Anthique

Welcome back!!

Player Information
Username: Anthique
Player Name: Alphonse Desjardins
Recruited From: Returning
Age: 18
Position: D
Height: 76 in.
Weight: 215 lbs.
Birthplace: France

Player Page
@VHLM GM

Hi all,
 
Recently, the sim world lost a friend. Seen a post in one of my SHL locker rooms and wasn't too sure who it had been at quick glance. All I knew was there were some pretty upset members in there. Went on the SHL forums today to find out that a member known as TheDangaZone had unfortunately passed away. This is a member that I've had the opportunity to have some chats with over the years and it's always a terrible, challenging time for a lot of members who have been affected by these events. 
 
Some of you may have known them and had the chance to interact with them over the seasons. Some of you may not know them at all. Despite being in different leagues, with different members, rules, and even thoughts about one another's leagues, we're one massive community when piled together of Simulation Sports League communities that share so many qualities and traits as well. I think it's important to stand with the rest of our sim league community and show our support if you wish. A reminder, please respect the privacy of all those who are grieving.
 
SHL Announcement on the Passing of a Member
 
 
 

Review.
I like this idea and the writing supporting it. I was a Nordiques fan way back when I was a youngin'. But, also as a whole, I believe Canada should have more teams. You did well with your writing and supportive facts.
I would give this media spot a 9/10. It seems you took your time and thought it out well before posting it instead of just throwing it together. Spelling and all are on point too. 
79 words.

Yes, And call them the Montreal feuille d'érable 🍁

Montreal should have a team imo. 
 
 

When I look at the teams missing in the VHLM, and even in the VHL, it's a team in the Province of Québec. 
I know that in the past a team in Québec was in the league and moved to Vancouver, but with only half the teams in the league comes from North America and the other half are in Europe, that give not much room for a lot of city that should have a team in either of the three leagues. The VHL have a mix of North American team and European Teams, the VHLE is Europeans and the VHLM is North American.
 
I'm kinda surprise that in neither league a team in Montréal have existed in almost 100 seasons! The Canadiens is the most iconic hockey team and there is no team trying to emulate their success? It would be nice in the future to have a team with a Bleu Blanc Rouge branding in the VHL. We had some people lately that tried to make customs jerseys for the VHL team and it was difficult for some of them to find the right colors for them. A nice «tricolors» jersey would have been nice to see something different than Black&White. I know that New York have really similar colors, but the emphasis on each color is not the same. We can’t move a team in New York, the biggest market of the East Coast away, so maybe an expansion? Would be funny that the city who is the origin of the NHL and the team who have the most Stanley Cup will have his first team from an expansion!
 
The branding of Québec was a nice one, and I love that Vancouver took a part of «La Meute» to bring in their Wolves branding. In almost every sim league, we have Wolf somewhere, and that’s a thing that the real-life professional hockey is missing. I don’t consider the Coyotes to be one, but in the AHL we have the Chicago Wolves and nothing in the ECHL. The only thing that I don’t agree with, it’s staying with only the black and white as color… I find it a bit boring.
With all the teams in the Province that play in either of the three majors leagues, I’m sure we can look at some of them and get inspiration from. The Canadiens, the Rocket, the Lions and if we look at junior, we can add the Remparts and the Armada.
 
There is a lot of logo and amateur branding for a come back of a team in Québec so the inspiration won’t be a problem. You can’t use the Nordiques name or the logo, but a rebrand of «La Meute» or use the Harfangs if you want an animal can be a good option. If you want something more original, you can use the city fortification that are more than 300 years old and a big part of the heritage of the French colonisation. That can also be use about the part that they are the only territory in America that speak French as their first language.
So this is it, I’m not a graphic guy so won’t bring my personal branding.
 
 

When I look at the teams missing in the VHLM, and even in the VHL, it's a team in the Province of Québec. 
I know that in the past a team in Québec was in the league and moved to Vancouver, but with only half the teams in the league comes from North America and the other half are in Europe, that give not much room for a lot of city that should have a team in either of the three leagues. The VHL have a mix of North American team and European Teams, the VHLE is Europeans and the VHLM is North American.
 
I'm kinda surprise that in neither league a team in Montréal have existed in almost 100 seasons! The Canadiens is the most iconic hockey team and there is no team trying to emulate their success? It would be nice in the future to have a team with a Bleu Blanc Rouge branding in the VHL. We had some people lately that tried to make customs jerseys for the VHL team and it was difficult for some of them to find the right colors for them. A nice «tricolors» jersey would have been nice to see something different than Black&White. I know that New York have really similar colors, but the emphasis on each color is not the same. We can’t move a team in New York, the biggest market of the East Coast away, so maybe an expansion? Would be funny that the city who is the origin of the NHL and the team who have the most Stanley Cup will have his first team from an expansion!
 
