Aimee

Thank you all for your nominations. I note some overwhelming support for @Dil who will sadly not be making the final ballot despite his enduring kindness.
 

 
 
The people actually receiving more than 1 vote and therefore a place on the final ballot are:
 
@ace_five_
@AJW
@Banackock
 
Congrats all! Also receiving 1 nomination each were @Aimee , @Beketov, @Enorama, @kirbithan, @N0HBDY, @Ricer13, @rory, @Sjin, @Spartan , and me, yay.
 
As always if you would like to know the reasons behind your nomination, just drop me a PM on the forum or a DM on Discord.

I wonder if I’d like audiobooks - especially on the way to work.. hmm.. 
 
I have the whole collection of Game of Thrones books at home because it’s my favourite show. May read those one day! Also the HP ones (love the movies). I just like to collect things that I love like that. 

Stopped reading for a bit but I'm on a kick again so here's what I've read since my last update:
 
Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Dealing with Dragons - Patricia C Wrede (⭐⭐.5)
Dungeon Calamity (Dramatized Adaptation) - Dakota Krout (⭐⭐⭐.5)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Newt Scamander (⭐⭐⭐)
RBG's Brave & Brilliant Women: 33 Jewish Women to Inspire Everyone - Nadine Epstein (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
 
At the moment I am 71% of the way through Prisoner of Azkaban, have been reading Eldest by Christopher Paolini one chapter at a time, and have Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness on my Kindle for when I have no internet lol.

Posting this just as much to keep my ass in gear as anything else. Up to page 28 of 218 [equals out to just above 86,000 words] in my latest round of novel revision. Going to have to add a good chunk throughout to flesh out some stuff. I figure this will end up between 90 and 93k when this revision is finished. Then I'm pitching it, hard, for 3-6 months. No takers, I'm self-pubbing come July. If you like vivid supernatural thrillers, this one's for you.

With the announcement of the VHLE coming to an end I have no complaints. After winning a Renaissance Cup with my previous player in Oslo I really didn’t see the VHLE as something interesting for my new current player. What is exciting to me is that the VHLM can now have long term relationships with its players. As an ex-Houston GM I would have LOVED to manage a team of 0-400 TPA players and figure out the best strategies for that. I feel like connections and relationships within this community is what builds strong teams and I’m super happy that the VHLM gets a better taste of that. I joined the league in S78 and only got to experience two seasons of no VHLE, I vividly remember the VHLM being an amazing place to be back then, this new change seems so exciting to me.
 
My new player Bubbles LaFleur joined the VHLM this season and will enter the S96 VHLM draft alongside his brother Ricky LaFleur @DarkSpyro. It’s been a lot of fun already recreating with a friend and we only just started! My activity and TPE earning haven’t been top notch but I am enjoying this player the most so far, always wanted to create a defenseman too. Spyro and myself hope to be drafted together in the VHLM and my mindset is to play two seasons there before playing 8 seasons in the VHL. We are really hoping to be drafted together in the VHL too and to play on the same team throughout our careers, but the VHLM draft is our first destination!

Moscow Menace versus HD Davos Dynamo Season 95 
 
I am going to start this article by Quoting the VSN Season 95 playoff Preview 
 
Moscow (1) vs. Davos (4) 
  
This series should be the most one-sided series on paper, with Moscow having a significant edge with both their forwards and defensemen. For Davos this series will likely be dependent on Grimgor Ironhide, Antonia Bucatini, and most importantly Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen who will need to stand on their head to give Davos a chance against the defending champions. Without much more to say, there’s no reason why Jarmo Ruutu and company will not win this series. Davos may steal a game or two, but this should be all Moscow. 
  
Prediction: Moscow in 6 
VSN vote: MOS 8, DAV 2 
 
It is the last couple lines that I would like to address. Specifically, “there’s no reason why Jarmo Ruutu and company will not win this series.” 
Now before I get started, please understand that nothing stated below is meant to take anything away from the spectacular play of Grimgor Ironhide, Antonia Bucatini and David Jokinen who all stepped up huge in this series.  But Davos had a few secret weapons that became the reason why Moscow not only lost but went down in four (very tight games). 
 
First, I want to introduce you to Davos Wingers Forum Content and Yaroslav Trunov.  These two wingers have accounted for 11 points each during these playoffs.  Of note Forum Content is a +10 so far in these playoffs has only 2 penalty minutes and has one of the game winning goals.  Yaroslav Trunov  has 10 shots blocked for a forward and has netted 2 game winning goals.  Both these players have stepped up significantly in these playoffs and account for much of the reason that both Warsaw and Moscow are going home to play some golf this offseason. 
 
