Doomsday

408 Vancouver Wolves @ Moscow Menace 409 Prague Phantoms @ Malmo Nighthawks 410 Helsinki Titans @ HC Davos Dynamo 411 New York Americans @ Calgary Wranglers

Naomi Young, that lady was alright.

Unsung Hero - Jaxx Hextall As the Victory Hockey League honors the unsung heroes of the league this week, we take a moment to appreciate a player at a position many will overlook: the back-up goaltender. For a position mandated to be played eight times a season by the VHL, our unsung hero has tripled that, playing in 24 games at the time of print. We're talking, of course, about Jaxx Hextall of the Halifax 21st. The 6'7, 192 lb Season 70 goalie prospect out of Canada joined Halifax earlier this season through free agency, and in that time has proven to become a valuable asset for the 21st. Although he has just over half of the total practice hours of Boris Boris, the previous starter, he has battled his way into the lineup far more than anticipated. In his 24 games, he has posted a 12-9-3 record, with a .870 save percentage, 2.69 goals allowed average and two shutouts. In large part to the strong play of Hextall, the 21st will be returning to the VHLM Playoffs yet again. Having two strong goaltenders is critical, and for Halifax's unsung hero, he has been just what the 21st needed. There will be no easy victory for their opponents, regardless of who is in net. They might even prefer that it be Boris, for Jaxx's recent slashing penalty has shown that the famous temperament of the Hextall clan does indeed dwell inside of him. Time will tell, however, if he will attempt to score a goal. Jethro Novacek has been a writer at the MSFL Times for longer than the VHL itself has existed. He enjoys day drinking, the finer nuances of online gambling and wishing Oskar Lindblom nothing but the best in his struggle against Ewing's Sarcoma.

aww yiss

STEAMED CLAMS

First career goal and 1st Star, along with a win. I'll take it. @ROOKIE745 you truly are a Hextall!

CLICKS OUT FOR HARAMBE

First VHLM point!

YEE YEE

Landry II Locked Out of Locker Room, Plays Anyway HALIFAX - In the world of hockey, hazing has come to be a generally accepted part of a rookie's initiation into the league. Most fans do not get the chance to see most of it, as much of it occurs behind closed doors, away from the ignorant public. For many, hazing begins and ends with the rookie being sent out for the warm-up skate alone before the rest of the team eventually joins them. However, for Thomas Landry II, a VHLM prospect recently signed to the Halifax 21st, his experience with hazing went a step further: he was actually locked out of the team's locker room leading up to and just before puck drop in his first VHLM game, a 3-2 Halifax win over the Minnesota Storm. "It was a pretty bizarre situation," said Landry following the game. "I was already anticipating being sent out for a skate, but this way by far the most elaborate prank I've seen." Landry's status as a dual citizen of the United States and Canada did not affect his status to travel with the team, but joining a team in the middle of the season creates plenty of opportunities for glitches in the Matrix to pop out. While he was on the roster for Halifax's 6-5 loss to Minnesota in their previous game, Landry was listed as a scratch due to his inability to physically enter the arena since he was not listed with the team's roster. Despite being on the roster (and being announced as a scratch prior to the game), Landry had to catch the game as just another fan would: in the seats. "That was a very unfortunate situation," said Halifax's general manager, Michael Johnson. "We had everything ready to go, but it looks like an outdated roster got sent to Minnesota for the game, one that didn't include Landry. We felt terrible for the kid, but we handled it as best we could, making sure we at least got him inside to watch his new teammates play for the first time and cheer them on. During the game, we made sure that an updated list was ready back home so that he could join us on the ice this time." Landry's name was indeed on the list, but another crucial detail had been overlooked: he didn't have access to the locker room. "I was able to get into the arena this time, but I didn't have any locker room clearances yet," explained Landry. "I could get into the arena, just not into the locker room where my equipment was. I was going to have to find a different way to access it." Find a different way he certainly did, which few, if any, fans actually noticed. "I already had some team apparel and my skates, which made me look close enough to our ice crew that I could pass as one. I just grabbed a shovel, went out with them, and nobody was any the wiser." The one exception, of course, was Assistant General Manager Jeff Downey, a family friend of the Landry family and a pivotal reason that Landry II had decided to sign with Halifax. "I saw a member of the ice crew out there, which was odd because it was pre-game warm-ups," chucked Downey after the game. "The players are out there warming up and here's this guy out there with a shovel, just going through the motions and putting pucks in the net. He got close enough and I realized it was Thomas. I asked him what in the hell he was doing, but after he explained that he was locked out, I made sure he had access from that point on." With that, the VHLM career of Thomas Landry II was officially under way. After rejoining the 21st in his correct gear for what remained of warm-ups, he returned to the locker room with his teammates for the first time. After the victory, in which Landry tallied two hits and served two penalty minutes for high sticking, things suddenly felt normalized to the young left wing. "Let's hope next time I can just catch a ride here and not have to sneak onto the ice as mascot," Landry laughed. Jethro Novacek is a writer for the MSFL Times, a quality writing establishment that has probably existed longer than several VHL members. He enjoys doing the Summersboy, signing Greta Thunberg up for every publicly listed snail mail there is and arming teenagers with recreational McNukes. DISCLAIMER: I am not actually locked out of the team's locker room. I have been added to the team's Discord channel safely and I have not had to impersonate anyone other than a real life hockey player.