The branding of Québec was a nice one, and I love that Vancouver took a part of «La Meute» to bring in their Wolves branding. In almost every sim league, we have Wolf somewhere, and that’s a thing that the real-life professional hockey is missing. I don’t consider the Coyotes to be one, but in the AHL we have the Chicago Wolves and nothing in the ECHL. The only thing that I don’t agree with, it’s staying with only the black and white as color… I find it a bit boring.
With all the teams in the Province that play in either of the three majors leagues, I’m sure we can look at some of them and get inspiration from. The Canadiens, the Rocket, the Lions and if we look at junior, we can add the Remparts and the Armada.
 
There is a lot of logo and amateur branding for a come back of a team in Québec so the inspiration won’t be a problem. You can’t use the Nordiques name or the logo, but a rebrand of «La Meute» or use the Harfangs if you want an animal can be a good option. If you want something more original, you can use the city fortification that are more than 300 years old and a big part of the heritage of the French colonisation. That can also be use about the part that they are the only territory in America that speak French as their first language.
So this is it, I’m not a graphic guy so won’t bring my personal branding.
 
 

2. Now that we’re halfway through the season, are we performing as you’ve expected?
Not better, but not really worst either. Considering the roster of the team, it's expected.
 
3. The rebuild is still going strong. Any draftees in the upcoming class catch your interest to add to our squad?
Wait till a recreate to ask me that question hahahaha!
 
5. How many goals and assists has your player scored this season?
Not enough lol I'm at 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 games before wednesday sim. It will be by far my worst season since I was a rookie.
 
6. Predict the NA and EU conference champion! 
I will go with Toronto since they have a bif lead, and London since we can't be them (New York)
 
7. I went to a San Diego Gulls game last weekend! Have you ever gone to a professional hockey game live? 
Yes three times. Two in New York and one in Montréal (The Canadiens each times, against the Islanders X2 and Colorado)
 
8. How well would your player fare in an Easter egg hunt?
Not good haha! Better at eating them than finding them!

graphic courtesy by Leandrofg
(stats for Janser, stats for Kagamine)
 
The VHL is approaching the mid-way mark and the Americans start to look like a playoff team. They sport a 19-8-4 record and continue to be a defensive bulwark with the lowest goals against number. Janser has started to racking up points as well after an underwhelming start into the season, a trait he seems to have inherited of his dad. The towering defender is on a 65 point trajectory for a full season and we hope that he can keep this pace.
 
Today we will show case to games of his team for your entertainment.
 

0-6
In the first featured match, the Americans are meeting the Dynamo, this season's whipping boy in the European conference. A win was expected from the Northamerican representative, and they did not disappoint. New York had a field day with Davos' overburdened defence and sent them packing in a 6-0 win. It took Davis all of 2:49 in the first to score the game winning goal. This was followed up by Freddy's tenth of the season less than one and a half minute later. Both goals were scored on a feed of Janser. In the second frame, Davis raised the stakes again after nineteen seconds of play. Are freaking Joshing me? In the third Analfist with a brace and French with a marker on the man advantage sealed the deal. The three stars all went to New York players in Davis (2g/2a), Analfist (2g/0a) and Janser (0g/2a). 36W had almost a beach day with only seventeen shots fired in his direction and this may well be the easiest earned shutout in his career, Pedersen (.900) was not bad, but with the amount of attempts, it was only a question of when not if he is going to allow goals against. The Americans' special teams were not overworked in this match, as they did not draw a penalty (or rather none which resulted in a power play for Davos) and the power play was immaculate (1/1).
Janser left the field with 0g, 2a, +3, 4 hits, and 1 sb
Rin recorded 0g, 0a, +2 and 2hits 
 

4-2
In the second match, the Empire State boys met an Original Eight franchise from the city Callum grew up in. In a hard fought game, the US team came out victorious. The first period was very one sided in terms of shots with the counter 14-4 in favour of the Albertan team, but balanced in goals scored, since neither team could solve the opposite netminder. In the second frame, the shot clock as well as the score board was balance as either team scored two goals. However, the Wranglers only found a gap when playing on numerical advantage, whereas Champ and Bumfist scored on even strength. In the final period, during a power play situation, Callum scored one of his rare goals. FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY attempts a shot, but same is blocked by Block (sic!), Amish picks up the orphaned disc and whips it off target. The Swiss back digs the puck out and beats Dilson on the far post for the game winner. Calgary then pulled the goalie but with 1:16 left in the game, Davis puts the nail in the coffin with a marker in the deserted Wranglers net. Analfist (1g,2a), Janser (1g/1a) and Davis (1g/1a) were given the post game honours. 36W (.949) wins the duel in with a margin over Dilson (.897). The New York special teams were a bit lack luster with 1/7 for the power play and 3/5 for the penalty killing units. There is certainly room for improvement.
Janser had 1g, 1a, +2, 4 hits and 1sb to his name
Kagamine was noted with 0g, 0a, +1, 1 hit and 4sb
 