Second, I want to introduce to you HC Davos Dynamo’s clutch depth.  Johnny Tsunami, Sunset Moth, and James MacAvoy typically get deployed to eat up minutes of the game, their normal role is to stop the other team to allow the 1st line to rest so they can come back out and score.  These playoffs are different.  Each of these players has stepped it up and came in clutch to get game winning goals.  Closing it down and lighting it up. 
 
Third I would be remiss if I didn’t make note of rookie goalie and current brick wall who we lovingly refer to as AKK.  Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi- Kekkonen has stopped 317 shots so far, holding a .937 save percentage and 2.11 goal against average.  It is going to take a lot to get something past him them these playoffs.  They are not only standing on their head but doing a full break-dancing routine at the same time. 
 
Lastly, I want to introduce you to Rookie defender Felicia Hardy.  Currently sitting tied for first in team points at 13. (second overall in the playoffs) Felicia Hardy was on the ice for all four game winning goals in the Moscow series, had points in 3 and closed out the final game themselves.  Currently holding a 26.67% shooting percentage Felicia Hardy has come to play.  
 
The HC Davos Dynamo fan base has put together a petition that has asked the VSN to place a retraction to their article, they have obviously been mistaken in their article about the season 95 playoffs specifically regarding the Moscow Menace and HC Davos Dynamo series when they mistakenly printed that there was no way that Moscow wouldn’t win this series.  The reasons are obvious, Davos came to play hockey, every single player.  Next time do your research before putting together such biased journalism. 

Man, who knew I would be going from hall of fame goalie to the number 1 defenseman in the final regular season of the VHLE. I mean geeze. Ahsoka just barely eked out number 1 in points by a single point over Steve French. And all season long she was way ahead, sometimes by double digit points, among all d-men. I am so proud of her, and I cannot wait to see what she can do in the VHL.

Ahsoka finished S95 as follows:
1st in Points - 101
1st in Assists – 73
1st among Defensemen
4th in Shots Blocked – 202
2nd in Powerplay Goals – 15

Overall Stats:
28 Goals
73 Assists
101 Points
+15
286 Shots
28 Penalty Minutes
67 Hits
4 Game Winning Goals

This was her best season so far and I am so pumped for her to join Helsinki in a few weeks. The post and offseason are going to be a lot of work just trying to max earn so that once the button is pressed, I can apply all 100+ banked TPE (currently at 107). 
 
181 words for week ending 9/22/2024

Callum is rummaging through his flat he shares with his cousin Eilidh. Looking for his odd part of equipment or some clothes he needs. 
'Hey, cuz what are you up to?' asks the Scottish lass.
'Well, as someone attending uni, you should be able through the method of deduction, that I am packing.' responds the Swiss.
'Funny. What for?'
'Well, I am going to Switzerland to attend my annual military service, then I go to Kiel to oversee the final fitting of my Gramps' new yacht at the Lurssen dockyard and last but not least, I will participate in the ProAm tournament. Should there be any time left, I will visit Adam and the 'Tightfisted Three' and see what they are up to or go to Calgary and meet with some old friends and padrinho Leandro.'
'Seems like a pretty busy off-season for you.'
'Yeah, I am happy I do not have to learn for any trimester tests though like a certain someone I know.'
'Ah will you shut up. I'll have you know that I am doing well and that I am ahead of the curve with my assignments. Does that mean I have free reign of the flat during your absence?'
'Within reason. And maybe you want to use some of the time to visit Marcel in the Hamptons. He mentioned he has not seen you in a while.'
'Yeah, I would like that. Can I take your truck to drive to him?'
'Okay. But if I get my car back any different than I gave it, Monster Joe will have to dispose of two bodies.' 
'Nice 'Pulp Fiction' reference there, Mr Wolf. I will take extra care of her, promise.'
'Good enough. Okay I need to rush to catch my plane, see you in a couple of weeks, Eilidh.'
'God speed, Cal.' 
 

Man, who knew I would be going from hall of fame goalie to the number 1 defenseman in the final regular season of the VHLE. I mean geeze. Ahsoka just barely eked out number 1 in points by a single point over Steve French. And all season long she was way ahead, sometimes by double digit points, among all d-men. I am so proud of her, and I cannot wait to see what she can do in the VHL.

