LucyXpher

Great season with the Bulls again!  Come to Riga now!

1 hour ago, Mysterious_Fish said:

u took my job last season so no

Salty fish is salty 

I’d love to have one more shot with USA so I’ll apply, but I’ll be rooting for whoever gets that job for this tournament regardless!

That’s awesome!  Congrats on the new management position, I’m sure you’ll do great things!  Amazing graphic too

It makes me sad that we (Halifax) likely won’t have the pick to bring you back, but for the short time you were with the team we really enjoyed having you!  Another great podcast btw, always a fun listen!

First overall pick incoming

1 hour ago, Vice said:

This is sincerely impressive. I've always like reading your posts and I've enjoyed their formatting quite a bit so it's good to know this is here!

Thanks! I really appreciate that!

It was a pleasure having you on the 21st this season!  Can’t wait to see where Dogwood ends up next!

Following an unfortunate defeat to the Saskatoon Wild, the offseason for the Halifax 21st came earlier than they might have hoped, and with that comes changes.  While the roster is expected to change significantly before the puck drops on Season 94, there is also some change going on behind the scenes in the Halifax front office.  

After nearly a full year of service as the Halifax AGM, @Will3 will be parting ways with the team, hopefully to pursue new management opportunities in the higher leagues.  In his time with the team, he made great contributions in the locker room and on the forums and was a great help to both the previous GM and myself.  I'd like to thank Will for his consistency, professionalism, and willingness to help the team any way he could.  I'm sure he'll be a fantastic addition wherever he lands next in a management role.

As a replacement, the Halifax 21st are proud to announce the hiring of @ace_five_ as the new AGM.  As a player on the team last season, he was a great leader in the locker room and it was clear that he definitely had the aptitude for leadership and management.  He had a brief stint as AGM for Miami this past season and this offseason he'll be GMing the Steel in the JST.  I'm very excited to be able to add such an enthusiastic member to our management team who is also well known in the Halifax community and I look forward to working more closely with him towards a Founder's Cup!

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Just now, mattyIceman said:

I should do this for all my past stuff

 

I wonder how long that would take...

Depends how many posts you've made  
The worst part is formatting the links, but it's worth it I think!

A Halifax scout is en route for a draft interview!  Don't worry, disappointment is something we already have in common!

I actually enjoy the offseason for the diversity of tasks it presents, the drafts, the interviews, offseason tournaments, scouting, etc... But saying goodbye to players and seeing the team you built slowly dismantling is definitely sad.  Also, I have noticed the divided attention that comes with being a GM as well and that's something I'm still trying to balance.  
 

Great thoughts though and I've enjoyed reading this series throughout the season being a first season GM myself!  Best of luck through the offseason and into S94!

2 minutes ago, dylanjj37 said:

i know there was. i even said there was competition.

 

you're welcome for the shoes.

lol it’s true, you did  

Genuinely, I’ve really enjoyed having you on this team, I hope you come back!

4 hours ago, dylanjj37 said:

wow i cant believe i won the bryn yrwy award for returning players that all those other returning players were eligible for. so much competition!

 

ps i have left a pair of shoes in your office @LucyXpher. 

 

pps you may not want to wear them around @dogwoodmaple. he is probably looking for them.

There was at least one other possible choice you know.  But it was more about legacy anyway, now we can remember you as a legend every season.

and thank you for the shoes!  Uhh…. Wait a second, these are not my— 

you know what, it’s all good!, I can work with this!

Season 93 featured a Halifax team that managed to achieve the 5th best regular season record and point total in their 31 seasons of history.  With 51 wins and 106 points, the 21st finished 2nd in the VHLM, only 3 points behind the 1st place Ottawa Lynx, and were one of the deepest teams in the league.  At the time of their elimination from the playoffs, the 21st had 15 players with over 120 TPE earned and 8 players with over 190.  Over the course of the season, each and every member of the team exhibited exceptional growth and dedication to give Halifax the best chance to win.  Though the 21st suffered an unfortunate loss to the Saskatoon Wild in the Founder's Cup Semi-Finals, there is so much to be proud of for this team and some particularly special performances that need to be acknowledged.  So without further ado, here are the Halifax 21st Season 93 Team Awards!