After returning to the VHL in the past week, recreating and being signed to the Halifax 21st, I've decided to open up a Player Press Conference for Thomas Landry II. Have some fun with it.

I'M LOOKING FOR THE PEOPLE'S CHAMP

Ya boi Oven up in here

Get gifts or die tryin'

1. How has your first few days on the team been? - It's been pretty good. Assistant GM Jeff Downey has been a family friend for years and he's been a big help with getting up to speed. Also can't go wrong when you share a locker room with a Hextall! 2. Thoughts on all the trades the management has made? - Honestly, I don't really know much about the trades yet. I've been more worried about getting acclimated with my new teammates than to find out how they got here. 3. Are there any other sports that you are particularly good at? Did you ever think of trying to go pro in anything else? - I always enjoyed football, but I never played it in any organized fashion. Maybe if I would have focused on it like I did hockey, maybe. But that's not obviously how it played out. 4. If you are out at the bar with some friends or teammates what is your drink of choice? - If we're in Canada, it's hard cider. Great taste and relatively inexpensive. Obviously I can't get anything fancy back in the States yet. 5. What are your expectations for this season? - I'm here to prove that I belong and to improve in every manner that I can. I want to be a valuable contributor to Halifax. 6. Any particular hole you would like to see addressed in the season? - I don't think that's something I can publicly comment on right now. 7. What are your thoughts on the 2 goalies on the team? - They're a pretty good tandem for this level, it's refreshing to have two guys on the team that you can count on in net. Boris Boris is super solid and dependable, but I'm definitely starstruck playing with Jaxx Hextall. I'm a big fan of the Flyers and I never dreamed I would get to play with a Hextall. It was a very surreal moment for me. 8. Do you see any players on our team that you think could surprise this coming season? - Gabriel Gutweiler, another left wing on the team, has some sneaky decent talent. He plays an excellent two-way game for this level and that's a valuable asset for any club. He's a really underrated player for this team. 9. Which team are you most excited to play against this season? - Honestly, all of them. Playing against them means I've made it this far, so now I need to work my best to help beat them and show I'm ready for the VHL when my time comes. 10. Who has the worst music taste when they get control in the locker room? - Benson Kramer puts on his SoundCloud, which is nothing but him playing the slap bass. It sounds like we're in a Seinfeld episode every time he puts it on... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Thomas Landry II Left Wing - Power Forward Calgary Hitmen -> Halifax 21st 6'3, 217 lbs United States of America As the only son of the famed HC Davos Dynamo right winger, Thomas Landry II found following his father's footsteps towards the Victory Hockey League was practically assured. After having two daughters with virtually zero interest in the world of ice hockey, Landry Sr. was all too pleased to give his son the opportunities he himself had to struggle to get. Ice time was never a factor, as regular travel from the United States to Calgary, where Landry Sr. had met his future wife Alicia during his last season in the VHL, presented Landry II with every chance he would need to embrace the game. Just like his father, he settled in quickly as a winger, but there were few other similarities. Although Landry II also enjoyed the physical aspect of the game, his game seemed to revolve around it. While Landry Sr. was more of a playmaker, his son wanted to drive to the net and finish the play himself, and was more than willing to use his growing size to do it. After his last season in bantam league, Landry II was convienently selected by the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League, whom he had watched growing up countless times. Playing sparingly at first since his bantam league had not yet finished, he finished his first full season with the Hitmen the following season, scoring 17 goals with eight assists for a total of 25 points and a +3 rating. His biggest presence often came without the puck, as his size meant virtually anyone in his way became a speed bump. He recorded 24 goals with 12 assists in his second season, 36 points and an improved +7 rating. Landry II became an imposing figure in the offensive zone, effectively setting up screens on opposing goalies, showing tremendous improvement on deflecting shots and became quite adept at giving rebounds forever homes in the back of the net. Although Landry II's senior year of high school came and went with him posting career highs across the board, with 28 goals, 14 assists for 42 points and a +10 rating, he found himself back with the Hitmen at the age of 19, with his high school diploma and no calls from a professional hockey league. He began to toil away, wondering if his dreams of playing professionally like his father had were slipping away. But one day, it all changed. Landry II received offers from multiple VHLM franchises, indicating that his career was indeed destined to go to the VHL, just like his father. After a visit from the Halifax 21st's Co-GM and family friend Jeff Downey, it was sealed. Thomas Landry II was headed to the VHLM to play for the Halifax 21st and officially begin his road to the Victory Hockey League.

