LucyXpher

Great first entry @Pifferfish and I love the graphic @ace_five_!!! Also, the Jon Webber III disrespect is real... he's the true MVP, change my mind

I’ll give this a try, I’m in

Welcome to the VHL!

Deserved

It's the principle I can get behind

Helsinki S98 Draft Picks: S98 RIG 1st S98 HSK 1st S98 MAL 2nd S98 HSK 2nd S98 TOR 2nd S98 HSK 3rd S98 SEA 3rd S98 LDN 3rd S98 WAR 3rd S98 HSK 4th S98 TOR 4th S98 WAR 4th S98 SEA 4th Helsinki has a plan and they’re sticking to it. I respect it

We might need to get another intrepid reporter on the case... there are loose ends to tie up

The Halifax 21st have continued to stay afloat this season with a record of 6-7-1 this past week. While they did slide a little in the standings from their position last week, the underlying numbers are still promising for this upstart team with hopes of making noise come playoffs. Halifax currently ranks 6th overall in the VHLM and last in the Eastern Conference, though that doesn't tell the whole story. Only one team in the Western Conference currently has more total points than Halifax-- the Mexico City Kings-- who have 52 points to Halifax's 48. Looking at total goals for and against, the 21st have continued to show well with the 5th ranked goal differential in the league at -4, the 6th most total goals for with 93, but the 3rd fewest against with 97. Keeping the puck out of the net is one of the key ingredients to success at any level and the 21st have done an admirable job of that, relying heavily on goaltenders Jon Webber III @Webberj and Chad Powers @Big_Dyl. As the rest of the team continues to improve during the remainder of the season, we could begin to see a slightly more potent offense compliment a capable defense which could vault Halifax into playoff contention, though there are still many factors that hang in the balance. A supportive teammate, Xhektoe, congratulates Chad Powers... One player in particular who has been a big part of the team's successes this season is Xhekajs Middletoe, our SuperSailor this week. Xhektoe, the team's captain, was acquired from San Diego in a trade during the offseason. Management was apparently so impressed by his performance during the JST that they made it their mission to go out and acquire the player, and Xhektoe as come as advertised! He's certainly not lacking in confidence... Though not the biggest player in the world, at 6'0" he and 160lbs he certainly does not shy away from physical play and can be relied upon at both ends of the ice. With 80 hits, he has the most of any forward currently on Halifax and has also contributed the 2nd most goals on the team with 10 (Ty Duke leads with 15). Xhektoe has also contributed the 2nd most shots blocked by any 21st forward with 12 so far, demonstrating his willingness to sacrifice for the team. Xhektoe having his priorities straight... And while his on-ice performance has been solid thus far, he's been an exceptional leader both on and off the ice for Halifax, chatting frequently in the locker room and keeping the vibes positive and fun! With a relatively full roster, many players have been asked to share ice time for the good of the team and Xhektoe has never once complained about bouncing around the lineup... Okay, maybe he complained once... Since the beginning of the season he's played on every forward line and every special teams combination, really showing his utility as a player to fill any spot on the roster. Being consistent with development every week has also helped Xhektoe to continue leveling up and improving on the ice. It's true, he did-- players are now paid bonuses in poutine... All told, I'm hearing that team management is over the moon with the acquisition of Xhekajs Middletoe and his contributions so far. ucy needed a hug that day... He's been exceptional in all facets of the game and he certainly has a presence around the team as captain that is undeniable! a protective captain, but welcoming... Congratulations @Xhekajsleftankle on being name our Week 3 SuperSailor! ༻❁༺

You’re the best Seriously, thank you!!!

Good to know lol I would be extra happy if there was some magical way we could remove said 8th round picks from the portal— particularly the S95 ones that have been there for 2 seasons now. I have no idea if that’s a big ask, but the M GMs have asked about it multiple times and it seems like it should be a fairly simple thing to remove— but what do I know

we tried… but I respect this decision

Thanks for the excellent talks @Mysterious_Fish! I'm sure this trade will do wonders for both Halifax and San Diego

Conditions: If there is a 7th round in the S97 VHLM Dispersal Draft, the S97 SDM 7th becomes an S98 SDM 7th. The pick will be deferred to each successive season until there is a VHLM Dispersal Draft without a 7th round, rendering the pick held by Halifax void. @Mysterious_Fish please confirm

