Doomsday

I'm sorry Lachlan, you didn't deserve that. 

Jake Thunder is a lock for sure.

I think Papa deserves it, as does Pearce and Kisslinger, but I would vote for Jannula if he were to be added to the ballot.

Claiming for week of 2/5 - 2/11

Claim 2/2

On 2/1/2024 at 3:02 PM, RJMW said:

QUESTIONS

1. Will you be watching (or did you watch depending on when this gets answered) any of the NHL All-Star Games/Events?

 

2. Is cereal soup?

 

3. What should next season's theme week be?

1. I watched the skills competition and some of the games themselves. I really feel like the 3v3 format has led to some surprisingly competitive and exciting games, easily the most watchable of the All-Star games that the major sports leagues do.

2. By definition, I'm pretty sure it is a soup.

3. I'd love to see a theme centered around the VHL World Cup and other international events!

1. Which VHL team has been the biggest surprise, for better or worse, this season?

2. Do you think any VHL awards need to be renamed?

3. What is something that you feel is missing from hockey video games?

Doom's All-Star Game Think Tank

A common fixture in sport leagues around the world, the All-Star Game may be known by different names, but all iterations of it share the same common purpose: bringing the best players in the league together to play a dream game featuring loads of talent and star power, creating a memorable experience for fans and players alike. Often, the game itself tends to be more exciting on paper than it is in reality, as the game itself is most often an exhibition that carries no real benefit to the players, who as a result do not play to 100% of their abilities as to not risk injuries in a meaningless game. For the Victory Hockey League, however, this is not an issue. Injuries do not exist, the players can go all-out to make those dream match-ups on paper a reality. Throughout the league’s history, the All-Star Game has surfaced in a number of different manners, routinely changing, disappearing, and reappearing as the seasons go by. With Theme Week here once again, I’ll be using the opportunity to go over some previous versions of the All-Star Game, some ideas for future All-Star Games, along with how they could work, or perhaps not work at all.

The Traditional All-Star Game

The most common usage of the All-Star Game has traditionally been a single game, with players from both conferences voted into the game by the league membership. Recently, with the All-Star Game being handled by VSN, at least one player from each team would make the All-Star Game, something that I do not believe existed previously. Another addition made by VSN was the skills competition, with results generated by the player’s attributes and a spreadsheet, clearly using a type of voodoo magic I don’t really understand. This was typically held around the middle of the season, meaning the voting was held based on maybe a quarter of the season’s worth of statistics. When simmed using STHS, it was either held using the same version of the game the VHL itself used, or Version 2, which featured a comically increased amount of goals and fights, leading to some highly entertaining results. Version 2 often featured a best of three series, in which three games were played for three times the amount of comedy on ice. So, in a nutshell, this is the All-Star Game’s base format. However, there is another version of the game which has been seen in the VHL.

EA NHL Brings the All-Star Game To Life

Sometimes, having game results from STHS can be rather underwhelming. As fast as you can read the results, the experience comes to an end. However, with the use of EA’s NHL franchise, @Beaviss brought the All-Star Game to life. Painstakingly recreating each player and converting their STHS attributes into EA NHL is absolutely time-consuming, and didn’t always play out the best, especially for the goalies. However, the difference in the experience was simply unreal. Beav would stream the game on Twitch, which could be watched live by everyone in the league. Additionally, viewers could interact with both Beaviss and each other using the chat feature, which Beav had set up to be read aloud by a computer voice lady, often to hilarious results. But beyond the visual difference, all the effort that went into this version of the All-Star Game made it more than just something on the calendar to get posted, it turned it into an entire event. Members could tune in and see their player as more than just a name and lines of data, and experience it with the community as a whole. It took so much work, but it made for a wonderful and memorable experience just like an All-Star Game would dream to deliver.

3v3 Tourney?