Done Facebook/Twitter

Landry Lineage Returns To VHL HALIFAX - Nearly 30 years after Thomas Landry skated in his final VHL game as a member of the Calgary Wranglers, the son of the legendary HC Davos Dynamo captain has reportedly signed his first contract with the Halifax 21st. "It's hard to come up with the words to describe how excited and proud I am of Junior," said the elder Landry during an interview conducted over the telephone with the MSFL Times. "He has worked so hard to fulfill his dream of making it to the Victory Hockey League, just as I did... long enough ago. Good Lord does that make me feel old, thanks for that!" While Thomas Landry II has been unavailable to the media at the present time due to not officially being a member of the Halifax 21st as of yet, the team did confirm that a verbal agreement had been reached. Thanks to the dual citizenship Landry holds thanks to his mother Alicia, he is expected to arrive in Halifax tonight to finalize the contract and officially sign it. Jethro Novacek is a writer at the MSFL Times for a long enough time that he is both the longest tenured and only employee. He enjoys waxing nostalgia with Q-Tips, constructing sidewalks out of rubber cement and laughing at the shoddy journalism of Barstool Sports.

Aww yiss

My problem was biting off more than I could chew, struggle to do it, then anxiety would effectively shut the door for me. Also didn't help with my last player that I had no idea of a backstory or anything to write about for him. I cornered myself into writer's block and effectively doomed him. Landry II, however... I have all the material I will ever need. I've also learned that if something is worth being done well, it's also worth doing poorly. Even if I can't figure out something to write, taking the Welfare is better than a zero. I have two 400+ TPE players, which should set me up with a solid welfare plan should I ever need to. I feel much more mentally prepared for this comeback.

I mean, it did. ?

Very happy to see you're still around! Hope all has been well, I have very much missed this place. Saw the e-mail about how the S71 draft class was opening up and thought to myself, if Landry had a kid, this would be around the time he'd be becoming a prospect. So it happened. Got pretty misty-eyed reading some of the old articles and other media pieces about that Davos team, especially the All-Time Davos team and Landry's jersey retirement ceremony. Great memories, hopefully more can be made with his son now joining the league!

Accepted, when's the first practice?