Doomsday

Hail, warriors!
 
As Season 93 winds down, the time has finally come for Jarl Doomsday to add to the Halls of Leadership of the Stockholm Vikings, and is now actively seeking to appoint an AGM. No previous experience with an AGM/GM position or with STHS is required, but the Jarl does decree that whoever seeks this position should be full of zeal and passion, and have an open mind towards both learning and teaching. The challenges of promoting activity in the VHLE are no small task, and it is the single biggest aspect that the Jarl is looking for.
 
Regardless of your experience, knowledge, and tenure in the VHL, if you believe that you are the right person for the job, please apply! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on the forums or on Discord at doomsdayvhl
 

Hail, warriors!
 
As Season 93 winds down, the time has finally come for Jarl Doomsday to add to the Halls of Leadership of the Stockholm Vikings, and is now actively seeking to appoint an AGM. No previous experience with an AGM/GM position or with STHS is required, but the Jarl does decree that whoever seeks this position should be full of zeal and passion, and have an open mind towards both learning and teaching. The challenges of promoting activity in the VHLE are no small task, and it is the single biggest aspect that the Jarl is looking for.
 
Regardless of your experience, knowledge, and tenure in the VHL, if you believe that you are the right person for the job, please apply! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on the forums or on Discord at doomsdayvhl
 

Hail, warriors!
 
As Season 93 winds down, the time has finally come for Jarl Doomsday to add to the Halls of Leadership of the Stockholm Vikings, and is now actively seeking to appoint an AGM. No previous experience with an AGM/GM position or with STHS is required, but the Jarl does decree that whoever seeks this position should be full of zeal and passion, and have an open mind towards both learning and teaching. The challenges of promoting activity in the VHLE are no small task, and it is the single biggest aspect that the Jarl is looking for.
 
Regardless of your experience, knowledge, and tenure in the VHL, if you believe that you are the right person for the job, please apply! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on the forums or on Discord at doomsdayvhl
 

Hail, warriors!
 
As Season 93 winds down, the time has finally come for Jarl Doomsday to add to the Halls of Leadership of the Stockholm Vikings, and is now actively seeking to appoint an AGM. No previous experience with an AGM/GM position or with STHS is required, but the Jarl does decree that whoever seeks this position should be full of zeal and passion, and have an open mind towards both learning and teaching. The challenges of promoting activity in the VHLE are no small task, and it is the single biggest aspect that the Jarl is looking for.
 
Regardless of your experience, knowledge, and tenure in the VHL, if you believe that you are the right person for the job, please apply! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on the forums or on Discord at doomsdayvhl
 

Welcome back!!

This is an awesome idea, and I can't wait to see the rest of it!

Rebranding International Play
 

 
Over the course of VHL history, international play has been a staple of the league. In the early days of the league, achievements on the international stage were considered a big deal, and are frequently listed in the biographies of Hall of Fame players of those eras. Over the years, however, those achievements have diminished in importance, and the World Cup is gradually becoming irrelevant to many members. While there are several reasons for this, the Theme Week theme is rebranding, so that’s the approach we’re going to stick with for this article. That being said, simply rebranding the name of the World Cup isn’t going to change anything, so what we’ll do instead is evaluate the teams we do have, and do our rebranding there instead.
 
Throughout the years, we have had several teams come and go, depending on the representation available through VHL players. Let’s start with the six teams, evaluate their representation in the VHL, and determine if there is the potential for a new team:
 
United States of America
 

 
Team Representation:
 : 12
 
It should come as no surprise that the USA is well-represented in the VHL, with a large portion of the members of the league being Americans. Along with many first-generation players matching their own nationality by making an American player, many of the league’s top American players are also recreates, giving the USA a formidable roster each and every tournament. No changes need to be made to this team.
 
 
Canada
 

 
Team Representation:
 : 12
 
Just like the USA, Canada is also very highly represented in the VHL due to many league members themselves being Canadians. As a result, Team Canada frequently receives excellent representation in the sim for the same reasons the USA does, making it a highly competitive roster to earn a spot on. Team Canada needs no changes, as they have been well-represented from Day One and will continue to be so.
 
