diamond_ace

The VHL at

 
15 Memorable Members
 
I’m proud to be able to say I’ve been a part of the VHL for as long as I have. I was there for some of the early pre-portal years (S5-S12, 2008-2009) and I thoroughly enjoyed my time then and would have loved to continue but life got busy. I would take a look at the website every once in a while and every time I would be happy to see that the league was still running. Then COVID hit and I was working from home but looking for something fun to do as well. I came back to the VHL in S67 to try it out and even though it took me a while to adjust to some of the “newer” features like the portal and Discord, am I ever glad I came back. The VHL has provided me with some of the most fun I’ve had in a while and I’ve been fortunate to be able to win some form of championship with each of my players (S12 Continental, S69 Founder’s, S79 Continental). What has made my time with the VHL so great though, is the people I’ve met. Even though we’ve never met in person, I can honestly say that almost every interaction I’ve had has been positive (maybe I just skipped the controversial years!). Everyone has been encouraging and helpful and that has made it such a great environment to hang out in. And so, I wish to say a little bit about 15 (or so) of the most memorable people/players I’ve had a chance to interact with in the VHL’s 15 years. Most of them have been teammates or GMs/AGMs but a few haven’t. If you’re not on this list, it doesn’t mean I don’t like you or remember you - I have positive memories about every team I've played for - these are just a few of the ones that I’ve interacted with the most. 
 
In no particular order, here are 15 of my most memorable VHLers over the last 15 years:
 
@Tremblay - Steve LaFramboise (Teammate, S9-S12 Seattle)
LaFramboise led the Bears to consecutive Cup Finals in S11-S12, winning the Cup in my (Gunnar-Rune Rorvik’s) final season in S12. Tremblay was a great teammate and always a happy and positive member on the forums.
 
@BladeMaiden - Brick Wahl (Teammate, S69 Calgary, S70-S71 Prague)
One of the first people to welcome me to the big league after Ohradka was drafted in S68, Blade and I were also teammates in Prague and we had some good times. I always appreciated that she was encouraging, helpful and a straight shooter.
 
@Doomsday- Thomas Landry II (Teammate, S71-S75 Prague, VSN)
One of the most genuine and welcoming people I have met in the league, he bled purple when we were Phantoms and he's always been a great advocate of the VHL. We also have worked closely at VSN. His dedication has set a high bar to follow.
 
@Dom - Dominic Gobiel (Teammate, S75 Prague), Igor Molotov (GM S81-S84, Teammate S83-S84 Malmo)
Ohradka was in his final season with Prague and Gobiel was an up-and-coming star that the Phantoms organization was really excited about. He was already active in the locker room even though he was still in the M. I kept in touch with the team over the next few years and he was always engaging and positive. When he was selected as Malmo’s GM in S81, I knew it was going to be a great fit. I’ve also had the pleasure of being linemates with Molotov over the last two seasons. Dom has always been respectful and respected and it’s been great watching him rise through the ranks.
 
@Beketov - Alexander Beketov (Teammate, S9-S12 Seattle), Mikko Lahtinen (Teammate, S69 Saskatoon, S70-S71 Calgary)
Long before he was league commish, Beketov was a slick Russian player who set VHLM records and became known for his dazzling passes. We won a Continental Cup in our final season with Seattle. Then we ended up in Saskatoon together in S69 this time winning the Founder’s Cup before struggling together in our rookie seasons in Calgary. Although we haven’t chatted a ton, He’s been one of the few constants during my VHL tenure and he’s helped keep the league reaching new heights.   
 
@Seabass - Seabass Perrin (Teammate, S71-S73, S75 Prague)
One of the “Big Three” in Prague during my time there, Perrin and I got along great and also had the connection of playing against each other back in the day in the Cup Finals in S11-S12, each of us winning a Cup.  
 
@Jubis - RJ Jubis (Teammate, S68 Saskatoon, S70-S71 Calgary)
We broke into the league around the same time playing one year in Saskatoon and then a season and a half in Calgary. He’s a guy who I’ve felt has been “in my corner” and even though we haven’t been on the same team since, he always has a nice word to say.

@Ricer13 - Kris Rice (Teammate, S70-S71 Calgary)
Another teammate from my early days with Ohradka, he stood out with his team-first attitude and was very friendly during my short time in Calgary and the years since.
 
@v.2 - Josh Vestiquan (Teammate, S10-S12 Seattle), Tui Sova (Teammate S78-S80 Malmo)
One the few players I had vivid memories of from my early days, I was pumped when v.2 returned to the VHL to be drafted by Malmo. It was fantastic to catch up and win another Cup with him in Malmo - 67 seasons between championships!
 
@diamond_ace - Jason Glasser (GM S71-S75 Prague), Dagmar Havlova (Teammate, S69 Saskatoon, S71-S74 Prague)
Another player from the Wild’s S69 Founder’s Cup team, he later traded for me in Prague and he was one of the main reasons that Prague team was so close - he treated the players so well that we really did feel like a #Phamily. 
 
