sadie

Reporter: After having such a large bounceback in the regular season, does losing in the wild card round feel like it was all for nothing? SSL: No, I think this season was a really valuable experience to have; to go from bottom of the barrel to a solid playoff team in the span of a couple months is a special achievement. Obviously the loss to London stings, but I have a lot of hope for this team next year. I think that despite my point total, I have improved a lot this year and it will start showing in my production soon. R: What is your biggest takeaway from this season? SSL: Basically, when you're down, you're never out, even when you are in last place with seemingly no hope. We were unlucky to face such a good performance from the United, but everyone feels good about what we have achieved I hope, because it was impressive.

congratulations but why did you have to do this to us

i like how sometimes you used periods, 10/10.

noooooooooo I think I spelled it wrong when I retyped it in a different font thanks for noticing

I did absolutely steal this idea from @Subject056

Chicago Phoenix Press Conference (for weeks ending 4/23 or 4/30) Answer 3 questions for 1 TPE, answer all 6 for 2! claim here --> https://vhlportal.com/players/playermgmt under capped --> press conference 1. Seattle has been very hot recently and has overtaken us for top of the conference. In our one matchup against them this season it was a close 4-3 win. How big will our remaining 4 games against them be? 2. What has your player been working on in practice lately (where did you/are needing to apply your TPE)? 3. How do you feel about Chicago's future? Do you think we need more young talent to stay in contention for the playoffs over the coming years or will we be okay? 4. Do you believe that offense or defense wins championships? 5. What is something you really love to learn about? Mine is outer space. 6. What is your favorite thing to do to pass the time?

whoever drafts harrington and petan jr. is going to win 9 straight Continental Cups @kirbithan

this looks great! I love the glow around the render and logo replacement on the jersey looks good as well as matching that sleeve color well. I like the choice to go big last name, small first name and the spacing on it is done just right. I would give it a 9/10 because surprisingly the bold font works really well with the cursive and the negative space isn't a huge thing for me although you could add the player's position/season there! nice graphic and also welcome to the league!

jason this is awesome! I love the detail you show on the mask by blowing it up in the background and the great color swaps you did with binner (blue stick looks good)! the smoke really doesn't leave much negative space and the only thing I could suggest is that the L and A in Lachlan blend in so they are harder to see. but regardless a 10/10 from me because of the mask design most of all.

DBC: How do you feel about Riga being at the bottom of the European Conference at this point in the season? Anything you would attribute that to? Sadie St-Louis: It's been really disappointing; personally, I am not living up to the goals I had set earlier this year. We seem to be able to score 3-4 goals just fine one game and then get shut out the next, I think it's really just a lack of consistency that is to blame for the poor form. DBC: Do you get the sense that the team feels like they can get back into the race for the playoffs or has there been a loss of positive atmosphere, of hope of success? SSL: Yeah, I think we are doing a good job of trying to regroup. We are scoring more and shooting more lately and hopefully that can translate into more points and a climb up the standings. DBC: What do you think you need to improve on most to be more successful in the rest of the year? SSL: I would love to get my pass down better; it has not been accurate or powerful enough and while I think I am shooting well enough, I would not mind improving my defensive stick to try to get more breakout chances and therefore more goals.

Chicago Phoenix Press Conference (for weeks ending 4/16 or 4/23) Answer 3 questions for 1 TPE, answer all 6 for 2! claim here --> https://vhlportal.com/players/playermgmt under capped --> press conference 1. The Phoenix just can't stop winning! How long you think we can stay at the top of the league? 2. Ryan Vidot is 2nd in league points with 34 in 24 games played. Do you think their play is the main reason Chicago leads the league in points and do you think they can overtake Ronan Lavelle for #1? 3. Do you think the Phoenix should make any moves as we approach the deadline to ensure a better chance at a cup? 4. Do you have any good ideas for a future VHL player? 5. How has your 2023 been going so far? Better or worse than 2022? 6. If you could be a pro in any sport besides hockey, what would it be?