Here are the stats for Janser and Kagamine for the season:
Rin: 31gp, 4g, 3a, 7pts, +5, 22 PIM, 37 hits, 51sb, 2ppg, 2gwg
CGY: 31gp, 4g, 24a, 28pts, +26, 72 PIM, 85 hits, 52sb, 2ppg, 1gwg
 
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/145648-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xx-he-is-in-the-army-now/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146035-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xxi-a-busy-offseason/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146308-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xxii-an-inter-season-interview/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146571-vsn-presents-s93-vhl-preview/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146609-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xxiii-a-new-season-is-upon-us/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146757-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xxiv-a-quarter-done/
GM 224: HC Davos Dynamo vs. New York Americans (vhlportal.com)
GM 233: New York Americans vs. Calgary Wranglers (vhlportal.com)
 
 
600+ words

@Members
 
Normally this would just go to the ban thread but given the circumstances I think it's best that everyone know what's going on.
 
It has unfortunately come to the attention of myself and @Acydburn that @Josh has been embezzling league funds for his own purposes. Via his access to the league PayPal he was stripping donation funds as payments for portal, forum, and domain hosting with amounts far higher than were actually needed. Because the line items were things he was paying for we had no reason, for a number of years, to think anything of it and were unaware that the costs were actually far less than what he was reimbursing himself which amounts to potentially thousands of dollars; we're still working out the total figures.
 
Obviously we are completely shocked at this behaviour and have immediately stripped Josh of his role as commissioner pending potential future legal action. We have always held firm that the league funds are used exclusively on league related activities so I am quite frankly pissed that a member of the blue team would take donation money for their own uses; whatever his excuses may be. Please be aware that we will be launching a further investigation and audit of all our costs and funds to be sure that no one else has done anything of the sort in the past.
 
Sincerely,
@Commissioner
 
Edit: In case any future people see the is and don’t see the date; it was purely an April Fool’s joke, Josh was in on it (in fact it was his idea) and the donation money is not only safe but audited.

1. With one week of sims down, is the team performing as you’ve expected?
New York is 3rd in the Conference as of now so almost where we were expecting ourself.
 
2. Who do you predict will be Davos’ MVP this season?
Who can we name other than David Jokinen haha!
 
3. What are your thoughts on our current prospect pool?
Seems good! Hope the Davos rebuild will be successful!
 
4. If you are participating, what does your VHFL or Super Coach team look like? If you aren’t participating, any reason why you chose not to sign up this season?
I have 36W, Reese McFleury, conference Prince de Galles, Jasper Davis, Alfred Champagne and can't remember the last one lol  
 
7. What sports do you enjoy watching besides hockey?
Whatever sport in the playoffs or high intensy/meaningful games.
 
8. What was the last video game you played?
I'm still on Baldur's Gate III hahaha! Act III in my second playthrough.  

graphic courtesy by Leandrofg
(stats for Janser, stats for Kagamine)
 
The Americans have absolved twenty games in the present season and are third in the NA conference with a 11-5-4 and a two win mini streak. As in last season, the team hailing from the Empire State have one of the best back rows in the league, only out-performed by the defending champions D.C. Dragons by the statistical insignificant margin of one goal against. On an individual level, it appears that Janser is on the often quoted sophomore slump, as he has focussed on his leadership skills more than any physical traits, which may have been premature. However, the team does better than last year and looks like a lock for the playoffs, albeit it is still a long way to go. People close to the Swiss back know that he is not too much concerned about personal records, unless they become a liability for his franchise. And one could reasonably argue that while his offensive stats have suffered compared to his rookie campaign, his defensive stats have not. To the contrary, his +/- rating is much better than last year's and he is a less frequent guest in the sin bin. The regression in hits dished may have to do with a more aggressive forward group, chief amongst them Champagne, who leads his team in checking.
 
Not all young players suffer from the dreaded 2nd season curse, though. 36W has already matched last year's shutout total, has a besser save rate and the exact same GAA so far. And they do not seem to slow down at all.
 
What is refreshing is also that the core of this team may have another 2-3 seasons of competitive play in them, if Vince Wong finds a way to manage the salary cap. It is also true that Lecavalier and the aforementioned Champagne will hang up their skates for good, but with Gretzky, the best player of all sports, times and leagues is chomping at the bit to get called up.
 
However, there are of course question marks behind Callum's roomie and fellow draftee, Rin Kagamine's development. Since she has been in New York, she has done the bare minimum in the training sessions and her once stellar projection is now in jeopardy. Rumours have it that the 'Nagasaki Nightingale' may suffer from a severe case of homesickness, but the player as well as the New York management refused to comment on the matter.  
 