@Peace - Rylan Peace (GM S67-S69 Saskatoon)
Really the guy who gave me my first real shot. Although Ohradka was drafted by Minnesota, Peace traded for me early on in S67 and let me grow to help Saskatoon win the Cup in S69. He stuck with me and helped me navigate those first few seasons and was always very helpful.
 
@tcookie - Addison McLaren (Teammate, S82 Malmo, VSN)
A great writer and teammate, tcookie and I got to know each other a bit working with VSN and then he was a teammate in McLaren’s last season in Malmo. 
 
@Telkster - Brendan Telker (Teammate, S77-S82 Malmo)
Even though we didn't really know each other from our previous players, Telker and I became close teammates after being drafted six picks apart by the Nighthawks in the 1st round of the S76 Draft. We were the beginning of a new era in Malmo which resulted in six straight playoff appearances and a Cup victory in S79. Always energetic and quick with a kind word, Telker made everyone's experience in Malmo a positive one.
 
@fromtheinside - Scotty Kaberle (Teammate, S79-S81 Malmo, VSN)
Another VSN brother, Kaberle came to Malmo during S79 and helped us win the Cup. Just a great upbeat guy who makes the league more fun.
 
@Elmebeck - Frederick Elmebeck (AGM/GM S68-S69 Saskatoon)
Elmebeck was one of the first people I interacted with after a 10-year absence from the league. He was the AGM with the Wild and reached out right away and was helpful and encouraging (as I’m sure he was to everyone) and even asked me to try my hand at AGMing when he became GM. His passing was a blow to the league and the BOD did the right thing by naming an award in his honor. RIP
 
And just because I can’t just name 15, I wanted to give a shout out to some who’ve helped me a lot during my time with VSN and have made it a wonderful community to write with: @Victor, @Mr_Hatter, and @Advantage - thanks for everything so far!
 
If you didn’t make in on this list, I still appreciate all the teammates, managers, and members I’ve interacted with. Thanks VHL for such a wonderful 15 years. Here’s to 15 more!
 
~ @animal74

 

15: Thomas Landry II's VHL Career

 
Lifting his head from scouting the increasingly deeper draft class of the Season 85 VHL Entry Draft, Thomas Landry II came to a sudden, yet thematically appropriate realization:
 
Fifteen years… it's been fifteen years in the VHL.
 
Indeed, it's been fifteen seasons since Thomas Landry II entered the VHL world by officially entering the VHLM at the Season 69 (nice) trade deadline. Fifteen seasons since the wide-eyed prospect signed with the Halifax 21st to begin his playing career, and today finding himself behind his desk in his office at the Ricoh Arena, the General Manager of the Toronto Legion. A lot has changed in those fifteen years, hardly surprising for a place that doesn't stand still like the VHL hasn't for 84 seasons.
 
It all began back with being signed by @fonziGG and @JeffD to the Halifax 21st, far from the top team (which to be fair wound up being quite possibly the best team ever in the VHLM), but a team that Landry II felt he was best able to jump in and help with. Along with another waiver signing, future stud goaltender Jaxx Hextall @ROOKIE745, Halifax made their way into the playoffs, and even made some waves in the playoffs by defeating the Philadelphia Reapers in the first round. However, they ran into the aforementioned best team in VHLM history, the Saskatoon Wild, who quickly dispatched the 21st on their way to winning the Founder's Cup.
 

 
After making a name for himself as a waiver signing, Thomas Landry II worked his way into becoming a first round pick, selected 9th overall by Zack Gagnon @InstantRockstar and the San Diego Marlins. Becoming part of a loaded roster that included Kyl Oferson @Nykonax, Roque Davis @Josh, and Uhtred @leafsman, the Marlins were a team to be feared in Season 70. Landry II had a remarkable season, scoring 60 goals, recording 85 assists, a total of 145 points that, combined with 372 hits, made him the Matt Bentz Trophy winner as the top two-way forward in the VHLM. However, a shocking exit in the second round against the Ottawa Lynx ended his dominant season, and led Landry II to his next crossroads: the Season 71 VHL Entry Draft.
 

 
His San Diego teammates, Kyl Oferson and Roque Davis, were the consensus top two selections, but an old friend ensured that three members of that Season 70 Marlins team would be top five picks in the draft when Jason Glasser @diamond_ace and the Prague Phantoms selected Thomas Landry II with the fifth overall pick. Although he had played for two VHLM teams, the Phantoms were the only VHL team that Landry II would call home, playing all 576 of his career games with Prague, becoming the second player in team history after Wolf Stansson Jr @Cornholio . His rookie season, however, was a massive dose of reality for Landry II: he was no longer a big fish in a small pond, and he struggled to consistently produce as a rookie, scoring 39 points in his first season. However, in spite of his difficult season, Landry II meshed well with his new team, and thanks to what eventually was a Scotty Cambell Trophy-winning season from Brick Wahl II @BladeMaiden, Prague was unable to get past the Riga Reign in spite of a 2-0 series lead.
 