Ahsoka finished S95 as follows:
1st in Points - 101
1st in Assists – 73
1st among Defensemen
4th in Shots Blocked – 202
2nd in Powerplay Goals – 15

Overall Stats:
28 Goals
73 Assists
101 Points
+15
286 Shots
28 Penalty Minutes
67 Hits
4 Game Winning Goals

This was her best season so far and I am so pumped for her to join Helsinki in a few weeks. The post and offseason are going to be a lot of work just trying to max earn so that once the button is pressed, I can apply all 100+ banked TPE (currently at 107). 
 
181 words for week ending 9/22/2024

Man, who knew I would be going from hall of fame goalie to the number 1 defenseman in the final regular season of the VHLE. I mean geeze. Ahsoka just barely eked out number 1 in points by a single point over Steve French. And all season long she was way ahead, sometimes by double digit points, among all d-men. I am so proud of her, and I cannot wait to see what she can do in the VHL.

Ahsoka finished S95 as follows:
1st in Points - 101
1st in Assists – 73
1st among Defensemen
4th in Shots Blocked – 202
2nd in Powerplay Goals – 15

Overall Stats:
28 Goals
73 Assists
101 Points
+15
286 Shots
28 Penalty Minutes
67 Hits
4 Game Winning Goals

This was her best season so far and I am so pumped for her to join Helsinki in a few weeks. The post and offseason are going to be a lot of work just trying to max earn so that once the button is pressed, I can apply all 100+ banked TPE (currently at 107). 
 
181 words for week ending 9/22/2024

Player Spotlight – Cysteine
@Bea
 
Season ninety-six draft eligible defenseman Cysteine is enjoying a quality season with the Ottawa Lynx of the VHLM. Cysteine joined the VHL after the season ninety-five VHLM Dispersal Draft and was able to be picked up off waivers by the Lynx prior to the season starting. As the defender was able to join the league prior to the start of the season, Cysteine was able to play in all seventy-two games for the Lynx is the most recent regular season. In those seventy-two games the thirty-two-year-old defender was able to put up eleven goals and thirty-one assists. Cysteine and the Lynx were able to make the VHLM playoffs this season, even though the team finished in last place in the Eastern Conference. Although the playoffs only lasted five games for the Lynx, Cysteine still had a pretty good showing for a rookie in their first playoff experience, putting up one goal and two assists in those five games.
 
Now entering the offseason, Cysteine will turn their attention to building off the ice. Currently the defender is mostly a welfare and practice facility earner, so hopefully as they feel more comfortable in the VHL, they will explore other opportunities to earn TPE to grow their game.

With their series already done and dusted (having won four straight games against Houston), Slava figured that it might be nice to give his boyfriend (still a word he was having trouble accepting was the truth) a surprise for their game versus Las Vegas.
 
Unfortunately for the Lynx, their time in the playoffs was up and Slava heaved a heavy sigh. He had been hoping for more for River, Brandon and the others but their roster was just too thin to really make much of a playoff push. But with the announcement of the VHLE closing down and some players bound to return to the M, the next season was going to be very interesting, and he was curious to see how all of it was going to come out in the wash.
 
Still, he was here for a very specific purpose and once the fans of both sides had filed out of the arena, Slava made his way back toward the locker rooms. He saw some faces he knew and once he’d given a little wave to Brandon, who obviously recognized him, none of the security gave Slava a hard time about being there. Of course, given that Slava was also 6 foot 8 and solidly built, he generally wasn’t given too hard of a time.
 
His heart ached when he finally caught sight of River, who was in his street clothes but still looked disappointed as he was gathering his things together. He knew River, knew that he wanted more for the team, but River would take it in stride, look ahead to next season and what he could work on for the betterment of the Lynx. While Slava had hoped to perhaps play with River next season, he looked like he was going to be sticking around Mississauga a little while longer and that was honestly okay with him. He liked his team, liked the general manager and his assistant and he was still the captain of the team for now. He was always going to play his hardest and do whatever he could to grow his game and be there to help.
 
“Hey Rivushka.” Slava said softly, using the little pet name that he had come up with himself for his boyfriend. The way River’s head snapped up almost made Slava laugh but River was looking at him like he could hardly believe that Slava was really there.
 
“What are you doing here?!” River asked, getting to his feet quickly.
 
“I came to see someone that I really miss.” Slava answered simply, reaching out to wind long arms around River and draw him into his embrace. He was distantly aware of Brandon catcalling them, but he just shook his head and sighed.
 
“I see that Brandon hasn’t changed much.” he teased and was relieved to hear River laugh a little at that statement.
 
“Oh, he hasn’t. For better or worse.” River quipped, which got a look of mock outrage from Brandon. Having played with him for the Junior Showcase Tournament last season on the Yukon Rush, Slava had gotten to know Brandon decently well and he genuinely liked him.
 
