RileyL

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
(Marcel's stats/Daniel's stats)
 
Calgary is at the moment showing the longest win streak in the league and sit at fourth seed in the NA conference with one point trailing behind LA. London is also sitting on fourth in the European conference, three points behind Moscow but with two games in hand.
 
We picked one game for each brother to break them down.
 

3-2 (OT)
In the match we chose to showcase for Marcel, London took the overtime win in a fairly even match. The first period ended in a goalless tie, not for lack of trying, though as both teams registered eleven attempts to break the spell. In the second frame TBGCOS scored on a power play to put Chicago ahead. It was in the third period when London finally woke up. Former Calgary prospect Rage scored on even strength. Less than two minutes later, Vidot put the Phoenix ahead again. Shortly after that, Monkey equalized the score and sent the game to overtime. It took the Brits three and a half minutes as well as three shots, before Monkey with his second of the night, put the final nail in Chicago's coffin. Him (2g/0a), Rage (1g/0) and TBGCOS (1g/0a) were named the three stars of the game. Teno (.942) had Minion's (.909) number all night. London's power play was anemic (0/3) while the penalty killing was decent (5/6).
Marcel left the ice with a 0g, 0a, +1, 2 PIM (Roughing, no effect on the score), 5 hits and 2sb
 

1-5
Our featured match for Calgary, is a 5-1 win over the perennial bottom feeder in the NA conference, the Toronto Legion. Interestingly, the Ontario outfit would only need 35 seconds into the game to score their first (and only) goal. Atlas found the crease on the map and was able to put his colours ahead. The Wranglers mimicked the Legion in the second period, when they also took less than a minute after the face off. The Captain took things into his own hand to tie the game. Dan wins an offensive draw against Atlas and passes to Abbas who shoots but is off target. Braun then digs out the orphaned disc and gives it a go, but sees his attempt blocked by Clark. Wolanin gains possession and misses the net. The Swiss Center finds the lose puck and beats Castle on the near post. A little more than two minutes later, Wolanin puts Calgary in front with a power play marker. In the third frame, Justice and VLG scored within fourteen seconds of each other to increase the Wranglers' lead. The Rotkreuz native scored his second of the match to make it 5-1. This time, Dan won the face off in his own end and passes to Larry on the wing. Abbas ignites the afterburner and rushes into Toronto's zone. A nice pass back to AG, who one-times it to Janser. The veteran forward has nothing but net in front of him, as the netminder was out of position, and converts this opportunity in cold blood. The places of honour went to Janser (2g/0a), Gonçalves (0g/2a) and VLG (1g/1a). Lindbergh (.938) clearly dominated Castle (.878) in the battle between the pipes. Calgary's power play was mediocre (1/5), their box play immaculate (4/4).
Daniel was credited with 2g, 0a, +1, 2 hits, FO%61.11 and a first star distinction
 
Here are the brothers' stats in the aggregate:
Marcel: 33gp, 2g, 10a, 12pts, +13, 32 PIM, 47 hits, 50sb, 1gwg, 1 First Star nomination
Daniel: 32gp, 16g, 26a, 42pts, +7, 30 PIM, 63 hits, 24sb, 1gwg, FO% 57.48, 4 First Star nominations
 
We will revert with news on our compatriots endeavours in due course. Stay tuned and do not miss out on our earlier articles.
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/134942-a-tale-of-two-brothers-tervetuloa-marcel-janser/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/135154-a-tale-of-two-brothers-how-the-turn-tables/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/135228-a-tale-of-two-brothers-i-am-a-wanderer/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/135358-a-tale-of-two-brothers-the-hurt-does-go-on/
 
1/2 claims (week ending 23rd April 2023)
 