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The Most Improved Player:

This award is for the player who makes the most significant individual improvement over the course of a single season. 

Of all the players on the Halifax 21st roster that haven't yet reached the 200 TPE cap, this first gen player earned the most talent points and really demonstrated his investment in the team and desire to improve every single week.  Beginning the season at only 55 TPE, he currently sits at 166 TPE having earned 111 since his draft day when he was picked 52nd overall.  The Halifax 21st are thrilled to welcome him back for a second season with the team in S94 and are excited to see his development continue!

The Most Creative Player:

This award is for the player who consistently demonstrates a high level of creativity throughout the season with written media spots, graphics, podcasts, or other creative endeavors around the team.

This season's winner is a first gen player who consistently impressed and surprised with new ideas, fantastic graphics, and some fun creative ideas within the team locker room.  Even before the season began, this player was designing jerseys and uniforms for the team.  Throughout the season, they produced high quality graphics, each one better than the last, often with fun and humorous details hidden within them.  These graphics weren't only for their own player, but for teammates as well.  They also initiated a creative poll to rename the team's arena which will be decided in time to begin our next season of play. This player will also be returning to the team next season and we're excited to see what new ideas they come up with next!  

The Leadership Award:

This award is presented to the player who demonstrates qualities of leadership and teamwork throughout the season, building up their teammates in the locker room, posting quality team-related content on the forum, and leading by example through individual dedication and consistency.

This season's recipient is a first gen who impressed many GM's in the VHLM before he was even drafted.  Demonstrating first a commitment to his own personal growth, he quickly exhibited an aptitude for leadership through a high level of activity both on the forums and in the locker room, often looking for ways that he could help improve the team and taking personal interest in the team's overall success.  Throughout the season, he remained very active on the forums, consitent with his updating and personal development, and was a positive force in the locker room-- supporting and ecouraging teammates, congratulating them on their individual successes, and showing interest in all activity around the team.  Though he'll be moving on to the VHLE after only one season with the team, he made a significant impact on the team culture in his time in Halifax and will always be a welcome presence around the team in the future.

Top Defender:

This award is presented to the defender who demonstrates excellence at their position, contributing to the team's success through a strong well-rounded game.

This season's recipient was the 3rd highest scoring defender in the VHLM and was 2nd on the 21st with 75 total points.  He was 4th in the league with 58 assists and finished the season with a +25 rating in 72 games played.  And while he was an incredible driver of offense from the defensive position, he also contributed 135 hits and 86 blocked shots.  He played significant time on the team's top powerplay unit while also being an effective penalty killer and was never a defensive liability on the ice.  After a single season with the 21st he is expected to be a highly sought after player in the upcoming VHL and VHLE drafts. 

Top Forward:

This award recognizes the team's top offensive player.  Like the top defender award, it is presented to the player who plays the strongest and most consistent all-round game at the forward position, contributing to the offensive and defensive success of the team.

This season's recipient finished with the 4th most individual points in the VHLM with 85.  He finished 7th in goal scoring with 35 and 8th in assists with 50 across 72 games played.  He led the team in both the points and goals categories and continually drove offensive production with 385 shots on goal-- more than 100 more than the next highest shot producer on the team.  He led all Halifax forwards with 25.67 minutes of icetime per game, 14 shots blocked, and 141 hits over the course of the season.  With his solid two-way game, he was a highly effective contributor for the 21st on both special teams units and could be relied upon in all situations, evidenced by his time on ice.  After a single season with the 21st, he will be eligible for the VHL and VHLE drafts and will likely be taking his talents to Europe next season where he is expected to continue his meteoric rise.  