“I guess time will tell with that one.” Slava agreed practically, giving Brandon a once over as though he was still making up his mind about him. “What do you say we get out of here and find an ice cream cone?”
 
“That would be really nice.” River sighed and Slava kissed the top of his head softly.
 
“Hey. I’m really proud of you. This season wasn’t an easy one for you or the team and you still pushed through as best as you could. What’s done is done. All you can do now is look toward the off-season and the JST. We get another crack at it. Maybe we can make it a repeat.”
 
With his arm firmly fixed around River’s shoulders, Slava guided his boyfriend toward the exit. He’d have his own second round series to play later but right now, all he was focused on was the one person he loved more than anything in the world. Even hockey. Things felt like they were going his way, and Slava had never been more grateful in his life for his dido buying him his first pair of skates.
 
(word count: 713)

So the VHLE is officially going the way of the dodo...  
 
With news of this decision coming down this past week, there's so much still to be determined about how things will change around the VHL and particularly the VHLM.  In some ways it's a bit sad to say goodbye to those six great European teams. I personally enjoyed my one season in the VHLE playing for Vasteras and I found the jump up from the M was something new and exciting to build into my player's lore.  I had a lot of fun writing my "Hello Europe" career point task and I'd love to see another career point task added as a replacement in the future.  I know there are mixed feelings about career point tasks around the forum, but I personally love them.  It was an opportunity in each of my first three seasons to shamelessly write about my player and build up a backstory, obviously with the reward of a little bit of TPE being a sweet incentive.  As a way of breaking up that early career grind, I thought the E was a great league for keeping things fresh and providing a stepping stone to launch into the VHL.  It wasn't without it's problems though, and on the whole, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy it's being abolished.  
 
Over the past couple seasons following the influx of players in S92, the VHLM has been a bit starved for players with some teams languishing at the bottom of the league with empty rosters, doomed to get stomped on the daily by teams who managed to collect more players either through the draft or through waivers.  With top prospects flying through the league in 1 season or less and a max expectancy of 2-3 seasons for most other players, the M was  a league where teams struggled to stay competitive over the course of a long window.  Some teams found a way to stay in the mid table season to season via waivers and constant retooling, but to really compete, a boom-bust mentality seemed to be the way forward.  Tank for a season or two, build up picks and prospects with term, compete for a season or two, sell, rinse and repeat.  I don't know, maybe I'm misrepresenting things a bit because I've only been a GM in that league for three seasons, but it seems that the league rules sort of lent to that kind of build-rebuild mentality by GMs with inevitable player turnover.  
 
With the VHLM's league cap being raised to 400 TPE and a swath of players becoming available to return to the M, the VHLM player pool will become much healthier for competition and should help bring more parity to the league in the longer term.  I also look forward to the prospect of having players remain with the team for a longer duration, even if that is only extended by a season or two.  One of my greatest laments about the M in the past was how sad it was every season to say goodbye to great people and players who had become part of our Halifax community.  1-2 seasons is such a short time and increasing that to even 2-3 seasons makes a world of difference for building team culture and having that culture continue on season-to-season, even as players move up eventually.  Team building in the VHLM becomes less volatile with this change, I think, and it seems there will be more room for a diversity of trades beyond the usual buy-sell transactions that happen around the deadline every season.  Maybe now we'll see more "hockey trades" where it's a little more ambiguous what each GM's direction is. Beyond the movement of players, I think these changes have the potential to make building for a wider competitive window much more viable.  With the increase to VHLM player careers and the availability of more players, GM's will have more ways to build competitive teams that can stay competitive for a longer period fo time.  Overall, I think this is a very exciting change for VHLM teams and GMs and should bring some more stability and competition to the community's league of entry.  
 
Heading into this important offseason, there are still many details about the transition that will need to be ironed out, first among them is the problem of how to disperse eligible E players below 400 TPE onto VHLM teams.  Let me preface the following thoughts by saying I have full faith our VHLM commissioners, @Spartan  and @Gustav , will find a solution that is fair for teams and players, but will also promote the health and competition of the league.  It's certainly a complicated problem and, while I have ideas, I don't envy the task of making a final decision that will try to please everyone.  I suspect that not everyone will be 100% happy, but with teams across the VHLM standing to lose and gain through this process there will likely have to be some compromises for the good of the league going forward.  At the end of the day, however this is handled, I'm still going to be excited for the VHLM moving forward!
 
