Otis Boudreaux Jr

I will throw my hat into the ring for both roles. I have enjoyed my experience as a GM and hope to be able to give more back to the VHL

Team Europe Roster Forwards Maxsim Anisimov Raimo Tuominen BjorkaBjorn BjornaBjorkson Catia Gonclaves Jarmo Ruutu Otis Boudreaux, Jr Ronald Johnson MacWallace III Tullermore Dew David Rashford Defenders Yaboi Oven Obuz Schneider Eurydyka Sklodowska Dudzinska Callum Gary Yannick Janser Goalies Karl Herzlich Clark

Lets go Europe!!

Love to do it again, see if I can get Europe the cup again!

I would like to apply. Thanks

Welcome! I want to add my offer of assistance as well. Dont hesitate to reach out if you need anything

1. What are some goals you have for your player? Since I am the GM I will take a different approach, but I want us to win the cup!! 2. Where do you think our team will be in the standings at the end of the season? I hate to say it, but we are going to finish in 4th place, unless we go on a massive slide. 3. If you had to compare your current player to an NHL player who would it be and why? I dont want enough NHL to say (Is that bad for the GM to admit) 4. If we could have any sponsor for our team, who would you want our team to sponsor to be? Since we are in Mexico, maybe a company there? But personally, I would select Til Valhalla Project. They are a company that makes products to raise awareness of veteran's suicides. That is one reason why I also chose the number 22. An average of 22 veterans commit suicide a day....and 22 a day is 22 too many. 5. How did you come up with your player's name? When I was teaching, I didnt want my students to be able to find my online presence. So my wife helped me come up with a name. It has become my online "persona" and I have used it ever sense. 6. If you get out of the shower clean, how does your towel get dirty? Magic!! I personally think it is gremlins....like the elves that helped the shoemaker in that fairy tale. They sneak out at night and mess everything up...like stealing a sock out of the dryer so there is always one that doesnt have a match!

I had planned on doing this earlier, but life included to throw me some curve balls that culminated in me spending a week in the hospital. But things finally seem to have settled back down some and I have the time, energy...and a clear enough head to embark on this. As we have passed the mid-point of my first season as a VHLM General Manager, there are some things I have realized...and some things I need to improve on. I think I will follow the old format covering the good...the bad....and the ugly. So without further ado, here we go! The Good Overall the season has gone as expected. I have been able to figure out how to submit the lines (thanks to all of those who patiently answered my questions) and how to set them up. The Locker Room is still quiet, but there are some members who speak up every now and then. I was able to find a great Assistant General Manager in Jason Kranz @Jason kranz who I know from another league. I want to give a shout-out to him for keeping things in track while I dealt with my health issues. I am learning alot from watching others and from talking to Jason. I have a good feeling for us moving forward. The Bad The results. We are not consistent. One game we take 35 shots, the next we take 15. I cannot seem to find the sweet spot on these. For anyone wondering....that is with the exact same tactics...makes no sense at all. We are in 4th, and are almost 30 points behind the team in 3rd. So this is something I need to figure out if we are going to improve. I know that it can create problems if the strategies are changed too much...but even with the same tactics, they dont produce the same. The Ugly I have been terrible with recruiting players through the wavier system. I have only gotten 2 players to join through this route...and one of them was my wife! I realize that the waiver system is the life-blood of a successful season. With the limits of the draft-pool, the growth throughout the season comes through waivers. So I MUST figure this one out. Even though I said this under the bad...our results are ugly. I cannot even express how frustrating the tactical side of things has been for me this season. I need to get better at this, without it, we will be mired in mediocrity...which no one from the team wants. Final Thoughts Overall, I would rate my performance so far this season as passable, at best. I have tried to keep the players engaged....not sure the results are worth the effort...but I am stubborn, if nothing else. I need to crack the puzzle of the waiver system to be a factor in the title races in the future. This is different than traditional responsibilities as a General Manager/Owner because the players are so temporary. I have learned quite a bit so far...but there is more to learn...and more to do. And I wont give up on this and will continue to work for the Mexico City Kings! Word Count: 532 Week Claimed: 17 Sep 2023

Welcome! Sorry for the late message, but the intent is the same! Have a great time for sure

Welcome to the league, as with everyone else, dont hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Welcome!!

Welcome to the VHL! Great league to be a part of. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions

Welcome to the VHL! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Welcome back...seems like we just cant stay away!!

Otis Boudreaux Jr has a name with a history, even though it was a short-lived history that is filled with more "what if" questions than "that happened" answers. So right off of the bat, the legacy of that name is one of unfulfilled potential and Boudreaux Jr knew this when he assumed the name. But it is one that Otis Boudreaux Jr has seemed to take control of and is determined to carve his own legacy with. After being drafted by Saskatoon with the 21st selection he went on the score 34 goals and 39 assists before being selected by the Bratislava Watchmen before Season 89. In his first season with them he scored 18 goals and 35 assists. During the off-season his rights were traded away from Los Angeles to New York with the understanding he would stay with Bratislava for one more season. This season has started with a bang for the youngster as he scored 6 goals and 5 assists in 10 games. If this trend continues, he will end the season with 36 goals and 30 assists, giving him an outstanding 66 points. When asked about his training efforts this season, he responded that if he cant find the net, then the next best option is to find someone who can! So far the young man from Ireland has shown that he has the right focus to earn the right to be known as Otis Boudreaux, Jr, the "Irish Kid" in his own right without dishonoring the man whose name he carries. Word Count: 256 Week Claimed: 27 Aug 2023