1. First off, well deserved! It happened so fast that I didn't even see who was in contention, so I had no prediction. 
 
2. Hopefully a bunch more times. I don't think teams will ever learn.
 
3. Well at the time of writing this, Leandro was the first to get it so I think the second person will be Landon.
 
4. I've seen him talk to his post. Most of the time it's about random topics that aren't hockey related.
 
5. It's nice and clean. Very good job!
 
6. Ceral. More specifically, Cheerios.

1. It felt good, been so ready for the season to start.
 
2. I did, Idk how to feel just got to hope that RNG treats me well.
 
3. Well obviously disappointed but we know and they know we will be back to full form in a week or two.
 
4. I think we will be in the same boat as last year, probably 2-3 in the conference
 
5. I do celebrate Easter. I spent time with family.
 
6. I would say I do. I get around 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

1. Playing the game he loves. He is ready to get things going.
 
2. I think the picks were good. They are going to be the players of the future and help Calgary stay dominant for seasons to come.
 
3. No, I just kinda paid attention to what Calgary did.
 
4. The pose would be Larry in a skating stride.
 
5. Sure?
 
6. Not like I should. I need to do a better job.
 

F - Molly the Cat
 
@thadthrasher - I think we are done

D - Phil Strasmore
G - Oskar Lindbergh
 
@AJW

F - Daniel Janser
D - Jake Thunder
 
@AJW

F - Brendan Marner
 
@AJW
 

1. Larry is participating in ProAm for the first time and I'm surprised at how well he is doing.
 
2. He is ready and is ready to take the next step in his VHL career.
 
3. No, not really. 
 
4. His shooting and offensive/defensive consistency.
 
5. Edmonton has been hot and is in a tight race for the pacific lead. I'm just hoping they can continue their success into the playoffs.
 
6. Living in Canada, I'd have to say shoveling. It does a number on the back and is just annoying to do.

1. It feels great! Ready to run it back.
 
2. Well no lead in hockey is safe, but with the group we had, it would have been difficult for Davos to come back.
 
3. With a big parade and lots of beer.
 
4. Amazing work! 
 
5. 100%.
 
6. When they come on the radio it's a vibe!
 
 

1. We won the chip baby, wohoooo!
 
2. It's very tight defensively. It is hard for anyone to get going and really take over a game.
 
3. I don't think it is a skill issue, it's just that every team is locked in and playing more defensively than they would be in the regular season.
 
4. He likes both but prefers the home crowd. He loves when the fans are hyped and going crazy.
 
5. Very excited for the snow to be gone! I'm lucky I don't have to deal with allergies.
 
6. I'm basic, so just a regular pepperoni pizza.
 

Hello everyone,
 
Not gonna bother with a members tag on this, if you see it then great, you will be rewarded for that. If you don’t then…. Well why am I writing this because if you don’t see it how can you read this part?
 
Anyway, today marks 5717 days (that’s 15 years, 7 months, and 26 days if you’re curious) since the VHL opened its doors. What a random number you might say, why does that matter? Well if I do the math, and I have, I was born 5717 days before the start of the VHL. Given that I joined on day one and have been here ever since that means today marks the official day that I have been in the VHL just as long as I was outside of it. Is that a stupid thing to celebrate? Probably but that won’t stop me; so please let me indulge in a bit of sentimentality for a moment.
 
When the VHL started I had not yet completed high school, I had never had a girlfriend, hell I had never kissed a girl. I was a lonely nerd turning to the internet to find something to do; and I found it. The VHL was not my first sim league, wasn’t even the first one I joined ran by the people who ran it, but it was the first that felt different and felt like it had a good chance of surviving which so few at that point had done. I found a community here. I cannot honestly say that everything went perfectly or that my start in the VHL was without fault; I very nearly left for good within 2 months, but I stayed. I have now not only finished high school but university and going on 10 years working post-schooling. I have now not only had a steady relationship but a wife and two children, a life. All the while the VHL has been there, constantly evolving with the times sure but present. Over 5 years ago I took up the mantel of commissioner. I did it not because I thought I was necessarily the best person for the job but because I thought the league needed something, it was in trouble and I didn’t want to see it fail. I like to think that in these 5 years of growth I have at least stalled that failure.
 