1. Riga currently sits last in the conference. What do you think has been the main contributor to this unfortunate start? We need to play better defense- we get 3 or 4 goals in many games that we can end up losing. 2. What’s the key to getting back on track in order to make the playoffs? We need to potentially shift lines around and definitely work on dumping TPE into our worst areas. 3. Curtis Crumb currently sits Top 10 in rookie scoring. How well is he adjusting to the VHL? Very well! I am glad we have even more young up and coming players for the future. 4. What specifically do you want your player to do more to help this team make the playoffs? SCORE. I think she should be converting more often given the better stats this year. 5. The Boston Bruins are the heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup - do you think they continue the perfect season and if not, who is taking them out? Carolina over Boston in 7 in the conference finals, they'll be close but won't be quite perfect enough. 6. BBQ season is upon us - what is your favourite thing to BBQ? Probably burgers or steak.

claim for week ending 23/4

claim for week ending 16/4

With this season being the first with the new Super Coach fantasy opportunity (and because I need TPE), I thought I would review my fantasy picks for S88. While I can't exactly gauge how good my Super Coach team might be, I think this VHFL squad is the best I have ever drafted in my entire 3 seasons of it. I have high hopes which hopefully don't come crashing down too quickly. VHFL F - Brendan Marner @MetalToday Pick #6 (absolute steal) At 5th overall on the VHFL leaderboards and the 2nd forward, this was the pick that made sense at #6. Marner is the player with the highest TPA across the VHL, leading The Board Game Clue on Skates by more than 50. With a staggering league leading 111 points last year, similar numbers would be awesome and a total even higher than that would give me a huge boost. They score, pass, hit, and lead Warsaw, crucial to their success in every game. If shot blocking numbers get a bit higher this year, Marner would be even more of a perfect VHFL player. S87 rank: -5th among skaters -2nd among forwards F - Landon Wolanin @jacobcarson877 Pick #7 (absolute steal) Wolanin will no doubt tear apart the league's defense and goaltending for another year while playing with the likes of Daniel Janser and Leandro Goncalves as well as Marlins legend Vincent Laroche-Gagnier. Coming hot off a 99 point season and looking for more, Landon the Marlins legend has seemingly succeeded in fighting off hard hitting depreciation, still ranked top 10 in TPA. In S87, he was ranked second in goals to only the insane season of Sirdsvaldis Miglaskems and 5th in overall points. I only see Calgary becoming stronger this season after winning the Continental Cup and with them, Wolanin's fantasy stats. S87 rank: -14th among skaters -5th among forwards F - Vasile Lamb @dlamb Pick #18 (absolute steal) Lamb, my 3rd round pick and perennially one of the best in the league, looks lined up for another great season to round out my forward group. With 945 TPA to their name, they will work with Hulk Hogan 2 and Tavish Degroot to try to get Seattle deep into the playoffs. Lamb ranked 1st overall in VHL hits last season and put up an impressive 85 points and although depreciation will have taken its toll, the players they are surrounded with will make up for any impact that may have I hope. Taking all three forwards with my first 3 picks seems to have panned out really well considering I still had such good defensive and goaltending talent left on the board. S87 rank: -9th among skaters -3rd among forwards D - Siyan Yasilievich @badcolethetitan Pick #19 (absolute steal) After posting what has been by far the most stellar season of their career with NINETY FOUR POINTS and 23 goals as a defenseman, Yasilievich, an S83, looks to repeat their greatness. They had triple digits in hits and blocks as well as 19 points in 16 games in aid of Davos' finals run. Not to mention, winning the Alexander Beketov trophy for most assists. Siyan's move to London shouldn't slow them down too much as they now have the opportunity to play with Hari Singh Nalwa and forwards the likes of Molly the Cat, Igor Molotov, and Marlins legend Leonard Triller. A more than solid pick I was certain I wouldn't get as low as 18 and one I am very glad I did. S87 rank: -12th among skaters -8th among defensemen D - AK92 Wit da Hoodie @hedgehog337 Pick #30 (absolute steal) AK92 Wit da Hoodie is starting the season off the right way with 14 points in 9 games, already solidifying my faith in what was an amazing grab at 30. Tied for 3rd in league scoring, they look to be on their way to an even better season than last year. Having had 66 points, 218 hits, and 168 blocks, the huge boost in TPE this year to above 1100 is going to drive the numbers up and should place AK92 as one of the best defensemen in the league. They will play with Hammar Voss in Moscow, the player with the third most TPA leaguewide, and have dynamic stars like Ronan Lavelle and Tomas Sogaard to feed the puck to, something that has happened many times this year already. S87 rank: -20th