LucyXpher

S94 Halifax was better

It's a special day for the Halifax 21st as we have the opportunity to recognize the incredible achievements of a player who has been a huge part of our success over the past 4 seasons. To tell this story properly, however, we have to go back to the S93 VHLM Dispersal draft-- to the 5th round-- where Jon Webber III was selected 46th overall. Halifax acquired goaltender Samuel Wazinski prior to the draft that offseason to pair with the returning Kendra Cavill. Both were considered active at the time, though neither had yet responded to my messages when I reached out. For some reason, however, Jon Webber III stood out to me in that draft class-- which was funny because he never answered my scouting interview! In any case, when our pick at #46 came around and he was still available, I felt very strongly about selecting him-- so strongly in fact that I made a trade that I would come to regret shortly after. Because VHLM rules don't allow teams to carry 3 goalies on the roster for any extended period of time, in order to select Webber III, we'd need to move on from one of our other goalies. Having just acquired Wazinski, it was Cavill on the chopping block-- for an S93 7th round pick that became Robert Tango, a player who would never make it to the regular season due to inactivity. It was only after the trade that I finally heard from Cavill who was disappointed to be leaving Halifax and had a personal connection to the city in real life. I definitely didn't feel particularly great about this, to say nothing of the underwhelming trade return, and it would become the motivation for another trade in S94-- but that's another story. In S93 we got our goalie of the future in Jon Webber III and it wasn't long before that pick began paying dividends! By the second week of games in S93, Samuel Wazinski was on the verge of inactivity and Webber III had all but taken over the starting role for Halifax as we were in a good position to contend that season. When Wazinski was eventually dropped from the active roster, the net belonged to Webber and he played exceptionally well for us through the rest of that season as we finished 2nd in the VHLM with a 51-17-4 record and 106 points-- only 3 points back of Ottawa for 1st overall. For his part, Webber went 41-14-4 that season with a .899 SV%, 2.23 GAA, and 4 shutouts. It was still early days for him, but by season's end he was approaching the TPE cap of 200 and was one of the top goaltending options in the league. It was in the S93 playoffs that Webber III began setting Halifax records. In his first 3 playoff games, Webber recorded 3 straight shutouts, setting the franchise record for the most playoff shutouts. Sure, the bar was low at only 3 total, but to do it in his first 3 playoff games was very impressive! Halifax would fall in the 2nd round to the eventual Founder's Cup winners in the Saskatoon Wild, but the foundation was set for S94. In his second season with the team, Webber III would find another level. S94 would see the 21st record the 2nd best season in franchise history-- 58-9-5 with 121 points and a +150 goal differential! Playing 61 games for the team that season, Webber III went 50-7-4 with a .914 SV%, 1.72 GAA, and 11 shutouts, capturing the Benoit Devereux Trophy as the league's top goaltender. Though his numbers in the playoffs would take a dip, he still managed a 10-5-0 record, even as Halifax lost in the Founder's Cup Finals to the Wild once again. Finishing S94 with 91 career wins, poetically matching his jersey number and setting the new franchise mark, Webber was expected to be done with the VHLM as he had surpassed the 200 TPE cap. His 15 shutouts at the time were only 2 behind the franchise record, and with his overall record, a case could certainly be made that he was the top goalie in Halifax history. S95 would see Webber III play for the Cologne Express in the VHLE as they captured the King's Cup and the Renaissance Cup, winning both the regular season and the playoffs in what would be the final VHLE season. Webber III was outstanding as Cologne's starter and collected the Orion D H Chiester IX Trophy as the best goaltender in the VHLE with a 44-11-1 record, a .930 SV%, 1.82 GAA, and 7 shutouts. When the VHLE was dissolved at the end of that season and the VHLM was expanded to a 400 TPE cap, Webber III elected to return to Halifax for one more season-- his final season before reaching the VHL. Backstopping a very young and inexperienced Halifax team that was not expected to go far, Webber III posted perhaps his most remarkable season to date. With a team that, by all accounts, should have been fighting to stay out of the basement, Webber III put together a 32-18-1 season in 51 games. His 32 wins were the 5th most by any goaltender-- despite sharing 21 games with Chad Powers-- and he ranked 1st in the league with his .928 SV%, 2nd among starters with a 1.67 GAA, and 1st again with 8 shutouts. By all accounts, Webber III finished the season as a favorite to claim another Devereux Trophy and perhaps even more league hardware as he was definitely Halifax's MVP in S96. ༻❁༺ Webber III completes his Halifax career with an astonishing 123-39-9 record in 172 games. Among all Halifax goalies, Webber ranks 2nd in games played, 1st in wins (48 more than 2nd place!), 6th overall with a .913 SV%, 1st with a career 1.88 GAA, and 1st with 23 shutouts. His 3 playoff shutouts remain the most in franchise history, as are his 33 playoff games played and 19 wins, while at 2.24, Webber's playoff GAA is 2nd. On the VHLM all-time goalies list, Webber III ranks 10th with his 123 wins despite playing significantly fewer games than some goalies and ranking 32nd in games played. Removing goalies with 40 or fewer VHLM games, Webber's .913 SV% is 20th all-time, and his 1.88 GAA is 8th. And no matter how you filter it, Webber's 23 shutouts put him in a tie for 3rd among all VHLM goalies. Since being a member of the Halifax 21st, Webber has been a consistent and steady earner, never needing to be reminded to update or stay active. It's been a breath of fresh air as a GM to simply set him in the lineup and watch him perform night after night. With his most games played in a season being 61, Webber III has always been open and willing to share the net with the other goalies we've had during his time-- especially this past season, graciously giving way to Powers for 21 games despite the huge TPE difference. Without a doubt, Jon Webber III is the greatest goalie in Halifax franchise history and one of the top goalies to come through the VHL. Though Halifax never could complete the goal of winning a Founder's Cup with Jon Webber III in the net, we came very close and it was an incredible journey each time. Congratulations @Webberj on a fantastic VHLM career with Halifax and thank you for everything you contributed to our team! Halifax is proud to raise your #91 to the rafters-- the 4th jersey retirement in our 35 season history. Halifax Career Regular Season: 172 GP, 123 W, 39 L, 9 OTL, 0.913 SV%, 1.88 GAA, 23 SO Halifax Career Playoffs: 33 GP, 19 W, 13 L, 1 OTL, 0.893 SV%, 2.24 GAA, 3 SO ༻❁༺ LucyXpher 12/03/2024 1300+ words

