Pifferfish

@BlueEagleWelcome to the VHL, I'm Piffer - Assistant to the General Manager of the Philadelphia Reapers. We are currently an underdog looking to make an impact in the postseason after just clinching a berth recently. Currently we are unable to offer more than bottom 6 ice time, but the potential to earn special teams minutes exists. The GM and I are both pretty active. I personally am around a lot of the time and will generally be able to help you in any way you need to start your career. We are building a good locker room culture and getting newer players in and helping them grow is my top priority! If this appeals to you, quote this saying #fearthereaper and our wonderful GM @Lemorse7will get that contract drawn up ASAP! Good luck no matter where you choose to play.
 

this offer seems really good, you should totally accept it Woog. also, im the AGM and im like... the coolest guy.
 

@Lemorse7

Hello @tylerwest, I'm Assistant to the General Manager of the Philadelphia Reapers. We are a likely playoff team with tons of opportunities for young Defensemen to make an immediate impact. You would step in with top pairing minutes alongside immediate Special Teams opportunities off the jump. I'm around often to help with anything you may need on your VHLM journey as I'm personally quite active. If you are interested just reply with #fearthereaper and @ our GM @Lemorse7to get yourself into the contract signing process! 
 

Hi @G2019, I'm Pifferfish the Assistant to the General Manager in Philadelphia. We have a solid team and are hoping to continue building a solid locker room culture in Philly. While we cannot offer top ice time. We have spots on our 3rd and 4th lines with the potential to earn Special Teams minutes. I'm almost always available to answer questions to get you on the right path in your journey so just say #fearthereaper in your reply and we can get you signed up.

Hi, @ThatCasual, I'm Pifferfish the AGM of the Philadelphia Reapers. We are one of the hottest teams recently with one of the top offenses in recent weeks. That said we have a lot of forwards so currently we only have bottom 6 minutes available. Special Teams time will depend on your play style but it's certainly available to be earned. Especially if you stay very active in the locker room. We are trying to build a good locker room culture and give you the help you need to grow. I'm extremely active and mostly available to answer any questions you have to get you to the top. Reply with #fearthereaper and our GM can write up that contract offer. Good luck on your journey!

Week of 10/09 Press Conferences!
(Answer all 6 for 2 TPE.)

1. The Reapers have been on quite the run as of late. Who do you credit with the offense's ability to get on the board early and often game after game?
2. After a 9-2 run in your last 11 games, what changes if any does this team need heading into the final playoff push?
3. The team as a whole has only given up 23 goals over that same span. How much credit does starting goaltender Evan Bihler deserve for these victories?
4. In four games the team will be at home against the best ranked team in the VHLM, the Las Vegas Aces. What will be the key to victory against the stiffest competition in the league?
5. How do you currently feel about the Philadelphia Reapers' approach to practices in the middle of the season?
6. What NHL team are you expecting or hoping to see make a big leap from their performance last year?

 

Hi, @mrdicknurballz, I'm AGM of the Philadelphia Reapers. We are currently boasting one of the most high-power offenses right now. Currently we are stacked up at Forward but we can certainly get you bottom 6 minutes with the possibility of earning Special Team playing time. We have a pretty cool team and the GM and I are quite friendly fellows willing to help you every step of the way. reply with #fearthereaper and we will be sending an offer!

Hi @kelvi, I'm piffer the AGM of the Reapers. We are one of the best scoring offenses as of late but only have 3rd line minutes immediately available. Special teams playing time would be based on how you play at this present juncture. If you are down to join up reply with #fearthereaper and we'd be excited to bring you on board.

I'd love a chance up top.

Try harder

Hey @v.2 I'm the AGM of the Reapers and we have some great opportunities in Philly. We boast one of the best offensive team as of late and could probably find you a role on the third line and maybe some special teams work as well! say #fearthereaper if interested.

Hello readers, my name is Todd Ripley of the Halifax Times and welcome to my independent blog. This week I wanted to take a quit step away from just Halifax sports news and take a deep dive into the minds of the VHLM’s General Managers. The following is a series of quick three to five question interviews in which I attempt to get their thoughts on topics such as the trade deadline, the rise of skilled defensemen, and their duties. 
 
The first interview I conducted was with the general manager of the Mexico City Kings. This was on the heels of a big time move for their franchise and I wanted to be the first to get a word from coleh. 

-----
Ripley: Your team recently made a trade (barring action from the league) with Houston in which you brought in two players for two picks. What about those talents' games made you reach out to Houston for them?
 
Coleh: They're currently the leading scorer in the M and for the Mexico City Kings, we really need someone who has an elite shot and can put the puck in the net. Our team currently struggles to score and adding someone of the caliber is a huge boost to our team's offensive potential.
 
Ripley: Many would have considered the Kings one of the lower teams in terms of strength and a likely sell candidate. What led to the decision to get aggressive with your draft capitals at the deadline?
 
Coleh: I can for sure see that some teams think that we are a potential selling candidate. However, if you look at our beginning of the season schedule, we actually only played the top teams in the league, which led to our record being worse. I think our team as of right now is a playoff team, and we are making a push to potentially go far in the playoffs. [Redacted upon Coleh’s Request]
 
Ripley: Nanashi Mumei is one of the most dominant Defensemen in the league right now. He is top 10 in points, hits, and shot blocks at the position. How valuable do you as a GM find elite two-way players? Would you rather have elite defenders mixed in with elite offensive weapons?
 
Coleh: Two-Way players are super valuable to a team. I currently also have a TWD in the VHL and it's the nicest thing to have to be honest. I personally think that elite defenders, especially this season, can go a very far way. I also helped my friend on his build, and it seems to be working pretty well for him since he's top 10 in multiple categories.
 
Ripley: What goes into the GMing of a team for the readers who might not know what it takes to run a team?
 
Coleh: Yep. I would say a lot of things go into GMing, draft, trading, player management, strategy, there's so much that go into this. I would be here forever if I tried to explain every single thing, but I would say the best thing that I like doing as a GM is being able to help new players and get them invested in the league. I really like meeting new people and sharing the same joy with them, that being hockey!
-----
 
Enlightening chat with him as his team made the somewhat surprising move to go for it this year despite having been last in their division recently. We wish Mexico City the best of luck in its quest for the Founders’ Cup. We are going to stay in that warm, sunshiny weather as we make our way to South Beach to continue our “GM Round Up” with Nurx from the Miami Marauders.
 
-----
Ripley: Your team was one that many analysts picked out as a buyer at this deadline. You finally struck with a deal to send two picks to Mississauga for Justin Lion and Ben McLaughlin. What about these players and their games made them ideal targets for your team? 
 
Nurx: Ben McLaughlin is my AGMs player. I think that McLaughlin is a huge player with a possibility of being a strong piece in the puzzle in expanding those goals scored numbers. Justin Lion is a wild card. They could become a starting goalie quickly or they could continue tandeming. It all depends how they continue to develop. I love seeing the first gens put the work in though!
 
Ripley: Many have said no roster is ever perfect, do you feel this way about your current team? If so, can we expect to see more moves in the coming days?
 
Nurx: I do believe that we have weaknesses. I do expect to make a move, but not how you would expect. I do want to continue to work towards this season, but also secure a strong season with a strong draft next season. Currently I sit with only 3 draft picks in the first 3 rounds which isn't ideal in what appears to be a weak draft class.
 
Ripley: How large is the impact of having two top 5 scoring Forwards in Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes? What about their games specifically makes them so good at finding the twine night in and night out?
 
Nurx: Well, they have very good builds. The meshed very well on a line with the playmaking Swinsola allowing for the three to be likely the most dominant trio in the league where the 3rd player isn't even known. They are both shoot first forwards which leads to a lot of shots with a [defensive core] behind them who are pass heavy defenseman. 
 
Ripley: That perfectly leads into my next question. Hockey as a sport has moved away from stay-at-home defenders in favor of pure puck movers combined with a 2-way guy on the other side. For you as a GM building a roster, what composition of skillsets do you prefer your defensemen to fill?
 