In the next four matches, the Americans will face Moscow, leader of the European conference and perennial contender under Euron Leonidas, Seattle under the experienced guidance of Blake Campbell, the Prague Phantoms under new Management of Leonard S. Kinnard and finally London with the cup winning GM Jacob Carson. All four teams are among the top four in their respective conference. Especially the game against the Bears could be groundbreaking as the teams are only two points apart and a win in regulation in this match practically worth four points.
 
Please find the stats for 'the Beauty and the Beast' for the running campaign:
Kagamine: 20gp, 4g, 2a, 6pts, +2, 14 PIM, 18 hits, 39sb, 2ppg, 2gwg
Janser: 20gp, 2g, 11a, 13pts, +12, 50 PIM, 58 hits, 30sb
 
Kindly note related articles linked below.
 
 
https://vhlforum.com/topic/145455-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xix-a-rookie-season-interview/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/145648-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xx-he-is-in-the-army-now/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146035-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xxi-a-busy-offseason/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146308-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xxii-an-inter-season-interview/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146571-vsn-presents-s93-vhl-preview/
https://vhlforum.com/topic/146609-the-cgy-janser-story-part-xxiii-a-new-season-is-upon-us/
 
535 words
 

Looking back at my first time scrolling the VHL forums, before I created an account, made a player, and learned the ropes, some I have yet to learn. As someone who struggles with Anxiety, pushing myself to say “fuck it” and go for it came with a lot of hesitance, but in the end, it was so worthwhile. The community is so welcoming, the people here are so kind, I have yet to interact with someone who even comes close to rubbing me the wrong way. All and all it’s been a good experience so far. 
 
My player, Oliver Loo, a name I just slapped together is a player or rather character that I didn’t think I’d be putting so much effort and creativity into although my writing is not the best, needing to be improved upon and I don’t exactly have the means to make graphics. I originally made him just to test the waters, and see if I like how the VHL works under the surface that is the forums. Within the Discord servers, the people and such. It’s a lot more laid back than what I first thought, it’s enjoyable. I like pretty much ever aspect that I have discovered so far and can see myself sticking around. Hell, I even already have plans for my next player and this one isn’t even close to done yet.

230 words

1. With one week of sims down, is the team performing as you’ve expected?
New York is 3rd in the Conference as of now so almost where we were expecting ourself.
 
2. Who do you predict will be Davos’ MVP this season?
Who can we name other than David Jokinen haha!
 
3. What are your thoughts on our current prospect pool?
Seems good! Hope the Davos rebuild will be successful!
 
4. If you are participating, what does your VHFL or Super Coach team look like? If you aren’t participating, any reason why you chose not to sign up this season?
I have 36W, Reese McFleury, conference Prince de Galles, Jasper Davis, Alfred Champagne and can't remember the last one lol  
 
7. What sports do you enjoy watching besides hockey?
Whatever sport in the playoffs or high intensy/meaningful games.
 
8. What was the last video game you played?
I'm still on Baldur's Gate III hahaha! Act III in my second playthrough.  

1. As per tradition, what is your one bold prediction this season?
New York's gonna win the Cup! Champagne career will finish with a strong season.
 
2. Who do you think will be this season’s league scoring leader?
Daryl Dixon a really good chance and maybe Liv Slater can challenge him.
 
4. What keeps you active and motivated as a member of the VHL?
Trying to win the Cup, more than anything. I did it once at least!
 
5. What are your thoughts on meme player names?
Don't really care! If only it's made with respect.
 
7. Creamy or crunchy peanut butter?
I don't really eat peanut butter, but when I do I prefer crunchy.
 
8. What are your thoughts on reality TV?
I don't watch it because it's garbage and a big waste of time.

In the interim Americans have acquired @Anthique Champagne... New York's half of the ice became a no fun zone...

New York receives:
Alfred Champagne
Clueless Wallob

Warsaw receives:
Damian Steele
Karl Pedersen
Noel Roux Jr
S94 NYA 2nd


This trade has been accepted by all parties and is pending league approval.

I didn't scored, but I'm sure it was close!
 
Love those kind of media

Note beforehand: I selected players for this based on appropriate ratings, not stats - so it's entirely possible some of the players here are not having all-star calibre seasons, or players who deserve to be at the all-star game were not selected. Also, I made sure every team had at least one player in the skills comp, and the results were determined relatively randomly with some consideration given to the appropriate ratings... I didn't use any kind of script or anything for this. It's all just made up.
 