The next two seasons were rough for the Phantoms, who struggled to replace the quality goaltending provided by the retired Wahl II, and Prague went two straight seasons missing the playoffs. Despite setting Prague's single season record for goals in a season with 34 in Season 72, he remained under a point per game in Season 72 and 73. With his entry level contract set to expire following Season 73, Landry II was at a crossroads in his career: re-sign with Prague, or test free agency. While his first three seasons with the Phantoms had been frustrating, he had come to find that he felt he belonged there. Developing chemistry with Ondrej Ohradka @animal74 on and off the ice, and along with Cinnamon Block @omgitshim, Wolf Stansson Jr, Seabass Perrin @Seabass, and Alex Pearson @Jayrad28, Landry II simply felt that this was the type of belonging his father described with Victor Alfredsson’s @Victor Davos teams in the 30’s, and re-signed with Prague for five more seasons.
 

 
Although Season 75 ended in frustration again for Prague, missing the playoffs for the third time in Landry II’s career, it was the best season of his career so far. Scoring 35 goals and recording 47 assists, his 82 points marked the first time of his career that he averaged over a point per game, something he would do for the rest of his career. Season 76, however, was a boon for the Phantoms. The additions of Jungkok @Baozi and Grekkark Gyrfalcon @Shark in goal, along with the production of rookies Dominic Gobeil @Dom and Robert Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito propelled Prague back into the playoffs with a 45-26-1 record, good for the third seed in the European Conference. For Landry II, the newly-minted captain of Prague, it was a career-best season, scoring 38 goals and 67 assists for 105 points, making him a finalist for the Scotty Campbell Trophy as the VHL’s most valuable player, and he was named to the All-VHL Second Team. Facing the rival Riga Reign in the first round, Prague took the series 3-1, with Landry II scoring the go-ahead goal in Game Four that proved to be the game and series winning goal. However, despite a strong series against the Moscow Menace, Prague would fall in overtime in Game Seven, with Moscow winning Games Six and Seven in overtime to move on to the Conference Finals.
 
Season 77 saw another strong season for Prague, aided by a career-high 45 goals from Landry II, who finished with 95 points. The Phantoms’ 39-27-6 record was good for fourth, and they geared up for another playoff run. They proceeded to sweep the Malmo Nighthawks 3-0, advancing them to the next round against the Warsaw Predators, the defending conference champions. However, in the middle of the series, it was announced that Prague had violated the Keaton Louth Rule by not starting their backup goaltender, Michael Fletcher @DragonFire420, eight times during the season. Ideally, this would have been enforced upon the beginning of the playoffs, but instead it was announced after Prague’s 4-0 loss in Game Four to put them down 3-1 in the series. Despite a valiant effort by Fletcher in Game Five, making 25 saves on 27 shots, Warsaw won the game 2-1 and advanced, while the Phantoms were left frustrated yet again. For Landry II’s final season, Prague was again a contender, finishing with a 39-25-8 record, finishing third in the European Conference. Landry II tallied 37 goals and 49 assists to lead the Phantoms with 86 points, and Prague was poised to go on a run to send Landry II out on top with the franchise’s first Continental Cup. After dispatching the London United 4-1 in their first series, advancing to the Conference Finals against Warsaw. After the first four games, Prague and Warsaw were tied at two games each, but the Predators proceeded to win the next two games, ending Prague’s season and Landry II’s playing career in the VHL.
 

 
In eight full seasons, or 576 games, all with the Prague Phantoms, Thomas Landry II scored a franchise record, 265 goals, 335 assists, and a franchise record of 600 career points. In 40 career playoff games, Landry II scored 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points, among the franchise leaders in those categories as well. Although he did not lift the Continental Cup as a VHL champion, his final VHL game came in the Season 78 World Cup, in which his Team USA won the gold medal, officially ending his playing career as a victor. Prague, however, decided to bestow upon him a greater honor, announcing in an off-season ceremony that the numbers of Seabass Perrin, Alex Pearson, Cinnamon Block, and Thomas Landry II would be officially retired. The emotional ceremony marked the end of his time as a player, but the VHL career of Thomas Landry II was not concluded.
 

 
In Season 82, Thomas Landry II was introduced as the new Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Legion by Rylan Peace @Peace, a role in which he enthusiastically embraced. By the end of the season, however, Peace announced he would be stepping down for the role, taking Landry II by surprise. He continued to perform his duties as AGM, including continuing to scout and prepare for the next season despite not knowing whether or not he would remain in his position. He was, ultimately, named the next General Manager of the Toronto Legion, and was able to proceed in his vision of continuing to build upon the core of the team, rather than seeing someone new come in and begin a rebuild on what he felt was good enough to win. Adding Paul Atreides @Mr_Hatter and Aurelien Moreau @Frank to supplement a core including Matty Fire @MattyFired, Kyle Peace, Jannik Nylen @DreMin15, Armani Calamari @WildfireMicro, and Oskar Lindbergh, Toronto finished second in the North American Conference in Landry’s first season as General Manager, coming just short of reaching the Continental Cup Finals after a 4-2 loss to Seattle in the Conference Finals. Season 84 has seen the Toronto Legion continue to be a strong team, in the thick of the hunt in the North American Conference as the trade deadline nears.
 