Nurx: I prefer to have 2 different types of defensemen paired together. The defense first and a two way. This gives me a scoring threat on the offense side while continuing to allow for good defense with the other defenseman.
-----
 
You love to hear that from a confident GM; he/she knows there is work to be done still and is keeping at improving the team little by little. Best of luck to the Marauders in the rest of the season. Can't stick around long, however, as we have to make our way to Houston to talk with their general manager, AJW!
 
-----
Ripley: Houston had boasted four of the league's best scorers heading into the deadline with four player top 10 in points. What led you to be a seller at the deadline with this fact in mind? 
 
AJW: It is tough to see how great your players are performing while thinking about rebuilding. The reasoning for the trades was because our position in the standings didn’t match the success of our player’s scoring abilities. Before the trades were made Houston was 8th in the league standings with most wins coming against Mississauga, who is win-less halfway through the season. I realized I didn’t have the right assets right now to go for it all, so instead we will try to bring in more players next draft to buff up the team with the players who will be returning next season.
 
Ripley: At the deadline you moved the league's top point scoring forward and defenseman. With that capital what types of players do you plan to bring into you roster at the draft as far as player archetypes?
 
AJW: I plan to bring some of my waiver players from this season back next season. They are working hard to earn TPE and should have break out seasons in S86. Our locker room is a lot of fun right now too even with not having a great record. Everyone is still positive and still wanting to win, so my goal is to get this squad back together as well as bringing in more defensemen since we currently have none. Player builds don’t really matter to me as I’d rather have active members over good players. So, if you’re an active player, you’re at the top of my draft list.
 
Ripley: Reno Reinhold appeared to be a part of the at large movement in hockey to have puck offensive weapons at defense while still being able to lock down their own zone. Do you feel that an increase in offensive production out of defenders is a net positive for hockey as a sport? Is this now something you will specifically target in future draft classes aggressively?
 
AJW: I mean look at real life NHL, Cale Makar is arguably a top 5 player in the league right now as an offensive defenseman. In our sim league I feel like it’s the same too. Having a top defenseman to work your power play as well as even strength is a massive bonus for your team. This especially helped since we didn’t have the strongest goaltender this season, so Reno really stepped up on the back end of our roster.
-----
 
We appreciate Houston's AJW for his time and wish him the best in his rebuild. Definitely looking for big time draftees to turn this team around next year. Speaking of turning around, we need to turn our attention from the South to the North as we fly on up to my hometown of Halifax to end our journey with most our reader's current favorite general manager, Shawn from the 21st!
 
-----
Ripley: One of the most important parts of any GM's season is upon us. With your team rolling in recent weeks, do you plan to acquire assets for a potential cup run?
 
Shawn: I'd like to, but it's always tough when some teams beat me to the punch and offer something better than I would've. I guess we'll have to see where the chips fall but it's something I'm interested in.
 
Ripley: As far as your present roster is concerned, it's been mostly built through the draft. In an article, written and edited by yourself, you highlighted your mindset during the draft that's lead to a lot of this team's talent. Which of those players has been the biggest surprise thus far? Have any been a disappointment?
 
Shawn: I'd say Anssi or Paard has been the most surprising. Both were thoughts to be role players when I picked them, but they exploded to be my most producing forwards out of nowhere. I wouldn't say anyone has been a disappointment, everyone is playing as good if not better than expected.
 
Ripley: One of the most easily noticed strengths of the Halifax 21st is its goaltending tandem. Your team boast 2 of the top 3 goalies in save percentage. How important is it to have not only a great starter, but a quality backup in the modern, high-scoring game of today? How do you decide when to get Igor Vezina playing time?
 
Shawn: Those two have been awesome. Ash Sparks has been the heart and soul of this squad winning us as many games as he has, and the locker room loves him. Vezina is a beast in his own right, and I want him to be the future goalie for this team. I want to ease him into playing time to get his legs under him and get some action but also playing him when Sparks needs rest or whatever and he's been awesome when we need him.
 
Ripley: One of the things your team has struggled with, despite the recent successes, is a great disparity in the plus/minus between your units. We've noticed some tweaks to the lineup in your most recent games. About how big of a sample size do you personally need to make changes during the year and what other factors do you consider when making such adjustments?
 
Shawn: I try and look at 5-10 games before making lineup changes usually. With 72 games in a season, you can't afford to go 20 or 30 games with a bad lineup because that could ruin your season. Factors I consider are definitely TPA and who's allocated into what. I want to give everyone a meaningful role on the team and luckily some guys allocate their TPE perfectly for me to do that.
 
Ripley: A recent acquisition, defenseman Elias Lampi, has been quite outspoken regarding his displeasure with the amount of time the 21st has spent on the penalty kill since his arrival. Is Lampi's concern valid? Furthermore, do you as a general manager encourage your players to speak their minds no matter the place or has Elias's behavior been seen as problematic by your front office?
 
Shawn: It's valid. Our special teams this season have been abysmal to say the least. I encourage players to speak their mind, this is their team and I'm just the one pulling the strings, right? I wouldn't like it if someone was telling me to do but I don't have an issue with players bringing ideas to me.
------

Thank you to all of the GMs who gave me their input on league related topics. I hope my queries were to their satisfaction and they had a good think about some of these questions. Thank you to the readers if you made it all the way through this piece. Have a wonderful hockey season!
 
2,229 words
weeks ending: 10/10 | 10/17 | 10/24 | 10/31
 

I apply harder than the rest of these non red panda appreciating individuals

I apply harder than the rest of these non red panda appreciating individuals

I apply harder than the rest of these non red panda appreciating individuals

Hello readers, my name is Todd Ripley of the Halifax Times and welcome to my independent blog. This week I wanted to take a quit step away from just Halifax sports news and take a deep dive into the minds of the VHLM’s General Managers. The following is a series of quick three to five question interviews in which I attempt to get their thoughts on topics such as the trade deadline, the rise of skilled defensemen, and their duties. 
 
The first interview I conducted was with the general manager of the Mexico City Kings. This was on the heels of a big time move for their franchise and I wanted to be the first to get a word from coleh. 

-----
Ripley: Your team recently made a trade (barring action from the league) with Houston in which you brought in two players for two picks. What about those talents' games made you reach out to Houston for them?
 
Coleh: They're currently the leading scorer in the M and for the Mexico City Kings, we really need someone who has an elite shot and can put the puck in the net. Our team currently struggles to score and adding someone of the caliber is a huge boost to our team's offensive potential.
 
Ripley: Many would have considered the Kings one of the lower teams in terms of strength and a likely sell candidate. What led to the decision to get aggressive with your draft capitals at the deadline?
 
Coleh: I can for sure see that some teams think that we are a potential selling candidate. However, if you look at our beginning of the season schedule, we actually only played the top teams in the league, which led to our record being worse. I think our team as of right now is a playoff team, and we are making a push to potentially go far in the playoffs. [Redacted upon Coleh’s Request]
 
Ripley: Nanashi Mumei is one of the most dominant Defensemen in the league right now. He is top 10 in points, hits, and shot blocks at the position. How valuable do you as a GM find elite two-way players? Would you rather have elite defenders mixed in with elite offensive weapons?
 
Coleh: Two-Way players are super valuable to a team. I currently also have a TWD in the VHL and it's the nicest thing to have to be honest. I personally think that elite defenders, especially this season, can go a very far way. I also helped my friend on his build, and it seems to be working pretty well for him since he's top 10 in multiple categories.
 
Ripley: What goes into the GMing of a team for the readers who might not know what it takes to run a team?
 
Coleh: Yep. I would say a lot of things go into GMing, draft, trading, player management, strategy, there's so much that go into this. I would be here forever if I tried to explain every single thing, but I would say the best thing that I like doing as a GM is being able to help new players and get them invested in the league. I really like meeting new people and sharing the same joy with them, that being hockey!
-----
 
Enlightening chat with him as his team made the somewhat surprising move to go for it this year despite having been last in their division recently. We wish Mexico City the best of luck in its quest for the Founders’ Cup. We are going to stay in that warm, sunshiny weather as we make our way to South Beach to continue our “GM Round Up” with Nurx from the Miami Marauders.
 