---
 
DC: Welcome to Los Angeles for the VHL All-Star Skills Competition! I'm Dan Callaghan for VSN and with me today is Landon Fairhaven. With players from each of the VHL's 16 teams in attendance competing for the All-Star Cup, testing their skills in a variety of different competitions, let's get right into the fun times!
LF: First up, we have the Hardest Shot competition. Competitors will get two attempts each and only the best will count. One point will go to the team with the winning player and one point will go to the overall winning team.
 
Your competitors for the Hardest Shot are:
John Jameson (Prague) @Frank-- 97 ST, 89 SC, 6'3 215
Wann Kerr (London) @VattghernCZ -- 99 ST, 88 SC, 5'9 189
Todd Cooke (Los Angeles) @KRZY-- 99 ST, 89 SC, 6'6 190
Jimi Jaks (Toronto) @ke1vi -- 99 ST, 90 SC, 6'0 190
 
ATTEMPT 1:
John Jameson 96.4 MPH / Wann Kerr 97.2 MPH
Todd Cooke 99.7 MPH / Jimi Jaks 81.4 MPH
 
DC: Well, Landon, three pretty good efforts there and then it looked like Jimi Jaks didn't get much on their attempt, but fortunately, they will all get another crack at it.
LF: Todd Cooke is probably the favourite in this event and got a pretty good blast off there! They'll be tough to beat. They're so strong and that 6'6 frame can really get a lot of leverage to rip a puck. Let's see what happens.
 
ATTEMPT 2:
John Jameson 98.5 MPH / Wann Kerr 95.4 MPH
Todd Cooke 100.1 MPH / Jimi Jaks 99.2 MPH
FINAL RESULTS:
John Jameson 98.5 MPH / Wann Kerr 97.2 MPH / EU Total: 195.7 MPH
Todd Cooke 100.1 MPH / Jimi Jaks 99.2 MPH / NA Total: 199.3 MPH
 
DC: You called it Landon - Todd Cooke comes through and even gives us a triple-digit blast. And his teammate Jimi Jaks is going to come in second here after a much better shot! That puts the North American Conference up 2-0 after the first event.
 
Next up, we've got the Accuracy Shooting competition! Players will shoot until they hit all 4 targets. One point will go to the team with the winning player and one point to the overall winning team.
 
Your competitors for Accuracy Shooting are:
Molly the Cat (London) @JCarson -- 92 SC, 91 WS
Nikolas Kauppi (Prague) @Tetricide -- 88 SC, 90 WS
EU Conference Passer: Babay Shrimp (Riga) @Blazzer (91 PA)

Jason (DC) @Jason kranz -- 90 SC, 91 WS
Napoleon Dynamite (Los Angeles) @thadthrasher -- 88 SC, 93 WS)
NA Conference Passer: Randy Bobandy (Calgary) @AJW (89 PA)
 
RESULTS:
Molly the Cat: 4 for 4, 9.1 seconds
Nikolas Kauppi: 4 for 6, 15.5 seconds
EU Total: 8 for 10, 24.6 seconds
 
Jason: 4 for 5, 13.2 seconds
Napoleon Dynamite: 4 for 6, 14.2 seconds
NA Total: 8 for 11, 27.4 seconds
 
LF: Molly the Cat shows off the quick release on their wrist shot AND their deadly accuracy with a very impressive 4 for 4, and in just 9.1 seconds - a fantastic performance!
DC: The EU ties up the Skills Comp as they grab the team point for this one, too. It was a good performance by Jason here but this one shot here, their fourth attempt, just barely misses the target and rings the iron.
LF: It keeps things interesting though! 2-2 after two events. There are a lot of young fans in here right now having a great time, meeting the players and getting a competitive event. That's what it's all about!
DC: Well, now we shift our attention to the Fastest Skater competition! This one's a real fan favourite. Each player will get two attempts with only their best lap counting. As with the other events, one point goes to the team with the winning player and one to the overall winning team.
 
Let's meet the competitors for the Fastest Skater:
Jacob Stone (Malmo) @scoop-- 92 SK, 6'6 222
Daryl Dixon (Helsinki) @Ricer13 -- 90 SK, 5'10 170
Liv Slater (Vancouver) @Subject056 -- 88 SK, 5'9 148
The Frenchman (DC) @OrbitingDeath -- 90 SK, 5'11 170
 
ATTEMPT 1:
Jacob Stone: 17.206 seconds / Daryl Dixon: 14.069 seconds
Liv Slater: 14.401 seconds / The Frenchman: 15.209 seconds
 
DC: Jacob Stone might be the guy with the best top-end speed here but had some trouble with one of the corners and couldn't get it back together. Daryl Dixon had a lightning-quick lap with a real competitive time and it looked like The Frenchman just didn't get up to speed in time, they're capable of better, but let's see how this second run goes!
 