 
Team Eastern Europe
 


Team Representation:
🇦🇱 : 1
🇨🇿 : 2
🇭🇺 : 1
🇱🇻 : 1
🇵🇱 : 2
🇷🇺 : 2
🇸🇰 : 1
🇺🇦 : 2
 
Europe as a whole traditionally received a team consisting of players from all across Europe, but increasing diversity in player representation has led to an Eastern and Western team for Europe. The gold medal-winning Eastern European team was especially diverse, featuring players from eight different nations, none of which had more than two players on the team. In spite of nations like Russia and Czechia being traditional ice hockey powerhouses in the real world, they are not nearly as well-represented in the VHL, with just two Russian and Czechian players each on this roster. It’s worth noting that during Season 24 to 34, the Soviet Union existed as a team, containing many of the Eastern European nations in it, while Europe simultaneously existed. As it stands now, Eastern Europe is working just as intended, and quite successfully as well. No nation under their umbrella has the ability to stand on their own just yet, and no changes are necessary at this time.
 
 
Team Western Europe
 

 
Team Representation:
🇫🇷 : 2
🇩🇪 : 1
🇬🇱 : 1
🇮🇪 : 1
🇮🇹 : 1
🇪🇸 : 1
🇨🇭 : 2
🇬🇧 : 2
🇺🇸 : 1
 
 
The other half of the former Team Europe, Western Europe, features some traditionally strong and well-established nations in ice hockey, but is the first team we’ve gone over that has talent from outside of their pool. Goaltenders Olober Syko and Dalkr Vidarsson are from the USA and Greenland, respectively. The United Kingdom (who once upon a time had their own team in the World Cup), France, and Switzerland each have two players on the team, but to me the biggest surprise is Germany with just one player on the team. Their lack of goaltenders of their own is also troubling, as Syko certainly will represent the USA in the future and Vidarsson could very well represent his own nation, as I’ll get into later. It’s fair to conclude that no nation represented by Western Europe is ready to stand on their own.
 
 
Team Nordic
 

 
Team Representation:
🇩🇰 : 1
🇫🇮 : 8
🇳🇴 : 1
🇸🇪 : 2
 
As the GM of Team Nordic, I was hoping to build a team that represented the Nordic region, but it quickly became apparent that this team was going to be largely composed of one nation: Finland. With a staggering eight players of Team Nordic from Finland, it is pretty clear that Finland is a nation ready to stand on its own legs. Allowing Finland to be their own team will allow for Team Nordic to become a team consisting of the other nations in the region, allowing more players to experience international play, Sweden in particular would largely help to fill in the gap, as the other nations have some work to do with recruiting. It would be a tough road for Team Nordic, who would certainly experience a stepback with the loss of Finland, but with the knowledge of having international roster spots available through the other Nordic nations, those who want to experience it could be swayed to create their new players under those nations instead of potentially being held out for multiple World Cups on nations like the USA or Canada. Finland, meanwhile, could be ready to compete for medals, especially if Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen develops into a goalie capable of taking over for veteran Fuuka Rask.
 
 
Team World
 

 
Team Representation:
🇦🇺 : 1
🇨🇦 : 2
🇨🇨 : 1
🇬🇱 : 4
🇳🇱 : 1
🇱🇨 : 1
🇬🇧 : 1
🇺🇸 : 1
 
Lastly, we have Team World, the catch-all team for nations that don’t fit elsewhere and players who didn’t make the cut for their respective nations. The interesting part here is that Greenland, which has typically been a part of Team Nordic, is included here with Team World. With four players, they are actually the fourth highest represented nation in the Season 92 World Cup, behind only the United States, Canada, and Finland. Looking at their list of players currently active in the VHL, there is practically an entire roster there, although depth is currently limited. As it stands however, there is definitely potential there for Greenland to be their own team. You heard it: it’s finally time to make Greenland their own team.
 