5717 days likely means nothing to any of you, just as that paragraph likely means nothing to any of you, but it means something to me. This league, this place, this community has been a standard in my life for longer than most anything else. I’m not going anywhere right now, that’s not what this is, but I did want to mark the occasion because this league does mean a lot to me.
 
So if you’ve made it this far feel free to take 5 uncapped TPE for your troubles, on me. I’m not sure the insane total I’ve had over the years (probably over 10k by now) so 5 for everyone that I bored with this story should suffice as a thank you for being my weird extended internet family.

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
(Marcel's stats/Daniel's stats)
 
It is done! After 25 seasons of sweat, blood and tears, the Calgary Wranglers climbed Mount Olympus of Icehockey again. The series against Davos Dynamo was harder fought than the 4-1 (3-4 OTL, 5-2, 4-3, 3-2 and 2-1) score would lead you to believe. It speaks for the Wranglers' long term strategy, masterfully executed by GM Kris Rice, that most members of the cup winning team (Braun and Lindbergh being the exception) were drafted and developed by Calgary. The integration of young, promising players was rewarded as not one of the usual suspects Janser, Wolanin or Gonçalves scored the last (and cup winning) goal of the season, but rookie sensation Larry Abbas Jr.
The captain was probably the player who was sitting on hot coals the most in the dying minutes of the match. For him, more than the Continental Cup was at stake. Leonard S. Kinnard told him in the second intermission, that Bonnie was brought to the hospital as her labour began and he left it up to the center whether he would finish the match. Dan knew that Bonnie would never forgive him if he missed hoisting the cup and so he stayed. His wife would hold out. He did not like Davos' late equalizer one bit, no sir. But he was relieved when winger Abbas scored the decisive marker on a feed of Wolanin and... Janser. From that moment on, every Wrangler and their mothers protected the net even more than they already did.
Alberta has suffered long enough and Dan has an appointment with his wife and son. The team bobbed and weaved and killed the clock. The sold out Saddle Dome counted down the last twenty seconds, when Booberry has already vacated Davos' net in order to give his team the extra attacker. They tried their all to score the tying goal again. Alas, it was not to be and Calgary won the cup. The release, the joy, the noise, the deed is done. The Swiss center could not wait, until he was able to hoist the cup.
Once done, he immediately handed it down to Lindbergh, the goaltender who was considering retirement prior this season. He was directly flown to the hospital with the Wrangler-Copter as the streets were a riot with people celebrating in the street and performing imprompt car corso's. It did not help that it was St. Patrick's Day as well. He just arrived in the nick of time, still wearing his uniform to welcome his first born Callum Gareth Yannick Janser to this world. It is hard to tell which achievement moved the Captain more and it is a safe bet that he allowed himself a Guiness or two (and maybe even the odd uisge-beatha).
Alas, with great success comes big paychecks and with big paychecks come cap issues. The Wranglers' upper brass have their work cut out for them and it is safe to assume that we will not see the S87 Wranglers in the same constellation again. It is a bitter sweet melody of success. However, we heard from the management that Dan extended his contract with a NTC, which means that he will retire in the Red, White and Black for which he gave and will give his all. Here once more the heroes who won it all and which we may never see again in this composition (except for a tribute game):
 
GM Kris Ricer / AGM Leonard S. Kinnard
 
LW Vincent Laroche-Gagnier
LW Landon Wolanin (A)
LW Larry Abbas Jr
C Leandro Gonçalves (A)
C Sax Justice
D Phil Strasmore
D AirRig GoodBrandSun
D Lloyd Braun
G Karl Pedersen
G Oskar Lindbergh
D Marcel Janser
C Daniel Janser (C)
 
Normally, we would display the Jansers' stats at this moment, but we think it would not be appropriate in this instance as this cup was won by a team that gave their all for their next men and their fans. Who changed their game from an offensive Juggernaut to a defensive Behemoth. It does not matter who contributed how many goals or points. They stood as one and won the prize as one. Everyone was essential in this cup run for the ages between two of the original Eight franchises.
 
