OBrian Young

The hardest part of moving forward….is waiting for things outside of our control to happen. I know I need to keep training. I know I need to keep my focus…but this waiting is brutal! I have been keeping my head down and spending hour upon hour at the rink and weight room. I know I am still very young and that I need to get stronger. My coaches have all told me that I am big enough…that goes without saying…but I always ask myself if I could get stronger. Being strong enough to hold off other players and protect the puck as well as my Forwards is something I need to focus on, not just how well I can skate and use my stick to knock the puck away. I need to get stronger, so the hours in the weight room will pay off in the end. Mornings in the weight room….afternoons on the ice…and evenings watching film. Yea, that has been my life. I know I need to figure out something else to do…but the question is always what? I read books, I watch films and documentaries…but I need to find something else to do! One thing that I have learned over the last few years is that everyone thinks I am older than I really am…I mean MUCH older! I got asked why I played in junior leagues when I was in my 20s…hell…I was only 12 at the time! So I will admit that at times I have used the fact I look so much older to my advantage. What does this matter? Well…I decided to use it to my advantage again! I have been staying in Detroit lately. My parents know some people who live here, close to a rink, and they had a spare room. So while waiting for the draft I have been there…and slowly going stir crazy. Should I be admitting that? I don’t think anyone would be shocked that the cycle of my life could get boring really fast. I am not saying that hockey bores me…but I am also a teenager and there has to be more to life than practice and working out in the weight room. There has been another advantage of being in Detroit. I am a HUGE fan of Motown music. When I was younger I would lay in my bed and read before I went to sleep every night. Some nights, and it was rare, but some nights I would be able to pick up a radio station that played Motown hits. I would listen to The Spinners, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, The 4-Tops…the list is endless. And I LOVE the music! I found some small clubs that have tribute acts for these legends of Motown, but I would give anything to see the actual groups perform. Yea, I know that almost all of the original members of the groups are now gone…but the heart of the band is still there…the music…the moves…yea…it survives. Anyway, I saw that the Temptations and 4-Tops were going to be performing in Cherokee, NC. No problem, I would get a flight to Asheville and catch a bus to Cherokee. Easy right? Not so fast my friend…they were going to perform at Harrahs Casino there. Yea…you have to be21 to go there…and I am not 21. But to see them perform! What the hell! I decided to give it a try. The flight was uneventful, the bus ride was different. I didn’t expect it to be so hilly…but I realized that Cherokee is on the edge of the Great Smokey Mountains Park. Boy is it beautiful! We get to the Casino and I get off of the bus like I own the place! I walk in right past the guards. I smile and nod my head at them and they smile back. No challenge…no questions. I found my way to the event center…showed my ticket and found my seat. As the lights went down and the 4-Tops came out I knew it was going to be special. Oh wow! What a show! They sang for about an hour, the crowd was going nuts and we all felt the music in our souls. Between the groups the roadies came out and adjusted the stage for the Temptations. The horn section was tight, the drums, the bass and the keyboards brought the crowd to its feet before the Temptations even took the stage. The group came out and took us to another place. The harmonies…the tight and precise movements…it was poetry in motion. As soon as it started…it was over. But the energy…the passion…the life…yea…it remained. The return trip was a blur and before I knew it I was back in Detroit…humming the songs that are now seared into my soul. The draft is this week, I will find out what happens next…I know I will need to make sure I am ready to work. But I wonder if I can sneak off to Nashville on Tuesday….yea…my one big splurge with my earnings from being with Las Vegas…I bought a ticket to see AC/DC. Surely the coaches will let me miss a little practice time for that concert. I mean…it is AC/DC!! Word Count: 870

The VHL is one of those leagues that no matter what, I cant seem to walk away from. I have to admit that when I first joined the league I was not sure about how things would go. But I jumped in with both feet and things seemed to be going really well. I settled into a pattern of writing media spots, doing pressers and vhl.com articles pretty easily. My player was getting really well known and life seemed to be good. Then Mom had a relapse with her cancer. She was in for the fight of her life. I knew that I was going to be stretched to the max…so I walked away from almost every sim league I was in. I had to try to control what I could control. Sadly, Mom passed away after a tough battle. I started to put the pieces of my life back together. I rejoined the league and shortly after settling in again…Dad had a stroke, a massive one. I once again dropped everything to take care of him. Luckily, he recovered and is rocking and rolling as an 81 year-old firecracker. Somewhere along the way I got COVID and spent about 3 weeks in the hospital…another attempt to control what I could. Every time I came back I tried to get more involved. I was a VHLM GM, and had some other jobs. I really enjoyed all of these. Either it is my age, or how crazy life has been the last few years…but the players and the activity all seems to run together. But the one thing I remembered is how much I enjoyed my time here. So here I am, another go around…another player. Fingers-crossed and all of that stuff that life will be nice to me this time. I really want to have a good career here. Yea, this is a league that gets into your blood…so just own it and enjoy! Word Count: 324