Thank you so much You are definitely one of those people that inspired me a lot along the way and your player was one of the first that stood out to me at the top of the league when I joined. I’ve really appreciated all of our interactions and the incredible graphics you continue to make for the league! Imo yours are the best

When I started my VHL journey, I was in awe of those players at the top of the league with over 1000 TPE. Crossing that milestone is the culmination of the last 10 months-- to the day-- of diligently stacking away points, even 1 TPE at a time. And while life has thrown all kinds of craziness at me these past 10 months, I've enjoyed every minute I've spent working at this sim hockey thing-- slowly, but surely, building up my player and getting to know the great people of this community. So thanks to everyone who has encouraged me and helped me along to this point, and everyone who has made the first 1000 TPE of my VHL journey such an amazing experience! I owe a special thanks to my first GM @AJW for not quitting on me when I didn't join the discord at the first time of asking. I honestly may not have stuck with VHL if it wasn't for his persistence and encouragement in those first few days after I created my player. AJ played a huge role in making my first VHL experience a positive one and that's really stuck with me ever since. And there's so many others who I've gotten to know and chatted with. There really are some amazing people in this community who are willing to take the time to get to know you and help you along, and it's been well worth my free time to spend it with all of you! So thank you!

I wonder...

Twizzlers are very underrated!