Missed opportunity to tag @Homealonetwo

Well, see, I would pick Vancouver, but in my bracket I had Davos winning so I have to stick to my predictions

This looks incredible! The irony of turning an Edmonton player into a Calgary player tho

I love it! What team are you using for the player render? I don't recognize those jerseys but they look awesome!

Nice breakdown! I've got Davos in 6

Ricky and Bubbles HAVE to stay together! VHL GMs must make it happen!

ELITE prospect

1. My highlight of the season was watching this team grow week after week. I don't think I've ever been a part of a team that earned this much-- we gained 1458 TPE as a team this season, which is absolutely crazy considering we started the season at 1846! 2. My player did not reach the goals I set out for them. I was hoping to score more points personally and win another Continental Cup, but c'est la vie... 3. I need more scoring for my player I think, SC is only at 82 right now. If I can get it closer to 90 I think i'll be in good shape for S97! 4. I think Mississauga will win the Founder's Cup-- even though that will break our streak of always losing to winners lol. I think @ace_five_ has done a great job with that team and deserves all the success ever Go Hounds! 5. Elf 6. Well, my survival skills are pretty lacking, ngl. I guess I could just help keep spirits up? I mean, mental health is important to survival too, so i'll just be there for hype-- "You got this everybody!"-- basically what I do already