1. What is your favourite thing to do specifically in the summer? Sit in my rocking chair, under the fan on my porch, and read a book 2. Will this be the year that a Canadian team wins the Stanley Cup? Will I be tarred and feathered if I admit that I dont really watch hockey? I think the Canes are still it so I will have to go with the local team. So my answer...after all of that...no, I dont think so 3. Would you rather have a physical defenseman that racks the hits up but also takes a lot of penalties, or one that doesn't play as physical but is also more disciplined? I actually just wrote about this. While the hits look good, the fights are entertaining for the fans...they dont really help the team much. I think the disciplined defender is going to be what I would lean towards. My 3 questions... 1. Is hockey your favorite sport? If not, what is? 2. I am an avid reader, so what book has had the biggest influence on you? If you dont read, what about podcast? 3. What advice would you give to a person who has had to leave the league a couple of times due to family issues on how to earn the trust of GMs?

So I guess the big question is…what happens next? I enjoyed my time in Las Vegas. It was nice to get on the ice. But more importantly, it was nice to get that much needed confirmation that I could, in fact, play with these much better players. I am still pretty much the biggest skater on the ice, but there are some that I encountered that were as big as me. So that took a little getting used to. I had been used to just knocking people off of the puck and having my way on the ice. Well those days are over! I found the players may be bigger than I am used to, but they are also stronger and faster! So I have a lot to learn! My coaches in Vegas really helped me out. They gave me some pointers about how to use my size to my advantage while not letting others take advantage of me. Normally, bigger means slower. Okay, yea, I may be slow still, but I am a youngster, this is something that will improve as I get older. Also, they showed me how to body-check people. There are very few people on the ice who like to get crashed into the boards by someone my size…even other people my size. I know I don’t like it, no matter how big the person is! I get asked what kind of player I want to become? I am not sure to be honest. Dad always told me be a team player first. “If you become the best teammate there is, then no one will question when you have those inevitable bad games.” He said that so many times I think it is seared into my brain. So first and foremost, I want to be the type of player my team needs, the best teammate I can be. If that means I focus on defensive skills, then I will do that. If it means I work on my passing to support the forwards and the attack more, then that is what I will put my time into. I will rely on my coaches to guide me in this. But there is one thing I have learned over the short time I have played…and was another thing my Dad used to say. “No one can help their team if they are not on the ice.” In other words, try to stay out of the penalty box. Fighting at the drop of the hat may be a good show for the fans, but getting stuck in the box for 5 minutes helps no one but the other team. So I try to fight as little as possible. With that being said, no one will be slamming my forwards against the boards like they are trying to tenderize a steak. I am a big fella, and if I need to defend a teammate, then all of my 6’8” 250 lbs frame will be making sure they think about it twice next time. I know there is a draft coming up soon. What that means for my future, I don’t know. I am excited to see what is next for me and will hopefully be able to call my family and tell them that I will be staying in North America, for at least one more year…to play hockey! Word Count: 559

Here is my best shot at answering these! 1. Yea...I read that earlier today and have been thinking about this since then. I really dont have a clue. I am still learning all of the rules we have right now. So I guess I should give this one a go in a few months when I know more. 2. Considering I am probably the newest, I think it is great! HAHA Seriously, I really like the way things are set up here and I am looking forward to seeing how we do this season. 3. Well, I just rejoined yesterday...so I have no idea on how everyone is doing...so I will say us! 4. MASH. I remember the last episode...I would love to watch the whole series...a true-binge experience without knowing how it will all end 5. Not really....but since I am from Ohio...lets say the Blue Jackets! 6. Pay off my bills. I am going to retire in a little over 2 years and I would love to start that with no bills...house paid for...car paid for...all of it