A couple weeks ago, one of my colleagues at Halfaxa Press, Lauren Lambert, reported on a missing puck. The first goal puck of Pelayo Bolivar was apparently stolen and sold on eBay by someone looking to make a quick buck at the Boat Gang's expense. The team managed to recover the puck and return it to the Halifax 21st Museum where it remains to this day. And while that all sounds like a happy ending, let me just say that happy is not the word I would use and the end is nowhere in sight. In the two weeks since that story was published, Lauren Lambert has been missing. Sure, it was possible that she may have taken an unannounced vacation, but the fact that nobody had heard from her in nearly 14 days was cause for concern. And it didn't end there-- on Monday this week, I had a mysterious package delivered to me in the mail. The package had no return address, but when I opened the brown envelope I found Lauren's little black notepad with a sticky note on the cover that said, "Remember, remember". Remember what? And why was Lauren's notepad sent to me of all people? Eager to follow up on this development, I began pouring through her notes trying to find anything that could provide a clue as to where she'd been these past two weeks. One page in particular stood out to me, however, as it only read, "Pier 21: powder, treason, plots". It stood out to me because most of the pages in the notepad were filled with scribblings, while this particular page felt empty. The second thing that tipped me off is that the color of the ink of the "Pier 21" note matched the same blue ink of the sticky note, while the rest of her notes were written in black ink. It seemed clear that there was a connection here, but what could it be? On Monday evening, I tucked the notebook in the top left drawer of my desk and left the office for the night. The next morning, I returned to a shocking sight-- my office had been absolutely trashed! My laptop was broken on the floor, the drawers of the filing cabinet had been removed forcibly and most of its contents were strewn across the office, and my desk drawers had been rumaged through as well. My first thought was to check to see what was missing, and sure enough, it was Lauren's little black notepad. Someone had clearly rooted through my office searching for it. I thought back to the time I spent reading through it the day before and nothing came to mind as being particularly out of the ordinary-- except that strange connection between the sticky note and the "Pier 21" page. I slumped in my office chair, dismayed and perplexed at the state of my office, still puzzling over the notepad and who would have wanted it so badly. I sat there for a few moments staring blankly at my broken laptop when I heard a co-worker of mine, Vincent, mumbling a rhyme to himself as he wandered down the hallway, coffee cup in hand. "Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot". As I heard this, I leapt out of my chair and bolted out of my office towards him, startling him so much that he spilled his hot coffee. "Where did you hear that," I demanded, "are you the one who tore my office apart?" Vincent looked confused, "Your office? What are you talking about?" He peeked around me towards my gaping office door and noticed the mess that remained. "Jeez, Lemon, what happened in there?" "That rhyme," I pressed, "where did you hear it? I need to know!" "What rhyme? What are you on about?" "Remember, remember-- what's that whole thing about? Where did you hear it?" "Oh, that? That's just a little thing from this graphic novel I'm reading." "What, like a comic book?" "I mean, yeah, basically, it's just longer." "Show me!" "What, like now?" "Yes, now! It's important!" I hustled Vincent back to his office where he produced a book from his backpack with what looked to be a white "Anonymous" mask on the cover. "V For Vendetta." I read aloud, "What's it about?" "Um, well it's kinda hard to explain, but basically it's this vigilante guy who models himself as a modern Guy Fawkes who fights against a tyranical gov--" I didn't let him finish, "Okay, but what's that little rhyme about?" "Oh, here, let me show you where it's from." Vincent flipped to a page in the book and showed me an eerie image of the masked man with a hat staring ominously at what looked to be an exploding clocktower. The speech bubble above his head contained the entirety of the rhyme. The reference from V for Vendetta (above) "Vincent, I need your book." "What? What for?" "You'll get it back soon, don't worry." I snatched the book and started out of his office, walking quickly back towards my personal warzone. I heard Vincent calling after me, though I didn't bother to turn and answer him. I spent the next four hours devouring the graphic novel and while the story was compelling, I finished with a sinking feeling that I was no closer to answering my questions. The reference seemed clear, but what did it mean? "Remember, remember..." "Pier 21: powder, treason, plots" Then I remembered, today was the 5th of November! Could the cryptic notes be a reference to something that was happening today? But where? And when? My eyes were drawn to the clock that hung on the wall-- one of the few things that had remained in its proper place-- and it was as if the universe was speaking to me. 5:11 pm. What if something was planned for 11:05pm? And what if, of all places, it was going down at Pier 21? My mind raced with this realization, going over any and all other possibilities, but nothing made more sense. I stayed in my office, too nervous to leave, too preoccupied to address the mess, but too anxious to sit still. So I paced back and forth across the files scattered on the office floor, mulling over everything that had transpired, trying to come up with some theory as to what I might find at the pier that night. At 10pm I grabbed my bag, left the building, and drove to Pier 21. When I arrived around 10:15, I looked for a place where I could hunker down and watch the area without being seen. An old Canadian National railcar outside the main terminal bordered by a hedge seemed to be my best bet. I hopped over the hedge and tried the door on the railcar-- locked, of course. So I decided to settle down behind the hedge, hoping that it would provide enough cover in the dark. The Canadian National Railcar (above) It was a chilly November night and as the minutes ticked by it felt like an eternity. I began to shiver. At exactly 11:05pm, a black Mustang crawled up the road past the railcar with its headlights off and parked on the edge of the traffic button directly in front of the Pier 21 museum. The dark tinted windows meant that I couldn't make out the driver, but it wouldn't matter as only a moment later another vehicle started up the road to my right. This one was a black van, also with its headlights off. The van rolled up to the traffic button and parked across the circle from the Mustang. From my vantage point I could see both vehicles clearly as their occupants emerged. Three dark figures in trench coats and newsboy caps exited the black van and moved to the rear of the