ATTEMPT 2:
Jacob Stone: 14.854 seconds / Daryl Dixon: 14.312 seconds
Liv Slater: 14.188 seconds / The Frenchman: 14.552 seconds
FINAL RESULTS:
Jacob Stone: 14.854 seconds / Daryl Dixon: 14.069 seconds / EU Total: 28.923 seconds
Liv Slater: 14.188 seconds / The Frenchman: 14.552 seconds / NA Total: 28.740 seconds
 
LF: Well, that was exciting! All four players really flew around the rink on that one. Three of them improved on their times.
DC: But ultimately nobody touches Daryl Dixon's first lap here! 14.069 is an excellent time. Liv Slater gave it a really good run, their acceleration and agility was clearly on display. The team score is very close here but it looks like the NA will take that point, countering the point Dixon gets for the EU.
LF: So we have a 3-3 tie! But now we get to the real good part...
DC: It's time for the Shootout competition! Each player will take two shootout attempts on the opposing netminder. One point is awarded for each goal scored!
 
Let's meet the players:
AK92 Wit da Hoodie (Riga) @hedgehog337 -- 94 PH, 78 PS
Left Alone (Moscow) @okochastar -- 90 PH, 80 PS
Alfred Champagne (Warsaw) @Anthique -- 88 PH, 78 PS
EU Goaltender: Fuukka Rask (Helsinki) @Jubis -- 64 PS
 
Skor McFleury (Calgary) @Alex -- 94 PH, 78 PS
Severus Targaryen (Seattle) @Banackock -- 85 PH, 74 PS
Mac Atlas (Toronto) @v.2  -- 92 PH, 80 PS
NA Goaltender: Art Vandelay (Los Angeles) @Gustav  -- 55 PS
 
DC: Coming in for their first attempt it's the VHL's current leading scorer, AK92 Wit da Hoodie.
LF: 30 goals and 62 points in 39 games so far this year, those are stunning numbers. You know they can put the puck in the net.
DC: A lovely little forehand-backhand move there and Vandelay is caught out of position! Chalk up a goal for the EU there!
And trying to match that now will be Skor McFleury of the Calgary Wranglers. McFleury comes in with speed and a flurry of moves!
LF: I see what you did there.
DC: He puts it past Rask and our score is now 4-4! Back to the EU Conference's turn, it's Left Alone. He skates in, toe drag, a great little move but Vandelay stones him! An excellent blocker save from Vandelay!
LF: So the North American Conference will have a chance to take the lead here. Severus Targaryen, second-year pro from the Seattle Bears will take the shot.
DC: It looks like he bobbles the puck here a bit picking it up but makes a nice recovery, walks in, takes the puck to the backhand but puts it wide.
LF: Rask gave him no room there, he tracked the puck really well all the way across. Targaryen was looking for whatever little space was there but there wasn't any.
DC: Alfred Champagne, the Warsaw representative here, will get a chance now. He skates in, fires a quick shot but it looks like Vandelay was ready for that one all the way.
Now we have Mac Atlas to take the shot. He's got Rask on his heels as he comes in fast, takes a shot and oh my! He scores! That shot couldn't have been placed any better.
LF: No chance for the goalie there, that's why Atlas has back-to-back 40-goal seasons.
DC: North America has a 5-4 lead here. We'll go in reverse order for the second try, so it's right back to Atlas. He's got the moves this time! Takes it out wide, comes back in, backhand-forehand-backhand and a lovely finish - that's two magnificent goals from Atlas. That one's really got the crowd going.
LF: And North America has a 6-4 edge. Champagne is back out to try to narrow the gap.
DC: Ohhhh and he wires it off the crossbar! A more promising effort than the first one but Champagne can't quite bulge the twine. It's a chance for the North American team to take a stranglehold here and Targaryen comes back out.
Targaryen comes in quick and - oh! Would you look at that, he tries to go between the legs and that would've been something magical but Rask wasn't fooled.
LF: A good job by Rask of staying in position with the fancy move happening right in front of him.
DC: Left Alone, driving out wide to the left side of the ice and now he slows it down as he cuts back in, fires and scores!
LF: Alone catches Vandelay here by changing the angle and beats him low blocker with a well-placed wrister. The lead is back down to one, it's 6-5 for North America.
DC: Skor McFleury coming back in here. Flying out wide, now cutting all the way back across the circles and he slides the puck through Rask!
LF: McFleury is so smooth out there, not hard to tell why he's one of the best defensemen in the league. He probably would've had a chance in the Fastest Skater and he put that speed to good use there, really put Rask in a bad spot.
DC: AK92 Wit da Hoodie is hoping to keep the lead at one before we get into the Breakaway Relay. He pulls up at the dots and tries a slapshot! And it works! Oh, the fans love that. He caught Vandelay off guard by going for the slapper there.
LF: And it was a heck of a shot, too! What a rocket.
DC: So with that, we have a 7-6 score in the skills comp. And we've got one final event to decide it all! It's the 3-on-0 Breakaway Relay. Teams of 2 forwards and 1 defenseman will take three 3-on-0 attempts against the opposing netminder, with one point awarded for each goal scored.
 