A relatively recent change to the NHL All-Star Game saw the standard 5 on 5 game played between the two conferences (or sometimes North America vs the World) switched up to a 3 on 3 tourney played between the four NHL divisions. Many were unsure of the change, but it quickly became apparent that this was an exciting format for the All-Star Game. Open ice led to a lot of opportunities for the players to show off their skills, with a surprising amount of defense being played as well, leading to competitive games that were incredibly fun to watch. I can’t help but imagine a similar format working well with the VHL, especially considering that it could make the All-Star Game end up being more than just a one and done post. It could even be adapted into a round robin style tournament, with the round robin play determining seeding for the knockout rounds.
However, there are some snags here. For starters, I don’t believe 3 on 3 is an option in STHS, which quickly nixes it from the main sim engine of the VHL. The EA NHL game does feature 3 on 3 games, but I am not positive if it would allow you to make a full roster and complete a game involving line changes and all players on the team to eventually take the ice. For that matter, divisions don’t even exist in the VHL, which is a core component of the NHL’s version of the game. At the present time, it doesn’t appear that this is a feasible idea to implement.

A Matter of Timing

Another element of the game that can be looked at is the timing of the All-Star Game itself. In the NHL, it is generally considered the halfway point of the season, so the statistics that get players selected is from a much smaller sample. Additionally, time passes much faster in the VHL, meaning that there is considerably less time for voters at the halfway point. Theoretically, having the All-Star Game at the end of the season (perhaps in the time just before the playoff sims begin) would allow more time for voters, along with providing a better sample of statistics for voters to decide who the best players in the league were that season, as opposed to those who just had the hottest start. The biggest issue with this, naturally, is that it creates a bit of a crunch for the simmers, who would need to quickly create the All-Star Game rosters and then sim the game(s). Doing the All-Star Game in the off-season, in my opinion, would take away from the other festivities of the off-season, crowding too many different events into the same time and taking away from what is typically a break period for the simmers as well.

Overall, I feel like the period of time between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs is the perfect time to have the All-Star Game held, as it ultimately provides more time for every single aspect of it to be as good as possible, along with it being held at a time where it would be the only event in the league while GMs prepare for the playoffs.

Making the Selection

In the end, the All-Star Game is ultimately about one thing: fun! It’s fun for the players who earn the recognition by being selected, and the presentation and build-up to the game itself can be an entertaining experience for members of the league. Organizing the game in a way where it’s as stress-free and enjoyable for as many people as possible is ideal, as fun is ultimately the driving force behind the All-Star Game, and if it’s not enjoyable, why hold it? As with everything that makes the VHL what it is, it’ll be a community effort to pull off a great All-Star Game, are you up to the challenge?

G - Art Vandelay

@Jubis

F - Jimi Jaks

@Beketov x2

D - Elias Lampi

@Jubis

D - Liv Slater

@Beketov x2

S92 Donation

Transaction ID: 7KR22847KH498212A

Doubles Week

5 Uncapped TPE

$1m Player Store

With the crowing of our MVP, Pipo Popa, we have reached the end of Season 91 of the VHLM. But just as quickly as we have wrapped up this season, a new one will be upon us shortly, and along with it, a new batch of hopeful VHL superstars looking to prove that they belong, that they have what it takes to go the distance and show off the skills that got them this far. After some absolutely historic performances this season, they've got some big shoes to fill, but time will tell just how talented these new kids on the block will be.

In the words of the immortal Gene Hart, good night and good hockey!

The Mitch Higgins Trophy is presented to the most valuable player of the VHLM regular season, the biggest individual honor a player can receive in the VHLM. In a season filled with historic performances, this is a star-studded ballot filled with players seemingly destined to be future VHL standouts:

Caring Bear (PHI) - 69 G, 97 A, 166 P, +90, 28 PIM, 141 HIT, 25 SB

Matthew Highmore (MIA) - 46 G, 49 A, 95 P, +22, 33 PIM, 108 HIT, 45 SB

Logan Ninefingers (PHI) - 64 G, 88 A, 152 P, +88, 65 PIM, 277 HIT, 57 SB

Pipo Popa (HOU) - 52-16-4, 0.933 SV%, 1.44 GAA, 22 SO

George Richmond (OTT) - 46 G, 55 A, 101 P, +44, 37 PIM, 129 HIT, 47 SB

The votes are in… the most valuable player in the VHLM is…

The Jack Reilly Trophy is awarded annually to the top general manager in the VHLM, which really understates what it truly means to be the best general manager in the VHLM. There’s simply so much that goes into this job, to the point it is one of the most important roles in the VHL as a whole. Working with first-generation members is vital to the continued survival of the league as their first introduction to it. The bonds formed between VHLM GMs and their players is a strong one, any member of the VHL could tell you who who their first VHLM GM was. On top of that, there’s also the competitive element of the league, as VHLM GMs must also manage their players to guide them to develop and produce, which is no small task. Tonight, we recognize those who have 

This season, we have three candidates nomiated for this prestigious award: Berocka, who constructed a deadly juggernaut in the Saskatoon Wild that went on to become the Founder’s Cup Champions; McLovin, whose Las Vegas Aces lived up to their strong traditions and were amongst the league’s best; and STZ, who built a defensive powerhouse with the Houston Bulls.

Our top general manager in the VHLM this season is…

The Matt Bentz Trophy is awarded to the top two-way forward in the VHLM, the little brother to the Scott Boulet Trophy in the VHL. :

Caring Bear (PHI) - 69 G, 97 A, 166 P, +90, 28 PIM, 141 HIT, 25 SB

Leading the league in goals, assists, and points will certainly get your name on this ballot, but did Caring Bear contribute enough defensively to bring home more hardware? 

Riley Martin (HFX) - 26 G, 22 A, 48 P, -33, 64 PIM, 175 HIT, 147 SB

Halifax may have struggled defensively, but Martin did his best to try to change that, absorbing shot after shot and delivering 175 hits to his opponents.

Logan Ninefingers (PHI) - 64 G, 88 A, 152 P, +88, 65 PIM, 277 HIT, 57 SB

Skunked with every other award he’s been nominated for so far, Ninefingers’ strong offensive play and physical presence makes him an ideal nomination for this award.

Dietrich Reingaard (SDM) - 27 G, 32 A, 59 P, -42, 16 PIM, 146 HIT, 41 SB

The big fish in San Diego’s pond, chances are if you tried to drive towards the Marlins’ net, you had to deal with Reingaard. 

There is still a clear winner tonight for the Matt Bentz Trophy…

The Ryan Sullivan Trophy is awarded to the top defenseman in the VHLM, named after one of the finest to ever do it in the VHL. This season, we have five blue liners vying for this recognition:

kodie Curran (PHI) - 21 G, 75 A, 96 P, +82, 26 PIM, 96 HIT, 118 SB

An underrated component of the lethal Philadelphia offense that led the VHLM in goals, Curran racked up nearly 100 points along with an absurd +82 rating and 118 shots blocked.

Petit Hughie (MIA) - 13 G, 70 A, 83 P, -9, 66 PIM, 219 HIT, 157 SB

A two-way defenseman that scored over 80 points and recorded over 200 hits with 157 blocked shots, Hughie was a standout for the Marauders in both ends of the ice.

Karol Lamb (SSK) - 10 G, 54 A, 64 P, +51, 74 PIM, 229 HIT, 151 SB

Lamb didn’t have the gaudy offensive stats of the others, but they did brutalize their opponents with 229 hits, and protected their goaltender with 151 blocked shots en route to winning a ring.

Jean-Marc Lemieux (LVA) - 17 G, 73 A, 90 P, +41, 59 PIM, 159 HIT, 108 SB

A well-rounded defenseman who could both score points and keep them off the board just as well, Lemieux was the best of both worlds for Las Vegas.