-----
Ripley: Your team was one that many analysts picked out as a buyer at this deadline. You finally struck with a deal to send two picks to Mississauga for Justin Lion and Ben McLaughlin. What about these players and their games made them ideal targets for your team? 
 
Nurx: Ben McLaughlin is my AGMs player. I think that McLaughlin is a huge player with a possibility of being a strong piece in the puzzle in expanding those goals scored numbers. Justin Lion is a wild card. They could become a starting goalie quickly or they could continue tandeming. It all depends how they continue to develop. I love seeing the first gens put the work in though!
 
Ripley: Many have said no roster is ever perfect, do you feel this way about your current team? If so, can we expect to see more moves in the coming days?
 
Nurx: I do believe that we have weaknesses. I do expect to make a move, but not how you would expect. I do want to continue to work towards this season, but also secure a strong season with a strong draft next season. Currently I sit with only 3 draft picks in the first 3 rounds which isn't ideal in what appears to be a weak draft class.
 
Ripley: How large is the impact of having two top 5 scoring Forwards in Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes? What about their games specifically makes them so good at finding the twine night in and night out?
 
Nurx: Well, they have very good builds. The meshed very well on a line with the playmaking Swinsola allowing for the three to be likely the most dominant trio in the league where the 3rd player isn't even known. They are both shoot first forwards which leads to a lot of shots with a [defensive core] behind them who are pass heavy defenseman. 
 
Ripley: That perfectly leads into my next question. Hockey as a sport has moved away from stay-at-home defenders in favor of pure puck movers combined with a 2-way guy on the other side. For you as a GM building a roster, what composition of skillsets do you prefer your defensemen to fill?
 
Nurx: I prefer to have 2 different types of defensemen paired together. The defense first and a two way. This gives me a scoring threat on the offense side while continuing to allow for good defense with the other defenseman.
-----
 
You love to hear that from a confident GM; he/she knows there is work to be done still and is keeping at improving the team little by little. Best of luck to the Marauders in the rest of the season. Can't stick around long, however, as we have to make our way to Houston to talk with their general manager, AJW!
 
-----
Ripley: Houston had boasted four of the league's best scorers heading into the deadline with four player top 10 in points. What led you to be a seller at the deadline with this fact in mind? 
 
AJW: It is tough to see how great your players are performing while thinking about rebuilding. The reasoning for the trades was because our position in the standings didn’t match the success of our player’s scoring abilities. Before the trades were made Houston was 8th in the league standings with most wins coming against Mississauga, who is win-less halfway through the season. I realized I didn’t have the right assets right now to go for it all, so instead we will try to bring in more players next draft to buff up the team with the players who will be returning next season.
 
Ripley: At the deadline you moved the league's top point scoring forward and defenseman. With that capital what types of players do you plan to bring into you roster at the draft as far as player archetypes?
 
AJW: I plan to bring some of my waiver players from this season back next season. They are working hard to earn TPE and should have break out seasons in S86. Our locker room is a lot of fun right now too even with not having a great record. Everyone is still positive and still wanting to win, so my goal is to get this squad back together as well as bringing in more defensemen since we currently have none. Player builds don’t really matter to me as I’d rather have active members over good players. So, if you’re an active player, you’re at the top of my draft list.
 
Ripley: Reno Reinhold appeared to be a part of the at large movement in hockey to have puck offensive weapons at defense while still being able to lock down their own zone. Do you feel that an increase in offensive production out of defenders is a net positive for hockey as a sport? Is this now something you will specifically target in future draft classes aggressively?
 
AJW: I mean look at real life NHL, Cale Makar is arguably a top 5 player in the league right now as an offensive defenseman. In our sim league I feel like it’s the same too. Having a top defenseman to work your power play as well as even strength is a massive bonus for your team. This especially helped since we didn’t have the strongest goaltender this season, so Reno really stepped up on the back end of our roster.
-----
 
We appreciate Houston's AJW for his time and wish him the best in his rebuild. Definitely looking for big time draftees to turn this team around next year. Speaking of turning around, we need to turn our attention from the South to the North as we fly on up to my hometown of Halifax to end our journey with most our reader's current favorite general manager, Shawn from the 21st!
 
-----
Ripley: One of the most important parts of any GM's season is upon us. With your team rolling in recent weeks, do you plan to acquire assets for a potential cup run?
 
Shawn: I'd like to, but it's always tough when some teams beat me to the punch and offer something better than I would've. I guess we'll have to see where the chips fall but it's something I'm interested in.
 
Ripley: As far as your present roster is concerned, it's been mostly built through the draft. In an article, written and edited by yourself, you highlighted your mindset during the draft that's lead to a lot of this team's talent. Which of those players has been the biggest surprise thus far? Have any been a disappointment?
 
Shawn: I'd say Anssi or Paard has been the most surprising. Both were thoughts to be role players when I picked them, but they exploded to be my most producing forwards out of nowhere. I wouldn't say anyone has been a disappointment, everyone is playing as good if not better than expected.
 
Ripley: One of the most easily noticed strengths of the Halifax 21st is its goaltending tandem. Your team boast 2 of the top 3 goalies in save percentage. How important is it to have not only a great starter, but a quality backup in the modern, high-scoring game of today? How do you decide when to get Igor Vezina playing time?
 
Shawn: Those two have been awesome. Ash Sparks has been the heart and soul of this squad winning us as many games as he has, and the locker room loves him. Vezina is a beast in his own right, and I want him to be the future goalie for this team. I want to ease him into playing time to get his legs under him and get some action but also playing him when Sparks needs rest or whatever and he's been awesome when we need him.
 
Ripley: One of the things your team has struggled with, despite the recent successes, is a great disparity in the plus/minus between your units. We've noticed some tweaks to the lineup in your most recent games. About how big of a sample size do you personally need to make changes during the year and what other factors do you consider when making such adjustments?
 
Shawn: I try and look at 5-10 games before making lineup changes usually. With 72 games in a season, you can't afford to go 20 or 30 games with a bad lineup because that could ruin your season. Factors I consider are definitely TPA and who's allocated into what. I want to give everyone a meaningful role on the team and luckily some guys allocate their TPE perfectly for me to do that.
 
Ripley: A recent acquisition, defenseman Elias Lampi, has been quite outspoken regarding his displeasure with the amount of time the 21st has spent on the penalty kill since his arrival. Is Lampi's concern valid? Furthermore, do you as a general manager encourage your players to speak their minds no matter the place or has Elias's behavior been seen as problematic by your front office?
 
Shawn: It's valid. Our special teams this season have been abysmal to say the least. I encourage players to speak their mind, this is their team and I'm just the one pulling the strings, right? I wouldn't like it if someone was telling me to do but I don't have an issue with players bringing ideas to me.
------

Thank you to all of the GMs who gave me their input on league related topics. I hope my queries were to their satisfaction and they had a good think about some of these questions. Thank you to the readers if you made it all the way through this piece. Have a wonderful hockey season!
 
2,229 words
weeks ending: 10/10 | 10/17 | 10/24 | 10/31
 

i just realized im such a bot... i forgot the best interview of the 5 i did!!!! omg omg... i might just release it for no points... such a waste. ill be better in the future.
 

Halifax Times
Sparks Flies Off the Rails?
Written by Todd Ripley

Hello again readers, today in sports news there is some trouble afoot for your Halifax 21st. The team has been on a good run as of late with hope to contend for a playoff spot. However, in recent weeks there has been reportedly locker room drama concerning team discipline and the special team units' efficiency. In their last two contests Halifax's powerplay was able to course correct and go a really solid 3 for 11. The concern comes in when the penalty kill only makes a stop just 3 of 7 attempts down a man. That said it is a good sign to see that two-game total down to a seven, so overall a mixed bag on these fronts.

The main thing that sunk our 21st is goaltending these two nights. Igor Vezina took the net for Halifax in both contests and only managed to stop 46 pucks on 55 shots against for a save percentage of 0.836. To say the least it wasn't the best that we are used to from Vezina but it's not all his fault. Igor had started the previous two games for his team and played pretty well. The problems came when it was reported that Ash Sparks, the team's star goaltender, was reportedly suffering from a strained groin. Many fans have speculated as to origin of the injury, but the team released the following statement after the win against the Philadelphia Reapers. 