The way I see it, there seems to be three potential ways to address the problem of player dispersal from the E to the M: Inheritance (players return to the their last M team, or the team that has their rights), Dispersal Draft (players are distributed evenly among VHLM teams), and Free Agency (players sign with teams that offer them contracts-- potentially controlled by a limit on the number of players a team can sign).  A solution could also combine two or all three of these things for the most fairness.  I'm not going to try and hide the fact that implementing an inheritance system would benefit Halifax to some degree.  As it stands, regardless of how players are categorized (i.e. drafted players, or acquired through trade) Halifax would receive more inheritance from the VHLE than most other teams.  Of course I want that, who wouldn't? Having spent the past few seasons with some of these players, they are people I have become familiar with and could even call friends.  That said, I have tried to keep that bias separate from my thoughts on this problem since having a healthy, fun, and competitive league is important to me as well.  Without that, the potential of winning honestly doesn't mean as much anyway.  
 
For those who care, here's what I would propose: VHLE players should be returned initially to the last team they played for via inheritance at the end of the S95 playoffs.  Before the S96 VHLM Dispersal Draft, teams must drop all inherited players with expired rights.  In the time between the end of the playoffs and the VHLM draft, GMs will have had the opportunity to reconnect with all former players to explore the possibility of re-signing with the team.  Players who's rights have expired would then become free agents at the conclusion of the VHLM draft and available for any team to sign.  To avoid teams collecting too many players, a temporary roster cap (e.g. 8F-5D-2G or something similar) could be implemented prior to free agency, allowing for teams that need players to sign more as needed.  Note: Teams with players that are currently at the 200 TPE VHLM cap can keep those players at the end of the season instead of dropping them.
 
I can think of some concerns people might have with this solution, and I'm sure there may be more, but I'll do my best to answer some of them here briefly.  
 