Fifteen seasons can feel like a lifetime in the VHL, yet it is just a blip on the history of the league as a whole. While he was a franchise player for the Prague Phantoms, setting several franchise records and having his number retired by the team, it wasn’t enough to earn a place in the VHL Hall of Fame. Time will ultimately determine whether Thomas Landry II can earn immortality as a General Manager, rather than a player. But for now… there are games to win, decisions to be made, goals to be achieved, and ultimately… a drought to be ended.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

Congrats @badcolethetitan, @jacobcarson877 and @ajwllmsn!

@badcolethetitan You take care of Mexico city my man! I know you will do a great job!

@ajwllmsn Glad to see you in Houston. NOW GO WIN HOUSTON A CUP!!
 

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

This all started with the Mexico City vacancy, but then it sort of spiraled out of control with Frank being poached for Vancouver, and Arce being poached for Vasteras (which itself was only open because Dil got poached for London). We'd been between two guys for Mexico City (although there were more than that in the top tier) so the San Diego vacancy was actually particularly beneficial as it meant we didn't have to decide between these two, and especially because one of them had a close link to one of the teams anyway. So here are two gifs of puppies to take up the space in the preview, then the first two hires:




 

Houston gave us the chance to look a bit more in depth at the rest of that top tier of candidates and ultimately we decided it was time to give another chance to a guy who'd lost the opportunity once before. This proves no single incident is a death sentence, the guy's been a great member both before and after and handled the incident pretty well under the circumstances - there's also another guy we didn't quite go with for whom this same thing applies, and hopefully this motivates said candidate to keep applying!

 

For some of you, there's a noteworthy candidate who was not selected, someone you'd perhaps have expected. This candidate has been spoken to privately.

Hey, I could have just claimed theme week with my vhl job pay but I decided to do a media spot anyway for the only reason that I can ping multiple people and farm reputation. Now that's a good motivation to write 500 words so let's get to it!
 

 
@Lemorse7 I couldn't make an appreciation media spot and not mentioning my AGM who not only does a fantastic job but also really get along with me. I,m glad to work with you and hopefully you can finally get your very own team soon!
 
@Alex For always bringing action into the trade thread and also being really dedicated to the VHL and the JST.
 
@samx For always being fun to have around and also being a nice addition to the JST team
 
@diamond_ace For being the first GM to give me an AGM opportunity and letting me learn from your experience as well as being a great GM for my player in Prague too.
 
@Telkster For always being loyal to the team even when it came to a contract for a trade and also being flexible about your builds
 
@JardyB10 For always coming up with an other podcast with new ideas and new members to bully coughs, to shout out. Also for being really cooperative when it came to the trade with DC.
 
@scoop Also the same as Telkster and Jardy, you were a great player for Malmo and you've been loyal untill the end.
 
@Beketov For making commisioners disapear one by one and turning the VHL into a zoo while streaming the whole thing
 
@animal74 For being the best captain someone could ask for.
 
@Minion Also for being a great alternate captain to the team and sticking around even though you talked about trades in public often  😛
 
@fishy For being a great member and also making great podcasts
 
@Dil For being a great GM in Vasteras for Molotov.
 
@Josh for Always supporting everything that has Dil as the victim.
 
@fromtheinside For being a great rival with our new players and being a fellow S75 sasky boy.
 
@Doomsday We're not currently on the same team but we often did and it was a pleasure everytimes.
 
@a_Ferk You're the one who taught me everything as a noob when I first started and you've been a lot of help.
 
@Gaikoku-hito The Gobeil - Bouchard duo in Prague was one that lasted a long time and was a lot of fun, sorry that I ended that a season early. I also appreciated you as an AGM in Yukon, you always had good thinking and that was great.
 
@Shindigs Team Clue!
 
@thadthrasher a religious man taking over the viking boat, couldn't ask for a better fit. Also a great guy.
 
@Gustav For always bringing long articles that make us rethink our decisions.
 
@Spartan For being a lot of help back when I was managing VHFL and also being a great dedicated guy.
 
@hedgehog337 Somehow I always end up trading with you every seasons and its always a good talk.
 
@MexicanCow123 Jerome Reinhart OTB
 
So thats over 500 words and also 13 shout outs starting with the word ''for'' and I'm not correcting it.
 

 

This league has been one of the best communities I’ve ever found. When I was bored during the pandemic and watched an NHL21 video, the ad for the VHL had me curious. Since then, I’ve been around this community for almost 2 years, joining in Season 74. The friends I’ve made along the way have been fantastic. I’m genuinely thankful for finding this league. On top of that, I was given the Elmebeck trophy for being an outstanding member. That was one of the most special awards I’ve ever received. To think the community thought that highly of me was just incredible.
 