We will be back with news as soon as same are available.
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133747-a-tale-of-two-brothers-here-we-go-again/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133764-a-tale-of-two-brothers-sweepstakes/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133877-a-tale-of-two-brothers-a-talk-with-the-captain/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133955-a-tale-of-two-brothers-slaying-bears/
 
 

I just wanted to take the opportunity to congratulate the fine folks in the Calgary Wranglers' organization on their Continental Cup win over the HC Davos Dynamo. GM @Ricer13 has been around about as long as I have and the victory couldn't have gone to a nicer guy. There's a locker room full of character players and it's fitting that they were able to break Calgary's 24-season Cup drought.
 
Five players recorded over a point per game and after losing the first game in overtime the Wranglers buckled down and dispatched Davos by winning four straight with my former Vegas Teammate Larry Abass Jr @RileyL scoring only his second goal of the postseason at 18:14 of the third period to win the Cup for Cowtown in Game 5.
 
Most of all I want to congratulate my buddy Oskar Lindbergh @Doomsday. We toiled together for years in Prague to no avail and then he stayed loyal to Toronto for a long time before getting his chance with Calgary and showing the league what he could do and dominated in the playoffs. In the final game Calgary was outshot 33-19 and stopped all but one goal in a clutch performance to help his team become champions. 
 
Great job Calgary! Perhaps Cowtown should be renamed Cuptown.
 

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
(Marcel's stats/Daniel's stats)
 
The Wranglers are up in the series against the Bears 3-2 and have a first match point tonight. Our Canadian correspondent Jean-Luc Lieuxperroux met with Daniel to get a statement regarding the state of the Wrangler-nation.
 
Jean-Luc Lieuxperroux (JLL): 'Good evening Daniel, how are you?'
Daniel Janser (DJ): 'Hi Jean-Luc, fresh as a daisy, thanks.'
JLL: 'Calgary made it past the first round since you joined the roster. Are you excited about this?'
DJ: 'Definitely, in some of the previous post-season campaigns we had no reason to exit early but yet did anyway. This was kind of frustrating, but at the same time makes for a good underdog story. Everyone likes them, me included. It just stinks if you are in the supposedly superior team.'
JLL: 'In game 73, you got into a physical altercation and were sent off after only seven minutes into the game. Care to share your perspective?'
DJ: 'Sure. Hogan ran over Lindbergh after some chaos around the net. Wolanin then gently tapped him with the stick to remind the player that netminders are off limits, playoffs be damned. Lampi then checked Landon in the back and that is when Marcel, Larry and I dropped the gloves to draw a line in the sand. Abbas held his own against veteran Lamb and Marcel and I floored Stone and Nano respectively. The referees then came to the conclusion that I instigated the line brawl and sent my sorry ass packing.'
JLL 'Do you feel that it was an unjust call?'
DJ: 'I accept their decision. Their job is difficult and decisions need to be made in a split second. It was early in the game and they had to set a pace for the remainder of the match. I am not in a habit of criticizing the umpires' calls. We have to play in a way, that we do not give them a lot of opportunities to make a 'wrong' call. They are humans after all and make mistakes, as we all do.'
JLL: 'You have three game winning goals in this post-season so far and are one of the more dominant players in these playoffs. Does that make you confident for tonight's game?'
DJ: 'It certainly does not hold me back. However, the Bears have shown time and again that they are a clutch team and know to win when it counts. And with Blake Campbell, they have VHL's Scotty Bowman on the bench who knows all the tricks there are to be known. You know, no-one wants a game seven unless you are 3-something down. I hope we can get the decision for this series tonight, as wounded bears are the most dangerous ones, as my Canadian team mates told me. It certainly does not pay to sell the hide of a bear that you have yet to kill.'
JLL: 'We will cross our fingers for you tonight for sure. Now to something completely different. How is Bonnie doing and would you mind to share how far into the pregnancy you guys are?'
DJ: 'Bonnie is very well, thanks for asking. Our boy is due in the next couple of weeks, but Bonnie mentioned that her side of the family tends to be early, so it could be any day now.'
JLL: 'Thanks Daniel for your time and good luck tonight and with the expected new addition to your family.'
DJ: 'Thanks, Jean-Luc appreciate it.'
 