Of the remaining eight players, it’s pretty evenly split in half with players who are the lone representative of a nation not otherwise represented, while the others didn’t make the cut on their own nation’s team. Of those four, two are Canadian and another is an American, not surprising considering the stiff competition to make those two teams. The big surprise was Sunglasses Joyo of the United Kingdom being on this team, a testament to how tough the competition at forward was for Western Europe. Great Britain actually boasts a pretty respectable group of forwards, enough to form two pretty solid lines, but their defensive and goaltending depth simply isn’t there, with Phil Strasmore the only defenseman that would warrant making an international roster spot. VHLE legend Clark is the only UK goaltender, and Western Europe opted against taking him for their own roster, as I doubt he would fare well on the international stage. The United Kingdom certainly has promise to be awarded their own team once again, as they were from Season 26 to 34, but they’re not quite there yet.
 
 
The Return of Team Mercenaries?
 

 
The best of the rest, Team Mercenaries was a team that was able to add any player that was not selected to their own nation’s team, giving them the opportunity to prove to their country that they were wrong to pass on them. Indeed, twice they pulled off the ultimate upset by winning gold with a roster of castoffs, two of the greatest stories in the history of the VHL’s international play. It was a fun and unique challenge, and as enjoyable of one as it was to undertake, with Team World getting to select leftover players, it defeats the point of Team Mercenaries. Unless Team World was restricted only to nations not covered by the other teams, with unselected players being left to Team Mercenaries, the two can’t really coexist as is. But if we really want to revamp the World Cup and get as many players into it as we can, Team Mercenaries can return once again.
 
Can the Rebrand Be Done?
 

 
International competition has been a part of the VHL for the entire part of the league’s journey, and I would love for it to capture the luster that it once had. Winning gold medals used to be an important part of cementing a player’s legacy in the VHL, not that it should ever be a deterrent to a player making or not making the Hall of Fame. To me, increasing the amount of representation for the World Cup would be a great way to boost interest for the tournament, especially amongst nations that have gained a strong enough base to compete under their own banners. More teams would also lead to more diversity in games played during the Round Robin as well, not to mention add to the achievement of winning a medal. With a little bit of rebranding, we can make the VHL World Cup worth getting excited over again.

I love sim leagues. I have participated in a great variety of leagues of weird things from Rugby to Quidditch. No matter how many leagues I am talked into joining, my favorite leagues are always the hockey sim leagues. The Victory Hockey League is where I first started this ongoing adventure and remains the most important league to me. The Simulation Hockey League is another fun league that I have had much success in. Seeing what has happened to spring football lead to an interesting thought experiment, "What would happen if I were to merge the two best sim hockey leagues into one super leagues?" So I did. Over many pages of paper and much work with the old thinking cap, I merged the VHL and SHL into a ginormous league which I called  called the WSH or World Simulation Hockey. These write-ups are a part of a three part series detailing my opinions and logic that helped me develop the technically possible but practically impossible sim league of my dreams.
 
Rules

A thought experiment this complex needs rules to simplify things. The rules I followed to reasonable combine two different league are as follows.
 
Rule #1. Only one team per city. No sim league has two teams in one city so my merged league can't either.
 
Rule #2 Major clubs erase minor clubs in the same city with the option for the major club to take on the minor club's branding. This rule result in an issue that will be explored later.
 
Rule #3 Best branding remains for cities that have a franchise of equivalent levels of play. I will explain my feelings the informed the identities I choose.
 
Rule #4 Brands not chosen can be considered for use with different cities and leagues.The purpose of this rule is to reduce the amount of new brands I have to create. No good ideas should ever go to waste.

Introduction to Minor Leage Teams

With the rules firmly established, I set to the task of fusing both leagues minor/junior leagues into a unified league. A quick explanation of each leagues and it's teams will serve as perfect a point of reference to compare against the end results. The VHLM is a ten franchise league split into two divisions, East and West. The clubs composing this league is listed below.
 