Here are the Breakaway Relay lineups!
Yaroslav Bogatyrev (Malmo) @Bojovnik-- 85 SK, 87 PH, 69 PA, 89 SC
Leonard Triller (London) @Triller-- 91 SK, 94 PH, 94 PA, 83 SC
Pierre Emile Bouchard (Helsinki) @Gaikoku-hito -- 84 SK, 91 PH, 85 PA, 87 SC
EU Goaltender: Lachlan Summers (Davos) @kirbithan
 
Francesco Mancini (New York) @GioSivo -- 87 SK, 86 PH, 91 PA, 86 SC
Yaroslav Trunov (Chicago) @qripll -- 80 SK, 88 PH, 67 PA, 85 SC
Mark Calaway (DC) @Beketov -- 87 SK, 90 PH, 68 PA, 90 SC
NA Goaltender: Merome Dilson (Calgary) @MexicanCow123
 
DC: And here we go! Triller picks the puck up at centre for Europe and he comes in fast! Pass to Bouchard, who one-touches it back to Triller, and oh my! He pulls Dilson out of position beautifully and sends a magnificant feed to Bogatyrev. That's a tap-in for Big Boga and our skills comp is tied.
LF: Triller led the league in assists last year and he's one of the most crafty players in a league where shooters get a lot of the attention. That right there is what a great playmaker can do!
DC: Mark Calaway moves the puck ahead to Trunov here and the NA team is in on Lachlan Summers. Trunov passes off to Mancini, he throws it back to Calaway who fakes a shot, passes back to Trunov, but the pass is a bit off and bounces away from Trunov, an unfortunate break there.
It looks like the EU is sticking with what's working as Triller picks the puck up with speed and flies over the line. Throws on the breaks and gives the puck to Bogatyrev, he sends it back to Bouchard and Bouchard rips the shot home! Suddenly, Europe has taken the lead!
LF: Nothing like a good back-and-forth competition!
DC: This time Mancini will run the play for North America. He fakes a shot and passes to Trunov who hesitates, drops it back for Calaway and he lets a rocket go! It's off the post and into the back of the net!
LF: Calaway is one of those guys with a great shot from the back end and he shows it off there. No defending that one!
DC: So, the teams are tied and we have one attempt each left.
LF: Oh, the drama! You know, it's just a skills competition but these guys are competitors. They don't want to lose, especially when it gets to the end and it's this close.
DC: Triller with a little razzle-dazzle as he puts on a spin move as he picks the puck up! He passes it to Bouchard, to Bogatyrev, back to Bouchard and back to Triller for the finish! Brilliant passing and the European Conference goes up 9-8!
LF: That right there is why a 3-on-0 is a goalie's worst nightmare. There's nothing Dilson can do about that. I talked about that Calaway shot earlier being impossible to defend, but this play here is just another level entirely.
DC: It's a must-score situation for the NA trio and Trunov picks the puck up. He runs a little give-and-go with Calaway, moves it over to Mancini. Mancini tries a move and OH NO! He lifts it just a shade over the net! Mancini had Summers beat but gets a bit too much on it.
LF: That was an excellent move and Summers here goes for the poke check, Mancini just gets around him, this probably should be a goal but he just got a little too excited there and skies it! What a finish.
DC: That's a tough one for Mancini, but at the end of the day, this event was for the fans and hey, they got their money's worth! A dazzling display of skills from the VHL's most talented players and a thrilling scoreline overall. Congrats to Team Europe for ultimately grabbing the 9-8 win - we hope you enjoyed the show!
 
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2484 words so claiming for the next 4 weeks

Second “fuck it” of the topic but we have a lot of new members since the holiday events and I can do what I want so here’s what’s gonna happen:
 
Any member that joined after Christmas Day and comments in this thread before noon (EST) on Sunday will get 1 entry into each of the 4 tiers! This way the new members potentially get to be involved in the raffle as well.
 
@VHLM Commissioner  and @VHLM GM if you guys could make your new people aware that would be great.

Another week has gone by and for this week’s Around the League in 500 words I’d like to talk about some VHL, VHLE, And VHLM Tough Guys and killers and maybe some other random stuff before I head off to Phoenix and enjoy some sun after endless freezing temps and non-stop rain of late.   So Here weeeeee GOOOOOO! 
 
 
VHL TOUGH GUYS
Make no mistake; I love checking my box scores and seeing my player has gotten into a fight.  It adds a little spice to the box score, and I know some people could care less but I enjoy it.  I think it adds to rivalries and wish there was more of it.  
 
