Analfist D - Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage D - Leif Reingaard G - Red Panda 6. @victor.2765 F - Jimi Jaks F - Jarmo Ruutu F - Savaisk Tzesar D - Skor McFleury D - Tommy Sleeves G - Georgiy Costanzov

Season 95 will begin in a few days, 2 of the 3 leagues have completed their drafts, which leave the sole focus of the league on the VHLM draft. The draft field is a mix of veteran and new players and is a mix of positions. This should allow the GM’s of the VHL to plan and strategize as they build their team. That said the field of available players is not deep enough that it will allow for random selection. The Mexico City Kings management has put together a plan to hopefully build a core group of players for the purpose of pushing for a playoff spot in Season 95. Luckily Mexico has a core group already from last season that will be a strong group to build off. So that said Mexico is looking to accomplish the following. First goal of this draft is to fill in a top forward prospect to establish a number one line. Building a top unit to push the teams scoring is a major goal. Second is to pick up a goaltender to provide a strong defensive position to build off. Goaltending is one of the key strengths needed to win a championship and so locking that position down will be important. Lastly will be filling in second line players. The goal of having a 6-4-1 structure for the season allows for a more dominant position in the league. Using later round picks to position for that will be important for Mexico’s overall success. Well, that is a look at Mexico and how they believe they will position themselves in this draft. They have the picks to accomplish this, but we will need to see how other teams draft to determine how Mexico succeeds.

Felicia Hardy needs to pick their jaw off the ice. Felicia Hardy during the offseason has taken part in the Pro-Am tournament. Being drafted to the Flora Vista Foxes was exciting to begin with and getting to play with some of the VHL hockey league’s top players was an extreme level of excitement. When Felicia Hardy showed up to the first practice, they learned that the team had also drafted 2 hockey legends in Landon Wolanin and Daniel Janser. Felicia Hardy had spent her childhood watching these two legends dominate on the ice. After the last set of games we had the chance to sit with Felicia Hardy to discuss the Pro-Am tournament. Felicia, thanks for sitting with us. Your team the Flora Vista Foxes currently sit first in the tournament. How would you describe the tournament so far? As a team it took a few games for us to come together. But after a few games and a few practices the lines started to connect. I think it helped us, that Landon Wolanin and Daniel Janser VHL legends were leading the top line. We rallied around them, and everything fell into place. Even though they are several seasons out of playing in the VHL their mastery on the ice is still there. I think that all the younger players are living a childhood dream, and we are doing everything to live that. Felicia, you mention your childhood love of watching Daniel Janser and Landon Wolanin play in the VHL. Can you elaborate on what playing with such talented players means for you as a rising star? Getting to play and practice with such accomplished players in a tournament like this is a dream come true. Being able to get on ice guidance from these legendary players has provided an opportunity to learn things that I would never have known. To be able to run drills with players of that caliber is amazing. I feel that i have grown so much during this tournament. To be able to take that into my first season of the VHL will be a big boost to my confidence. Felicia, you mentioned that this tournament has helped you grow and prepare for your first season in the VHL. Talk to us about what you are expecting? Once I finish the Pro-Am tournament, I will be heading directly to the World Juniors to take in that tournament. It has been a great honor to be named to the US roster and I look forward to playing for my nation. We have a great team this season and I look forward to spending time with them. Once that is done, I will be heading to Davos to join the remainder of the team in practice before the season begins. It is going to be a very busy off-season, but I am hoping to take everything in and use it in the coming season. Davos has made a significant jump over the last season and this offseason so far. We are looking to be a significant player in the European conference. The goal is to place in a position to make the playoffs and contend for the cup. Felicia, thanks again for sitting with us and discussing the offseason and your expectations going forward.

Week of Aug 4 2024 1) What is one thing you want to do this next season? 2) What is one thing you hope to avoid this coming season? 3)Which team logo is your favorite, why? 4) Which team has your least favorite logo? 5) Which VHL member has posted your favorite forum content why? 6) Are you or have you ever been involved in another Simulation league, which one and how was your experience?

I am entering my third season as GM of the Mexico City Kings and during both my previous seasons I have not had an AGM. I am not sure as to why, but I never sought one out. I have been thinking about the topic some and here is what has crossed my mind. First, I spend a lot of my time trying to teach my players how to navigate the league, well at least the first gen players. I am not sure I want to also teach somebody the art or science that is GM’ing. That could be seen as selfish, but I do have limited time and I am protective of it. Second, I have the complete opposite thought, if I had an AGM that was familiar with things they could be a large help in the locker room in keeping players organized, earning and focused. I potentially could be causing the issue that I am concerned about in my first thought. Third, what if I get someone I don’t mesh with? Personality conflict is not something I deal well with. I tend to get frustrated and get kind of rude. Which is not something that would go well in a VHLM locker room. I promise there are a lot more thoughts mulling within my mind on this topic, but I also don’t need to write a novel to get the TPE for a VHL.com article so in the name of efficiency I am going to limit my musings to those three points. Anyone who has been a GM before, how have you found the AGM experience. Was it good, was it bad. Help me decide, should I get an AGM.