-
"We have concluded an internal investigation into Sparks's activities outside of the usual team functions and determined he did not violate any team rules. Our medical staff will continue to monitor how he progresses over the next few days. He will be suited up for our next couple contests. As for whether or not he gets the starts remains to be seen. We are taking this day to day. He is the heart and soul of this team so even having him behind the bench will be a hug boost for our players and staff."

When asked what actually cause the injury, the Head Coach had this to say: "Ash is a smart kid but like many of us he likes to have fun, he went out on the water to do some off-day fishing and took a dive which we have determined was unintentional. He is a big-bodied guy and once he started going over the railing it was going to be tough to stop him. Luckily this isn't worse, and we are just hoping to get him back on the ice where he belongs. We told him he should stick to the frozen water from now on."

Here at the Halifax Times, we wish Ash a speedy recovery and hope to see him continuing his dominance in the VHLM. Thanks for reading.


473 words
week ending 10/2
 

Hello readers, my name is Todd Ripley of the Halifax Times and welcome to my independent blog. This week I wanted to take a quit step away from just Halifax sports news and take a deep dive into the minds of the VHLM’s General Managers. The following is a series of quick three to five question interviews in which I attempt to get their thoughts on topics such as the trade deadline, the rise of skilled defensemen, and their duties. 
 
The first interview I conducted was with the general manager of the Mexico City Kings. This was on the heels of a big time move for their franchise and I wanted to be the first to get a word from coleh. 

-----
Ripley: Your team recently made a trade (barring action from the league) with Houston in which you brought in two players for two picks. What about those talents' games made you reach out to Houston for them?
 
Coleh: They're currently the leading scorer in the M and for the Mexico City Kings, we really need someone who has an elite shot and can put the puck in the net. Our team currently struggles to score and adding someone of the caliber is a huge boost to our team's offensive potential.
 
Ripley: Many would have considered the Kings one of the lower teams in terms of strength and a likely sell candidate. What led to the decision to get aggressive with your draft capitals at the deadline?
 
Coleh: I can for sure see that some teams think that we are a potential selling candidate. However, if you look at our beginning of the season schedule, we actually only played the top teams in the league, which led to our record being worse. I think our team as of right now is a playoff team, and we are making a push to potentially go far in the playoffs. [Redacted upon Coleh’s Request]
 
Ripley: Nanashi Mumei is one of the most dominant Defensemen in the league right now. He is top 10 in points, hits, and shot blocks at the position. How valuable do you as a GM find elite two-way players? Would you rather have elite defenders mixed in with elite offensive weapons?
 
Coleh: Two-Way players are super valuable to a team. I currently also have a TWD in the VHL and it's the nicest thing to have to be honest. I personally think that elite defenders, especially this season, can go a very far way. I also helped my friend on his build, and it seems to be working pretty well for him since he's top 10 in multiple categories.
 
Ripley: What goes into the GMing of a team for the readers who might not know what it takes to run a team?
 
Coleh: Yep. I would say a lot of things go into GMing, draft, trading, player management, strategy, there's so much that go into this. I would be here forever if I tried to explain every single thing, but I would say the best thing that I like doing as a GM is being able to help new players and get them invested in the league. I really like meeting new people and sharing the same joy with them, that being hockey!
-----
 
Enlightening chat with him as his team made the somewhat surprising move to go for it this year despite having been last in their division recently. We wish Mexico City the best of luck in its quest for the Founders’ Cup. We are going to stay in that warm, sunshiny weather as we make our way to South Beach to continue our “GM Round Up” with Nurx from the Miami Marauders.
 
-----
Ripley: Your team was one that many analysts picked out as a buyer at this deadline. You finally struck with a deal to send two picks to Mississauga for Justin Lion and Ben McLaughlin. What about these players and their games made them ideal targets for your team? 
 
Nurx: Ben McLaughlin is my AGMs player. I think that McLaughlin is a huge player with a possibility of being a strong piece in the puzzle in expanding those goals scored numbers. Justin Lion is a wild card. They could become a starting goalie quickly or they could continue tandeming. It all depends how they continue to develop. I love seeing the first gens put the work in though!
 
Ripley: Many have said no roster is ever perfect, do you feel this way about your current team? If so, can we expect to see more moves in the coming days?
 
Nurx: I do believe that we have weaknesses. I do expect to make a move, but not how you would expect. I do want to continue to work towards this season, but also secure a strong season with a strong draft next season. Currently I sit with only 3 draft picks in the first 3 rounds which isn't ideal in what appears to be a weak draft class.
 
Ripley: How large is the impact of having two top 5 scoring Forwards in Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes? What about their games specifically makes them so good at finding the twine night in and night out?
 
Nurx: Well, they have very good builds. The meshed very well on a line with the playmaking Swinsola allowing for the three to be likely the most dominant trio in the league where the 3rd player isn't even known. They are both shoot first forwards which leads to a lot of shots with a [defensive core] behind them who are pass heavy defenseman. 
 
Ripley: That perfectly leads into my next question. Hockey as a sport has moved away from stay-at-home defenders in favor of pure puck movers combined with a 2-way guy on the other side. For you as a GM building a roster, what composition of skillsets do you prefer your defensemen to fill?
 
Nurx: I prefer to have 2 different types of defensemen paired together. The defense first and a two way. This gives me a scoring threat on the offense side while continuing to allow for good defense with the other defenseman.
-----
 
You love to hear that from a confident GM; he/she knows there is work to be done still and is keeping at improving the team little by little. Best of luck to the Marauders in the rest of the season. Can't stick around long, however, as we have to make our way to Houston to talk with their general manager, AJW!
 
-----
Ripley: Houston had boasted four of the league's best scorers heading into the deadline with four player top 10 in points. What led you to be a seller at the deadline with this fact in mind? 
 
AJW: It is tough to see how great your players are performing while thinking about rebuilding. The reasoning for the trades was because our position in the standings didn’t match the success of our player’s scoring abilities. Before the trades were made Houston was 8th in the league standings with most wins coming against Mississauga, who is win-less halfway through the season. I realized I didn’t have the right assets right now to go for it all, so instead we will try to bring in more players next draft to buff up the team with the players who will be returning next season.
 
Ripley: At the deadline you moved the league's top point scoring forward and defenseman. With that capital what types of players do you plan to bring into you roster at the draft as far as player archetypes?
 
AJW: I plan to bring some of my waiver players from this season back next season. They are working hard to earn TPE and should have break out seasons in S86. Our locker room is a lot of fun right now too even with not having a great record. Everyone is still positive and still wanting to win, so my goal is to get this squad back together as well as bringing in more defensemen since we currently have none. Player builds don’t really matter to me as I’d rather have active members over good players. So, if you’re an active player, you’re at the top of my draft list.
 
Ripley: Reno Reinhold appeared to be a part of the at large movement in hockey to have puck offensive weapons at defense while still being able to lock down their own zone. Do you feel that an increase in offensive production out of defenders is a net positive for hockey as a sport? Is this now something you will specifically target in future draft classes aggressively?
 
AJW: I mean look at real life NHL, Cale Makar is arguably a top 5 player in the league right now as an offensive defenseman. In our sim league I feel like it’s the same too. Having a top defenseman to work your power play as well as even strength is a massive bonus for your team. This especially helped since we didn’t have the strongest goaltender this season, so Reno really stepped up on the back end of our roster.
-----
 
We appreciate Houston's AJW for his time and wish him the best in his rebuild. Definitely looking for big time draftees to turn this team around next year. Speaking of turning around, we need to turn our attention from the South to the North as we fly on up to my hometown of Halifax to end our journey with most our reader's current favorite general manager, Shawn from the 21st!
 
-----
Ripley: One of the most important parts of any GM's season is upon us. With your team rolling in recent weeks, do you plan to acquire assets for a potential cup run?
 