Hezeus Ohmontegue-Steinhardt X (MEX) - 17 G, 59 A, 76 P, -16, 58 PIM, 202 HIT, 194 SB

Offering perhaps the best balance of physical punishment and offensive production, Ohmontegue-Steinhardt X also served few minutes in the box for their physical play.

Our winner is…

The Benoit Devereux Trophy is awarded to the top goaltender in the VHLM, and what better way to start your VHL career than winning an award that bears the name of a Hall of Fame goalie? Our four nominees were the premiere netminders of the VHLM, but this award would really cap off their season in style:

Toddly Bobbly (SSK) - 56-11-5, 0.926 SV%, 1.76 GAA, 9 SO

The netminder for the Founder’s Cup champion Saskatoon Wild, Bobbly was consistently a strong presence in net for Saskatoon, with a sub-2 GAA and nine shutouts.

Pierre-luc Dutil (MIS) - 35-30-7, 0.915 SV%, 2.34 GAA, 9 SO

Simply put, Dutil kept the Mississauga Hounds in games all season and elevated them to a position they would not have been without him. A season to be proud of for sure.

Pipo Popa (HOU) - 52-16-4, 0.933 SV%, 1.44 GAA, 22 SO

Popa was simply impenetrable this season, posting an utterly dominant season highlighted by an absurd 22 shutouts, the likes of which hasn’t been seen for decades.

Amir Redzic (PHI) - 47-18-7, 0.917 SV%, 2.30 GAA, 6 SO

Backstopping the runner-up Philadelphia Reapers, Redzic gave his dynamic offense a strong cushion to work with all season long. 

Your winner, by unanimous decision…

Awarded annually to the player who scores the most points in the VHLM, the Ethan Osborne Trophy recognizes the biggest offensive threat in the M. Four players in the league topped 100 points this season, with George Richmond of Ottawa tallying 101 and Jacob Smith Jr of Saskatoon recording 102 points. But, yet again, we have two players, that once again played on the same team, terrorizing the VHLM. Logan Ninefingers of Philadelphia recorded 152 points, the most since Season 82. But you all know who the winner is, as they led the league in both goals and assists! Caring Bear recorded a stunning 166 points, the most since Bryn Yrwy’s 167 in Season 80, capping off what simply put is one of the most dominant seasons the VHLM has seen in quite some time!

Congratulations to Caring Bear, the winner of the Ethan Osborne Trophy!
 

The Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy is awarded to the player that leads the VHLM in assists, and stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the frontrunners were once again two teammates from the city of brotherly love who were in a class of their own this season. Logan Ninefingers and Caring Bear were the only two players in the VHLM to record over 80 assists, an amount that has not been seen in the league since Season 87. Ninefingers’ 88 assists are the most since Season 81, but yet again, it’s not enough to bring home the hardware. Caring Bear recorded an absurd 97 assists, easily leading the VHLM, and the most since Finn Davis recorded an absurd 119 assists in Season 80, cementing a remarkable season for Caring Bear.

Congratulations to Caring Bear on winning the Vladimir Boomchenko Trophy!
 

The Alexander Chershenko Trophy is awarded annually to the player who leads the VHLM in goals, and this season we had a two horse race between two Philadelphia teammates! Caring Bear and Logan Ninefingers were in a class of their own this season, the only two players who scored over not only 50 goals, but 60 goals as well! Logan Ninefingers’ 64 goals were enough to win the award the past three seasons, but not this season, as Caring Bear scored a nice 69 goals! It’s the highest amount of goals scored in a single season since Igor Molotov’s 72 nearly ten seasons ago in Season 82, a truly impressive feat indeed!

Congratulations to Caring Bear, the Alexander Chershenko Trophy winner of Season 91!
 

The Skylar Rift Trophy is awarded annually to the player deemed to be the most valuable player of the VHLM Playoffs, and after recapping Saskatoon’s run to the championship, now is as good of a time as we’ll have to crown our playoff MVP! Four players made the ballot for this award:

Toddly Bobbly (SSK) - 17 GP, 12-3-2, .928 SV%, 1.77 GAA, 3 SO

Toddly Bobbly was, quite simply, electric in net for the Saskatoon Wild. He was consistently a brick wall that kept the eventual Founder’s Cup Champions in the game, and three of his 12 wins came by shutouts. It was a dominant postseason for Bobbly.