(Mexico City, Mexico) The first weekend of the season has gotten here and the Mexico City Kings have the start to the season that had been hoped for. But General Manager Otis Boudreaux has kept his early promise to hold a weekly press conference. He approached the microphone with a stern look on his face and opened the floor up to questions. The news conference was started with a zinger right out of the gate... Reporter 1: I know it is early in the season, but what are you going to do to turn the team around, you have more losses than wins now? Yea, that is not what I like to see. I knew this was going to be a season where I found my feet as the General Manager, but this is not the start we wanted. I need to learn to take advantage of the strengths of the team and to minimize the impact of the weaknesses. Victories are going to come when I do my job right. Reporter 2: What can be improved on from the games that have been played so far? Well, to be honest, I need to do a better job with the lines and strategies. Being a General Manager comes with a crash-course in learning how to do the job right...and I need to get better what I do. The players are keeping up their end of the bargain, but I need to do the same. And I dont have alot of time to figure it out before we are in too deep of a hole to get out of Reporter 1: You are still new to this team, how are you connecting with the players? I have to meet them half-way. I know that I need to engage them in the team and show them that it matters to me. I have posted game sims and have re-started the "Throne Room" where "crowns" are awarded for outstanding play during a sim. I dont know if it is working, but it makes things more enjoyable for me. Reporter 2: Do you think the teams have an advantage over you because of their draft strategy? Oh wow, tough question. I think there are teams that have an advantage for sure, not sure if it was because of the draft or the players retained from last season. But either way, yea, we are playing catch-up for sure. Reporter 1: Why did you continue to draft defenders when there was still good forwards on the board? <Laughing> You do not expect me to give up my draft strategy do you? Reporter 1: What do I say to the fans who are disappointed with the results so far? Be patient, the players are giving it all on the ice. They deserve your support. Yes, the results are not there yet, but they are on the way. Dont give up on us, we are going to shock everyone some day soon. With that response, Otis waved at the reporters and walked away from the podium, giving out a "Go Kings!" as he stepped out the door. No one knows for sure what the future holds for the Kings, but it is obvious that Boudreaux has a plan....as long as the fans give him the time to carry it out. Word Count: 552 Week Claimed: 27 Aug 2023

Hello and welcome to the league. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Have fun!

Welcome @Alonzo This is a great league to be in for sure! Dont hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need anything!

@Odette.Boudreaux has created a new player, Rory Sullivan!

Welcome back!! If you need anything at all please let me know!!

Welcome to the league! Dont hesitate to reach out if you have any questions at all!

Sorry I am a little late on welcoming you back. For some reason my boss expects me to work during the day! Anyway, welcome back and, like everyone else, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have

Thanks for the explanation!! Something new learned that could be beneficial later. Appreciate it!

The hardest part of preparing for a draft is trying to determine the draft strategy of the other General Managers. Yes, a draft is the opportunity to bring in new players for your team, but it is also a chess match with the other teams. At the end, I think it is important to analyze how I did in the draft and what things I can do better next time. The first thing I realized is the nature of the M means that draft picks have different value than they do in a traditional draft. Players that I bring into the Mexico City Kings will, at best, be on the team for 2 seasons. There may be the odd player that is on the roster for longer than 2, but it looks like that is the norm. Ironically the players who earn TPE at a super-fast rate run the risk of being a one-season wonder. So I got a crash-course in draft pick value for sure. I was selected as the General Manager of Mexico City about a week before the draft. My previous stint in a front office was as the Assistant General Manager of the Calgary Wranglers in the VHL. Player values and trade strategy followed, what I would call, traditional thinking so it all made sense to me. The goal is to build a winning franchise and the intent is to keep players as long as possible...but the VHLM is different. So yea, draft position value is much different for sure. That was my first lesson. My second lesson was the expectation of having a back-up goalie. I made the mistake of reading the rules for all of the VHL league levels in one sitting. I was also the General Manager of Team Europe which required me to have 2 goalies and to play both of them. I guess I combined all of that together and thought I had to have a back-up goalie. Not only did I think that I needed one, but I also thought that ALL teams needed a back-up. So as I put my draft board together I made sure to include a back-up goalie selection, trying to think long-term as well. I wanted to make sure I had a back-up that would be more of a long-term project because of the value I place on a good goalie. I was pleased to get my back-up but wasnt sure why other teams were not picking them. I thought they were going to rely on signing back-ups via waivers since they had their main goalies. This incorrect belief I held impacted my 6th round selection as well as I selected a 3rd goalie, thinking that I would be able to trade that player for a selection in next season's draft. But I was wrong.... Oddly enough, the VHLM does not require teams to have a back-up goalie. I found out we are the only level of the VHL that does not require that, as far as I know (that is a topic for another discussion...if I decide to even go there). At this point, I am not sure what is correct, haha. But the end result is that I have three goalies on my roster, when I only needed one. That mistake has a variety of impacts on the team....I could have selected a Forward instead of the back-up goalie. There were still quite a few good ones on the board that would have made an immediate impact on the team. But I didnt do it. By the time I was able to make another selection, the Forwards were few and far between. And I have 3 goalies.... So I cost our team a Forward that would make an immediate impact on the team, plus I have a goalie that will have to be released and another that, according to the league expectations, I did not even need on the team. Yes, there is more I learned, but those 2 were huge. I have made quite a few notes to apply to my draft strategy for my next one...never stop learning...never stop improving... Word Count: 613 Week Claimed: 20 Aug 2023

Do you win your bets? I used to do that years ago...but I seemed to lose more than I won, lol.