Shawn: I'd like to, but it's always tough when some teams beat me to the punch and offer something better than I would've. I guess we'll have to see where the chips fall but it's something I'm interested in.
 
Ripley: As far as your present roster is concerned, it's been mostly built through the draft. In an article, written and edited by yourself, you highlighted your mindset during the draft that's lead to a lot of this team's talent. Which of those players has been the biggest surprise thus far? Have any been a disappointment?
 
Shawn: I'd say Anssi or Paard has been the most surprising. Both were thoughts to be role players when I picked them, but they exploded to be my most producing forwards out of nowhere. I wouldn't say anyone has been a disappointment, everyone is playing as good if not better than expected.
 
Ripley: One of the most easily noticed strengths of the Halifax 21st is its goaltending tandem. Your team boast 2 of the top 3 goalies in save percentage. How important is it to have not only a great starter, but a quality backup in the modern, high-scoring game of today? How do you decide when to get Igor Vezina playing time?
 
Shawn: Those two have been awesome. Ash Sparks has been the heart and soul of this squad winning us as many games as he has, and the locker room loves him. Vezina is a beast in his own right, and I want him to be the future goalie for this team. I want to ease him into playing time to get his legs under him and get some action but also playing him when Sparks needs rest or whatever and he's been awesome when we need him.
 
Ripley: One of the things your team has struggled with, despite the recent successes, is a great disparity in the plus/minus between your units. We've noticed some tweaks to the lineup in your most recent games. About how big of a sample size do you personally need to make changes during the year and what other factors do you consider when making such adjustments?
 
Shawn: I try and look at 5-10 games before making lineup changes usually. With 72 games in a season, you can't afford to go 20 or 30 games with a bad lineup because that could ruin your season. Factors I consider are definitely TPA and who's allocated into what. I want to give everyone a meaningful role on the team and luckily some guys allocate their TPE perfectly for me to do that.
 
Ripley: A recent acquisition, defenseman Elias Lampi, has been quite outspoken regarding his displeasure with the amount of time the 21st has spent on the penalty kill since his arrival. Is Lampi's concern valid? Furthermore, do you as a general manager encourage your players to speak their minds no matter the place or has Elias's behavior been seen as problematic by your front office?
 
Shawn: It's valid. Our special teams this season have been abysmal to say the least. I encourage players to speak their mind, this is their team and I'm just the one pulling the strings, right? I wouldn't like it if someone was telling me to do but I don't have an issue with players bringing ideas to me.
------

Thank you to all of the GMs who gave me their input on league related topics. I hope my queries were to their satisfaction and they had a good think about some of these questions. Thank you to the readers if you made it all the way through this piece. Have a wonderful hockey season!
 
2,229 words
weeks ending: 10/10 | 10/17 | 10/24 | 10/31
 

Hello readers, my name is Todd Ripley of the Halifax Times and welcome to my independent blog. This week I wanted to take a quit step away from just Halifax sports news and take a deep dive into the minds of the VHLM’s General Managers. The following is a series of quick three to five question interviews in which I attempt to get their thoughts on topics such as the trade deadline, the rise of skilled defensemen, and their duties. 
 
The first interview I conducted was with the general manager of the Mexico City Kings. This was on the heels of a big time move for their franchise and I wanted to be the first to get a word from coleh. 

-----
Ripley: Your team recently made a trade (barring action from the league) with Houston in which you brought in two players for two picks. What about those talents' games made you reach out to Houston for them?
 
Coleh: They're currently the leading scorer in the M and for the Mexico City Kings, we really need someone who has an elite shot and can put the puck in the net. Our team currently struggles to score and adding someone of the caliber is a huge boost to our team's offensive potential.
 
Ripley: Many would have considered the Kings one of the lower teams in terms of strength and a likely sell candidate. What led to the decision to get aggressive with your draft capitals at the deadline?
 
Coleh: I can for sure see that some teams think that we are a potential selling candidate. However, if you look at our beginning of the season schedule, we actually only played the top teams in the league, which led to our record being worse. I think our team as of right now is a playoff team, and we are making a push to potentially go far in the playoffs. [Redacted upon Coleh’s Request]
 
Ripley: Nanashi Mumei is one of the most dominant Defensemen in the league right now. He is top 10 in points, hits, and shot blocks at the position. How valuable do you as a GM find elite two-way players? Would you rather have elite defenders mixed in with elite offensive weapons?
 
Coleh: Two-Way players are super valuable to a team. I currently also have a TWD in the VHL and it's the nicest thing to have to be honest. I personally think that elite defenders, especially this season, can go a very far way. I also helped my friend on his build, and it seems to be working pretty well for him since he's top 10 in multiple categories.
 
Ripley: What goes into the GMing of a team for the readers who might not know what it takes to run a team?
 
Coleh: Yep. I would say a lot of things go into GMing, draft, trading, player management, strategy, there's so much that go into this. I would be here forever if I tried to explain every single thing, but I would say the best thing that I like doing as a GM is being able to help new players and get them invested in the league. I really like meeting new people and sharing the same joy with them, that being hockey!
-----
 
Enlightening chat with him as his team made the somewhat surprising move to go for it this year despite having been last in their division recently. We wish Mexico City the best of luck in its quest for the Founders’ Cup. We are going to stay in that warm, sunshiny weather as we make our way to South Beach to continue our “GM Round Up” with Nurx from the Miami Marauders.
 
-----
Ripley: Your team was one that many analysts picked out as a buyer at this deadline. You finally struck with a deal to send two picks to Mississauga for Justin Lion and Ben McLaughlin. What about these players and their games made them ideal targets for your team? 
 
Nurx: Ben McLaughlin is my AGMs player. I think that McLaughlin is a huge player with a possibility of being a strong piece in the puzzle in expanding those goals scored numbers. Justin Lion is a wild card. They could become a starting goalie quickly or they could continue tandeming. It all depends how they continue to develop. I love seeing the first gens put the work in though!
 
Ripley: Many have said no roster is ever perfect, do you feel this way about your current team? If so, can we expect to see more moves in the coming days?
 
Nurx: I do believe that we have weaknesses. I do expect to make a move, but not how you would expect. I do want to continue to work towards this season, but also secure a strong season with a strong draft next season. Currently I sit with only 3 draft picks in the first 3 rounds which isn't ideal in what appears to be a weak draft class.
 
Ripley: How large is the impact of having two top 5 scoring Forwards in Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes? What about their games specifically makes them so good at finding the twine night in and night out?
 
Nurx: Well, they have very good builds. The meshed very well on a line with the playmaking Swinsola allowing for the three to be likely the most dominant trio in the league where the 3rd player isn't even known. They are both shoot first forwards which leads to a lot of shots with a [defensive core] behind them who are pass heavy defenseman. 
 
Ripley: That perfectly leads into my next question. Hockey as a sport has moved away from stay-at-home defenders in favor of pure puck movers combined with a 2-way guy on the other side. For you as a GM building a roster, what composition of skillsets do you prefer your defensemen to fill?
 
Nurx: I prefer to have 2 different types of defensemen paired together. The defense first and a two way. This gives me a scoring threat on the offense side while continuing to allow for good defense with the other defenseman.
-----
 
You love to hear that from a confident GM; he/she knows there is work to be done still and is keeping at improving the team little by little. Best of luck to the Marauders in the rest of the season. Can't stick around long, however, as we have to make our way to Houston to talk with their general manager, AJW!
 
-----
Ripley: Houston had boasted four of the league's best scorers heading into the deadline with four player top 10 in points. What led you to be a seller at the deadline with this fact in mind? 
 
AJW: It is tough to see how great your players are performing while thinking about rebuilding. The reasoning for the trades was because our position in the standings didn’t match the success of our player’s scoring abilities. Before the trades were made Houston was 8th in the league standings with most wins coming against Mississauga, who is win-less halfway through the season. I realized I didn’t have the right assets right now to go for it all, so instead we will try to bring in more players next draft to buff up the team with the players who will be returning next season.
 
Ripley: At the deadline you moved the league's top point scoring forward and defenseman. With that capital what types of players do you plan to bring into you roster at the draft as far as player archetypes?
 