VHLM East
 
Halifax 21st
Mississauga Hounds
Ottawa Lynx
Philadelphia Reapers
Miami Marauders
 
VHLM West
 
Houston Bulls
Las Vegas Aces 
Mexico City Kings
San Diego Marlins
Saskatoon Wild
 
 
The SMJHL on the other hand is a sixteen team league divided into Northern and Southern divisions of eight teams each. Those team are listed below.   SMJHL South   Carolina Kraken  Colorado Raptors Detroit Falcons Main Timber Nevada Battleborn Ottawa Highlanders St Louis Scarecrows   SMJHL North   Anchorage Armada Great Falls Grizzlies Kelowna Knights Newfoundland Berserkers Quebec City Citadlles Regina Elk Vancouver Whalers Yukon Malamutes  
Results and Explanation
 
With all of the pieces on the board, I set out to my task of finding my reasonable mearger. The end product of my labor was a league I called the WSHJ or World Simulation Hockey Juniors. The WSHJ is a twenty-two franchise league split into Eastern and Western divisions of eleven teams each. A massive list of all teams is below.
 
WSHJ East
 
Carolina Kraken
Detroit Falcons
Halifax 21st
Maine Timber
Miami Marauders 
Mississauga Hounds
Newfoundland Berserkers
Ottawa Lynx
Pittsburgh Forge
Quebec City Citadlles
St Louis Scarecrows
 
WSHJ West
 
Anchorage Armada
Colorado Raptors
Great Falls Grizzlies
Houston Bulls
Kelowna Knights
Mexico City Kings
Nevada Battleborn
Regina Elk
San Diego Marlins
Saskatoon Wild
Yukon Rush
 
The creation of the Pittsburgh Forge was an answer to the biggest problems I had to face. As per Rule 2, two minor clubs had to dissappear. The Vancouver Whalers  (because of the VHL's Vancouver Wolves) and the Philadelphia Reapers. (because of the SHL's Philadelphia Forge) The loss of the Whalers created no problems but the loss of the Reapers did. When I boiled down the teams to available cities in compliance with Rule 1,  I discovered two problems. The first problem was the fact I had twenty-one cities. The second problem was that western cities outnumbered eastern twelve to nine. To help fix both problems, I had these two different Philadelphia brands swap leagues so that the Reapers were the major club and the Forge were the minor club, then moved the Forge across the state, inadvertently doing the inverse of ancient hockey history history. A long time ago the was a NHL franchise in Pittsburgh that relocated to Philadelphia for a season before disbanding thirty-six years before both cities would receive the iconic clubs we know today. Relocating a Philadelphia team to Pittsburgh is strangely poetic, to me at least. Of corse several other location in the Eastern part of North America would have worked but I feel my reasons for doing so are sound, After having an even number of teams, I still needed  even divisions so I had to misplace St Louis in the Eastern Conference. The was a snap judgment call on my end that does work.
 
Now to explain the reason for the branding I chose. Ottawa was a toss up between the different brands.The Lynx are the slightly stronger brand and thus won out. Also I do have other plans for the Highlanders branding. In the Vegas area, Aces may be the high card, but the victory belongs to the Battleborn. For San Diego, Tidal branding would have won out if the proper name for the ocean wave and not a name born of an incorrect notion was used. That bothered me more that it should have. Something I will have to rethink in the end. Yukon was the only team I rebranded completely from the original brand because name and logo given seemed.  to be a legally distinct brand from a certain basketball college. Also the Rush were a successful VHLM team that was moved to the VHLE and later contracted that many have wished to return.
 
Conclusion
 
I feel like I have achieved what I hoped to accomplish with this experiment so far. I discoved challenging problems and found ingenious solutions towards building a technically sound but far too massive fusion of my two favorite simulation sports leagues. As my conclusions will not be the same as others, open discussion on what can be changed is always welcomed below. That or rant about my choices, either one will work. Next week, I will start the mearger of the major teams to create something massive.
 