Where to start? They seem to always say…At the beginning…but where is that? I guess everyone really gets to decide their own beginning…so this is mine. OBrian Young…yea…that’s me. I was born and raised on the Isle of Man, about half way between Northern Ireland and England. When we want to “go somewhere” we can easily choose either Belfast, Dublin or Blackpool…they are all about the same distance away. Yea, I am big. I mean, really big! Why did I end up playing hockey? Well, I got too big to play football and I just wasn’t fast enough to play rugby. So besides darts, which I really like as well, hockey was it. I seemed like I was born on the ice. Teams loved to have me on their side and looked at me with dread when I was on the ice for the other team. I was always asked my age when I played in youth leagues. Yea, it was my real age…I was just big for my age! Checking was always a lot of fun…all I had to do was bump people and they fell over. It was easy when they were lucky if they came up to my armpits. My parents always told me to follow my dream. To be honest, I didn’t know what it even was. I was going through my teen years trying to figure out what was going to come next. People would suggest things and I would say, sure! But in reality, none of it appealed to me. Then one day my hockey coach asked me if I had considered going pro as a hockey player. Well, to be honest, no. The thought really never crossed my mind. There are no professional hockey teams here. So, no one to really inspire me. Sure, I had seen the VHL on the telly, but they are in America and Canada and that is a long way away from the Isle of Man! He suggested I start by putting some videos of myself on Youtube. Okay, sure. I asked my brother to record some of the games and edit the videos, he loves to do that. I posted them and after a couple of months I felt like I was just wasting my time. Dad was wanting me to get on at the shipyard. But everyone knew they were winding things down and even if I started it would not be a career. The reality is there isn’t much in the way of career opportunities for a huge bloke here. So I was starting to look in England. I finally accepted that I was going to have to move away from home. I am not going to lie….it sounded exciting…but also scary as hell! Anyway, out of the blue I got a call from a VHL scout. He asked me if I was interested in playing in their minor league. It wouldn’t be much money. But it would be a chance to showcase what I can do on the ice. He suggested that I think about it. He told me there were spots open for defenders to join teams right away. But it would require me to pick up and move…the sooner the better. I spent the day walking around…looking at the waterfront, stopping by the chippie, even went by the local and had a pint. Was I ready to leave this? What happens if I don’t make it? Would people laugh at me? What if I didn’t go? Would I regret it later on? Getting older sucks, I don’t like having to make decisions like this. Finally, I had made up my mind. I was going to go. But I told everyone except my family that I was going on a backpacking holiday in America. Then, if I failed, no one would ever know. But if I don’t even try…then I will know. Next thing I realized I was on a plane to Toronto. The scout told me he would meet me there. Man, I hope this isn’t some kind of scam…what if it is true? What if I can become a good player…even a great one? Well…the only way to find out is to take that first step! Word Count: 705

Player Information Username: Ozzy Batty Player Name: OBrian Young Recruited From: Returning Age: 18 Position: D Height: 80 in. Weight: 250 lbs. Birthplace: Isle of Man Player Page @VHLM GM