When the season began, the Halifax 21st certainly had their doubters-- at least for S96. While most agreed that the 21st had a solid draft and made a number of great additions for the future, how those players would perform in the short term was certainly up in the air. With the VHLM cap increasing to 400 TPE, most teams in the league boasted rosters that featured much more developed players than Halifax. It's fair to say that the Boat Gang was very green when this season began. By season's end, however, despite still being the team with the 2nd lowest average TPE per skater (only Saskatoon was lower), Halifax managed to finish 5th overall in the VHLM-- and more impressively, ahead of every team in the Western Conference. With a 40-29-3 record, 83 points, and a +3 goal differential, the 21st put together a remarkably successful season-- and the best part is that there's plenty of room for this team to improve! In the playoffs, Halifax took the team with the highest average TPE per player to 7 games and only lost by a 2-1 score in game 7, once again showcasing the team's cohesiveness and ability to hang with the best. While some of the team's exceptional waiver players will move on from Halifax this offseason as they are eligible for the draft, the future is very bright and there's much more to look forward to for the Boat Gang and their supporters. And while it was ultimately a team effort that carried Halifax this season, there were certainly some exceptional performers whose efforts will be recognized here in the S96 Halifax Team Awards. So without further ado, here are Halifax's best and brightest from this past season! The Mickey Dickson Award (Most Improved Player): Named in S96 after the first GM in Halifax history to win the Jack Reilly award as the VHLM's top general manager, this award is for the player who makes the most significant individual improvement over the course of a single season. The VHLM is a development league and every GM wants to see their players develop, not only so they can help contribute in the short term, but so that they can climb the ranks and go on to have great VHL careers as well. The winner of this award demonstrates a desire to learn how the VHL works, effort to earn consistently, and initiative to find more ways to improve their player-- all things that make a GM's life so much easier and more fun! S96 featured a bunch of Halifax players who could have contended for this honor, but two in particular really separated themselves from the rest. One of these players was selected by Halifax in the 3rd round (24th OA) of the S96 draft at 73 TPE, while the other joined the team as a waiver player at only 54 TPE. As it stands today, these players sit at 246 and 233 TPE respectively-- a 173 and 179 TPE improvement over the past 6 weeks of VHLM play! Normally, when deciding these awards, it would be simplest to choose the player with the highest total improvement and call it a day (because I don't love ties or shared awards). In this case, however, these two players have been developing in tandem, supporting each other on and off the ice. As friends before they joined the 21st, these players started the All Aboard Podcast and consistently produced episodes each week, chronicling the team's ups and downs throughout the season. Most impressively, as first generation players, they have both come so far in their understanding of the VHL as a whole and in their understanding of how to be effective players. Beyond a doubt, these two players-- a center and a defenseman-- were a huge part of Halifax's success this season and it will be a thrill to see how far they go in their VHL careers. The Ash Sparks Award (Leadership and Locker Room): Beginning in S96, the Leadership Award has been renamed in honor of Ash Sparks-- a cult icon who played for Halifax in S85 on his way up to the VHL. 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. Some say winning this award grants a person access to the secret Ash Sparks Cult that meets every Tuesday in Halifax... Anyone who has been around the team in S96 would notice that one player, more than others, stands out in the locker room as a team player and a leader. Acquired from San Diego in the offseason prior to S96, Halifax scouts were so impressed by his leadership and locker room presence during the S95 Junior Showcase Tournament that they just had to have him on the 21st. This player-- though not a max earner-- never missed a week of development and was vocal in bringing the team together throughout the season. He could be seen rallying the troops after wins or losses and reminding people to submit picks and votes for our team music league. While virtually every player on the team has been enthusiastic about our successes and disappointed in our failures, perhaps none were more invested in the team emotionally than our fearless leader and captain-- the recipient of the newly named Ash Sparks Award for leadership. Looking back on that offseason trade-- which some called an overpayment by the way-- it could truly not have gone any better for Halifax as they have not only an excellent player, but an even more exceptional person to lead the team on and off the ice. The Jacob Richard Award (Top Defender): Jacob Richard holds the franchise's single season assists record with 97 in S80. He finished that season with 141 total points which is the also the highest mark by a Halifax 21st defender in a single season. 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 Richard Award winner joined the team as a waiver player just before the beginning of the regular season and went on to become one of the top players on the team. As a defenseman, he quickly cemented his spot on the top special teams units, leading all 21st players with 22 power play points and 134 shots blocked. He ranked 2nd on the team in total points with 54 on the season-- 21 points more than the next highest scoring defender. He led all Halifax players with exactly 2000 minutes of ice time and had the most assists with 41. Without the benefit of offseason training, it was impressive to see how quickly he stepped into a top defensive role for the team, and he was a big part of shutting down the top players in the league on a nightly basis. His defense never kept him from pitching in offensively, however, and the rest of the league has taken note as he projects to be a top pick in the upcoming VHLM Dispersal Draft. The Bryn Yrwy Award (Top Forward): Named in honor of Bryn Yrwy, the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 405 points in 288 games with the Halifax 21st, this award recognizes the team's top offensive player. Yrwy also holds the franchise single season points record with 167, and goals with 76-- both in Season 80. Like the Jacob Richard award for defenders, 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. The team's top forward in S96 really wasn't a difficult decision-- and that's taking nothing away from the efforts of the other forwards on the team. This season's Yrwy Award winner entered the season as the team's highest rated skater and was tasked with playing against the league's top competition night in and night out. Rejoining Halifax through the VHLE redistribution draft after putting up 80 points with Stockholm in S95, he continued his consistent development and watched the rest of the team grow up around him. This player led all Halifax skaters with 29 goals, 62 points, and 270 shots on goal. His 9 game winners were also first among Halifax players and contributed heavily to the team's ability to secure wins this season. He ranked 3rd among Halifax forwards with 107 hits and 1st among forwards with 25 shots blocked, demonstrating his effectiveness as an offensive and defensive player. His 0.70 points per 20 minutes were the highest of all 21st players, and with 2180 faceoffs taken this season he ranked 5th in the entire VHLM and recorded an impressive 55.18% in the dot. While S96 saw a number of Halifax forwards come into their own, none were as effective throughout the entirety of the season as our Bryn Yrwy Award winner. The Anton Edvin Award (Top Returning Player): Anton Edvin is the Halifax 21st franchise leader in games played with 426-- 138 more than the next highest games played mark. 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. Let's see here... the Halifax 21st only had 4 returning players in S96, and one of them was traded early on in the season. While Ty Duke and Steven Nichols both contributed greatly to the team's success this season, there was perhaps no player more important to the team in S96 than the team's returning goaltender, who chose to opt in and rejoin the 21st after a season in the VHLE. Winning the Renaissance Cup with Cologne in S95, this goaltender posted an impressive 44-11-1 record with a .932 SV%, 1.82 GAA, and 7 shutouts. While those numbers are impressive, no doubt, he was playing behind the best team in the VHLE that season. In the context of this up and coming Halifax team, his S96 numbers are even more mind boggling. In his 3rd season with Halifax, this player helped the team to a 32-18-1 record with a .928 SV%, 1.67 GAA, and 8 shutouts. For comparison, that Cologne team had the fewest shots against in S95 and nearly 1000 more shots for than against. Oh, and their goal differential of +79 was tops in the league as they finished in 1st place overall with 104 points-- 12 points more than 2nd place. Halifax in S96 allowed the 3rd most shots against and it was largely due to this player that the team managed a +3 goal differential. How he managed such a strong win percentage on this team is absolutely incredible-- not to mention the league leading numbers. He was 1st in the league with 8 shutouts, 2nd with his 1.67 GAA, and 1st with his .928 SV%. Without a doubt, he was the team's MVP and could even get consideration for league MVP when awards season rolls around. Season 96 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. Truthfully, this award could go to any number of players this season, but one stands out on the basis of his contribution to the team in the sims. Perhaps more the quiet, lead by example type of player, this season's winner may not have always been particularly active in the locker room. He remained consistent, however, updating every week and continuing to develop his player. When he was drafted to Halifax in S93, he was a 5th round pick at 46th overall. No one would have guessed that playing for the team in 3 of the next 4 seasons he would cement himself as one of the top players in Halifax history, setting franchise records and climbing the league leaderboards along the way. Througout his time with the team, I've never needed to remind him to update his player and he never needed any coaching on how to build his player effectively. He's made my job remarkably simple and I've had peace of mind knowing he had his position locked down. This season was no different-- well actually, it kind of was. This season, this player carried the team to wins throughout the regular season more than he ever had before, really allowing the 21st to punch above their weight. With so much inexperience and room to grow, this player gave us a chance to win every night and was by far the most important player to this successful season. And with that, we come to the end of our S96 Team Awards. Thank you to each and every Halifax player for making this one of the most fun and engaging seasons I've had so far as either a player or GM. The fact that we had so many active players in the locker room and that everyone was so committed to building their players each and every week made my job so much more enjoyable. I was so impressed that we had all but one player update EVERY WEEK this season and we never had to drop anyone. That's a credit to all of you as incredible people who make this sim league so fun, so again, thank you all so much! As ever, keep those updates going through the offseason and keep your eyes peeled for updates on offseason tournaments which are coming up very soon-- and just around the corner is S97 which promises to be very exciting for Halifax! ༻❁༺ LucyXpher 12/02/2024 2300+ words