1. Why should teams inherit players initially based on the last team played for and not only by active rights?
Firstly, regular VHLM players with expired rights often have the chance to discuss re-signing with their current team before reaching free agency.  Returning all players to their most recent team allows first negotiation rights to the team that player was last on since those rights were acquired via draft or trade. Secondly, by allowing teams to reconnect with former players between the end of playoffs and the beginning of the draft, there is a possibility for greater continuity from past seasons in the league and for players to have some agency in where they continue their career. Thirdly, returning players to their last team preserves continuity and value in prior trades.  With the length of VHLM careers extending, the value of picks made in trades over the past couple of seasons has increased-- or at the very least, changed.  A high 1st round pick, for example, used to represent a high-earning capped player for 1 season.  With these new changes, that pick is probably a player between 200-400 for two full seasons in the VHLM.  Any pick traded in the past couple of seasons has likely gained value, provided the pick is unused or the player chosen is still VHLM eligible.  My thinking is that through full inheritance, players are reunited with their last VHLM team to balance the increased value of picks used to acquire them-- keeping in mind that teams would have already missed out on at least one season with those returning VHLE players as they played the last season or two in the E.   I think the simplest solution here is the best one since it doesn't attempt to artificially balance any trades that already occured.   Aside from clear cut buyer/seller trades, there are so many other trades with asset values impacted by the VHLE/M merging that won't include inheritance players.  I think it's best just to let them all stand as they are. Fourthly, because I propose teams keep players that are currently at the 200 TPE cap who would normally be lost to the VHLE (regardless of how they were acquired), the same reasoning should be applied to players being returned from the VHLE.   For anyone concerned that Halifax would somehow be receiving a bunch of players back that were considered deadline "rentals", there is really only one player with the potential to return via inheritance that would fit this category.  Funny enough, that player-- completely unsolicited-- actually reached out to me this week expressing interest in returning to Halifax after hearing the news about the VHLE ending. Fifthly, (lol this is becoming un-brief), the proposed solution keeps to the current rules of the VHLM regarding player rights and free agency without adding in anything artificially.  
2. Inheritance unfairly benefits some teams more than others.  
It's true that some teams receive more players than others initially, but with the exception of Philadelphia who wouldn't receive any players, and San Diego who would only receive 1 player, every other team would receive 3 players except for Vegas (4), Ottawa (5), and Halifax (6). Of all those players returning to the VHLM, most will have had their rights expire and will need to be re-signed as free agents, therefore putting the onus on GMs to communicate with potential returnees and entice them to re-sign. In the case of Philadelphia, they would not receive players because their one former player currently in the VHLE player has since gone inactive.  After winning the Founder's Cup in S92, the team dropped down the standings over the following two seasons, rebuilding their stockpile of draft picks in order to be competitive in S95.  Philadelphia finished 2nd overall in S95 and currently holds 9 rostered players that should be eligible to continue with the team in S96 (4 F, 4 D, and 1 G).  Some of those players are currently at the current 200 TPE cap.  While inheritance might seem unfair to Philadelphia at face value, they'd still have the opportunity to sign free agents with lapsed rights, and select quality players in the S96 draft as they still have a 1st round pick.  It seems likely that they won't struggle to assemble a roster of at least 6F-4D-1G that will be moderately competitive in S96 and that they can continue to build for future seasons. In the case of San Diego, of their 5 former players at the VHLE level, 5 are considered inactive, and only 1 of those is within the rights eligibility window of 3 seasons.  The only other player they might add via inheritance is on the fringe of activity.  San Diego currently has 2 forwards and a capped goalie that could return to the team next season.  Additionally, they hold two 1sts and a 2nd round pick in S96 and a 1st and two 2nds in S97.  While the road back to contention for San Diego is likely still a couple of seasons away, they certainly have the assets to begin that process.  Another part of this equation is the fact that San Diego owned the 1st overall pick in each of the last two VHLM drafts.  One of those picks is their current goaltender while the other will already have moved on to the VHL as of S96.  As I see it, they had a very clear opportunity to build these past couple of seasons with such high selections, even selecting 1st and 4th overall in S94.  While the VHLE being abolished might delay their rebuild by a another season or two, San Diego was already poised to be building over the next few seasons via the draft.  I will say, they are one team that I have some concern for reaching the 6-4-1 threshold in S96.  With only 2F and 1G returning, they will need to add 4F-4D (8 players) in order to reach this threshold.  With their current picks, they will most likely add 4 players, maybe 5.  With a couple of VHLE free agent signings, they could be up to 6-7.  Perhaps this is where we could see a hard cap of 9-6-2 implemented to prevent teams from adding too many extra players while teams like San Diego need more.   I could go through every VHLM team, but I'm not going to.  To some degree, I think inheritance fairly reflects continuity of the VHLM-- trades, asset management, scouting, etc...-- and the continued trajectory that teams were on over the past few seasons.   I think inheritance offers continuity through this transition while I think a dispersal draft or complete free agency artificially tampers with the continuity of the league.    
3. Why not have a dispersal draft or free agency instead of inheriting players?
Initially, I was in favor of a dispersal draft being the best solution, though my thoughts have changed as I've spent more time thinking about it. As stated above, I think it messes with the league's continuity, where teams were at in terms of building, the value of past assets, trades, player management, development, drafting, etc... I don't necessarily think a dispersal draft makes the league any more balanced for teams like San Diego who may be short a player or two to reach the 6-4-1 threshold.  With a dispersal draft, they'd be guaranteed 3 players from the VHLE-- which they might get anyway with the inheritance model I propose, and still might be short a player or two. Full free agency without a negotiation period creates a high-stress situation for GM's and forces them to compete with one another to sign players in a narrow window of time.  It would probably favor teams trying to re-unite with former players anyway, but I still see the inheritance + free agency model as being a better way forward to facilitate a period of communication and some player agency.  
I could go on, and maybe I will if people want to continue the conversation.  I'm sure there are more questions and potential issues.  As I said earlier on, I'm confident that our VHLM commissioners will decide on a good solution, and if these thoughts can help make that easier, then great!  If not, then at least I got it off my chest and some media spot TPE!  At the end of the day, it's an exciting time to be a GM in the VHLM and I can't wait to see what the league looks like in S96 and beyond.  
 
༻❁༺
LucyXpher 
2600+ words
1st claim - 09/16/2024
 

It's hard to know where to begin sometimes when things change on a dime. But I wanted to take a moment to say a few words to some people that I didn't have nearly enough time with.
 
To everyone on the Oslo Storm, it was an honor to be the assistant gm this season. Seeing your comradery in the locker room when things weren't going well, or when we were on a winning streak was inspiring to behold. I'm glad that I got to be a fly on the wall and absorb some of that energy and passion for the game.
 
To Mikko, thank you for taking a chance on me as a completely green person to the world of the VHLE and managing a team entirely. Watching you work, how you weighed and considered and did your absolute best to draw everything you could from the team felt like seeing a chess master surveying the board to see what the next move would be. I know whatever you move on to after this, you'll be a success at it.
 
I don't know what the future holds for me, but I'll be rooting for every one of you, wherever you end up going.
 