AJW: I plan to bring some of my waiver players from this season back next season. They are working hard to earn TPE and should have break out seasons in S86. Our locker room is a lot of fun right now too even with not having a great record. Everyone is still positive and still wanting to win, so my goal is to get this squad back together as well as bringing in more defensemen since we currently have none. Player builds don’t really matter to me as I’d rather have active members over good players. So, if you’re an active player, you’re at the top of my draft list.
 
Ripley: Reno Reinhold appeared to be a part of the at large movement in hockey to have puck offensive weapons at defense while still being able to lock down their own zone. Do you feel that an increase in offensive production out of defenders is a net positive for hockey as a sport? Is this now something you will specifically target in future draft classes aggressively?
 
AJW: I mean look at real life NHL, Cale Makar is arguably a top 5 player in the league right now as an offensive defenseman. In our sim league I feel like it’s the same too. Having a top defenseman to work your power play as well as even strength is a massive bonus for your team. This especially helped since we didn’t have the strongest goaltender this season, so Reno really stepped up on the back end of our roster.
-----
 
We appreciate Houston's AJW for his time and wish him the best in his rebuild. Definitely looking for big time draftees to turn this team around next year. Speaking of turning around, we need to turn our attention from the South to the North as we fly on up to my hometown of Halifax to end our journey with most our reader's current favorite general manager, Shawn from the 21st!
 
-----
Ripley: One of the most important parts of any GM's season is upon us. With your team rolling in recent weeks, do you plan to acquire assets for a potential cup run?
 
Shawn: I'd like to, but it's always tough when some teams beat me to the punch and offer something better than I would've. I guess we'll have to see where the chips fall but it's something I'm interested in.
 
Ripley: As far as your present roster is concerned, it's been mostly built through the draft. In an article, written and edited by yourself, you highlighted your mindset during the draft that's lead to a lot of this team's talent. Which of those players has been the biggest surprise thus far? Have any been a disappointment?
 
Shawn: I'd say Anssi or Paard has been the most surprising. Both were thoughts to be role players when I picked them, but they exploded to be my most producing forwards out of nowhere. I wouldn't say anyone has been a disappointment, everyone is playing as good if not better than expected.
 
Ripley: One of the most easily noticed strengths of the Halifax 21st is its goaltending tandem. Your team boast 2 of the top 3 goalies in save percentage. How important is it to have not only a great starter, but a quality backup in the modern, high-scoring game of today? How do you decide when to get Igor Vezina playing time?
 
Shawn: Those two have been awesome. Ash Sparks has been the heart and soul of this squad winning us as many games as he has, and the locker room loves him. Vezina is a beast in his own right, and I want him to be the future goalie for this team. I want to ease him into playing time to get his legs under him and get some action but also playing him when Sparks needs rest or whatever and he's been awesome when we need him.
 
Ripley: One of the things your team has struggled with, despite the recent successes, is a great disparity in the plus/minus between your units. We've noticed some tweaks to the lineup in your most recent games. About how big of a sample size do you personally need to make changes during the year and what other factors do you consider when making such adjustments?
 
Shawn: I try and look at 5-10 games before making lineup changes usually. With 72 games in a season, you can't afford to go 20 or 30 games with a bad lineup because that could ruin your season. Factors I consider are definitely TPA and who's allocated into what. I want to give everyone a meaningful role on the team and luckily some guys allocate their TPE perfectly for me to do that.
 
Ripley: A recent acquisition, defenseman Elias Lampi, has been quite outspoken regarding his displeasure with the amount of time the 21st has spent on the penalty kill since his arrival. Is Lampi's concern valid? Furthermore, do you as a general manager encourage your players to speak their minds no matter the place or has Elias's behavior been seen as problematic by your front office?
 
Shawn: It's valid. Our special teams this season have been abysmal to say the least. I encourage players to speak their mind, this is their team and I'm just the one pulling the strings, right? I wouldn't like it if someone was telling me to do but I don't have an issue with players bringing ideas to me.
------

Thank you to all of the GMs who gave me their input on league related topics. I hope my queries were to their satisfaction and they had a good think about some of these questions. Thank you to the readers if you made it all the way through this piece. Have a wonderful hockey season!
 
2,229 words
weeks ending: 10/10 | 10/17 | 10/24 | 10/31
 

Hello readers, my name is Todd Ripley of the Halifax Times and welcome to my independent blog. This week I wanted to take a quit step away from just Halifax sports news and take a deep dive into the minds of the VHLM’s General Managers. The following is a series of quick three to five question interviews in which I attempt to get their thoughts on topics such as the trade deadline, the rise of skilled defensemen, and their duties. 
 
The first interview I conducted was with the general manager of the Mexico City Kings. This was on the heels of a big time move for their franchise and I wanted to be the first to get a word from coleh. 

-----
Ripley: Your team recently made a trade (barring action from the league) with Houston in which you brought in two players for two picks. What about those talents' games made you reach out to Houston for them?
 
Coleh: They're currently the leading scorer in the M and for the Mexico City Kings, we really need someone who has an elite shot and can put the puck in the net. Our team currently struggles to score and adding someone of the caliber is a huge boost to our team's offensive potential.
 
Ripley: Many would have considered the Kings one of the lower teams in terms of strength and a likely sell candidate. What led to the decision to get aggressive with your draft capitals at the deadline?
 
Coleh: I can for sure see that some teams think that we are a potential selling candidate. However, if you look at our beginning of the season schedule, we actually only played the top teams in the league, which led to our record being worse. I think our team as of right now is a playoff team, and we are making a push to potentially go far in the playoffs. [Redacted upon Coleh’s Request]
 
Ripley: Nanashi Mumei is one of the most dominant Defensemen in the league right now. He is top 10 in points, hits, and shot blocks at the position. How valuable do you as a GM find elite two-way players? Would you rather have elite defenders mixed in with elite offensive weapons?
 
Coleh: Two-Way players are super valuable to a team. I currently also have a TWD in the VHL and it's the nicest thing to have to be honest. I personally think that elite defenders, especially this season, can go a very far way. I also helped my friend on his build, and it seems to be working pretty well for him since he's top 10 in multiple categories.
 
Ripley: What goes into the GMing of a team for the readers who might not know what it takes to run a team?
 
Coleh: Yep. I would say a lot of things go into GMing, draft, trading, player management, strategy, there's so much that go into this. I would be here forever if I tried to explain every single thing, but I would say the best thing that I like doing as a GM is being able to help new players and get them invested in the league. I really like meeting new people and sharing the same joy with them, that being hockey!
-----
 
Enlightening chat with him as his team made the somewhat surprising move to go for it this year despite having been last in their division recently. We wish Mexico City the best of luck in its quest for the Founders’ Cup. We are going to stay in that warm, sunshiny weather as we make our way to South Beach to continue our “GM Round Up” with Nurx from the Miami Marauders.
 
-----
Ripley: Your team was one that many analysts picked out as a buyer at this deadline. You finally struck with a deal to send two picks to Mississauga for Justin Lion and Ben McLaughlin. What about these players and their games made them ideal targets for your team? 
 
Nurx: Ben McLaughlin is my AGMs player. I think that McLaughlin is a huge player with a possibility of being a strong piece in the puzzle in expanding those goals scored numbers. Justin Lion is a wild card. They could become a starting goalie quickly or they could continue tandeming. It all depends how they continue to develop. I love seeing the first gens put the work in though!
 
Ripley: Many have said no roster is ever perfect, do you feel this way about your current team? If so, can we expect to see more moves in the coming days?
 
Nurx: I do believe that we have weaknesses. I do expect to make a move, but not how you would expect. I do want to continue to work towards this season, but also secure a strong season with a strong draft next season. Currently I sit with only 3 draft picks in the first 3 rounds which isn't ideal in what appears to be a weak draft class.
 
Ripley: How large is the impact of having two top 5 scoring Forwards in Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes? What about their games specifically makes them so good at finding the twine night in and night out?
 