For the second season in a row, the Halifax 21st were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs-- but unlike last season's 5 game loss to the eventual Founder's Cup champions, this one feels different. Of course, it's never fun to lose, and watching this team find its form over the last few weeks of the season has been a real joy. Heading into a 1st round matchup against the Ottawa Lynx, while the 21st were underdogs, it felt like there was a chance that they could somehow upset one of the top teams in the VHLM-- or at least give them a good series. As it turns out, it was a great series-- a real back and forth matchup that saw the teams trade wins. Halifax started the series with commanding 5-2 win in Ottawa, but the Lynx roared back with a 5-1 win of their own in game 2. Then the Lynx stole a 4-1 victory in Halifax in game 3 before the 21st came back again to tie the series at 2 games apiece. Halifax then took a 3-2 series lead by beating the Lynx in Ottawa, 3-1, and had two chances to close out the series. In the end, it was the pedigree of the the Lynx that prevailed as they scratched their way to 2-1 victories in both games 6 and 7 to move on to the 2nd round of the VHLM playoffs. For an upstart team that was expected by many to be a bottom feeder in S96, the 21st proved that the future is for real and that the kids can play! Featuring no less than 11 first gen players, all but 3 of the team's 16 players were drafted in S96 or were waiver acquisitions during the regular season. It has been exciting to see how far the team has come this season and this loss to Ottawa in the first round is nothing to be ashamed of! Ottawa, by the way, went on to put away San Diego in the 2nd round and is now awaiting game 1 against Mississauga in the Finals. Throughout the season, this week's SuperSailor was one of the most important players for the team. Kazuma Satou joined the 21st just before the beginning of the regular season and quickly became the team's top defenseman. With 54 points in 72 games, he led all Halifax defenders in points and ranked 2nd on the team overall. League-wide, Satou ranked 6th among all defensemen in scoring and 3rd in shots blocked, showing his value at both ends of the rink. In the first round against Ottawa, Satou tied with Ty Duke @TheDuke for the team lead with 8 points. Satou also came in clutch with 2 game winning goals in the first round to secure victories over Ottawa and help push the series to 7 games. His 16 shots blocked and 17 hits were also the most among all Halifax players in the postseason, and he collected 4 of his points on the powerplay. In the locker room, @Spartan has been a model teammate-- despite having a player still finishing his VHL career with Vancouver AND managing the Moscow Menace. During the first round, he joined the All Aboard Podcast with @SMYLS4 and @flyersfan345 for a great episode-- Penguins-Flyers rivalry notwithstanding-- and has provided mentorship, positivity, and advice to players around the team all season long, even with his other league commitments taking up time and energy. As the 21st enter the offseason, it's unfortunate that Satou will not be able to continue with the team as he is eligible for the VHLM draft and projects to be a top pick. For the season and playoffs that he was with the team, however, he certainly played an important role in both the sims and around the team. Congratulations, Kazuma Satou, on being our SuperSailor in round 1 of the playoffs. While we wait for the offseason to begin in earnest, players will certainly be continuing to develop and prepare for S97 when the 21st are expected to be better prepared to contend. The sky is the limit for this team as they've already shown that they can hang with the best and there's still so much room to grow. With a decent collection of picks for S96 and S97, the team could be well postioned to reload and go for it by the drop of the puck for next season. In the meantime, let's keep the fire burning! ༻❁༺

2nd claim - 12/08/2024

Pierre Emile Bouchard article:

Pierre Emile Bouchard (S82-S92) User: @Gaikoku-hito February 28, 2022 - February 26, 2024 TPE: 1939 Position: D Nationality: Canadian Height:6'4" Weight: 235 lb. VHL Draft: S84 New York Americans (5th OA) Teams: New York Americans (S84), Vancouver Wolves (S84-90), Helsinki Titans (S91-92) International Play: WJHC S83 - Canada , World Championships (S86, S88, S90, S92) - Canada Trophy Cabinet: S86 Continental Cup - Vancouver S87 Victory Cup - Vancouver S82 Founder's Cup - Saskatoon 87 Jake Wylde Trophy - Vancouver (Top Defensive Defenseman) 87 Sterling Labatte Trophy - Vancouver (Top Defenseman) 87 Dustin Funk Trophy - Vancouver (Most Improved) S92 Alexander Beketov Trophy - Helsinki (Most Assists) S83 WJHC Bronze Medal - Canada S86 WC Bronze Medal - Canada S88 WC Gold Medal - Canada S90 WC Gold Medal - Canada S92 WC Bronze Medal - Canada Individual Honors: 1x All-VHL First Team (S87) 2x All-VHL Second Team (S88, S92) Team Captain - S87-S90 Vancouver •• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• The career of S95 Hall of Fame inductee, Pierre Emile Bouchard, spanned nearly two full years to the date from player creation to his last game-- a Conference Finals Game 7 loss to S94 Hall of Fame goaltender Jesse Teno @Aimee and the London United. While one last finals appearance and a chance at a second Continental Cup would have been the icing on the cake, alas it was not meant to be for the defenseman who hung up his skates following that playoff exit. Bouchard's legacy is one of consistency, longevity, and success at every level of play. While some players before and after have hit higher highs, very few have maintained the elite level of play that Bouchard achieved with the same level of consistency, and only one other played as many games in the VHL. With 650 VHL games played over 9 full seasons, Pierre Emile Bouchard shares that record with a former teammate, Nico Pearce @Spartan . To achieve this record number of games played, Bouchard not only had to bypass a full season of VHLM play, but also managed to play an extra two games during his rookie season that saw him traded from New York to Vancouver while the Wolves were a couple games back in their schedule. This scheduling quirk put him on track to finish his career as the all-time leader among defensemen in games played. And while playing a lot of games is one thing, playing them well and achieving success at every level is another. Pierre Emile Bouchard is one of the esteemed members of the Triple Gold Club, having won a VHLM Founder's Cup as a waiver player for Saskatoon in S82, a Continental Cup in the VHL with the Vancouver Wolves in S86, and two World Championship Gold Medals with Canada in S88 and S90. Add to that 3 other bronze medals and some impressive individual hardware and it's not hard to see the case for his induction into the VHL Hall of Fame only 3 seasons after his retirement. •• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• Prairie Power - S82 Pierre Emile Bouchard-- the son of longtime Prague Phantom Robert Bouchard-- appeared onto the VHL scene after the S82 trade deadline and joined the Saskatoon Wild as a waiver pickup. The Wild, hoping to contend for the Founder's Cup that season, signed Bouchard to fill the fourth spot on their defense. The Wild that season were well endowed with 3 other defensemen scoring over a point per game and Bouchard filled their hole admirably, pitching in 8 assists through 14 games. Developing quickly, Bouchard would find another level in the S82 playoffs, racking up 18 points in 19 playoff games as the 3rd seeded Wild took down 6th ranked Marauders, the 2nd overall Reapers, and Prime Minister's Cup Champion Bulls en route to a Founder's Cup victory. Despite being a late addition, Bouchard would come up clutch for the Wild in their playoff run as he led the VHLM with 4 game winning goals in the playoffs. Bouchard would also pick up an assist on the Founder's Cup winning goal in game 7 of the finals-- a 6-3 win against Houston. This first taste of success would set the stage for what was to come-- call it the prologue to the epic that was Bouchard's career. Following the S82 Founder's Cup win, Bouchard elected not to declare for the VHLM dispersal draft, opting instead to spend the offseason training and to seek out new opportunities in Europe. Thus, he would only play 14 regular season games in the VHLM, but his 19 playoff games took him all the way to the top, leaving little left for him to pursue at that level. VHLM Regular Season: 14 GP, 0 G, 8 A, 8 P, + 1, 4 PIM, 13 HIT, 18 SHT, 14 SB VHLM Playoffs: 19 GP, 7 G, 11 A, 18 P, +/- 0, 12 PIM, 35 HIT, 46 SHT, 24 SB, 4 GWG Swede Dreams - S83 Back when the VHLE was a thing, and when it was an 8 team league that included the Istanbul Red Wolves and the Geneva Rush, Pierre Emile Bouchard signed as a free agent with the Stockholm Vikings. While he would have moderate individual success that season, ranking 2nd on the team with 72 points and 8th among all VHLE defensemen, the Vikings would finish 3rd in Europe's Northern Conference and 6th in the league, missing out on the VHLE playoffs by significant margin. For Bouchard, however, it was a stepping stone season and he continued to prove that he could play at a high level, even without exceptional star power around him. With his sights set on the VHL, he would move on from the E after only one season, despite being drafted 43rd overall in the VHLE on the off chance that he might stay. VHLE Regular Season: 72 GPE, 21 G, 51 A, 72 P, +/- 0, 54 PIM, 73 HIT, 240 SHT, 151 SB, 3 GWG •• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• From the Empire State to Beautiful British Columbia - S84 / While all draft eligible players dream of hearing their name called and