LucyXpher

This is really cool! Thank you for the shout out! This has been a fantastic community so far which has made it a lot of fun and easy to engage and get involved.

Last week, we looked at three VHLM players who might be flying under the radar in the early goings of the seasons. This week, I'll be highlighting three VHL Draft eligibles who have produced at the highest level at their respective position. If the season were to end today, these three players would most likely be frontrunners for individual accolades and a high draft position. Forum Content (LW, Saskatoon Wild): Currently leading all VHLM players with 44 points in 24 games, Forum Content @frescoelmo lives up to their name as arguably the top VHL Draft eligible player. With good skating, great puckhandling and passing, and a decent shot, this is a player who has become the focal point of the Wild offense. Forum Content is the only player on the Wild with more than 2 games played to have a positive +/- rating. Content has taken 108 shots and has 12 goals to go along with an impressive 32 assists. This is certainly a player who has been thriving within their team's system, benefitting from a wealth of opportunities and management's trust, though it hasn't exactly translated into consistent wins for the Wild so far this season. Saskatoon will hope that Forum Content can continue to produce at a high level to help ensure a playoff berth come season's end. Bilbo Teebaggins (D, Miami Marauders): On paper, Bilbo Teebaggins @SackButter is not a player that would stand out to most scouts. Sure, he's got decent skating and puck handling and is a solid defender, but the eye test doesn't exactly scream top scoring draft eligible defender in the VHLM. With 8 goals and 24 assists for 32 points in 24 games, Teebaggins trails only Bric Sheithaus, a Riga Reign draft pick, for points by a defenseman. Though his deployment has been favorable and he's had the benefit of playing on a well-rounded team that currently sits 1st in the VHLM, Teebaggins has proved doubters wrong so far this season. It remains to be seen if he can stay effective as the year goes on and the competition becomes more fierce. For now, though, Miami will have no complaints with Teebaggins' play and he is in line to be a coveted prospect in the next draft. Jorgen Lovstrom (G, Philadelphia Reapers): The top goalie the VHLM right now is Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish. A native of Greenland, Lovstrom leads the league in wins with an impressive 17 in 22 starts. He also has the highest save percentage of all goalies with more than 10 games played at .918, and has the second lowest GAA at 2.31. Lovstrom has been a huge part of the Reapers' success so far this season as they currently hold the 2nd spot overall. With 1 shutout, Lovstrom is one of only three goalies to have blanked an opponent this season and as the year goes on, don't be surprised to see Lovstrom continue his goaltending dominance. Philadelphia has a well rounded roster with defenders who defend the net well. It's an ideal situation for one of the top goalie prospects in the upcoming VHL Draft. Lauren Lambert for VHL.com Claimed for week of 01/28/24