Nurx: Well, they have very good builds. The meshed very well on a line with the playmaking Swinsola allowing for the three to be likely the most dominant trio in the league where the 3rd player isn't even known. They are both shoot first forwards which leads to a lot of shots with a [defensive core] behind them who are pass heavy defenseman. 
 
Ripley: That perfectly leads into my next question. Hockey as a sport has moved away from stay-at-home defenders in favor of pure puck movers combined with a 2-way guy on the other side. For you as a GM building a roster, what composition of skillsets do you prefer your defensemen to fill?
 
Nurx: I prefer to have 2 different types of defensemen paired together. The defense first and a two way. This gives me a scoring threat on the offense side while continuing to allow for good defense with the other defenseman.
-----
 
You love to hear that from a confident GM; he/she knows there is work to be done still and is keeping at improving the team little by little. Best of luck to the Marauders in the rest of the season. Can't stick around long, however, as we have to make our way to Houston to talk with their general manager, AJW!
 
-----
Ripley: Houston had boasted four of the league's best scorers heading into the deadline with four player top 10 in points. What led you to be a seller at the deadline with this fact in mind? 
 
AJW: It is tough to see how great your players are performing while thinking about rebuilding. The reasoning for the trades was because our position in the standings didn’t match the success of our player’s scoring abilities. Before the trades were made Houston was 8th in the league standings with most wins coming against Mississauga, who is win-less halfway through the season. I realized I didn’t have the right assets right now to go for it all, so instead we will try to bring in more players next draft to buff up the team with the players who will be returning next season.
 
Ripley: At the deadline you moved the league's top point scoring forward and defenseman. With that capital what types of players do you plan to bring into you roster at the draft as far as player archetypes?
 
AJW: I plan to bring some of my waiver players from this season back next season. They are working hard to earn TPE and should have break out seasons in S86. Our locker room is a lot of fun right now too even with not having a great record. Everyone is still positive and still wanting to win, so my goal is to get this squad back together as well as bringing in more defensemen since we currently have none. Player builds don’t really matter to me as I’d rather have active members over good players. So, if you’re an active player, you’re at the top of my draft list.
 
Ripley: Reno Reinhold appeared to be a part of the at large movement in hockey to have puck offensive weapons at defense while still being able to lock down their own zone. Do you feel that an increase in offensive production out of defenders is a net positive for hockey as a sport? Is this now something you will specifically target in future draft classes aggressively?
 
AJW: I mean look at real life NHL, Cale Makar is arguably a top 5 player in the league right now as an offensive defenseman. In our sim league I feel like it’s the same too. Having a top defenseman to work your power play as well as even strength is a massive bonus for your team. This especially helped since we didn’t have the strongest goaltender this season, so Reno really stepped up on the back end of our roster.
-----
 
We appreciate Houston's AJW for his time and wish him the best in his rebuild. Definitely looking for big time draftees to turn this team around next year. Speaking of turning around, we need to turn our attention from the South to the North as we fly on up to my hometown of Halifax to end our journey with most our reader's current favorite general manager, Shawn from the 21st!
 
-----
Ripley: One of the most important parts of any GM's season is upon us. With your team rolling in recent weeks, do you plan to acquire assets for a potential cup run?
 
Shawn: I'd like to, but it's always tough when some teams beat me to the punch and offer something better than I would've. I guess we'll have to see where the chips fall but it's something I'm interested in.
 
Ripley: As far as your present roster is concerned, it's been mostly built through the draft. In an article, written and edited by yourself, you highlighted your mindset during the draft that's lead to a lot of this team's talent. Which of those players has been the biggest surprise thus far? Have any been a disappointment?
 
Shawn: I'd say Anssi or Paard has been the most surprising. Both were thoughts to be role players when I picked them, but they exploded to be my most producing forwards out of nowhere. I wouldn't say anyone has been a disappointment, everyone is playing as good if not better than expected.
 
Ripley: One of the most easily noticed strengths of the Halifax 21st is its goaltending tandem. Your team boast 2 of the top 3 goalies in save percentage. How important is it to have not only a great starter, but a quality backup in the modern, high-scoring game of today? How do you decide when to get Igor Vezina playing time?
 
Shawn: Those two have been awesome. Ash Sparks has been the heart and soul of this squad winning us as many games as he has, and the locker room loves him. Vezina is a beast in his own right, and I want him to be the future goalie for this team. I want to ease him into playing time to get his legs under him and get some action but also playing him when Sparks needs rest or whatever and he's been awesome when we need him.
 
Ripley: One of the things your team has struggled with, despite the recent successes, is a great disparity in the plus/minus between your units. We've noticed some tweaks to the lineup in your most recent games. About how big of a sample size do you personally need to make changes during the year and what other factors do you consider when making such adjustments?
 
Shawn: I try and look at 5-10 games before making lineup changes usually. With 72 games in a season, you can't afford to go 20 or 30 games with a bad lineup because that could ruin your season. Factors I consider are definitely TPA and who's allocated into what. I want to give everyone a meaningful role on the team and luckily some guys allocate their TPE perfectly for me to do that.
 
Ripley: A recent acquisition, defenseman Elias Lampi, has been quite outspoken regarding his displeasure with the amount of time the 21st has spent on the penalty kill since his arrival. Is Lampi's concern valid? Furthermore, do you as a general manager encourage your players to speak their minds no matter the place or has Elias's behavior been seen as problematic by your front office?
 
Shawn: It's valid. Our special teams this season have been abysmal to say the least. I encourage players to speak their mind, this is their team and I'm just the one pulling the strings, right? I wouldn't like it if someone was telling me to do but I don't have an issue with players bringing ideas to me.
------

Thank you to all of the GMs who gave me their input on league related topics. I hope my queries were to their satisfaction and they had a good think about some of these questions. Thank you to the readers if you made it all the way through this piece. Have a wonderful hockey season!
 
2,229 words
weeks ending: 10/10 | 10/17 | 10/24 | 10/31
 

Interested fo sho.... Supa gud riter... I'm just kidding, I'm actually interested, I swear.

Halifax Times
Who Let the Dogs Out in Halifax?
Written by Todd Ripley
 
In today's sports news, local VHLM team, the Halifax 21st, were involved in two major upsets at the Halifax Forum. The 21st entered yesterday on a most impressive 8-2 run with hopes high among fans for their upcoming contests. The hometown crowd was chomping at the bit to see the debut performances of both center Jose Silva and defenseman Elias Lampi. We should add that Jose Silva has been on the Halifax roster for some time but was sidelined with what the team injury report classified as "illness." 
 
In their first game of the week, Halifax went head to head with the Mexico City Kings. Odds makers gave the hometown team an opening line of -1.5, but news of the debuting players saw this line shift to -2 before pick drop. Halifax was back stopped by the league leader in save percentage with .929, goalie Ash Sparks. Meanwhile, the Kings' sophomore netminder, Jeremy Swayman, came into this matchup with a sub .900 save percentage. While the game was certainly closer than the score indicated, it still resulted in a underdog win by Mexico City with a final of 2-0. 
 
While not in the midst of his best season, Swayman is still a young player who showed flashes of brilliance and potential in a stellar rookie campaign. On this night, we once again saw that spark as Swayman lead his team to the shutout win. W Nanashi Mumei struck twice in the victory for his 5th and 6th goals of the season. Center Alexander Stroheim showed off his playmaking ability with two beautiful feeds to his teammate Mumei. Stroheim recorded an assist on both his team's scores with those passes.
 
For the opposite locker room, defenseman Elias Lampi looked solid defensively in his first action despite being on the ice for both goals against. He recorded a massive 5 hits and a blocked shot in a promising debut. Fellow first time starter, center Jose Silva, on the other hand, was rather shaky. Silva led Halifax in shots on goal but had nothing to show for it. The rookie also struggled at the faceoff dot, only going 6 for 14 on the evening. 
 
The game's "Key to Victory" for Mexico City was letting their opponent harm themselves. The 21st took penalties at critical points in the game and the Kings managed to capitalize on one about midway through the second period. When asked after the game what went wrong on the penalty kill, rookie Lampi said this: "They are a good team. Even when you have a guy back there as good as Ash, you can't let them get too many scoring chances. They got four or five quick shot attempts and we just didn't do a good job clearing the zone." Clearly after the 2nd the locker room discussion was on limiting chances as the Kings only mustered three shots in the 3rd. 
 