putting on the jersey of their first VHL team, for the proud Canadian, Bouchard, the Americans came calling at 5th overall, taking him in the 1st round of the S84 VHL Entry Draft. Beginning the season with New York, Bouchard was impressive out of the gates with 33 points in his first 33 games. New York, however, was not in a position to compete that season. With less than half the season elapsed, the Americans entered into trade talks with the Vancouver Wolves who expressed interest with Bouchard. On July 14, 2022, Pierre Emile Bouchard was traded from New York to Vancouver as the Wolves began to load up to be a true competitor, while the Americans embraced a rebuild with both arms, reclaiming their own 1st round pick in S85. The trade was as follows: --> To New York : Ryan @freezyeh + S85 NYA 1st + S85 VAN 2nd New York GM: @frescoelmo --> To Vancouver : Pierre Emile Bouchard + William Futch @Futch Vancouver GM: @Frank Bouchard would conclude S84 with the Wolves, tallying 31 points in Vancouver's remaining 41 games-- thus playing 74 games that season. While there was a slight production drop off for Bouchard after the move out west, it was somewhat to be expected as the Wolves were still on the come-up and struggled to an 8th place finish in the North American Conference in S84, missing out on the playoffs. Apart from his season in the VHLE, S84 would be the only time Bouchard would miss the playoffs in his VHL career. Rookie Regular Season Total: 74 GP, 17 G, 47 A, 64 P, -51, 80 PIM, 133 HIT, 244 SHT, 233 SB, 3 GWG New York: 33 GP, 8 G, 25 A, 33 P, -17, 6 PIM, 40 HIT, 117 SHT, 77 SB, 3 GWG Vancouver: 41 GP, 9 G, 22 A, 31 P, -34, 74 PIM, 93 HIT, 127 SHT, 156 SB •• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• Howling While the Moon is Full... S85-90 While it was a difficult end to S84 for Vancouver and Bouchard, the team was only trending upward with plenty of talent in the pipeline and a legitimate shot at being a contender through the next 5 seasons. When asked about the trade that brought Bouchard to Vancouver, General Manager @Frank had this to say, "Acquiring Pierre Emile Bouchard during Season 84 was the turning point for that era of Vancouver Wolves. We went from a competitive team with a bright future to a legitimate threat to compete for the cup season after season. Bouchard's agency ended up becoming the AGM of the team even to this day. Bouchard became a leader on the ice and helped us win a cup in Season 86 and make the finals in Season 89. He even graciously let us trade his player so we could commence a rebuild and now we're a competitive team once again." Vancouver took a huge step forward in S85 and finished 2nd in North America and 3rd overall with a 41-24-7 record and 89 points. Now on a team that was increasingly loaded with high end talent, Bouchard saw his points totals drop a bit as he only registered 55 points in 72 games that season. His underlying numbers, however, and the play of the team around him were trending positive! In the S85 playoffs, the Wolves would drop their first round series in 7 games to the DC Dragons-- the eventual Continental Cup Champions. Bouchard collected 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in those 7 games while playing a team leading 29.94 minutes per game in the playoffs. S85 Regular Season: 72 GP, 11 G, 44 A, 55 P, +22, 38 PIM, 47 HIT, 224 SHT, 110 SB, 3 GWG S85 Playoffs: 7 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 6 P, +3, 6 PIM, 4 HIT, 16 SHT, 9 SB During those first few seasons with Vancouver, Bouchard credits Biggie Cheese @a_Ferk as his first defense partner, a great mentor, and an indispensable part of the S86 team that would win the Continental Cup. Reflecting on this time in his career, Bouchard said, "Biggie Cheese was [my] first defensive partner and taught [me at a young age] how to play in the VHL. If it wasn't for Biggie, Vancouver wouldn't have won the Championship in S86. Yet Biggie Cheese was selflessly traded away, hours after lifting the cup, putting huge pressure on my shoulders in S87-- which was my break-out season. If it wasn't for Biggie, I don't think this would have happened." In S86, Vancouver's Cup winning season, the team only finished 8th overall in the regular season, but only dropped by a point from their S85 form. With 85 points for Biggie Cheese that season, Bouchard saw his point share drop again ever so slightly to 51 points in 72 games, though he did match Cheese's goal total of 20 which was a sure sign of things to come for the still young defenseman. In the S86 playoffs-- as a wildcard team-- the Wolves dispatched the Bears in a 3 game sweep, and then went on to knock off the number one seed Calgary Wranglers in 5 games! They followed this impressive series up with victories in 7 games against the Chicago Phoenix in the NA finals, and the Prague Phantoms in the Cup finals. Just as Bouchard remembers, it was Biggie Cheese leading the way in the playoffs with 29 points in 22 games, while Bouchard himself notched an impressive 19 points, showing signs that he was ready to shoulder a bigger load for the Wolves going forward. S86 Regular Season: 72 GP, 20 G, 31 A, 51 P, +/- 0, 44 PIM, 88 HIT, 247 SHT, 126 SB, 3 GWG S86 Playoffs: 22 GP, 3 G, 16 A, 19 P, +1, 37 PIM, 55 HIT, 71 SHT, 49 SB, 1 GWG In S87, now without Biggie Cheese, Bouchard was the team's true number one defenseman-- and he delivered with a monster season, notching 19 goals and 69 assists for 88 points in 72 games-- a new career high that would stand until his final season. The team, meanwhile, dominated the VHL en route to a 50-16-6 record and 106 points-- 9 points more than the next highest team overall. As the favorites heading into the playoffs as the regular season champions, the Wolves