kirbithan

future HOFer brandon petan jr., the goat

River Harrington | Defenseman | #29 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada RIVER AUGUST HARRINGTON was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada into a privileged family. His mother was a renowned fashion designer and his father was a self-made corporate mogul who started up his own tech company that eventually partnered with the Western Hockey League (WHL), in order to lead advancements in calculating and tracking statistics along with other points of interests of each individual player in the league during games— leading the Harrington family to move to Vancouver to set up shop at a new headquarters in the heart of the city. Growing up, he had everything he could have wanted— toys, video games, electronics, the newest shoes— all the things a little boy could dream of, the prototypical “spoiled rich kid.” When he began skating at the age of 4, he had no issues asking his parents to purchase the best hockey gear available, giving him the edge and bragging rights among other kids his age. The one thing he lacked, which money couldn't buy, was an emotional bond with his parents. In the midst of working their lives away, they ended up neglecting River. They often left him with a nanny or with his best friend Theo St-Jean’s family,—as River’s father was acquainted with Theo’s father, who played for the Vancouver Wolves at the time. River’s parents were never able to attend any school awards ceremonies or his hockey games due to their eventful work schedules and business trips. They only truly committed time to spend with River when they had to present themselves as the “perfect” family for conferences or functions. River’s mother and father openly admitted that they never had a second child due to not having time for another one— or even River himself in the first place— yet still expected him to be a well-mannered child in order to preserve their prestigious reputations as some of Canada’s finest. Despite being a level-headed child when he was younger and not understanding the weight of his parents' words, the years went on and he began to become more bitter, especially after spending more time with the St-Jeans than his own mother and father. This translated into a more physical side to his game on the ice since he had no other outlet. Though, to his own surprise, he did manage to make another friend in Brandon Petan Jr. who was playing on the same junior team as him at the time when they were 12. Brandon was a stud of a center who had dreams of making it to the VHL just as all kids their age did, and was the son of two former professional hockey players who played in the NHL, the VHL’s rival league. River (L) and Theo (R) River is an exceptional offensive defenseman, contributing on the scoring side of the game with his powerful slap shot and offensive vision, yet still putting his body on the line for the sake of keeping pucks out of the net. In his mind, he had nothing to lose. Of course, the rage that has brewed inside him for years is expelled whenever he steps onto the ice in the form of hard body checks and more often than not— fights that leave him and his opponents beaten and bloody. His hotheaded nature caused him to make headlines in junior league spaces and finally caught the attention of his parents. Prior to his mother and father finally reaching out, they hadn’t spoken besides the times they would periodically send money so River could support himself. He had strayed far from the perfect son they had imagined, but he was quick to remind them that he was the result of their decisions, and wouldn’t simply change himself for people he felt like he barely knew, and officially cut them out of his life after they accused him of trying to purposely tarnish their family name. With guidance from Theo’s father and Brandon’s parents, River was now trying to turn over a new leaf and to prevent his lack of discipline from dropping any potential draft stock whenever the time came to hear his name called out on the VHL Draft stage. At first, it was extremely difficult to break old habits, but as he picked up some other hobbies like kickboxing to let off some steam, he spent less time in the penalty box and more on the ice supporting his junior team while still playing a physical game like he had always enjoyed, becoming a valuable piece to the defensive core’s puzzle. Now River has his eyes set on the VHL after a successful junior campaign. Whichever team in the VHLM needs a physical defenseman who performs well on both sides of the ice? He’ll be there. He would rewrite his own story and shift the perception of the name “Harrington.” River wanted to make everyone remember it.

he’ll continue to haunt you in your dreams, my friend

you know it!

Thank you, AJ!!

Player Information Username: kirbithan Player Name: River Harrington Recruited From: Returning Age: 18 Position: D Height: 72 in. Weight: 200 lbs. Birthplace: Canada Player Page @VHLM GM

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of June 16th 2024 - June 23rd 2024 1. What did you think of the theme of “VHLM?” 2. In the spirit of theme week, what is your favorite VHLM branding? 3. What are your thoughts on Fantasy Zone as an uncapped TPE opportunity? Is it too difficult to get more than one TPE? 4. The VHL’s 17th birthday is coming up soon. What were you up to 17 years ago? 5. If you are participating in VHFL, how is your team doing right now? If not, is there any reason you didn’t participate this season? 6. Predict who will be Davos’ top scorer by the end of the regular season! 7. What attributes are you focusing on with your player this season? 8. Who is your all-time favorite athlete? (doesn’t have to be hockey-related!)

lachlan summers

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of June 9th 2024 - June 16th 2024 1. On Monday, Theme Week begins! Any guesses as to what this season’s theme could be? 2. With the TDL also coming up, are there any additions you would like to see Davos making at this point in the season? 3. What goals do you hope to achieve by the time your current player’s career is over? 4. How long have you been a member of the VHL? 5. As of right now, which VHL team do you think is Davos’ biggest rival? 6. Oilers or Panthers to win the Stanley Cup? 7. Who do you believe will go 1st overall in this year’s NHL draft? 8. Do you prefer traveling by car or by plane?

wanted to think outside the box this week and decided to make davos a football/soccer kit! jersey and logo swaps were painstaking for little details, but hopefully my efforts were worth it.

