diamond_ace

So things like this are always kind of complex when they're first coming out, naturally there aren't a ton of details available yet, but I'm seeing in a few different places Jimmy Hayes died.

possibly the not dying

The irony: Baillie has only spent like a week or so on the first line. That was the line shakeup I did a bit ago that got us the prior clump of wins

perfect timing on the backup game, playing him against a team also playing their backup

big 2-0 sim

yeah im not that bothered by whether the announcement is sexy

With the recent retirement of Thomas Landry II, I remembered something I'd intended to do a few seasons back, and actually can add one more to it at the same time. Three of our biggest names from the prior era of Prague, plus one more recent, should be sent up to the rafters of the arena in remembrance of their careers spent either entirely (2 of them) or mostly (the other 2) with us. Seabass Perrin @Seabass #8 Wolf Stansson Jr @Cornholio #69 Cinnamon Block @omgitshim #17 Thomas Landry II @Doomsday #48 When you get a chance @Beketov can I get templates done for these

I know it wasn't all of them - @Doomsday in particular had expressed a preference for the M

All mayo-based "salad" is dumpster quality food. Only lettuce-based salad and/or fruit salad for me

Banter between two of my guys! Always have to appreciate stuff like this, it generates discussion, discussion generates TPE, TPE generates good solid prospects for the team. I'll throw a third theory out there - Xue Piao Bing Bong does not exist. You've both imagined him, but you've imagined wildly different versions of him which is why your conclusions diverge as much as they do

Rest easy, players of other teams - it's the last season you'll be victimized by the fight champion Riley Knight Gee

1. This will be a bit of a three parter - 1a. If you were on the team last season, give me a sentence or two about your time with our recently departed captain Landry. 1b. If you were not on the team last season, who are you looking forward to playing with this season? 1c. If you were not on the team last season and are also not on the team this season, 1b can still pertain to you, just for the team you're actually playing on. 2. One fun thing your player did between seasons with the break from hockey? 3. In the final days/weeks prior to the season, what did you do to get ready to play again? 4. Somewhere you want to visit that you have not yet visited? 5. What's your favorite type of food? IE Mexican, Italian, Soul food, Cookout type burgers/hot dogs, French, Thai, etc. 6. Assuming you consider us one of them, who are your other four EU playoff teams?

@Domg5 done

G - Sirkants Klamasteris @JB123 to end it

All good things must come to an end, but the truly great things bring about sadness upon their conclusion. Such is the case with the retirement of Thomas Landry II from the Prague Phantoms, a team he put countless years of sweat and hard work into, but ultimately couldn't bring him to the promised land of being a Continental Cup champion. It is perhaps unfortunate timing that just as the Phantoms enter the primes of such talents as Dominic Gobeil, Robert Bouchard, and Battre Sandstrom, that the captain and beloved locker room presence that was Landry will no longer be lacing them up alongside them. He was a world class player and an even greater friend to the entire franchise, from the GM, to the players, down to even the beer vendors and ushers. This was the type of presence Landry had about this place, he genuinely cared about the well being of every member of the Phamily no matter the size of their role. His absence will create a hole in the heart of the Phamily that can never truly be filled. His role on the ice itself, though? For all his greatness, the Phantoms may get out of that side of things relatively unscathed. There were certainly other departures besides Landry - veteran power forward and long time Seattle Bear Jim Bob joined the Phantoms for his final season as well. Career Phantom and valuable depth defenseman Zachariah Kisslinger hung up the skates for good, and a little early, but for good reason: to promote the blossoming career of his son in the VHLM. Jacob Carson was given a chance to hopefully find a starting job in free agency (which ultimately did not happen for him it seems, despite being a better goalie than a few teams' starters) and Silas Lefriend departed for Moscow after terms were not reached with the Phantoms. The number of total players the Phantoms will ice this season, however, remains the same as last season, despite the departures. The biggest acquisition is certainly center Venus Thightrap, a target of Prague's as she nearly reached free agency last season, only to be traded to Seattle and sign with them. One can't help but dream of a timeline where we were able to get that done last season and line up Thightrap and Landry together, but even though the acquisition is a season too late, it will surely soften the blow. Two prospects are climbing up into the VHL as well, Nicholas Mariani and Nathan Powers, and their trajectories could not be more different. Powers, like his future defensive partner Sandstrom, was highly touted at the draft and expected to be taken early. Prague seized the opportunity to select him, and his trajectory has been largely as expected. Mariani, however, has been more of a late bloomer - drafted at 43rd overall with the Phantoms' only pick in the S77 draft (and strictly TPE-wise a reach at that point as well) he has now grown into the 20th best player in that draft, and is still on the rise. Additionally, two free agents were signed: Rocket, a journeyman forward who has traveled around a good bit so far, but is coming off of a 40 point season with Davos and could be a solid contributor here, and Erik Karlsson, a backup goalie who has just reached VHL level - he has some further development to do, but also still plenty of time in which to do it. There's no denying that Landry was a better player even in his final season than any of the players brought in, even Thightrap who is also among the top players and is the closest thing to a like for like swap here. However, the development of those already on the roster will help to fill the gaps. What of the S75 pairing, Gobeil and Bouchard, whose careers have been inextricably linked since that draft? An interesting facet regarding that is while Thightrap was surely a great acquisition and worth every bit of the value sent in the trade, I'd originally mapped her out as top C before realizing that Bouchard is actually the better player at this moment in time. Of course that's temporary, as Thightrap has depreciated and has enough in banked to offset the difference, but it goes to show the development of Bouchard - and of his partner in crime Gobeil, who has developed at a similar rate - if they can match skill levels with someone as highly sought after as Thightrap. Of course the team still has John Leclair II (originally the "backup option" in S74 when Thightrap was not going to fall to Prague's pick at 4, but now playing alongside each other) and Dan Baillie Jr who is approaching veterancy himself but has still maintained a strong level of skill. Two players on the back end are set to retire at the back end of this season as well; Fat Palloon, an acquisition for the last few years of Landry's career to try to bolster the defense, and while it hasn't worked yet, he's got one more round left in him, and Riley Knight Gee, another player who is set to take his place among the "lifers" of the Phantoms, never leaving the team except to age out into retirement after this season, the player opposing teams feared for his physical nature but who could still provide some secondary scoring from the back end. That leaves one final player to compare from last season to this season: Braxton Hunter, the very model of consistent work producing results. Not as flashy as the players whose names are featured on page one of the program, Hunter has nonetheless been plugging away at it, improving gradually over the years and solidifying a roster spot. Like the others, he's much better now than he was prior, and that could make all the difference in an important game down the line. Surely the Phantoms will suffer the loss of such a great player and an integral part of the team's mentality. However, there's something to be said about rallying around such an event, and the team is not really going to be demonstrably worse even in the immediate aftermath. Can we do it this season? It's too soon to tell, but there's certainly no ruling us out. 1056 words

D Kristof Welch @Laine

D Matty Socks @JB123

yeah im at work - the plan was to update when i got out (which is still in 3 hours) but since im on lunch ill just do it now

Going to give you a bit of a longer leash this time. Nov 5

sorry everyone, it gave me "connection interrupted" and then reposted the one from 9 hours ago when i refreshed

Been 12 hours for @Laine. Skipped, pick when you will. @Domg5 up

F - Addison Mclaren @Laine

F - Lee Xin @JB123