fell victim to the Victory Cup curse, losing in 5 games to the Seattle Bears-- a wildcard team-- in their first 7 games series. Bouchard collected 4 points in that shortened 5 game series where the Wolves never really got their feet under them. For his individual achievements during the regular season, Bouchard claimed the Jake Wylde Trophy as the league's top defensive defenseman. He led all defensemen with a +35 rating, was 3rd overall with 198 shots blocked, and dished out the 12th most hits with 195. That defensive effort, combined with the 3rd most points by a defenseman earned him the Sterling Labatte Trophy as the VHL's best overall defenseman in S87. On top of that, he took home the Dustin Funk Trophy as the league's most improved player, going from 51 points the season before to 88 this season and filling his trophy cabinet along the way. S87 Regular Season: 72 GP, 19 G, 69 A, 88 P, +35, 172 PIM, 195 HIT, 282 SHT, 198 SB, 7 GWG S87 Playoffs: 5 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 P, -2, 14 PIM, 18 HIT, 20 SHT, 16 SB S88 saw Bouchard and the Wolves face some adversity as they clawed their way into the playoffs as a wildcard team with a 34-29-9 record. Bouchard was again the highest scoring defender on the team that season with 23 goals and 55 assists for 78 points and a solid +22 rating while some Wolves struggled to stay positive. In the S88 playoffs, Vancouver managed to beat the LA Stars in the wildcard round in a tight 5 game series before faltering to the Seattle Bears in the following round, losing that series in 6 games. Bouchard scored 6 points in those 11 playoff games, but ran into a bit of penalty trouble as he racked up 45 PIM. S88 Regular Season: 72 GP, 23 G, 55 A, 78 P, +22, 126 PIM, 200 HIT, 281 SHT, 171 SB, 2 GWG S88 Playoffs: 11 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 6 P, -3, 45 PIM, 41 HIT, 39 SHT, 37 SB Hungry to get back to their winning ways in S89, the Wolves put together a strong 43-27-2 record for 88 points. Bouchard had another exceptional season with 81 points, 3 points back of the newly acquired Brian Payne @Scurvy, who was a former rival-turned-teammate. Chatting with Bouchard, there was some nervousness about teaming up with Payne in S89, particularly with how the two top defenders might share icetime and opportunities. In the end, Bouchard acknowledged Payne as an exceptional teammate, "Payne was amazing on and off the ice, leading to Vancouver making the finals again; which I believe we choked away after being over confident being up 2-0 in the finals." In those S89 playoffs, after finishing 2nd in North America and 5th in the league, the Wolves climbed past Calgary in 6 games to move onto the second round. In round two, Vancouver swept Bouchard's former team, the Americans, and secured their place against Davos in the finals. After taking a commanding two game lead in the finals by a combined score of 8-4, the Wolves dropped the next 4 straight games as Davos secured the Continental Cup. It was surely a heartbreaking loss for Bouchard, missing out on a chance to win a second Cup. He played a huge role on that S89 team in the playoffs, however, collecting 22 points (2nd most on the team) through 16 playoff games. S89 Regular Season: 72 GP, 18 G, 63 A, 81 P, +2, 126 PIM, 209 HIT, 292 SHT, 182 SB, 3 GWG S89 Playoffs: 16 GP, 7 G, 15 A, 22 P, +1, 43 PIM, 47 HIT, 62 SHT, 30 SB, 1 GWG The S90 Wolves would improve on their previous regular season with 96 points this time around, though they entered the playoffs 4th in NA and 6th overall. Bouchard would once again have a strong regular season with 79 points-- 3 behind Payne this season. As a strong wildcard team, the Wolves would make short work of Seattle in the wildcard round, winning 3 games to 1. They would falter in the second round to the Toronto Legion, however, cutting their playoff hopes short again. In these playoffs, Bouchard was once again one of Vancouver's top players. He ranked 2nd on the team in total points with 12 through 11 games-- the highest scoring defender on the Wolves. S90 Regular Season: 72 GP, 15 G, 64 A, 79 P, +23, 114 PIM, 152 HIT, 214 SHT, 126 SB, 1 GWG S90 Playoffs: 11 GP, 4 G, 8 A, 12 P, +3, 20 PIM, 35 HIT, 22 SHT, 21 SB, 1 GWG •• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• The Sunset in Helsinki - S91-92 Following another playoff defeat in S90, Vancouver was on the brink of another rebuild and Pierre Emile Bouchard agreed to a trade away from Vancouver so that his beloved Wolves could acquire assets for the future. It was a sign and trade situation where Bouchard agreed to terms for the final two seasons of his career and waived his NTC to allow Vancouver to ship him off to Helsinki in the following trade: --> To Helsinki : Pierre Emile Bouchard + S93 VAN 3rd Helsinki GM: @samx --> To Vancouver : Lloyd Braun @Toast + S92 HSK 1st Vancouver GM: @Frank The trade equipped Vancouver with a 1st round pick in Season 92, a draft in which they would select 6 times in the first round! Now in the sunset of his career, Bouchard would not go quietly into the night. He continued his hallmark consistency through both seasons in Helsinki. S91 saw the Hall of Famer help the Titans to a wildcard playoff berth with a 41-27-4 record for 86 points. Bouchard would lead all Helsinki defensemen with 86 points in 72 games, setting a career high in assists to that point with 72. In the subsequent playoffs, Bouchard would help lead the Titans from the wildcard to the finals as they took care of Malmo in a tight 5 game wildcard round, then defeated the Dynamo in 6 and London in 5, before failing at the last hurdle to claim the Cup against a strong Legion squad, losing in 6 games. Bouchard led all defenders with 25 points in those playoffs, including 3 