We will report further on the matter in due course. Meanwhile, here are the stats of our Rotkreuz studs:
Marcel: 9gp, 0g, 5a, 5pts, +8, 11 PIM, 12 hits, 10sb
Daniel: 9gp, 8g, 8a, 16pts, +4, 27 PIM, 20 hits, 7sb, 54.52FO%, 3gwg, 4ppg, 2 First star nominations
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133423-a-tale-of-two-brothers-back-where-we-belong/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133490-a-tale-of-two-brothers-an-announcement/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133747-a-tale-of-two-brothers-here-we-go-again/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/133764-a-tale-of-two-brothers-sweepstakes/
 
 

1. He's ready to go and is looking to help Calgary in any way he can.
 
2. Unfortunately it didn't happen.
 
3. I think Larry will have a tougher time in the playoffs than he did in the regular season but you never know.
 
4. The safe answer would be Janser or Wolanin, but I am going to say that Braun @Toast will get one.
 
5. Never.
 
6. IDK, I don't really read books, but the books I have read are already movies.
 

1. Hell ya!
 
2. As of writing this 0%.
 
3. He likes to play in Vancouver.
 
4. To keep it 100 I have no idea what happened.
 
5. Tampa overpaying for a grinder is surprising, and Ottawa getting Chychrun for so cheap.
 
6. No.
 

1. To be honest it's probably because they know they won't be as good as us.
 
2. I think this says a lot about our future goaltender and that we will have a reliable goalie for seasons to come.
 
3. You never know with the sim, but with how this season has gone I wouldn't be surprised if it stays neck-and-neck.
 
4. Mark Messier, for his gritty play, and his ability to score with the best of them.
 
5. I'm still decently young, so I'll say my parents because they both show how hard work will eventually pay off and that all the long hours of working weren't for nothing. 
 
6. I'm a be honest, I've never seen Star Trek and I've only watched about an hour of Star Wars, but just because of the Star Wars lego, ill say Star Wars. 

1. To be honest it's probably because they know they won't be as good as us.
 
2. I think this says a lot about our future goaltender and that we will have a reliable goalie for seasons to come.
 
3. You never know with the sim, but with how this season has gone I wouldn't be surprised if it stays neck-and-neck.
 
4. Mark Messier, for his gritty play, and his ability to score with the best of them.
 
5. I'm still decently young, so I'll say my parents because they both show how hard work will eventually pay off and that all the long hours of working weren't for nothing. 
 
6. I'm a be honest, I've never seen Star Trek and I've only watched about an hour of Star Wars, but just because of the Star Wars lego, ill say Star Wars. 

Graphic courtesy of Leandrofg
(Marcel's stats/Daniel's stats)
 
After a long absence from reporting on our two intrepid heroes, we have a lot of catching up to do. So without any further ado, let's get this show on the road.
 