The Bryn Yrwy Award:

Named after Bryn Yrwy, the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 405 points in 288 games with the Halifax 21st, this award honours a player who has played parts of at least two seasons with the franchise and has exhibited a high level of play throughout their time with the team.  

This season's recipient played for the 21st in both S92 and S93 and racked up 104 points in 144 games as a defender.  Announcing his retirement at the trade deadline this season, his contributions to the franchise and in the locker room will be greatly missed as he pursues other gainful endeavors.  Finishing his career with the 21st, he ranks 6th in franchise history with 268 blocked shots and was a stalwart defender for the team throughout the past two seasons.  Though he leaves a hole in the Halifax roster for next season, he will always be welcome around the team-- provided he returns at least one pair of shoes to the GM before he leaves!  Congratulations on a great career and best of luck in the future!

Season 93 SuperSailor:

This award is like the weekly SuperSailor honor, but is presented to a player who best exhibits SuperSailor qualities throughout the full campaign.  A SuperSailor is involved not only in the locker room as a good teammate, but also on the forums as an ambassador for the team, and also demonstrates effective play on the ice.

This season's SuperSailor finished the season with 73 points in 72 games and ranked 2nd among the team's forwards in scoring.  He was the league's top centerman with a 58.84% win rate across 1990 faceoffs, and contributed balanced offense with 31 goals and 42 assists.  And while he had a strong season on the ice for the 21st, this player was also active in the locker room daily, interacting with teammates (even with a significant time zone difference) and was consistently active on the forums throughout the season.  In many ways he was an unsung hero on the team, at times overshadowed by the weekly accomplishments of his teammates.  Despite not being named as a weekly SuperSailor this season, he was a worthy candidate each and every week and was a positive contributor in every respect.  As a draft eligible player, he may be among the first names called in this offseason’s drafts and will be an important member of any team he joins in the future. 

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Before concluding, I'd like to extend a special thank you to our outgoing AGM, @Will3.  He has contributed so much to the team in his role over the past few seasons and was particularly instrumental in helping put together such a great team this season.  I was very fortunate personally to have his help as AGM this season as he very reliably and effectively continued his tasks week after week to help the team improve and was always a pleasure to interact with.  I wish him all the best as he continues to seek out new management opportunities around the VHL world!  

And that concludes the S93 Halifax 21st team awards.  Congratulations to all of the award recipients for their significant achievements this season and contributions to the team, and a heartfelt thank you to all Halifax players for making Season 93 such a success! It has truly been a pleasure to have each of you as members of this team in my first season as GM and I look forward to seeing where the VHL takes you next!

Claimed for 5/12/24

Though it was an unfortunate end to the season for the Halifax 21st, there was lots to remain positive about  as the team clawed their way back into the series after being down 2-0.  A huge part of that resurgence by the 21st was owed to the play of Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, who claims the SuperSailor honor for the second time this season.  With 8 points in the series against the Wild, including 6 points in Halifax's game 3 and 4 wins, Dogwood was an offensive force.  Though he was held off the scoresheet in the opening two games of the series, he arrived in style with 3 points each in games 3 and 4, while recording a single point in games 5 and 6.  Ultimately, the 21st would succumb to penalty  troubles, allowing 5 powerplay goals on 14 penalties in games 5 and 6.  For his part, Dogwood once again led the team in points with 13 through the first two rounds of the playoffs (6 goals and 7 assists).  He also led the team with 61 shots on goal.  

For the 21st who came into the season with great optimism for a chance to win their first ever Founder's Cup, their unfortunate playoff exit stings.  The team had strong belief in their group to go all the way and with the mix of talent they had, it was one of their best opportunities in recent memory to capture the league’s top honor.  With potentially 6 players returning next season, including goaltender Jon Webber III @Webberj (who set a new franchise mark for playoff shutouts) and up-and-comers Dorji Khan @Oddpurplefly, Robin Sierra @ethanjaeda, and Ty Duke @TheDuke, the 21st have the potential to be back in the hunt next season.  The draft cupboard isn't exactly stocked to the brim for this offseason's redispersal draft, but with the availability of players through waivers, the opportunities could be there for the team to ice a contending team for a second straight season.  