game winning goals. S91 Regular Season: 72 GP, 14 G, 72 A, 86 P, +26, 149 PIM, 177 HIT, 217 SHT, 133 SB, 1 GWG S91 Playoffs: 22 GP, 8 G, 17 A, 25 P, +9, 28 PIM, 53 HIT, 61 SHT, 53 SB, 3 GWG And if anyone thought Bouchard would sail softly into the arctic sea-- now entering the final season of his career-- they would be wrong. In S92, Bouchard tied his career high in points with 88 and set a new career high in assists with 73, earning himself the Alexander Beketov Trophy for leading the league in assists that season. His contributions would be a massive part of Helsinki's success as they finished 2nd in the European Conference and 3rd in the league with a 45-19-8 record and 98 points. Bouchard's career high would rank him only 2 points behind DC's Mark Calaway @Beketov for the league lead in points by defensemen. In the playoffs, Helsinki went to 7 games against Moscow and managed a convincing 6-3 victory in game 7. Sadly, for Bouchard, his last chance at a second Cup would fall short as Helsinki lost to London in the Conference Finals in a tightly contested 7 game series. Bouchard would once again rank 2nd on his team in scoring, this time with 21 points in 14 games-- an exceptional end to a legendary career. S92 Regular Season: 72 GP, 15 G, 73 A, 88 P, +28, 44 PIM, 64 HIT, 251 SHT, 152 SB, 3 GWG S92 Playoffs: 14 GP, 3 G, 18 A, 21 P, +2, 6 PIM, 11 HIT, 45 SHT, 34 SB •• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• Legacy To go along with his 4 individual trophy wins-- including the prestigious Labatte Trophy for defensemen-- being a Triple Gold Club member, and a Victory Cup winner, Bouchard also ranks highly among the best defensemen to ever play in the VHL. Tied for the longest career in games played of all players in VHL history, Bouchard completed his Hall of Fame career with the 11th most points all-time by a defenseman with 670 in 650 games. His 518 assists are good for 9th on the all-time defenders list, and he ranks 62nd in goals with 152. With 1431 shots blocked, Bouchard is tied for 3rd all time, only marginally behind Skor McFleury @Alex. In the playoffs, like the regular season, Bouchard ranks 1st in games played among all VHL skaters with 108. His 115 playoff points are 2nd among all defensemen and 7th among all skaters. Bouchard's 86 playoff assists are the 2nd most all time, and his 29 playoff goals are 5th among all defenders to ever play in the VHL. Clearly, the key to Bouchard's success was consistency and longevity. Playing the games is hard enough, but performing at a high level in each of those games is another feat entirely. Former teammate and fellow games-played record holder, @Spartan (Nico Pearce) had this to say about Bouchard's career: "PEB wasn't the flashiest player on the team and never threw up monstrous numbers in the big picture of the league, but in an era where scoring was lower and consistency was critical from the blue line, Bouchard was one of the best in the league. He was a fantastic and passionate teammate who was a true leader in the locker room too. It was an honor to play with him for a few seasons and I'm extremely proud to see him in the Hall of Fame!" Former rival-turned-teammate, @Scurvy (Brian Payne) echoed a similar sentiment about the kind of player and person that Bouchard was: "I will say that PEB is the ultimate teammate. Selfless, fun, and always wanting to help his teammates out. A true leader in the locker room and on the ice. It was my pleasure to share the ice with him. He made Brian Payne better and truly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame." The career of Pierre Emile Bouchard is an all-time example of the commitment it takes to be a top player in the VHL. As I said at the top, there are players who may have hit higher highs-- or lower lows-- but very few have had the consistency of Bouchard-- consistency, no doubt, fueled by a renewed commitment to continue to grow and develop every week and every day. To do this with great success over the course of a two year span is remarkable. With an incredible 1939 TPE in his career, Bouchard ranks 13th all time among all VHL players in total earning. Now with a 3rd generation in the VHL, the future looks bright for the Bouchard name. While the sun sets on one great career, it is surely rising on another. Congratulations to @Gaikoku-hito and Pierre Emile Bouchard on an incredible career and induction into the VHL Hall of Fame! Career Regular Season: 650 GP, 152 G, 518 A, 670 P, +107, 893 PIM, 1265 HIT, 2252 SHT, 1431 SB, 26 GWG, 69 PPG Career Playoffs: 108 GP, 29 G, 86 A, 115 P, +14, 199 PIM, 264 HIT, 336 SHT, 249 SB, 6 GWG, 19 PPG •• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ •• Special thanks to @Frank, @Scurvy, @Gaikoku-hito, and @Spartan for contributions to this article! LucyXpher 12/01/2024 - 4000+ words

I APPLY FOR MALMO! Since I joined the league, Malmo is the team I’ve most wanted to join and would love the opportunity since the spot is open now

correct

Please Simon, bless us with this opportunity so Ricky and Bubbles can meet the new look Boat Gang in the second round…

Hoping you can get at least one more win Also, go USA!

Congrats on your first goal!! I’m sure there will be many more to come

Thanks for your kind words Having the three of you in Halifax, along with a bunch of others, really made a huge difference for us this season and made my job a lot more fun! Great podcast!

I've actually captioned that show for Netflix in my job, so if you ever watch it with CC there's a chance I did the captions for that episode *disclaimer: if the captions are bad, it wasn't me...

Yes! I working on it, will be done in the next few days!

lol the “Boat Gang” Is Ben the real villain behind all this? So many questions, so few answers