Now to show my appreciation to everyone. It seems that everyone is making a list. I think I’ll copy that style but do my personal stuff instead. First things first, everyone who has mentioned me in their appreciation posts. I am truly honored to be the fantasy zone person. It has been a lot of fun and it keeps me on my toes and gives me a new skillset. When I first started I barely knew anything about Excel / Sheets. Now I can bang out a formula and do forms with no problem. A big thank you to @Spartanfor helping me with the bracket challenge. A true hero of my Fantasy Zone career.
 
To my first GM, @DMaximus , I appreciate you being the only person actually to offer a contract to me. You created that initial spark that grew into me being an active member and doing all of my point tasks. You made the league fun and exciting until the final sims. Hell, you were the first to congratulate me on being drafted and getting the GM position. You were my first mentor and I’m so happy we got to work together!
 
@hylandsand @rory . The dynamic duo. You guys made Season 75 a blast. You kept me motivated and excited for the playoffs. Unfortunately, we came up short and lost in the playoffs but we had our fun. The gifs alone made it fun. Plus we had a great group and a very active discord. It was a blast.
 
@hedgehog337. You were my first VHL GM. You are definitely unique and made the whole VHL experience interesting. From the highs and lows, my time in Riga was awesome. It just sucks how STHS really screwed us over and didn’t give us that run that our team was built for. I think moving on from the team was best for both of us. I hope we can meet again in the future.
 
@Banackock. Seattle was a breath of fresh air. You worked so hard to bring me to Seattle. I remember I was out for lunch with my coworkers and you were messaging me about how great it would be. You talked the talk and walked the walk. You talked a big game and not only met those expectations, but you also destroyed them. You brought Lose back into a superstar in one season. It was outstanding and exciting to be in the locker room.
 
@Laine You gave me my first manager job in the league. To think that the one thing that really sparked your interest was the scouting I did in the ProAm tournament. Thank you for organizing that alongside everyone else. You guys gave me my first shot and gave me a chance to prove myself. I worked very hard with you to get the Minnesota squad a true contender each season I was there. Your advice and help got me to my first GM job too.
 
@McWolf and @diamond_ace . Thank you for believing in me and giving me a job as a VHLM GM. You saw all the hard work I was putting in with the waivers and attempting to retain everyone. You saw a motivated individual who wanted to make the league a better place. You saw a first-generation player grow from a loner to someone who was taking the role very seriously. Getting the GM position in Mexico City was a true honor for the great history but also for being an alumnus too. Trying to get back to that cup while helping players was a blast. 
 
@Moon and @Vice. You guys were my AGMs. You two each had your own skills and brought unique stuff to me. Vice, although brief you were a great person to be around. You really spiced up the discord and our waiver pitch. You brought fresh ideas and I’m grateful for that. Moon, my project :P. You were the first guy I knew that was going to be my AGM. From the trial run in the junior tournament to the announcement. I saw a lot of potential in you and you definitely proved that. You far exceeded all of my expectations. Keep up the great work.
 
To all the VHLM GMs, this was one of the best groups I’ve been around. The memes were spicy! I always appreciated the chats and bsing around during the season. It made the GMing job a lot less stressful. Plus the trade chats were always fun although intimidating. I still think I can do a synopsis of all the other toy story movies in the chat.
 
@Baby Boomer and @FrostBeard. Thank you for the introduction to the VHLE. While it was a shaky start in FA, I think I found a fun team with Rome. While we weren’t the best, it was fun to be around some of the old players from the team. Being the only D on the team was rough though. And Frost, thank you for making me a deadline deal. I hope I am worth every penny you spent on me.
 
To anyone who I might have forgotten. I’m sorry I couldn’t list you all. I’m horrible at remembering names. I appreciate everyone who supported me. Everyone has been very kind and supportive of me and I’m floored by the love.
 
 
 
This is where I switch it up. Mexico City only has 2 games remaining on the schedule. We aren’t making the playoffs and we clinched the worst record. Those last 2 games are going to be emotional and exciting for me. Why? Well, it’s going to be my last 2 games as the GM of the Mexico City Kings. Let me explain myself and how I came to this.
 