In the VHL there are currently some bruisers, but I think the overall beast of the league is Prague’s John Jameson @Frank.  JJ does just about everything a team could ask for, hits, fights, and scores.  4 straight seasons with over 40 goals and despite ageing he maintains a physical game and has dropped the mitts 5 times already this season, which leads the league.  JJ also leads the league in hits with 148 and PIMS with 131 (in just 35 games).  JJ could be on pace for a 300 hit and 260 PIM season.  
 
Other VHL Beasts:
Fradin McGryer @Fradin99(RIG) – 4 fighting majors – 96 PIM – 108 hits
Callum Gary Yannick Janser- @Daniel Janser- 3 fighting majors- 101 PIM- 121 hits.
Phil Strasmore @PhilPhil- 101 PIM- 109 hits (1449 Career PIMS)
Alfred Champagne @Anthique- 81 PIM – 141 hits (2 straight season with over 200 PM)
Diego Machado @Dadam30- 4 fighting majors 48 PIM
Mason Rice @Sawyer13- 4 fighting majors (2 wins) – 60 PIM – 101 hits.
 
VHLE TOUGHS
In the E I’d have to say the tough guy award must go to Stockholm’s behemoth defenseman, Guntis Gavilrovs @Girts.  This towering player is not only over a point per game but he’s leading the league in hits (165) and PIMS (98).  Guntis and Oslo’s forward, Logan Ninefinger has a huge rivalry going but have yet to drop the mitts.  Every time they match up it’s an exciting sight to watch.
 
Other VHLE tough guys
Adi Dassler @BOOM-  3 fighting majors- 37 PIM- 77 hits
Logan Ninefingers-  2 fighting majors- 50 PIM- 105 hits
Jussi Jokinenegg @HearnNation67- 4 fighting majors (leads league) 
 
 
VHLM TOUGHS
In the minor leagues I would have to give the tough guy tribute to San Diego Marlin’s big defenseman, Billy Joel @The goat of hockey.  605 and 235 pounds he is patrolling the blue line and crushing opposing players with 100 hits in 34 games.  62 minutes in the sin bin and has 2 fighting majors, tied for the league lead.  
 
Notable other toughs:
Cody Toland @ctoland102- 65 PIM -106 hits
WWumbo @Fire Tortorella.   -62 PIM 101 hits
Dustin Moore @Maxx.  – 57 PIM 106 hits
 
Well, there you have it.  It will be interesting to see where these players end up at the end of the season and who will continue with an aggressive build.  
 
I would like to pose a question???  Do you think there should be a tough guy trophy of some kind in each league? What would it be called? 
 
Also, does anyone see the benefit of creating an enforcer in the league?  Does it benefit a team in anyway? Or only hurt them?  
 
Have a good weekend. 
 
550

King Kisslinger of the Warsaw Predators is on a slump this season. After what looked to be a promising start for the 15th overall pick of Season 90, Kisslinger has only recorded 11 points in 25 games. 
 
Most know that it takes time for players to develop in the league, however it’s clear Warsaw wants more from the centre and hopes he begins to make moves at improving his game. 
 
When asked about his performance Kisslinger said,
 
“ I’m not too focused on the stat sheet this season, I’m more focused on our teams overall chemistry, maintaining leads and winning games. Some of the best hockey is played off of the stat sheet.” 
 
With the halfway mark of the season approaching rapidly we will have to keep King Kisslinger on the radar and hope he begins to bounce back. The Warsaw Predators are currently 10-14-1 with their own hopes of progressing in a positive direction.
 
LETS GO PREDS!!!

This season's rookie race seems to be a much larger one than seasons past. More talented rookies have seemingly come up to the league and made a very large impact right away. Currently Thor stand 4th in rookies points and ranked 5th from the talent of all the rookies including goalies. Although Thor hasn't seen the outstanding results he expected the numbers he's putting up as a rookie are still respectable. But if you think past this season for Thor, there is a whole lot of potential for the player he is the become something great. Sitting just under 700 tpe after his rookie season Thor's impact on Warsaw could grow greatly after this season. The players growing alongside Thor will also get better and better, it may take time for each player to step into their prime but everyone is different and there's no telling when that might be. 
 
From the team's standpoint now however they have to make a decision soon for the plan on the rest of the season, they currently sit 5 points outside a playoffs spot, which is not impossible, but certainly a fight. At what point might the team cut their losses and sell some assets to one of the many team's looking for further their roster's depths or express your diamond hands and hold until the end and hope that once the season games played count hits 72 that you're better than 3 other teams in your conference and clinch at least a wild card spot.

Champagne really came into their own the past few seasons! Was great having you in Davos