Rebranding International Play
 

 
Over the course of VHL history, international play has been a staple of the league. In the early days of the league, achievements on the international stage were considered a big deal, and are frequently listed in the biographies of Hall of Fame players of those eras. Over the years, however, those achievements have diminished in importance, and the World Cup is gradually becoming irrelevant to many members. While there are several reasons for this, the Theme Week theme is rebranding, so that’s the approach we’re going to stick with for this article. That being said, simply rebranding the name of the World Cup isn’t going to change anything, so what we’ll do instead is evaluate the teams we do have, and do our rebranding there instead.
 
Throughout the years, we have had several teams come and go, depending on the representation available through VHL players. Let’s start with the six teams, evaluate their representation in the VHL, and determine if there is the potential for a new team:
 
United States of America
 

 
Team Representation:
 : 12
 
It should come as no surprise that the USA is well-represented in the VHL, with a large portion of the members of the league being Americans. Along with many first-generation players matching their own nationality by making an American player, many of the league’s top American players are also recreates, giving the USA a formidable roster each and every tournament. No changes need to be made to this team.
 
 
Canada
 

 
Team Representation:
 : 12
 
Just like the USA, Canada is also very highly represented in the VHL due to many league members themselves being Canadians. As a result, Team Canada frequently receives excellent representation in the sim for the same reasons the USA does, making it a highly competitive roster to earn a spot on. Team Canada needs no changes, as they have been well-represented from Day One and will continue to be so.
 
 
Team Eastern Europe
 


Team Representation:
🇦🇱 : 1
🇨🇿 : 2
🇭🇺 : 1
🇱🇻 : 1
🇵🇱 : 2
🇷🇺 : 2
🇸🇰 : 1
🇺🇦 : 2
 
Europe as a whole traditionally received a team consisting of players from all across Europe, but increasing diversity in player representation has led to an Eastern and Western team for Europe. The gold medal-winning Eastern European team was especially diverse, featuring players from eight different nations, none of which had more than two players on the team. In spite of nations like Russia and Czechia being traditional ice hockey powerhouses in the real world, they are not nearly as well-represented in the VHL, with just two Russian and Czechian players each on this roster. It’s worth noting that during Season 24 to 34, the Soviet Union existed as a team, containing many of the Eastern European nations in it, while Europe simultaneously existed. As it stands now, Eastern Europe is working just as intended, and quite successfully as well. No nation under their umbrella has the ability to stand on their own just yet, and no changes are necessary at this time.
 
 
Team Western Europe
 

 
Team Representation:
🇫🇷 : 2
🇩🇪 : 1
🇬🇱 : 1
🇮🇪 : 1
🇮🇹 : 1
🇪🇸 : 1
🇨🇭 : 2
🇬🇧 : 2
🇺🇸 : 1
 
 
The other half of the former Team Europe, Western Europe, features some traditionally strong and well-established nations in ice hockey, but is the first team we’ve gone over that has talent from outside of their pool. Goaltenders Olober Syko and Dalkr Vidarsson are from the USA and Greenland, respectively. The United Kingdom (who once upon a time had their own team in the World Cup), France, and Switzerland each have two players on the team, but to me the biggest surprise is Germany with just one player on the team. Their lack of goaltenders of their own is also troubling, as Syko certainly will represent the USA in the future and Vidarsson could very well represent his own nation, as I’ll get into later. It’s fair to conclude that no nation represented by Western Europe is ready to stand on their own.
 