-Olivia
 
(word count: 204)
 
 

Man, who knew I would be going from hall of fame goalie to the number 1 defenseman in the final regular season of the VHLE. I mean geeze. Ahsoka just barely eked out number 1 in points by a single point over Steve French. And all season long she was way ahead, sometimes by double digit points, among all d-men. I am so proud of her, and I cannot wait to see what she can do in the VHL.

Ahsoka finished S95 as follows:
1st in Points - 101
1st in Assists – 73
1st among Defensemen
4th in Shots Blocked – 202
2nd in Powerplay Goals – 15

Overall Stats:
28 Goals
73 Assists
101 Points
+15
286 Shots
28 Penalty Minutes
67 Hits
4 Game Winning Goals

This was her best season so far and I am so pumped for her to join Helsinki in a few weeks. The post and offseason are going to be a lot of work just trying to max earn so that once the button is pressed, I can apply all 100+ banked TPE (currently at 107). 
 
181 words for week ending 9/22/2024

the padawan becomes the knight!! onto jedi master you go, my friend. 

Man, who knew I would be going from hall of fame goalie to the number 1 defenseman in the final regular season of the VHLE. I mean geeze. Ahsoka just barely eked out number 1 in points by a single point over Steve French. And all season long she was way ahead, sometimes by double digit points, among all d-men. I am so proud of her, and I cannot wait to see what she can do in the VHL.

Ahsoka finished S95 as follows:
1st in Points - 101
1st in Assists – 73
1st among Defensemen
4th in Shots Blocked – 202
2nd in Powerplay Goals – 15

Overall Stats:
28 Goals
73 Assists
101 Points
+15
286 Shots
28 Penalty Minutes
67 Hits
4 Game Winning Goals

This was her best season so far and I am so pumped for her to join Helsinki in a few weeks. The post and offseason are going to be a lot of work just trying to max earn so that once the button is pressed, I can apply all 100+ banked TPE (currently at 107). 
 
181 words for week ending 9/22/2024

21st One Game Away from Elimination

Halifax forward Steven Nichols looks to the scoreboard after the Reapers score to take a 4-0 lead in Game 4
 
Philadelphia, USA - The quarterfinal Eastern Conference series began with the Philadelphia Reapers taking a 2-0 lead, winning both games on their home ice, but despite taking a much-needed 5-4 victory in Game 3 at home against the top seeded Philadelphia Reapers, the Halifax 21st are now on the brink of elimination after a lackluster performance in a 4-0 loss of Game 4. Despite the lopsided series result so far, up until game 4 the 21st hung right with the Reapers, losing both games by only one goal. In order to make a comeback, Halifax desperately needs to get a better performance out of starting goaltender Vladimir Trunov than they have received so far in the series. The S96 Russian netminder has given up 15 goals on 134 shots thus far, equating out to a .888 SVPCT and 3.67 GAA. It is unlikely that Halifax will go this route given that Trunov has been their man down the stretch this season, but perhaps Halifax management may indeed explore the possibility of giving S97 draftee Ricky LaFleur a chance to start the pivotal Game 5. Starting LaFleur would be a bold move, considering that the he only made 4 starts in the regular season, to the tune of a .911 SVPCT and 2.26 GAA.
 

Davos, Switzerland -- The first round of the VHL playoffs is over. And in the European Conference, we have what may not be an upset by seeding, but certainly by perception of where these teams were seen entering the season.
 
HC Davos Dynamo recently took the series against the Warsaw Predators 3-1, marking both another disappointing playoff series loss for Warsaw and the culmination of a rebuilding process for Davos. Warsaw won the first game in the series and did out-shoot the Dynamo in three of the four contests, but a combination of strong goaltending and sharp play by Grimgor Ironhide plus youngsters such as Antonia Bucatini and rookie Felicia Hardy allowed for the series comeback.
 
"I told you before the series, you can't count us out," said Bucatini, who was the First Star in both Game 3 and Game 4. "We may be young, but that just means we're hungry. I'm glad the hard work we've put in all season is shining through."
 
Will it continue into the next round? That may be a daunting task. The first seeded Moscow Menace captured the Founder's Cup this season, and they are unsurprisingly the most common pick to win the title. That means Davos enters knowing they're underdogs - but that may not be a bad thing, to hear the players talk about it.
 
"We have zero pressure entering this series. Nobody expects us to win," Bucatini added. "So when the game's close, which team is going to get tight? It isn't gonna be us. So I just plan to go out there, play, and let the chips fall where they may."
 
 

If there is an easy thing to say about the VHL general managers, it would be, “they know their shit.”  And I dont even know all of them and their pedigree.  The ones I know, I can safely say that they match the statement about their abilities.
 