@sadie

I’ve already said this before, but this is such a beautifully written article and an amazing read! Such an important topic that was handled flawlessly in your work. Great to see media spots like this during Pride Month! Absolutely adore the personalities of all the characters and the dialogue flows fantastically. So happy I was able to contribute! Please keep up the awesome work and can’t wait to see more in the future!

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of June 2nd 2024 - June 9th 2024 1. A week into the season, what is one word to describe how Davos is playing thus far? 2. Who is your player’s render for graphics? 3. Of the three main point tasks, which is your favorite: graphics, media spots, or podcasts? 4. We’ve had a few new portal updates in the past few weeks: what are your thoughts on the new additions and changes? 5. What is your favorite part about being a part of the VHL? 6. What is the inspiration behind your player’s name, if any? 7. Would you ever consider GMing/AGMing for a team if you haven’t already? 8. What sports team would you most like to see play live?

DAVID!!

It’s already S94 and I feel like I still can’t believe that Lachlan’s journey in the VHL is going to come to a close at the end of the season. It feels surreal in a way, that I started out this career as a clueless first gen who wasn’t even sure if I was going to max earn or how involved I was actually going to be in the league— to growing a goaltender who’s become a household name and future Hall of Famer. I’m getting a little emotional thinking that this is it, once the trade deadline hits, I’m going to press that retire player button and have to start over again. On one hand, it’s extremely daunting to know I’ll finally have my first taste of the hybrid attributes with a skater, but on the other, I’m so excited to see what my next player will bring. Either way, it’ll be bittersweet and I don’t think I’ll ever be fully able to let go of Lachlan because he’s been so integral to my growth as both a member of the VHL and in a way, as a person, since creating him as led to so many opportunities here in making friends, experiencing a whole niche interest with a group of many others as nerdy as I am, and overall just stepping out of my comfort zone for once. Thank you to everyone who’s made my first go-around here in the VHL an unforgettable one and I can't wait for the next!

thank you, my friend!!

we’ve come a long way, let’s make this last season the best one yet.

HC Davos Dynamo Press Conference You ONLY have to answer 6 of the 8 questions Week Of May 26th 2024 - June 2nd 2024 1. S94 is officially underway! What are your initial thoughts about how Davos has done so far? 2. As per tradition, what is your one bold prediction for the season? 3. Do you expect our team to fight for a playoff position this season? 4. Are you participating in VHFL and/or Super Coach? 5. What is one piece of advice you would give to a first gen player just starting out in the league? 6. Do you believe defense wins championships? 7. Which shot is more difficult for a goaltender to stop: a wrist shot or a slapshot? 8. Of the remaining teams in the NHL playoffs, who do you believe will win the Stanley Cup?

congrats to our captains! here's to an awesome season, go DAVID!

4.52

The last ride. The last chance to show the league what he’s made of before retirement. Lachlan Summers has had an illustrious career with a possible Hall of Fame induction in his future, and he has one last season to show that he’s worthy of being immortalized amongst the all-time VHL greats. He has been dreaming about this since he was a child and has worked his ass off since he was a kid in Brisbane to get to where he is right now. Coming off a solid S93, Lachlan was in his first season as a Warsaw Predator after spending the first six seasons of his VHL career with HC Davos Dynamo, the team that took a chance on him back during the S86 draft when the league was oversaturated with young goaltenders. Although it took a while to get used to wearing different colors, Lachlan quickly found his footing with his new team and helped lead them to the playoffs for the first time since S86, although they were unfortunately eliminated in the first round by the Moscow Menace. Despite facing the most shots by any goalie in the league with 2,616 SA, Lachlan put up the best save percentage of all goalies this season with an impressive .935%, accompanied by a 2.61 GAA, and four shutouts. He ended the season with a 40-23-2 record, and was rewarded for his heroic efforts with winning his second career Aidan Shaw trophy for Best Goaltender, as well as his first career Scotty Campbell trophy as the league’s MVP! He also was chosen for the All-VHL first team for the second time in his career. These accolades add to an already impressive trophy case and hopefully, in his last season, he will be able to acquire a few more to round out an amazing career. After weeks of speculation on whether or not he was going to walk to free agency, Lachlan chose to pick up his player option with Warsaw in order to run it back one last time. With an improved defense, Lachlan saw Warsaw as the best place to chase one more Cup before he hangs up the skates and takes off his mask in the VHL for the last time. Lachlan has been reminiscing and couldn’t believe a career in the VHL could already be over in what seemed like a blink of an eye. He remembered when he was first picked off waivers by the San Diego Marlins in the VHLM, and how he led them to the playoffs in his second year with the team. How he was able to reunite with fellow S85 Marlin and his best friend Sadie St-Louis in Stockholm. Despite the fact that the two never got to play on the same team after their VHLE experience, Lachlan has been giving Sadie the best restaurant recommendations and hidden gems in Davos. The two of them have already talked about taking a celebratory vacation with their significant others to celebrate their retirement at the end of S94. Then how he felt when he was drafted by Davos and cementing his name as a Dynamo great, celebrating the team breaking their Cup curse and forming a friendly, heated rivalry with now retired HOF lock Jesse Teno. And now here he was in his second season with Warsaw, ready to chase one last championship. Lachlan Summers will surely be lauded as a certified VHL legend.