There is no rest for the wicked as the 21st had to play again the next night still on their home ice. Despite being in their own arena, odds makers gave the -0.5 edge to the visiting Miami Marauders. From multiple sources in the Halifax locker room we did confirm there is a bit of a grudge from Ash Sparks as Miami took their netminder four picks ahead of him in the draft. The focus for Halifax, however, keeping their net clear. This team went into this matchup with one thing on their mind, "light that lamp." Light it they did en route to a 4-3 victory over a strong playoff contending team. Halifax cam out firing jumping to an early 3-0 lead on goals from winger Jeffrey Bezos, winger Bedirhan Paard, and center Vinny Lecavalier. 
 

21st center Vinny Lecavalier looks to his team's bench following his 1st period goal. (AP Photo/Dark Spyro)
 
The best performances from the Marauders came from center Rick Grimes and winger Michael Shotter. Grimes managed an impressive 2 goals on 6 shots. The first of these came on a great breakout feed from Shotter leading to Watson and Grimes 2 on 1. 
 
The hometown team once again struggle to stay disciplined with four penalties in the contest - three of which came while the team had just a 1 goal lead in the 3rd period. The most notable individual performance of the night came from Jeff Bezos as he grabbed 2 goals and 1 assist on his way to a +3 mark for the evening. His top helper was winger Babay Shrimp with two apples of his own. The whole top unit recorded a +3 whole the second group struggled with a -2. They were out there for all 3 goals against. 
 
We got a chance to ask new acquisition Elias Lampi about his first two games in the VHLM and here is that transcript now.
 
-
Interviewer: Congratulations on finally making your debut. You were quite the hyped prospect coming out of Helsinki. How are you feeling?

Lampi: It feels good to get the first win of many. I love my team right now. Didn't have a great start but they've stuck with me and kept the energy up for a stronger second game.
 
Interviewer: Do you have any comments on the loss to the underdog Kings last night?
 
Lampi: You know I already talk to the boys about it a bit in private but the great teams all lose games. Being a winner isn't about perfection like some people think. Winning is about knowing how to bounce back from the tough losses and learning from the mistakes of those games. I think this group still has a lot in it's game to clean up but there is a lot of the regular season hockey left to work out those kinks before we go on a run. 
 
Interviewer: Any particular areas of concern for the team?
 
Lampi: Well, I'm not gonna tell you everything we are seeing out there but the most glaring one is being on the penalty kill. Like I said immediately following the loss, just because we have an incredible talent in net, doesn't mean we should be reckless with our sticks and put ourselves down a man. Good teams will take advantage of those chance eventually if you give them too many so definitely gotta clean that up.
-
 
On that note, the Halifax Daily and Todd Ripley wish all our readers marvelous day.
 
1,079 words
Week ending 9/25
Week ending 10/02
 

Halifax Times
Who Let the Dogs Out in Halifax?
Written by Todd Ripley
 
In today's sports news, local VHLM team, the Halifax 21st, were involved in two major upsets at the Halifax Forum. The 21st entered yesterday on a most impressive 8-2 run with hopes high among fans for their upcoming contests. The hometown crowd was chomping at the bit to see the debut performances of both center Jose Silva and defenseman Elias Lampi. We should add that Jose Silva has been on the Halifax roster for some time but was sidelined with what the team injury report classified as "illness." 
 
In their first game of the week, Halifax went head to head with the Mexico City Kings. Odds makers gave the hometown team an opening line of -1.5, but news of the debuting players saw this line shift to -2 before pick drop. Halifax was back stopped by the league leader in save percentage with .929, goalie Ash Sparks. Meanwhile, the Kings' sophomore netminder, Jeremy Swayman, came into this matchup with a sub .900 save percentage. While the game was certainly closer than the score indicated, it still resulted in a underdog win by Mexico City with a final of 2-0. 
 
While not in the midst of his best season, Swayman is still a young player who showed flashes of brilliance and potential in a stellar rookie campaign. On this night, we once again saw that spark as Swayman lead his team to the shutout win. W Nanashi Mumei struck twice in the victory for his 5th and 6th goals of the season. Center Alexander Stroheim showed off his playmaking ability with two beautiful feeds to his teammate Mumei. Stroheim recorded an assist on both his team's scores with those passes.
 
For the opposite locker room, defenseman Elias Lampi looked solid defensively in his first action despite being on the ice for both goals against. He recorded a massive 5 hits and a blocked shot in a promising debut. Fellow first time starter, center Jose Silva, on the other hand, was rather shaky. Silva led Halifax in shots on goal but had nothing to show for it. The rookie also struggled at the faceoff dot, only going 6 for 14 on the evening. 
 
The game's "Key to Victory" for Mexico City was letting their opponent harm themselves. The 21st took penalties at critical points in the game and the Kings managed to capitalize on one about midway through the second period. When asked after the game what went wrong on the penalty kill, rookie Lampi said this: "They are a good team. Even when you have a guy back there as good as Ash, you can't let them get too many scoring chances. They got four or five quick shot attempts and we just didn't do a good job clearing the zone." Clearly after the 2nd the locker room discussion was on limiting chances as the Kings only mustered three shots in the 3rd. 
 
There is no rest for the wicked as the 21st had to play again the next night still on their home ice. Despite being in their own arena, odds makers gave the -0.5 edge to the visiting Miami Marauders. From multiple sources in the Halifax locker room we did confirm there is a bit of a grudge from Ash Sparks as Miami took their netminder four picks ahead of him in the draft. The focus for Halifax, however, keeping their net clear. This team went into this matchup with one thing on their mind, "light that lamp." Light it they did en route to a 4-3 victory over a strong playoff contending team. Halifax cam out firing jumping to an early 3-0 lead on goals from winger Jeffrey Bezos, winger Bedirhan Paard, and center Vinny Lecavalier. 
 

21st center Vinny Lecavalier looks to his team's bench following his 1st period goal. (AP Photo/Dark Spyro)
 
The best performances from the Marauders came from center Rick Grimes and winger Michael Shotter. Grimes managed an impressive 2 goals on 6 shots. The first of these came on a great breakout feed from Shotter leading to Watson and Grimes 2 on 1. 
 
The hometown team once again struggle to stay disciplined with four penalties in the contest - three of which came while the team had just a 1 goal lead in the 3rd period. The most notable individual performance of the night came from Jeff Bezos as he grabbed 2 goals and 1 assist on his way to a +3 mark for the evening. His top helper was winger Babay Shrimp with two apples of his own. The whole top unit recorded a +3 whole the second group struggled with a -2. They were out there for all 3 goals against. 
 
We got a chance to ask new acquisition Elias Lampi about his first two games in the VHLM and here is that transcript now.
 
-
Interviewer: Congratulations on finally making your debut. You were quite the hyped prospect coming out of Helsinki. How are you feeling?

Lampi: It feels good to get the first win of many. I love my team right now. Didn't have a great start but they've stuck with me and kept the energy up for a stronger second game.
 
Interviewer: Do you have any comments on the loss to the underdog Kings last night?
 
Lampi: You know I already talk to the boys about it a bit in private but the great teams all lose games. Being a winner isn't about perfection like some people think. Winning is about knowing how to bounce back from the tough losses and learning from the mistakes of those games. I think this group still has a lot in it's game to clean up but there is a lot of the regular season hockey left to work out those kinks before we go on a run. 
 
Interviewer: Any particular areas of concern for the team?
 
Lampi: Well, I'm not gonna tell you everything we are seeing out there but the most glaring one is being on the penalty kill. Like I said immediately following the loss, just because we have an incredible talent in net, doesn't mean we should be reckless with our sticks and put ourselves down a man. Good teams will take advantage of those chance eventually if you give them too many so definitely gotta clean that up.
-
 
On that note, the Halifax Daily and Todd Ripley wish all our readers marvelous day.
 
1,079 words
Week ending 9/25
Week ending 10/02