I'm not going to lie, it is kind of strange not having anything controversial to carry this article, though I suppose that's a good thing. Maybe this week I can actually just write about the team-- ooh, or how about some Houston weather? This past week saw a cold front move through Houston, causing temperatures to drop below 32 F. It's a rare occurrence in this part of the country, to be sure, and this reporter spent the better part of her Tuesday snuggled under a cozy blanket, drinking hot tea, and watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Many of our northern readers, especially those in Canada, will probably scoff at the notion of shutting down a city because of a little bit of cold. Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds weak. Y'all drive on snow-packed roads up to 5 months of the year. You plug your car in overnight hoping it will choke to life in the morning at the fifth time of asking. You've used your arm as an ice-scraper. You hit the ODR when its -20 C. You wear shorts and a t-shirt in January to take out the trash. As someone who's lived in Alberta for some time, I get it, I do. Just keep us Houstonians in mind when your mild summer rolls around and you're out enjoying the beautiful weather. By mid-August, Houston will be hotter than the ninth circle of hell and we'll all be swimming-- yes, swimming-- through suffocating humidity. Sounds nice? Come on down to experience some real warm southern hospitality, and bring some of the cold with you. Where was I going with this? Oh, right-- in the midst of a cold snap the Houston Bulls are hot! 9 wins and 2 losses in their last 11, hot! After a slow start to the season with an inexperienced roster, the Bulls have started to turn the corner. The first of the Bulls' two recent losses came at the hands of the Philadelphia Reapers, who took a 7-3 victory. The final score, however, doesn't tell the whole story as the Reapers were trailing the Bulls 3-2 after two periods of play. An explosive 5-goal third period powered the Reapers to a lopsided result that betrays the competitive action of the first two-thirds of the game. The Bulls' only other loss during this 11 game stretch came against the lowly Mississauga Hounds a couple nights ago, who currently hold a record of 3-21-0 with only 6 points on the season. It's a game the Bulls would have wanted to win, and as an observer, I can't help but think that the Bulls played down to their opponent's level in this one. Perhaps this is still a sign of the team's lack of experience and killer instinct. To their credit, the Bulls came back the next night and earned a convincing 3-1 win against those same Hounds. Despite the Bulls doing everything in their power to keep Houston hot, even through some chilly weather, they've failed to make up much ground rank-wise. Sure, the points in those wins have helped them close the gap to first place overall as they currently sit only 6 points back of the 16-4-4 Miami Marauders. In terms of standings, however, the Bulls remain in 6th place through 24 games, holding an record of 14-8-2. Unfortunately for the Bulls, the teams that they're chasing in the standings have traded wins and losses recently, resulting in a shuffling of the top teams since this time last week. The Las Vegas Aces have fallen from their top spot after a scorching hot start and are now losers in their last three games, slipping down to 3rd overall. Meanwhile, the Reapers and Marauders have been able to move up to 1st and 2nd respectively, and San Diego and Mexico City have been able to do enough to stay just ahead of the charging Bulls at 32 points apiece. In a season that has been filled with all kinds of drama for the Bulls, their recent record has to be a positive sign that things are trending in the right direction. With the various early season controversies beginning to fade in the rearview, perhaps there are signs of growth on the horizon. Early power rankings have not favored the Bulls so far this season, but if they can continue to string together wins with regularity, it will only be a matter of time before the league takes notice. Lauren Lambert for VHL.com Claimed for week of 01/28/24

Thank you!

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your review! I definitely wish I could have worked the team logo in somewhere, it just wasn't going to fit on the jersey with the way the player is turned. Anyway, it's something I hope to have visible in the next graphic I make.

"Concussion prone"

Stay strong, Pope Francis, don’t let the forces of evil corrupt you!

He’s now affectionately known as BensonGPT

NY just got themselves an awesome AGM! Congrats @jake

Thanks! But you started it...

Praying for good news stories from here on out

Thank you! And we're glad to have you join us when you did! Still lots of season left, god knows what'll happen...

Thanks AJ! This is all you being the best GM in the league!