 
Team Nordic
 

 
Team Representation:
🇩🇰 : 1
🇫🇮 : 8
🇳🇴 : 1
🇸🇪 : 2
 
As the GM of Team Nordic, I was hoping to build a team that represented the Nordic region, but it quickly became apparent that this team was going to be largely composed of one nation: Finland. With a staggering eight players of Team Nordic from Finland, it is pretty clear that Finland is a nation ready to stand on its own legs. Allowing Finland to be their own team will allow for Team Nordic to become a team consisting of the other nations in the region, allowing more players to experience international play, Sweden in particular would largely help to fill in the gap, as the other nations have some work to do with recruiting. It would be a tough road for Team Nordic, who would certainly experience a stepback with the loss of Finland, but with the knowledge of having international roster spots available through the other Nordic nations, those who want to experience it could be swayed to create their new players under those nations instead of potentially being held out for multiple World Cups on nations like the USA or Canada. Finland, meanwhile, could be ready to compete for medals, especially if Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen develops into a goalie capable of taking over for veteran Fuuka Rask.
 
 
Team World
 

 
Team Representation:
🇦🇺 : 1
🇨🇦 : 2
🇨🇨 : 1
🇬🇱 : 4
🇳🇱 : 1
🇱🇨 : 1
🇬🇧 : 1
🇺🇸 : 1
 
Lastly, we have Team World, the catch-all team for nations that don’t fit elsewhere and players who didn’t make the cut for their respective nations. The interesting part here is that Greenland, which has typically been a part of Team Nordic, is included here with Team World. With four players, they are actually the fourth highest represented nation in the Season 92 World Cup, behind only the United States, Canada, and Finland. Looking at their list of players currently active in the VHL, there is practically an entire roster there, although depth is currently limited. As it stands however, there is definitely potential there for Greenland to be their own team. You heard it: it’s finally time to make Greenland their own team.
 
Of the remaining eight players, it’s pretty evenly split in half with players who are the lone representative of a nation not otherwise represented, while the others didn’t make the cut on their own nation’s team. Of those four, two are Canadian and another is an American, not surprising considering the stiff competition to make those two teams. The big surprise was Sunglasses Joyo of the United Kingdom being on this team, a testament to how tough the competition at forward was for Western Europe. Great Britain actually boasts a pretty respectable group of forwards, enough to form two pretty solid lines, but their defensive and goaltending depth simply isn’t there, with Phil Strasmore the only defenseman that would warrant making an international roster spot. VHLE legend Clark is the only UK goaltender, and Western Europe opted against taking him for their own roster, as I doubt he would fare well on the international stage. The United Kingdom certainly has promise to be awarded their own team once again, as they were from Season 26 to 34, but they’re not quite there yet.
 
 
The Return of Team Mercenaries?
 

 
The best of the rest, Team Mercenaries was a team that was able to add any player that was not selected to their own nation’s team, giving them the opportunity to prove to their country that they were wrong to pass on them. Indeed, twice they pulled off the ultimate upset by winning gold with a roster of castoffs, two of the greatest stories in the history of the VHL’s international play. It was a fun and unique challenge, and as enjoyable of one as it was to undertake, with Team World getting to select leftover players, it defeats the point of Team Mercenaries. Unless Team World was restricted only to nations not covered by the other teams, with unselected players being left to Team Mercenaries, the two can’t really coexist as is. But if we really want to revamp the World Cup and get as many players into it as we can, Team Mercenaries can return once again.
 
Can the Rebrand Be Done?
 

 
International competition has been a part of the VHL for the entire part of the league’s journey, and I would love for it to capture the luster that it once had. Winning gold medals used to be an important part of cementing a player’s legacy in the VHL, not that it should ever be a deterrent to a player making or not making the Hall of Fame. To me, increasing the amount of representation for the World Cup would be a great way to boost interest for the tournament, especially amongst nations that have gained a strong enough base to compete under their own banners. More teams would also lead to more diversity in games played during the Round Robin as well, not to mention add to the achievement of winning a medal. With a little bit of rebranding, we can make the VHL World Cup worth getting excited over again.

Kronchy Walks in, grape gets benched

Helsinki receives:
Celise Pereira
S94 DCD 1st

Moscow receives:
Kronchy Kardashian


This trade has been accepted by all parties and is pending league approval.

Sorry, made her unrecognizable now
 

Honestly thought I was getting banned for members still trying to claim that

It's time.