Calgary has had ups and downs in the course of the 55 games they have played. They show a 33-15-7 record and are tied second in points in the NA conference and fourth in the league. Left winger Landon Wolanin has league wide the most markers to his name with 39, Daniel is hot in his trail with 37 on the second place. It is safe to say that both players would be happy for the other one, in case either takes home the Brooks. In the points race the positions are switched with Janser being tied first (together with Marner) at 84 points each with Wolanin on second with 77 points. The winger is also tied-first in game winning goals, sharing his place in the lime light with Latvian forward Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems with nine decisive goals. Gonçalves provides top ten goals (33) for the Albertan team's secondary scoring and is the most abused player in the league. Janser remains a menace on the draw, being the best of his trade at the moment when it comes to winning the puck.
In the Stolzschweiger race, Abbas Jr is in a threeway tie with Prague's Kauppi and Riga's St-Louis with 40 points each, whereas Helsinki's Dixon fell behind (30).
In net, the Wranglers are solid with a combined 6 shutouts between Pedersen and Lindbergh and both of them being north of the .920 saving rate mark.
In the defense, AirRig GoodBrandSun is as usual in the top ten in terms of production, whereas to everybody's surprise, Bo Johansson was not able to repeat his stellar S86 season. Sax Justice is one of the best defensive forwards in the league with a +26 rating, good for second place. While he is not the deadly scorer (even though he has set new personal records in goals and points already), he certainly is a pain in the neck to score against. Exactly the role which GM Kris Rice has assigned to the winger turned center. He is the fail-safe for the Wolanin-Janser power train, and these two have repeatedly assured that they appreciate his defensive play and that he does not get enough love by supporters and media alike. He is the unsung hero, for years being one of the top ten player in the +/- rating. Taking hardly any penalties and defending with his gray matter rather than with brawn, doing the small but important things right.
The rookies Abbas, VLG and Braun made a decent entry into the league and will develop into good players. They are soaking up any advice thrown their way by the veterans in the team and show steady improvement in their play, even dropping the gloves if the situation calls for it.
Marcel will in all likelyhood stay south of 50 points, but sofar has never had a negative +/- rating and is the reliable stay at home defender. Strasmore keeps up with his physical play and trash talks his way under the opposing players' skin. Just recently he provoked his opposite number to a fight with 1:27 minutes into the game, which ended up for said player to be dismissed from the game. Yes, it took Strassy 87 seconds to annoy a professional hockey player to the point they snapped (he probably was still hung over from the stash of half full rum bottles he found in his bachelor pad). He is also the secondmost penalized player in the league, behind Brian Payne Train.
 
Let's hope that this time CGY is going for a cup run.
 
Here are the Jansers' stats for the season:
Marcel: 55gp, 4g, 28a, 32pts, +19, 60 PIM, 66 hits, 102sb, 1gwg, 3ppg
Daniel: 55gp, 37g, 47a, 87pts, +24, 82 PIM, 132 hits, 22sb, 5gwg, 6ppg, 1shg, 60.66FO%, 5 first star nominations
 
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/132607-a-tale-of-two-brothers-champions-of-the-world/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/132733-a-tale-of-two-brothers-change-of-pace/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/132890-vsn-presents-the-draft-that-built-the-future-a-calgary-wranglers-story/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/132924-a-tale-of-two-brothers-almost-a-third-done/
 

Fans stand up and cheer for their team as the game is about to begin.
 
One of the craziest experiences our players will face will be their opponents who are constantly back-and-forth on giving or taking wins, the electrifying hype in each other's arenas to celebrate the gladiators of the hockey arena, the constant player and fans chirping, and emotions always running high. This. Win. Matters. For VHL rookie Nikolas Kauppi of the Prague Phantoms, this is especially true for not only the teams he's faced since the start in the Minors but also fellow rookies fighting for the title of Rookie of the Year in the VHL. Rivalries are an incredible source of inspiration, motivation, and overall morale. Let's start where it all began -- the VHLM. After lacing up for a few games for the Saskatoon Wild, Kauppi found himself traded to the Mexico City Kings. In his first ever season he would actually find himself in the playoffs and score only one playoff goal, but only to be eliminated in the semi-finals 1-4 against the Las Vegas Aces. In his second VHLM season serving as captain, Kauppi and the Kings had a tough start of the season but finished it strong enough to be in the playoffs. Once again, the Kings would find themselves against the Aces in the semi-finals. Eager to deny the Aces a spot in the finals, the Kings fought hard all the way to game 7 where they unfortunately lost 2-5. The Mexico City Kings are currently #1 overall in the league with 77 points (as of this post) and have left the Las Vegas Aces in the dust where they stand at 30 points. Despite this, I believe the rivalry between the Kings and Aces is real and true, and will continue until the end of time. Also, #blamecole @badcolethetitan
 

The face off. A quick duel to gain possession of the puck first.
 