When I was first hired for the position, I was working from home with a dead-end job on my computer for 15+ hours a day. I would have the forum on my second monitor while I was working and did waiver pitches when they arrived. Things changed though. I went out bowling more often. I joined a bowling league too. Time went by and I switched to an IT position at the same company I worked for. This meant I had to go back to the office. I met a new friend online from NYC who bowled near me and invited me to join his league. That’s 2 bowling leagues now. My time with VHL slowly went down and down. It came to the point where I was bowling in 3 leagues and had so much work to do that I came home exhausted. I even forgot to claim welfare when I couldn’t think of media spots. I really had to think about my future as a GM. When this season started and I had a small selection of picks, I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. Not because I gave up on the league, it was just I needed to rely on waivers and I didn’t have the time for it anymore. Finding an AGM was also a tough task in the first place. Fun fact, when I chose Vice I just picked him because he was online at the time. Of course, I had candidates lined up but that was the final condition (Yes I know I’m horrible at decision making). I also couldn’t help new players out like I used to. I’ve watched people be motivated when they first joined and then go inactive the next week. It takes a large toll on you mentally. You think you did your job when they joined only to lose interest fast. I approached MC and DA about this decision too. I told them that it wasn’t fair to have a GM who isn’t motivated like when I first joined the GM role. For that reason, I’m walking away from the GM position. Is this the end of my GMing career? Not really. I’d love to do some more in the future when I get things settled and figured out. Don’t worry, fantasy zone isn’t going anywhere. I’m keeping that training rolling until I leave the VHL.
 
So there you have it. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported me and a heartfelt announcement. I’m very thankful for this amazing league and the community around it. I hope I didn’t disappoint anyone during my tenure as GM. If I did, I’m so sorry. I wish I could have done more.
 
@Beketov, does that mean I can trade my 7th now?
 
1500+ words / claiming 3 weeks

Hello world, this is Berocka. I am here to tell you all who has made the VHL a wonderful place for me in the past 3 years. These are the people who have had more of an impact on my time here. If I had to write about everyone who has positively impacted me here this Media Spot would last until S150.
So, in ascending order of beauty here are the people who I wish to thank.
@Banackock
This man has provided me with the most happiness and interest in the actual sim league in my small time here. He is honestly one of the nicest caring people here even though most people just see his spiky exterior. I have had plenty of conversations with him over my time here and they have always been pleasant. They should change the Seattle Bears to the Seattle Teddys due to how nice Bana is. I will never forget my time here and enjoyed the 4 cups we won together.
@BOOM
True Aussie comradery has occurred between Boom and myself, every time I chat with him it is an absolute hoot. He is always the first to reach out and I really have appreciated everything he has done for me. If only he lived a touch closer would love to share a alcoholic beverage of some sort. Maybe a nice Shiraz.
@ctots & @Shindigs
The newest members on this list. A frequent listener of the Berocka podasts and it is always great to see their comments on my podcast and them answering the questions. Ctots has given me my first podcast intro and I feel like listening to and or reading their responses means I have a decent rapport with these two without even speaking to them directly.
@dasboot
Man, where do I even start, the only bloke I have met in real life from the VHL. I think if you added up all the hours, we have spoke off air it would probably equal the time we have recorded. Always great to have a chat to boot and to throw around some friendly sledging and banter. Even though I joke you are only half Australian you are definitely a person I consider more than half a friend. P.S. Sorry for buying you the smallest, weakest beer possible, honestly wasn’t even an attempted power move.
@fishy
I appreciate all the times you have overstepped the rest of the mod team and removed all of my bans from the league for my toxicity. But in all seriousness, I have never really had much direct conversations with you but the times I have you have been very nice to me. Please keep listening to me and Boot to remind you of the insurance dude you spoke too once.
@FrostBeard
Frosty! Ever since being on the bears with you I have liked every time we have talked. Even though our time zones never really seemed to line up. Thank you for the offer of the VSN job, and I really appreciate how you always tried to help me improve my podcast week in week out. I don’t think I would have still been podcasting if it wasn’t for you.
@Gustav
I think I could write a whole bloody media spot about you if I was forced to. You are genuinely a very clever guy and I don’t think I would be in the VHL if it wasn’t for you. I can’t believe I worked for you for so long but if you ever got the itch to GM a team again let me know and I would do it all again. The one thing I miss most since you stepped down is that I don’t talk with you anywhere near as much as I use to. So thank you for all the time you spent helping me with the VHL and the Cricket Sim. If you ever need my help with anything please reach out.
@JardyB10
It seems like sometimes you are like a B-List celebrity due to your podcasts and I will always despise you as you “Brought podcasting back to the VHL” even though Boot and I had been doing it before you even returned. But in honest truth have appreciated the chats we have had and love the banter back and forth in our podcasts. So thank you for making more people listen to the shit I talk every week.
The Season 66 Hounds
@DoktorFunk, @Rayzor_7, @cody73, @GlowyGoat, @No_Dangles
I think without you guys as well as Gustav and Radcows leadership I never would have spent the last three years here. The conversations every day on discord are still some of my best memories on this site.
My Podcast Guests and other listeners.
There are a long list of you and I probably should tag you all but I am quite lazy, so if you have ever featured on my podcast thank you. I quite enjoy speaking to people and learning about them, so thank you if you have ever been on my podcast and if you ever want to be on again hit me up. Also if anyone wants to be on one and never has before also hit me up.
Town of Salem players
I know a lot of the time I probably don’t pay as much attention to the thread as I should but I have a ton of fun every single time I play a game, so thank you to you all. Especially @Gustav, @Devise, @omgitshim & @eaglesfan0366 who run the games.
The long-lost people I use to spend hours and hours with and don’t talk to as much
All the people I either GM’d, were team mates with or participated in other sim leagues with. I am sorry we don’t talk as much as we use to and I hope that in the future we will end up on a team together and can keep in touch. @enigmatic, @diamond_ace , @Cxsquared, @DarkSpyro
 
I think that is probably enough from me. See you all next theme week!
 