YaBoi Oven: A Reflection

 
YaBoi Oven quietly scans the Helsinki locker room, which is beginning to buzz with activity and final preparations. It’s opening night in Helsinki, and Season 93 is one for which both the Titans and Oven have lofty expectations. After joining Helsinki as the first overall pick in Season 90, entirely bypassing the VHLE and making the Titans’ roster in his first season of eligibility, Helsinki’s fortunes have drastically changed. After season after season of frustrating mediocrity, the Titans have become a perennial contender under General Manager Mickey Dickson, making the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, highlighted with a Continental Cup Finals appearance in Season 91. However, YaBoi Oven, while a solid contributor to the team’s successes, has not been a consistent driving force of the Titans, something that now must change with the retirement of Pierre Emile Bouchard.
 
Evidence of those expectations are quite visible as well, as Oven glances down to see an A now adorning his sweater as an alternate captain of the Titans. Over his first three seasons, he’s become a leader in the locker room, and now he’ll be expected to become a leader on the ice as well. The potential is certainly there, as Oven recorded a point-per-game average in the Season 92 Playoffs, along with his usual strong presence defensively. It will take more than a strong 14 games, however, to prove that he was the correct choice at first overall four seasons ago. Players selected with that pick are expected to be generational talents, exceptional players who lead their teams to continued success and perform at the highest level. Helsinki has definitely been successful, and while Oven has been solid, an argument can be made that he was not essential to that success. Now entering his fourth season, the time is now to take that next step and become one of the league’s elite defensemen.
 

 
Oven looks up with a grin. Kronchy Kardashian, the new captain of the Helsinki Titans, is bouncing around and getting their teammates hyped up and ready to go. Oven stands up, grabs his helmet, and begins to join in with the antics when suddenly, a chorus of distant boos can be heard.
 
“Sounds like Warsaw beat us out there,” Oven remarks with a chuckle.
 
“Nah,” retorts Kardashian. “That poverty franchise has never been on time for anything. I bet it’s the officials getting that reaction.”
 
The boos get even louder now, and there is no doubt that the Predators have now taken the ice. It is, after all, practically a brand new team this season, looking to compete for the Cup instead of for the best lottery odds.
 
“Alright, no more screwing around, let’s go boys!” booms Oven as he straps on his helmet and takes off towards the tunnel, having to slow his roll before he runs over goaltender Fuukka Rask, who has been silently waiting there for minutes now.
 
“About time,” he chuckled. “But I need to be out there first!”
 
Season 93 was finally ready to begin.

YaBoi Oven: A Reflection

 
YaBoi Oven quietly scans the Helsinki locker room, which is beginning to buzz with activity and final preparations. It’s opening night in Helsinki, and Season 93 is one for which both the Titans and Oven have lofty expectations. After joining Helsinki as the first overall pick in Season 90, entirely bypassing the VHLE and making the Titans’ roster in his first season of eligibility, Helsinki’s fortunes have drastically changed. After season after season of frustrating mediocrity, the Titans have become a perennial contender under General Manager Mickey Dickson, making the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, highlighted with a Continental Cup Finals appearance in Season 91. However, YaBoi Oven, while a solid contributor to the team’s successes, has not been a consistent driving force of the Titans, something that now must change with the retirement of Pierre Emile Bouchard.
 
Evidence of those expectations are quite visible as well, as Oven glances down to see an A now adorning his sweater as an alternate captain of the Titans. Over his first three seasons, he’s become a leader in the locker room, and now he’ll be expected to become a leader on the ice as well. The potential is certainly there, as Oven recorded a point-per-game average in the Season 92 Playoffs, along with his usual strong presence defensively. It will take more than a strong 14 games, however, to prove that he was the correct choice at first overall four seasons ago. Players selected with that pick are expected to be generational talents, exceptional players who lead their teams to continued success and perform at the highest level. Helsinki has definitely been successful, and while Oven has been solid, an argument can be made that he was not essential to that success. Now entering his fourth season, the time is now to take that next step and become one of the league’s elite defensemen.
 