For Dogwood, the next stop will likely be the VHLE as he expects to be drafted this offseason. Look for Dogwood to be among the top wingers taken in the S94 VHL and VHLE drafts as he had an outstanding regular season and playoffs for the 21st and projects to be a reliable and dynamic offensive player for seasons to come.  Though it's a bitter loss and a season cut short, the Halifax 21st are proud to once again announce Maple Dogwood as their SuperSailor. 

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Excellent bio! That was fun to read and we're so glad to have you on the 21st!

1 hour ago, dylanjj37 said:

"I heard from my sources that captain Andrew Skilton is leading some kind of cult in Halifax. He and his cult are planning a mutiny to replace Lexie Leitner with the Marauders AGM." - Marlins GM

 

Cults are fun… mutinies, not so much

1 hour ago, ace_five_ said:

He was hesitant to come forward, but I’ve hear the Miami Mauraders AGM has some inside sources on the team that have insinuated that the Halifax GM has some sort of affiliation with the lord of the underworld himself. 

I can’t confirm, but I certainly won’t deny

…mostly because he made me sign a non-disclosure agreement when I sold my soul but I’ve probably said too much…

6 minutes ago, aimkin said:

Reminds me of a few I did lol. Great read!

 

 

 

Thanks! I'll have to check those out!

Following two consecutive losses on home ice to begin their second round series against the Saskatoon Wild, reports are coming out that some kind of strange ritual took place in the Halifax locker room.  This story comes from sources close to the team who say that following a 3-1 game two loss in the VHLM Playoff Semi-Finals, the Halifax locker room door was locked to all media members and strange noises could be heard echoing through the walls.  When asked to comment about what went on in the dressing room, team representatives called it a simple "team meeting".  By all accounts, this was no ordinary team meeting and many of the reporters who heard the noises were left quite shook.

"After the game we saw the management team come down to the locker room.  They went straight in and locked the door behind them.  At first we thought it was just a team meeting like they told us, you know, to tell the players to keep their heads up and stick to the game plan going into game three, but after a few minutes we started hearing odd sounds coming from the room-- stuff that would keep you up at night.  It's hard to describe, honestly." (Larry LeRoy, The Halifax Morning Star)

"It sounded like screaming-- not like a coach yelling at the players though, but like blood-curdling screams, and wailing.  Nothing like I've every heard in a hockey rink before." (Logan Lawrence, The Low Down)

"At first I thought maybe they were playing some music in there, but they were chanting.  It was very odd and kind of unnerving.  It started softly and they kept getting louder.  That's when the shrieking started.  After a while it stopped, but they still wouldn't let us in, though I'm not sure any of us really wanted to go in at that point." (Lacy Lewis, Fire On Ice)

When the door was finally opened, an equipment manager was seen scurrying off with one of the big garbage bins while the rest of the team seemed to resume business as usual as though nothing had happened.  

"When they finally let us in it was very eerie.  Everyone in the room seemed to be in good spirits, you know, laughing, joking, they had the blutooth going.  It was like nothing had happened, but we all know what we heard.  Oh, and there was a weird smell, I can't really put a finger on it... maybe bleach?" (Larissa Lacroix, The Crux of the Pucks)

Obviously, this is not the kind of story one takes lightly and there is only one question on everyone's lips-- what the hell was going on in there?  For my part, I wasn't present to hear the noises first hand, though I arrived at the room after it had been opened again.  It smelled like a locker room, sure, but there was something else lingering in the air.  It could have been bleach, but it definitely smelled like some kind of strong cleaning agent.  Looking around, I noticed that the floor was wet on top of the big Halifax logo in the center of the room.  I didn't see a mop anywhere, but it seemed like that area had just been cleaned.  Some of the other reporters I was with commented that a number of players seemed to have blood splattered on their white jerseys, though it is hard to say where it came from.  This is the playoffs, after all, and we know things can get pretty brutal on the ice. It's a noteworthy observation, nonetheless.