1000+ words 2 weeks claimable

So guys, it's theme week, and since I want to have Tucker Jr off to a better start than Tucker (cough cough seldom earned max until I got up to Vancouver), we're gonna soldier through and do this, even though I already wrote a 1,366 word VHL.com this week. So here it goes, y'all!
 
@Gustav - On your appreciation media spot, you mentioned me, and said that you enjoyed my articles (and also occasionally comment on my VHL.coms, which is nice), which I take as a high compliment, because your articles/VHL.coms have been absolute bops to read, if sometimes lengthy. I also really enjoyed you running the Town of Salems (especially the 1K+ post game where I had like 250 posts. That was wild) and you've started and participated in some really interesting threads, and overall, you're a nice person to be around.
 
@GrittyIsKing - It's been a while since we've really talked, but I really enjoyed the discussions we were having back in May of last year. 'Tis a shame that we've fallen out of touch, but you're a great guy and you made Tucker an absolutely amazing graphic. 
 
@JardyB10 - First off, when I make the time to listen to your podcasts, they're awesome. Second, every so often you read my VHL.coms and comment and whatever, which is also fun for me. You're also a really chill in the Halifax LR, and just in general you've been pretty friendly towards me.
 
@Shindigs - First off, you're a really chill and funny person to talk to, whether it's on the EFL or in the Halifax LR or whatever. Your personality is admirable (online, at least), but as my most regular VHL.com reader, it's awesome to have someone who's as much of a stat nerd as me. 
 
@fishy - Again, you're also a really nice person to talk to in general, but what means the most to me is what you taught me. To backtrack, back in Dec 2020 you came out as non-binary on the EFL and wanted to be addressed by they/them pronouns (iirc, but I'm very sure I'm right). And for me, that was completely new and, well, eye-opening. Not only that, but I also began to realize I had some biases against trans and non-binary people, and although I'm still not perfect, I can at least recognize that I'm doing it, and I thank you for that (on a side note, a while back I listened to that podcast where you recorded your own background music. That was a great listen)
 
@OrbitingDeath , @omgitshim, @diamond_ace - I kinda group y'all all in the same category, since y'all are all im the SF LR and the just-for-fun server that Blade invited me into. Y'all have all been such nice people to talk to in both places and I really enjoy all of y'all's company. Also, OMG, thank you for organizing the EFL ToS games and you're fun to play with in the VHL.
 
@jRuutu - Do we argue all the time? Yeah. But when I was sure that I was done with the VHL forever, you made a sarcastic comment on my update and made a whole article about me leaving in the midst of this train wreck of a Vancouver season, which completely pissed me off and made me recreate. So you're quite literally the reason I'm here today lol.
 
@Ricer13 - My man, man. I remember I signed with you because Miami was closer than whatever other team was offering, (Was it Halifax? That would be so funny if it was. Maybe I'll check later) and man that was a good decision. The Miami LR was so vibrant during the short time I was there, and that really made me get into the league. Even after I wasn't a player, I had an awesome time counting with you on the counting channel, and then later, when you were the San Francisco AGM in the EFL (for a short amount of time. Now I run the team), I was the Assistant to the AGM and you and Blade were awesome, so huge thanks to you.
 
@BladeMaiden - I wish we had talked more on VHL, and idk if you'll ever see this, but if you do, know that you're likely my favorite of all of these people. Almost all the interacting we did was either on EFL or Discord, but even then, I can't begin to describe how much fun it was to talk to you in all sorts of places, and how sad I was when you decided to step away from sim leagues. I hope you see this someday but if not, I still mean every word I say to you.
 
780 words

That title sounds really gross in hindsight but I already wrote it so I’m sticking with it….
 
So there have been some rumblings for a bit and I know @fromtheinside brought it up recently in public that both the BOG stalls on things a lot and the mindset that the commish teams are just gonna do whatever we want anyway.
 
I do disagree with the last point as I feel like we’ve always tried to take what you all want and suggest heavily into consideration but it’s possible that the two are related and it feels like things can’t get done until a green / red / blue member signs off. When you take that with the current unfortunate level of apathy in here I think you end up with the issue.
 
I therefore offer my opinion that the main problem is currently apathy within this forum. I think dealing with the meta burnt a lot of us out a bit and caused a lot of otherwise valid conversations to stall. I apologize for this since I know I was part of the problem as much as anyone else.

So, with that in mind, I intend to go through all the active topics in the next couple of days and see if we can get some things finalized. It isn’t uncommon that a large change leads to a bit of BOG apathy, it has happened before and isn’t overly surprising but obviously we need a bit of a kick to get things moving so I’ll see if I can give us that.
 