As most of us know, after our players are finished in the Minors they graduate to the European league. Kauppi's next stop? Norway, home of the Oslo Storm where he played for one season as an alternate captain bearing the pressure of continuing the Storm's Renaissance Cup championship the season prior. Once again, his team finds it difficult in the beginning of the season. There were a couple of teams that gave the Storm some grief, but one in particular stood out the most -- the Cologne Express. Out of the 10 regular season games played against them, Oslo only won 3 of those. Concerning the playoffs, even if Oslo managed to get a wild card slot, it was more than likely a team like Cologne would eliminate them with ease. It was the middle of the season when the GM @JB123 had finally had enough and lit a fire under his captain's asses. Step up or step out, we're getting that damn Cup again. And just like a miracle on 34th street, that fire was blazing a playoff trail that, at the end of the season, granted them a chance of entry as a wild card. After a decisive 2-0 series win against the Istanbul Red Wolves, the semi-finals against the Cologne Express was up next. Nerves were wracked in this series, but Oslo stayed resolute. However, in game 6 it was yet again another miracle. All Oslo had to do was win this game, and despite being outshot 50 to 26, @SebastienDokis scored the game winning goal in the 3rd period. The Storm, against all odds, defeated a rival seemingly unmatched by any other team in the E. Afterwards, Oslo went on to face Rome in the finals and defeated them in game 7 with a score of 3-1. They did it. The Oslo Storm, the first team in VHLE history to hoist the Renaissance Cup twice in a row. As it stands now, Oslo and Cologne are neck-and-neck at the top in the regular season standings and it would be incredible to see the two rivals duke it out in the finals, and even more so to see Oslo win it a third time.
 

Two players, likely rivals, fighting on the ice.
 
With a championship title finally under his wing, Kauppi finally enters into the VHL. Skates still blazing hot from his last victory, he entered training camp with stars in his eyes and a newfound appreciation for the sport. However, like clockwork with a new team, he struggled to find his footing and the losses start accumulating like snow in a blizzard at the start of the season. Now, I'm not familiar with Prague's (or any team's, really) history or rivals, except last season where they made it to the finals. Unfortunately, it wasn't an easy feat either. In the quarter-finals, they took the Warsaw Predators to game 7 and won 8-5. In the semi-finals, they took HC Davos Dynamo to game 7 as well and won 3-1. When the Phantoms stood face-to-face against the Vancouver Wolves they also went to game 7, but lost in a very close match that ended 1-2 in overtime. Now representing Prague, Kauppi hopes to eventually prove his worth to the franchise and help bring their first Continental Cup home. Prague's status in the standings seem dire, but instead of the championship cup Kauppi's eyes are affixed to the rookie standings. Understanding he likely has no chance against goalie Matt Murdock @Acydburn, he pays no mind to that and instead focuses on players currently at the top like Larry Abass Jr @RileyL, Sadie St-Louis @sadie, and defenseman Quinn Clark @axtron. Not only did Kauppi not see himself anywhere close to the top (at least for now) for rookies because of his play style, but the player right above him...is a former rival. Abass Jr. of the Calgary Wranglers, currently in the lead with 39 points, was also on his rival team the Las Vegas Aces. He may just be the player to put the spurs into Kauppi's sides enough to feed his ambition. As far as teams go, it could be Vancouver that are Prague's rival. In fact out of the 3 games we've played against them we've won 2 of them and have one more before the season ends, and while Kauppi loves the sport and the challenge...his blazing trail has changed direction from a team to a potential rookie of the year. Watch out, Larry Abass Jr., I'm taking that number one spot at the end of the season!
 
1044 words, claiming as PT for weeks ending February 19 and March 5, 2023. ALSO THEME WEEK YPE.

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