among skaters -11th among defenseman G - Lachlan Summers @kirbithan Pick #31 (absolute steal) Lachlan Summers, a true Marlins legend also known as the Mad Aussie, is a wild card pick for this year, but one I think will be one of, if not the biggest breakout star this year. I picked him to win the Stolzschweiger because after placing top 3 in GAA and SV% last year (despite the small sample size) my confidence is high. Davos is going to be a force for another season this year, looking to repeat their finals run and secure the championship this time. Boosting my confidence is the presence of dependable defensemen like Jake Thunder and David Jokinen the Marlins legend who will further aid in Lachlan's attempt to win me both my VHFL and my Super Coach TPE (as that is of course his primary aim). S87 rank: -17th among goalies (rookie in S88) I think every one of the players I selected should have been gone before the point where I picked them, some by a significant margin. If things play out how I think they will, which of course there is no guarantee of, I have an excellent chance at those 6 TPE. Super Coach LW - Nezuko (cost - 10) For my big cost player, I picked Nezuko partially because I couldn't afford a Wolanin or a Marner as it would leave me with very little room to maneuver with my other players. Nezuko also simply had an insane 98 point season last year, a solid jump from 84 the season before and they are also surrounded by 4 other 1000+ TPA players in Miglaskems, Maloish, Murray, and Vandelay. Hopefully they can be of similar value to those very top players at an excellent and efficient cost. S87 rank: -22nd among skaters -11th among forwards LW - Sadie St-Louis (cost - 6) @sadie Well I've gone and picked myself. After having a good season with 59 points last year, Sadie St-Louis the Marlins legend should improve even more this year playing with teammates like Daniel Weaver and the Frenchman (who I totally didn't also pick). She had triple digit hits and for only 6 cost, should be one of the best value picks at that cost to make this work. Also, if I had a good season and didn't pick myself, I totally would have regretted it. S87 rank: -84th among skaters -47th among forwards C - The Frenchman (cost - @OrbitingDeath The Frenchman, after a large resurgence with 77 points in 72 games after having 51 in S86, is one of the players I am most optimistic about this year. OrbitingDeath from what I have seen, finds ways to build amazing players season after season, and hopefully the Frenchman is no exception. I depend on Riga and their young core for my Super Coach team to work at all, and they are going to lead them into the future. This year, they should break the 100 hit mark and I hope for somewhere in the 80s in points if not just for the sake of Super Coach, but for the sake of Riga and St-Louis' fortunes. S87 rank: -69th among skaters -39th among forwards D - Skor McFleury (cost - 6) @Alex To finish out my over-dependence and bias towards the Riga Reign, we have Skor McFleury. McFleury was one of the most exciting young rookies this league had to offer last year, placing 8th in rookie scoring as an S87 defenseman among many S86 players. I think playing with Max Torq is going to be an absolutely massive points boost for Skor and the fact that Riga SHOULD be more competitive in general certainly won't hurt. They are definitely the 6 cost defenseman with by far the most upside and I am excited to see what happens for them. S87 rank: -98th among skaters D - Tater Tottingham (cost - 5) @Trunkxolotl To finish out my Super Coach skaters, we have Tater Tottingham. They had a quiet but very solid 100 hits and 150 shots blocked last season, which along with their 35 points was good enough to lift them into the top one hundred skaters for VHFL. As the defenseman with the highest TPA on the Toronto Legion, Tottingham should see a lot of playing time and hopefully will get to create with the likes of Mac Atlas on the power play as well. The big minutes Tottingham may play give me hope for a big breakout season and I hope this is a good underdog pick. S87 rank: -92nd among skaters G - Lachlan Summers (cost - 7) i have said my piece on this australian man already, 3.82, 3.62 Well there we have it. My fantasy hopes for the S88 VHL season. One team full of players that I am brimming with confidence in, and one team with a much more uncertain future. I'd say it is definitely unique though which I believe counted for something. Please be kind to me simon.

D - AK92 Wit da Hoodie G - Lachlan Summers @Brandon @Daniel Janser I think we just go straight to you

Sorry I had noted he was taken and was gonna pick Lamb instead, then my brain apparently said no

F - Vasile Lamb D - Siyan Yasilievich @Brandon

@Triller

10/10. The orange pops out beautifully against the green background and the gradient on the vhl logo works well because it doesn't blend in with the jersey surrounding it. The choice of render being this specific red panda is great because of the expression and the textures in the foreground/font with the cute tail on the D just bring it home.

F - Brendan Marner F - Landon Wolanin @Brandon you can make two picks here to make up your last turn