I reached out to Halifax General Manager Lexie Leitner for comment.  She didn't seem eager to reveal much about the "meeting" except to say that the team was in good spirits and ready for the next game.  I pressed on and asked her to comment on the reports of screaming and strange chanting coming from the room.  Her answer to this question was very interesting indeed.

"Well, you know, we just needed to take care of a few things.  It's an infernal-- excuse me-- internal matter so I can't comment on details, but I think the bottom line is the team is going to come out next game and play like they're possessed, you know?  If we're going to have a chance at coming back in this series, we're going to need our players smelling blood." (Lexie Leitner, Halifax 21st GM)

Out of context, perhaps we might think nothing of this statement from the rookie GM, but with everything that transpired in the postgame and the ominous signs-- the writing on the wall, so to speak-- her choice of words was a little hair raising, to say the least.  Was something truly nefarious happening in the Halifax locker room?  Could they have been engaged in some kind of occult ritual, perhaps even some kind of sacrifice?

I did some more follow up with a few others around the team who claimed to have heard the noises and they had more to say.  By way of a caveat, I don't know these witnesses well enough to certify their credibility so I can only offer their  testimony with a grain of salt-- that's blessed salt just so we're clear.  One source said they heard a name being chanted over and over-- Simon.  If true, who is Simon?  Nobody on the team or in the organization goes by that name so I really can't say what that could mean.  Another source said that the same equipment manager who ran off with the garbage bin was seen midway through the 3rd period carrying some kind of animal and that they saw what looked like horns sticking out of the bin as he ran off with it.  Another source seemed convinced that something had happened to John Season @dylanjj37 since the last time he was seen was when the team left the ice after the final horn.  I can confirm that Season was not present with the team in the locker room once the doors opened, but anything more is pure speculation.  Suffice it to say, there are more questions than answers and Jeopardy seems to be the jeu du jour.

...And now that I think of it, here's one more question: did you read the story about Maple Dogwood's Sauna Snafu?  According to the article's author, Dogwood @dogwoodmaple "accidentally" melted the ice surface in Halifax before the start of round two, mistaking the ice temperature control panel for the sauna thermostat.  The result was massive flooding across the lower levels of the building.  Luckily, the arena crew was able get the water under control and re-freeze the ice surface in time for game one, but I've yet to hear an explanation for why the tunnel leading from the 21st locker room to the ice surface has become an honest-to-god pond full of frogs.  Look, I've seen my fair share of horror movies and I don't need to be told that creepy secret rituals and frog infestations are bad omens.  This thing has the 10 plagues of Egypt written all over it and I don't want to stick around for when Azrael decides to show up!  

Okay, okay, it's possible we're sensationalizing this and blowing it all out of proportion.  Who knows, maybe it's nothing more than a quirky team-bonding exercise, an unfortunate flood, and a few rapidly breeding amphibians.  On the other hand, maybe it's something much more sinister...  Games three and four between the Halifax 21st and the Saskatoon Wild go tomorrow and only time will tell if something evil is afoot!  

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Lauren Lambert for VHL.com

Great interview!  Khan has been a huge part of our team this season and his value to our team just keeps going up!  I'd hate to have to play against him in the playoffs! 

Awesome graphic!  Really love the text choice! 

Love it  

1 minute ago, dylanjj37 said:

expendable???? i thought we were putting in the best of the best!

Oh, well in that case let's get Eklund in there! And then maybe we just chum the water with Pickles