Joseph Jec (SSK) - 17 GP, 9 G, 14 A, 23 P, +8, 24 PIM, 40 HIT, 4 SB

When the Wild needed a big play, chances are it involved Joseph Jec. His 23 points led the team in points during the postseason, with nine goals among them. His defense was also outstanding, with a +8 rating and delivering 40 hits, doing his part in both ends of the ice.

Vladimir Kozlov (SSK) - 17 GP, 7 G, 15 A, 22 P, +7, 16 PIM, 41 HIT, 35 SB

Time and time again, Vladimir Kozlov delivered when the Saskatoon Wild needed him. He blocked 35 shots, delivered 41 hits, and was just as prolific offensively, including the Founder’s Cup-winning goal in the final seconds of the decisive Game Five.

Logan Ninefingers (PHI) - 15 GP, 12 G, 11 A, 23 P, +1, 10 PIM, 50 HIT, 13 SB

Although the Reapers fell short in the end, it certainly wasn’t any fault of Ninefingers’. Scoring nearly a goal-per-game and 23 points in total, along with a staggering 50 hits, he was a huge reason that Philadelphia made it to the finals in the first place.

The winner of the Skylar Rift Trophy as the MVP of the Season 88 VHLM Playoffs is…

When you win the Prime Minister’s Cup, the expectation is that you also bring home the Founder’s Cup and begin your reign as the VHLM Champions, and the Saskatoon Wild did not disappoint. They were able to defeat the San Diego Marlins with relative ease in the opening round, with two of their victories shutouts courtesy of Toddly Bobbly in net. The Houston Bulls, however, were determined to take down the Prime Minister’s Cup winners, and led the series 3-2 after Game Five. However, the Wild clawed back, and emerged victorious in Game Seven with Alexandros Mograine providing the series-winning goal late in the third period. The Philadelphia Reapers awaited them in the Founder’s Cup Finals, but they proved to not match up with the Wild as well as Houston did. Their high-flying offense was relatively held in check by Saskatoon’s staunch defense, with their own offense getting the job done. The Reapers only managed to win one game before the Saskatoon Wild became the champions of the VHLM with a 4-3 win in Game Five in front of their dedicated fans, as Vladimir Kozlov scored the cup-winning goal with less than 30 seconds left to play in the third period. 

Congratulations to @Berocka, @Dadam30, and the Saskatoon Wild on winning the Founder's Cup!!
 

First, we’ll start off with formally presenting the Prime Minister’s Cup, which is awarded to the VHLM team with the best regular season record. Five teams finished with more than 100 points this season, but there was one that stood above the rest: the Saskatoon Wild, whose 56-11-5 record and 117 points were more than enough to best the runner-up Houston Bulls’ 108 points. Boasting a high-scoring offense and a stout defense that was just as skilled as keeping the puck out of their net as their offense was at scoring. The Wild possessed talent everywhere on their roster, and as a result, they proved to be the top team in the VHLM at the end of the regular season.

Congratulations to @Berocka, @Dadam30, and the Saskatoon Wild on winning the Prime Minister's Cup!!
 

Good evening everyone and welcome to the Season 91 VHLM Awards Show! It’s time to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of the VHL’s next star players, and I’m quite confident that some of the players we’re honoring tonight will be household names in no short order.

That being said, success in the VHLM does not necessarily translate into being successful at the professional level. This is, after all, a league centered around development, which is the true goal of any VHLM general manager worth their salt. However, this is the first taste of competition for aspiring VHL prospects, and the first look that VHL scouts and fans get at these highly touted prospects. Tonight, we’ll give the spotlight to these young players that shined the brightest in Season 91!