Starting with Spartan, he’s got Moscow running the league and has been for multiple seasons.  It doesn’t matter where Moscow places in the standings, they are a playoff team.  The only thing that will keep Moscow down this season is the “VHL Curse.”
 
And Cole, better known as badcolethetitan, well he’s been so impressive taking Chicago up a notch ever since he took over and unfortunately for him, Chicago faces Vancouver in the playoffs this round.
 
I remember calling Alex a genius in the past, and that hasn’t changed.  He has got a lot of talent knowing what to do with players, and who to pick up to make HC Davos better.  He’s a very patient GM who is always respected by opponents.  I’m not sure how far Davos will go; however, because although David Jokinen is a threat for the team, its well known that he’s somewhat skiddish about playing against Vancouver, should Davos make the finals.
 
There is one general manager that sticks out above the rest.  Frank, is a notch above and is unmatched when it comes to running a team.  His eye for success comes out when needed most.  Taking Vancouver from the bowels of the division after losing the first five games, thanks to Bollos de Trueno, to home ice, Frank had no fear whatsoever that the Wolves would be a dominating force.  Perhaps he was leading other teams into a sense of confidence when they played Vancouver, or he had other things in mind, his adjustments to the team and lineup has given the Vancouver Wolves the best chance to get a cup.  It is because of his decision making and his dedication to the team that Frank should easily be awarded the David Knight trophy.
 
341 words

Alagsantere Grønvold is a hard-hitting, defensively-minded defenseman. His defensive readings and instincts are top-notch. Combined with his elite four-way mobility, he's a nightmare to play against, especially in transition. Discipline has been a concern in his game, as has his lack of composure with the puck on his stick and very limited offensive upside. Grønvold will probably never be your team’s top scoring defender, but he could be the perfect counterpart an offensive defenseman needs to fully unleash their potential.
 
Grades:
 
Skating: A
Puck skills: C
Goal scoring: B-
Playmaking: C
Hockey sense: A+
Physical: B-
 
Observations:
 
June 24, 2024: Upon finishing his senior year with the Greenland Youth Academy, Grønvold signed a contract with the Mexico City Kings, who will hold his rights until the upcoming VHLM draft. He looks like a good fit to complete the Kings’ blue line. Due to some visa issues, he's expected to miss the first few games, but he still should have enough time to build chemistry before a potentially very deep playoff run.
 
July 4, 2024: The fatigue from jumping straight from the Greenland Youth Academy senior year into the VHLM regular season has clearly affected Grønvold's game. While he hasn't looked overwhelmed thanks to his awareness and defensive IQ, he has been struggling to adjust to the VHLM pace and to leverage his physical tools. Still, he became an impact defender for the Kings, finishing the regular season with 3 goals, 7 assists, a plus-1 rating, 28 hits, and 23 blocked shots in 16 games.
 
July 13, 2024: Eleven playoff games is not a big sample size, but Grønvold definitely looked more comfortable than he looked in his regular season games. He held his own pretty well, especially considering five of the 11 games were against heavy favorites. Grønvold ramped up his intensity with 19 shot blocks and 20 hits, recorded a single goal and team-leading 7 assists with a minus-2 rating.
 
August 5, 2024: Despite a strong defensive showing at the Junior Showcase Tournament with the tournament-winning Rush team, Grønvold wasn't selected to take part in the World Junior Championship, which arguably hurt his VHLM draft stock as he fell to the 7th overall pick, going back to the Mexico City Kings for season 95.
 
September 13, 2024: In his first—and what should be final—full VHLM season, Grønvold surprised everyone with his production with 18 goals and 48 assists for 64 points (10th among VHLM defensemen). Some of hockey’s best coaches say the better you defend, the less you have to do it, and Grønvold was a great example of it. While his traditional defensive stats were unimpressive—plus-8 rating, 137 hits, and 112 shots blocked—his defensive impact went beyond the box stats, as he was the most deployed player on the league's best defensive team. It's hard to record hits and blocks when your team is on the puck most of the time you're on the ice. Grønvold remains a bona fide mid-first round talent, and a strong playoff performance could even propel him into a top-5 consideration.
 
September 16, 2024: Let's not talk about Grønvold’s performance in the four playoff games Mexico City played. As the draft approaches, Grønvold remains one of the premier blueliners and one of the more VHL-ready prospects, but another year of development before jumping in the big league would be the best approach to his future. He is set to play another season with the Kings now that the VHLE announced the end of their partnership with the VHL and its affiliated leagues.