@BOG

Wroclaw Wlaszczyzewaszyskis
(otherwise known as the Wroclaw Cat Walking Across The Keyboard)
 
but no, keep Vasty
 

An 18:57 is nothing to scoff at, I've known many dedicated four-year guys who couldn't crack 19 minutes. Especially for a smaller school, competition with teammates is one of the best ways to improve - it's harder without that aspect.
 
If I don't get lazy in college, I'll probably follow the same route of going longer that you did. Though I can run a fast mile, I prefer longer runs. It's pretty insane that you have seven marathons under your belt, mad props.

I've found that running for speed is not fun, but running for distance (after you're accustomed to it at a certain level) is fun. Ran cross country in high school (we didn't have track) and my best time back then was an 18:57 so definitely nowhere near college level, but usually one of the point scorers for my tiny ass school (the whole team was like 10 guys, so I was usually 3rd or 4th even though on a larger public school team I'd have been only mediocre).

Now though, as the post-high-school portion of my life is now slightly longer than the pre-high-school portion, I've gone the complete opposite direction. I'm slow as fuck now but have done 7 marathons and a 50k. I'd much rather be out there on some long trail course, peaceful as hell, nothing but me and the trees for miles, than trying to shave a few extra seconds off a 5k time. Been out of commission for this since Covid, but 2017-2018 were some huge personal milestones distance-wise. Still slow as fuck though.


(Also, if you're interested, back in 2014 I wrote a poem about where my running journey was at that time, and it's on this forum:) 
 

I've found that running for speed is not fun, but running for distance (after you're accustomed to it at a certain level) is fun. Ran cross country in high school (we didn't have track) and my best time back then was an 18:57 so definitely nowhere near college level, but usually one of the point scorers for my tiny ass school (the whole team was like 10 guys, so I was usually 3rd or 4th even though on a larger public school team I'd have been only mediocre).

Now though, as the post-high-school portion of my life is now slightly longer than the pre-high-school portion, I've gone the complete opposite direction. I'm slow as fuck now but have done 7 marathons and a 50k. I'd much rather be out there on some long trail course, peaceful as hell, nothing but me and the trees for miles, than trying to shave a few extra seconds off a 5k time. Been out of commission for this since Covid, but 2017-2018 were some huge personal milestones distance-wise. Still slow as fuck though.


(Also, if you're interested, back in 2014 I wrote a poem about where my running journey was at that time, and it's on this forum:) 
 

I've also been to AC a few times, fun place

I've found that running for speed is not fun, but running for distance (after you're accustomed to it at a certain level) is fun. Ran cross country in high school (we didn't have track) and my best time back then was an 18:57 so definitely nowhere near college level, but usually one of the point scorers for my tiny ass school (the whole team was like 10 guys, so I was usually 3rd or 4th even though on a larger public school team I'd have been only mediocre).

Now though, as the post-high-school portion of my life is now slightly longer than the pre-high-school portion, I've gone the complete opposite direction. I'm slow as fuck now but have done 7 marathons and a 50k. I'd much rather be out there on some long trail course, peaceful as hell, nothing but me and the trees for miles, than trying to shave a few extra seconds off a 5k time. Been out of commission for this since Covid, but 2017-2018 were some huge personal milestones distance-wise. Still slow as fuck though.


(Also, if you're interested, back in 2014 I wrote a poem about where my running journey was at that time, and it's on this forum:) 
 

I've found that running for speed is not fun, but running for distance (after you're accustomed to it at a certain level) is fun. Ran cross country in high school (we didn't have track) and my best time back then was an 18:57 so definitely nowhere near college level, but usually one of the point scorers for my tiny ass school (the whole team was like 10 guys, so I was usually 3rd or 4th even though on a larger public school team I'd have been only mediocre).

Now though, as the post-high-school portion of my life is now slightly longer than the pre-high-school portion, I've gone the complete opposite direction. I'm slow as fuck now but have done 7 marathons and a 50k. I'd much rather be out there on some long trail course, peaceful as hell, nothing but me and the trees for miles, than trying to shave a few extra seconds off a 5k time. Been out of commission for this since Covid, but 2017-2018 were some huge personal milestones distance-wise. Still slow as fuck though.


(Also, if you're interested, back in 2014 I wrote a poem about where my running journey was at that time, and it's on this forum:) 
 

I'm a high school track and cross-country runner. Not the best, however I'm one of the better distance runners on my team and could probably run at a local D3 college if I wanted to. Right now, I'm in my junior year track season and it's technically my first ever. Freshman year was COVID, sophomore year I suffered a stress fracture and was out for pretty much the entire track season.  My goal at the beginning of the year was to run a sub-5:00 mile and I (barely) accomplished that last week with a time of 4:59.8. Now, I'm just trying to keep pushing that time every meet and also stay in shape for my final cross-country season. My best time there is a 17:23 5k (3.1 mi.) and my goal is to run a sub-17:00 5k.
 
For those curious, no running is not fun. Here's to doing it six days a week.