 
Oven looks up with a grin. Kronchy Kardashian, the new captain of the Helsinki Titans, is bouncing around and getting their teammates hyped up and ready to go. Oven stands up, grabs his helmet, and begins to join in with the antics when suddenly, a chorus of distant boos can be heard.
 
“Sounds like Warsaw beat us out there,” Oven remarks with a chuckle.
 
“Nah,” retorts Kardashian. “That poverty franchise has never been on time for anything. I bet it’s the officials getting that reaction.”
 
The boos get even louder now, and there is no doubt that the Predators have now taken the ice. It is, after all, practically a brand new team this season, looking to compete for the Cup instead of for the best lottery odds.
 
“Alright, no more screwing around, let’s go boys!” booms Oven as he straps on his helmet and takes off towards the tunnel, having to slow his roll before he runs over goaltender Fuukka Rask, who has been silently waiting there for minutes now.
 
“About time,” he chuckled. “But I need to be out there first!”
 
Season 93 was finally ready to begin.

YaBoi Oven: A Reflection

 
YaBoi Oven quietly scans the Helsinki locker room, which is beginning to buzz with activity and final preparations. It’s opening night in Helsinki, and Season 93 is one for which both the Titans and Oven have lofty expectations. After joining Helsinki as the first overall pick in Season 90, entirely bypassing the VHLE and making the Titans’ roster in his first season of eligibility, Helsinki’s fortunes have drastically changed. After season after season of frustrating mediocrity, the Titans have become a perennial contender under General Manager Mickey Dickson, making the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, highlighted with a Continental Cup Finals appearance in Season 91. However, YaBoi Oven, while a solid contributor to the team’s successes, has not been a consistent driving force of the Titans, something that now must change with the retirement of Pierre Emile Bouchard.
 
Evidence of those expectations are quite visible as well, as Oven glances down to see an A now adorning his sweater as an alternate captain of the Titans. Over his first three seasons, he’s become a leader in the locker room, and now he’ll be expected to become a leader on the ice as well. The potential is certainly there, as Oven recorded a point-per-game average in the Season 92 Playoffs, along with his usual strong presence defensively. It will take more than a strong 14 games, however, to prove that he was the correct choice at first overall four seasons ago. Players selected with that pick are expected to be generational talents, exceptional players who lead their teams to continued success and perform at the highest level. Helsinki has definitely been successful, and while Oven has been solid, an argument can be made that he was not essential to that success. Now entering his fourth season, the time is now to take that next step and become one of the league’s elite defensemen.
 

 
Oven looks up with a grin. Kronchy Kardashian, the new captain of the Helsinki Titans, is bouncing around and getting their teammates hyped up and ready to go. Oven stands up, grabs his helmet, and begins to join in with the antics when suddenly, a chorus of distant boos can be heard.
 
“Sounds like Warsaw beat us out there,” Oven remarks with a chuckle.
 
“Nah,” retorts Kardashian. “That poverty franchise has never been on time for anything. I bet it’s the officials getting that reaction.”
 
The boos get even louder now, and there is no doubt that the Predators have now taken the ice. It is, after all, practically a brand new team this season, looking to compete for the Cup instead of for the best lottery odds.
 
“Alright, no more screwing around, let’s go boys!” booms Oven as he straps on his helmet and takes off towards the tunnel, having to slow his roll before he runs over goaltender Fuukka Rask, who has been silently waiting there for minutes now.
 
“About time,” he chuckled. “But I need to be out there first!”
 
Season 93 was finally ready to begin.

Additionally, my favorite Molly the Cat story:
 
I was scouting for the draft, and Molly the Cat was one of my targets. I tried to do an interview, only to end up interviewing the son instead of the father. Very humorous mistake looking back on it.

Additionally, my favorite Molly the Cat story:
 
I was scouting for the draft, and Molly the Cat was one of my targets. I tried to do an interview, only to end up interviewing the son instead of the father. Very humorous mistake looking back on it.