Fair enough and glad to hear it! Good luck to y'all next time we meet

Just when I think things are quieting down around the Houston Bulls, a spicy new controversy rears its head, dragging me back into the fray once more. This time it involves a precipitous chain of events-- players leaving and joining the team, a revolving door at the center ice position, and an imposter-- all culminating in speculation of locker-room espionage. I hope you've got your tinfoil hat on for this one, 'cause it's a doozy. Tinker: The Bulls' GM, @AJW, has been busy tinkering with his roster lately. It all began when the Bulls' number one centerman, Nathan Schwartz, retired suddenly and departed the team. The reasons for his untimely disappearance are still unknown, and are quite frankly, his own personal business. What's important here is the gaping hole at center ice that was left in the wake of his departure. AJW needed to act quickly to fill the hole as the team had only one other centerman, fringe roster player Deez Nutz, who has since been released from his contract with the team. Within hours of Schwartz leaving the team, the Houston front office had found a replacement: SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY. In his first game with the team, he appeared on the scoresheet, potting a goal to help the Bulls tie the game against the Ottawa Lynx. His time in Houston would be short lived-- only 2 games, in fact, before he would become the center of a controversy that would see his dismissal from the team. Tyler: After the short lived stint of SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY, GM AJW and AGM @Nathan_8 were thrust back into action, tasked with finding not one, but two new centers. Once again, AJW delivered, welcoming new additions Tyler Lawson @Nyx and Murray Connolly @Blakemac22. How the GM managed to pull this two-headed rabbit out of a hat is nothing short of a modern miracle and should earn him league-wide recognition if the Bulls can deliver on their potential. Without missing a beat, Houston was able to ice a complete 3 line roster in their very next game against the Philadelphia Reapers. Despite losing this game, the hard work of recruitment had once again been accomplished, setting the team up for long term success. Tyler Lawson impressed in his Bulls debut, scoring the first goal of the game against the Reapers, and matching the feat by scoring first again in the next game, a 4-1 Bulls win against the Halifax 21st. With Connolly and Lawson in the lineup, the Bulls are a certifiably deep team, albeit a young team with plenty of potential for growth. With nearly two thirds of the season remaining, it's an ideal situation for a club that has had belief in themselves since the beginning of training camp. Sidney: So what ever happened with SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY? Well, it turns out that SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY, is actually Landon Flatt, a defender currently under contract with the Mexico City Kings, a conference rival of the Houston Bulls. Spy: While his motivations are still unclear, what has come to light is the nature of his disguise. Flatt, wearing Groucho Marx glasses, infiltrated the Houston locker-room, gaining access to the Bulls inner circle. How it took two games for anyone to notice the shoddy disguise is a mystery unto itself, though I will give the benefit of the doubt to Bulls management who were under the gun to fill holes in their roster. Was Flatt trying to gain insight on the Houston systems in order to give the Kings an advantage in head to head matchups? Was he trying to sabotage the Bulls with mediocre play? Was he betting on games and fixing results? Speculation of inter-locker-room espionage has been running wild since this news broke. Though nothing concrete has surfaced yet, it's safe to say that the Bulls are feeling violated and betrayed. After dealing with their own controversy within the squad through the first two weeks of the season, the appetite for drama is dwindling-- especially from an outside source. Assistant captain, Lucy Leitner, was not mincing words, "Look, maybe instead of corny costumes and cringey names, just come out and say it-- you wish you were a Bull. I mean, who wouldn't want to be in Houston right now? Just own it and stop playing games." It's a valid question: Who wouldn't want to be in Houston right now? Things are definitely looking up for the Bulls, having weathered the storms of another controversy and emerging stronger. This is a tight group of players who are, dare I say, bull-ish on what the can accomplish by season's end. Notes: - After my last article, which highlighted a quote from an anonymous scout who referred to Lucy Leitner as a "muffin factory", there were rumors that Little Bites were looking to sponsor the smooth skating defender. It seems, however, that the deal is off the table as Leitner potted 3 goals in her last two games. It seems that muffins are off the menu at the team picnic-- at least for the time being. - Ondrej Vencko @Mutti is in love?! A new article by Ben Icio del Toro, of the Houston Gossiper, has some stunning new revelations about the personal life of the polarizing Houston netminder. Perhaps his drug of choice, after all, was love? More to come... Lauren Lambert for VHL.com

Great bio! Love the backstory, and a great start to his pro career! I'm sure there's so much more to come!

He's got the stats where it counts, no doubt about that!

Great spot! Love reading pieces that commit to the backstory and create lore for the players and the team! Really excited to see more of your work, and maybe even collaborate a bit in the future, on the ice and off! Also, awesome job knocking off media spots for the next 4 weeks! That's gonna be huge for your development and for the team. The Bulls are gonna be for real! Welcome to Houston!

Haha this team is chaos! This is hilarious, Mutti!

Great job! That's a cool graphic! Go Bulls!

Yeah! If u can send links, I'd love to give it a try! I don't want to trouble u to create one for me right now, plus it might be weird cuz I'm not a NH player...but maybe someday...plz

Legit, they’re so hot! wish I had one

These are gorgeous! All of them look incredible!

Nighthawks are love those!

Very cool! nicely done!