First off, let me start this off by being upfront and honest, I am going to post this in all of the sim leagues that I am a part of. I hope that doesn’t break any rules. Please let me know if that is the case. It is not my intention to do that, but sometimes, well…you can read along and we can go from there. I want to thank the people who run sim leagues. I want to thank my teammates and the friends I have made in the leagues. I want to thank everyone involved in keeping these leagues running without pay and sometimes, having to deal with disgruntled and unhappy people. I know that sometimes it is a thankless job…and I want to make it clear, THANK YOU!! Thank you for the countless hours that you have given to the league’s success. Thank you for doing everything you can to make these leagues a great experience. Thank you for giving us a place to escape from real life and just sit back and enjoy some fake sports. I don’t want to go into too much detail, so I will give you the quick-hit summary, of why I am wanting to say this. I want to provide the people who make all of this happen see how much it matters to us, the players. Over the last 3 months I have had some pretty tough challenges in my life. Some of them added unusual levels of stress in my life, while others caused outright fear….and some others were a mix of a multitude of feelings and emotions…some good….and some bad. Unexpectedly I lost my job after my position at the company I was working out eliminated my position. This was completely out of the blue….joining a virtual meeting to do a supposed “check-in” and it being over in 5 minutes after hearing that dreaded news. I knew I was going to be eligible for unemployment, but it was no where near what I had been getting paid. Ironically, this ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was able to find a job with a company that, at times, I don’t even believe is real. I was offered the new job 4 weeks to the day that I had lost my old one. But the ensuing 4 weeks were filled with anxious moments as I got rejection email after rejection email. During this 4 weeks I had a knee operation that was supposed to be pretty routine. But, as is normal in my life, nothing was routine. I had complications and ended up with a severe infection that required me to be admitted to the hospital over a long weekend to have antibiotics pumped into my system. As I will still recovering from that my wife and I took my Dad on a already-planned vacation where walking without being able to walk was in itself something interesting. I returned home and felt like life was finally going to get back to normal when my life, and the lives of my friends and neighbors here in western North Carolina were turned upside down by Hurricane Helene. What was supposed to be some wind and heavy rain ended up being a deluge of, not inches, but feet, of rain that destroyed homes, roads, infrastructure, places of employment, and sadly, even took lives. I wasn’t sure when or how life was going to return to normal after that. But the response was overwhelming as people, organizations and government agencies rushed in to provide aid and support. So what does all of this have to do with sim leagues? Throughout all of this turmoil and chaos I had one refuge…there was one place I could escape to, even if it was for only a minute or two. I was able to pop into a sim league, maybe not all I am a part of, but as many as I could. I told them I was alive. I told them that life was crazy, but I would be back. I was able to look at how the team was doing, how the league tables looked. I was able to think about something besides the never ending chaos that was whirling around me. Life is slowly coming back to normal. My participation in the sim leagues is slowly increasing back to its pre-chaos levels. My teammates are still there, my leagues are still there….my life away from “life” is still there. So Thank You for providing this refuge and doing what you do. Now, lets play some fake sports!!

Man, what a busy few weeks! I went back to Mississauga and got my old room back. I have a great view of the park near our practice arena. It is a corner room so it also is a little bit quieter than most of the other rooms in the complex. I like it that way. I like to have the time to read and unwind. I know most of my teammates like to go out at night to enjoy the nightlife where ever we may be. But for me, give me a quiet park and a good book…yea…that is what I enjoy. Leaving home was tougher this time. I had met someone, a girl named Kelly. Well, she is not a “girl” per se. She is a student at the local university. She is studying to be a teacher. She loves literature, especially Shakespeare. I am not sure what will happen in this relationship, but I like talking to her. She lets me “nerd out” and enjoys talking to me about history. So that is another reason I like the quieter rooms, I can talk to her. We try to talk every day that I can, but sometimes the internet isn’t that good, so I write to her. I think she is pretty special, so I guess we will see. But back to the hockey! Well, I am not sure about how I should feel about this season. We started off really strong. We rocketed to the top of the Eastern Conference and it looked like we had a solid hold on it as the season progressed. But then we hit a tough patch have now dropped to 3rd. Now, it is only by 3 points, yea, the top of the conference is tight, but we have still dropped. I am hoping that we continue to keep it close. I mean, yea, if we end the season in 3rd place we would make the playoffs. But I think it would be awesome if we are able to win the conference on our way to the championship. The reason I have mixed feelings about this, yea, it sucks that we have dropped to 3rd, but as the team’s position got worse, I started to get better. I didn’t want to spend another season in the VHLM to garner any personal accolades. But I am not going to lie, it is pretty cool to see your name up in the Leader Board. When it is coupled with team success, the personal success is like icing on the cake. So while I am enjoying seeing my personal success, I would gladly swap it for a couple of more team wins. I know we cant do that, but as far as I am concerned, it would be fine if that could happen. I know the season isn’t over so there is still a lot of stuff that can happen. But I would prefer to get the team back on top of the conference before the season is over and then to make a run for that title! Yea, lots of hockey left to play so let’s make the best of it!

Oh wow, so much has happened! Yea, I got really sick so I missed out on the draft and training camp, but I am back on the mend and am back on the ice. Yea, that is so crazy as well! I was told initially that I had accumulated “too many points” to stay in the VHLM, and then I was told that I was still under the point threshold so I was going to have 1 more season in the M. I know that after my career in the M is over that I will be joining the Oslo Storm for a season or 2. After that I will be heading to the Moscow Menace, so it is nice to be heading back to Europe. But what until then? Like I said, I was sick and wasn’t able to watch the M draft. I wasn’t sure where I would go and even though I had been in the M for a season, it was as a Waiver Signing, so I was going to be drafted for my final season in the M. My family decided to not watch the draft as well. They didn’t want to know where I was going before I found out. I went to bed, hoping I would feel better in the morning without any idea of what was going to happen next. I had talked to some of the teams, but I think the confusion about my eligibility made teams unsure about wasting a draft pick on me. On top of that, some of the teams had seen a turnover in their leadership, so the people I had talked to may have moved on to bigger and better things. So I really had no idea where I was heading next. I talked to my parents and they were really curious about where I wanted to go. In all honesty, I wanted to go back to Mississauga. I wasn’t sure if that was even a possibility, and even if they wanted me to come back. They were one of the teams who had a leadership change so I didn’t know the new Manager that well. Added to that is where they had their first selection in the draft. They didn’t have a selection until the 8th pick and according to all of the mock drafts, I would be gone before then. Needless to say that when I woke up the next day, feeling a little better I may add, I was so shocked to have about 15 missed calls from Mississauga Canada! I nervously called back and woke up the new manager before he excitedly told me that I was on the board when they were ready to make their selection and he told me, “We just had to bring you back.” I was so excited that I almost dropped the phone! We made arrangements for me to fly back to Mississauga as soon as I felt well enough to meet my new teammates and to reunite with my old ones. I went into the lounge to share the good news with my family. I know that all of the teams in the VHLM are good and positive environments, but there is something about being able to go back to a place that I know and feel comfortable in. Plus I get my old locker back! Now, lets win that championship!

What an off-season it has been! It feels just like the regular season at this point. I had expected to spend a quiet few weeks at home, that is until I got the call that I had been selected to represent Team Steel in the Junior Showcase Tournament. So once again I packed my bags and jumped on a plane to head off to our training facilities. I called Mom and Dad once I got there to tell them I was at the team complex and let them know that I didn’t know where we would be playing the games at. But I would call and let them know how we were doing as the tournament progressed. I figured that I would be spending my time practicing and playing the tournament games. And yes, the practices were definitely intense! Hopefully we can translate that success from the practice arena to the tournament games. The thing that I didn’t expect…well…I had hoped would happen…is to hear from the scouts for the VHLM teams. Since I was a waiver signing for Mississauga I will be entering this season’s draft. It is odd to be considered a new draftee after playing a season in the league, but that is the way things are done. I actually had played the whole season with the Hounds and actually would love to go back there, but we never know how the draft will play out do we? While I was expecting the calls from the VHLM scouts and general managers, I dint expect to hear from VHLE staff, let alone VHL scouts! But I have gotten calls from scouts and other staff from those 2 leagues as well. I guess since I can be drafted by teams in those leagues even though I will not be playing in those leagues next season makes sense. That way they own the rights to me once I am ready to move up. One of the questions I invariably get asked is how quickly do I want to get to the VHL. My answer is always the same…when I am ready to contribute and wont be a liability on the ice. I completely understand that team needs will dictate all of this. But, all things being equal, I want to stay at each level as long as I can to be able to know that I wont hurt any team that I am playing for. What does all of that actually look like? I have no idea, but I 100% trust those who are in the front offices of the various teams to know when is the best time for me to make any changes in what level I am playing at. Speaking of which, is it acceptable for me to say that I am nervous about this tournament and next season? I had a great season for my rookie season. I think I ended up 4th in total points and was amongst some league top-rated players in being there. Will I be able to replicate that success next season? Will I be able to contribute to my team’s success in the WJC tournament? If I don’t have that level of success but we are more successful on the ice, then I am fine with that. I want to improve my team’s play and want to see us succeed. But will the front office, will the fans, be okay with me not putting up the numbers I did last season? I hope so because I think it will be a challenge for me to put up those numbers again. I hope I can, especially if they translate into more victories. Everyone knows you cant win if you don’t score, so that is what it is all based on. I don’t want anyone to think that I doubt myself, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself because that can be a problem within itself… The off-season is ongoing and the fun…and work..never stops! Time to enjoy the ride!!

Happy Birthday!

I will throw my hat into this ever-growing list of applicants EDIT: I currently would like to withdraw my name from consideration at this time. Thank you

Lets Go!!