vehicle. As they stepped under the streetlight I could make out their faces-- the tallest was "Novocaine" Petr Novak, flanked by "Robbertoe" Xhekajs Middletoe and "El Sidrero" Pelayo Bolivar. They pulled open the back doors and Novak dragged another figure out of the van-- this person was smaller, their face was covered with a black canvas bag and their hands were tied-- a hostage! The three Boat Gang members escorted their captive away from the van towards the traffic button where they met the hooded driver of the Mustang who had also exited his vehicle with a briefcase in hand. He was trailed closely behind by a man in a pork pie hat with sunglasses, which was an odd choice for the middle of the night-- but then nothing about this whole situation was normal. An artist's sketch of the man in the pork pie hat (above) As everyone converged, I heard Novak greet the others in what I could only guess was Czech, and while I couldn't understand what they were saying, by their gestures and tone it seemed like there was some negotiation about the briefcase and the hostage. Novak made a motion towards the briefcase and the man holding it handed it to his chapeaued colleague who opened it, revealing it's contents to the adjacent party. I was a good distance away, but from what I could tell the briefcase did not contain money but some other white substance-- my hunch is cocaine. The hooded man reached into the briefcase and pulled out a white brick, hefting it in his hand while continuing to chat, almost proudly. He returned the brick to the briefcase and after a nod of approval from Novak, he clicked the case shut. It was then that the hooded man drew his hood back and revealed his face. I was shocked when I recognized him as none other than Prague Phantoms goaltender Ondrej Vencko! What was he doing here in Halifax and what kind of deal was he a part of? My mind raced once again with theories and I thought back to some articles Lauren Lambert had written back when Vencko played with Houston. Vencko was known then for being a bit of a loose canon and there were even allegations that he may have been involved in the drug trade. Come to think of it, he was even linked to notorious Czech drug dealer, Valtr Bílý. And as I looked at the man in the pork pie hat, I had a sudden realization that he was him-- the Heisenberg of the Czech drug world. After all this time it turned out that the rumors were true-- Vencko did know Bílý, or had at least come to know him-- and now it seemed they were involved in some kind of shady business with the Boat Gang! Boat Gang (Left to Right: "Novocaine" Petr Novak, "Robbertoe" Xhekajs Middletoe, and "El Sidrero" Pelayo Bolivar) The attention of everyone then turned to the hostage as "Robbertoe" shoved them forward and reached out to remove the black bag from the person's head. It was Lauren Lambert! At first I was relieved to see that she was alive and seemingly unharmed, but then I began to fear what might happen to her and why she was apparently part of this deal. Vencko stepped towards her and his demeanor changed. Somehow he seemed more compassionate and concerned-- a shift from the aura he had exuded only moments before. He murmured something to Lauren in a low voice before nodding to Novak. Bílý, who had been holding the briefcase still, stepped forward to stand next to "El Sidrero" as Vencko simultaneously escorted Lauren back towards the Mustang. The Boat Gang members. now with Bílý in tow, turned heel and the four of them piled into the black van and drove off. Meanwhile, Vencko proceeded to pull a rather large knife from his leather jacket and used it to cut Lauren free. Apparently he had no intention of keeping her hostage, but his motivations remained unclear. Vencko then escorted Lauren to the passenger seat of the vehicle and opened the door for her as she climbed inside. Returning to the driver's side, Vencko himself entered the vehicle and it roared to life. With the squeal of tires, Vencko kicked the back end of the car out as he rounded the traffic button and peeled off down the road away from the museum. I waited a few minutes before I dared move. I had no idea what I had just witnessed-- a drug deal? A rescue? A trade? What did the Boat Gang want with Valtr Bílý? And what motivation did Vencko have for ransoming Lauren? When enough time had passed, I walked back to my vehicle around the side of the pier and drove home in silence, mulling over everthing and still coming down from the adrenaline rush of the whole experience. When I got home, I plunked down on the sofa and stayed there the entire night. I didn't sleep a wink. The next morning I returned to the office and was surprised to see Lauren there. She was in the staff kitchen showing off photos of her trip to Spain... you know, where she had been for the past two weeks. I had to shake my head to make sure I wasn't in some weird dream state, but it was all real. Stranger still, when I returned to my office, I found it had been restored to it's previous condition-- the whole mess had been cleaned up and my previously broken laptop sat open on my desk as though nothing at all had happened. Very odd indeed-- though not as peculiar as the little yellow sticky note on the laptop screen. Written on the paper in blue ink was the message, "We do it for the lore! - Ben". Dear reader, I have no idea what is going on. I don't know who Ben is and, quite frankly, this whole ordeal has made me feel like I'm losing my mind. What lore? Do what? The best thing I can think to do is write everything down to share with you in hopes that someone can piece this together. I don't know if it's even safe for me to write this, but in the event that I go missing, look for me at the bottom of the harbor. ༻❁༺ Lemon LaCroix for Halfaxa Press 11/6/2024 2300+ words

Trust me, it Czechs out! #beergate #RIPVHLE #itsneverjustone Great read!

Well done But actually, great article!

1. Well it should come as no surprise that I feel excellent about our goaltenders! I can't tell you how amazing it's been for me as a GM to have a goalie like @Webberj for 3 of the 4 seasons I've managed the team. He just gives me so much peace of mind because he's consistent with earning and super reliable in the sims. He's made my job easy And Powers is coming into his own VERY quickly and I can't wait to see how he progresses throughout the rest of this season and into next season as our starter. He's got an incredibly bright future! 2. It's really hard to predict honestly! I think Ottawa and Philadelphia are probably locks for 1/2, but after that the league is super close! I'd be thrilled if we could finish 3rd-- which is not outside the realm of possibility with the way our players have been earning. But to be conservative, I'll say 5th. 3. Goalies, goalies, goalies! And team defense has been improving every week! I think the goals will come as we continue to develop this season, but the hardest thing to do is shut down the opposition and we're in a good place if we can do that first! 4. Just shoot, high glove, showtime (i absolutely adored this kane goal lol) 5. Well I've got Logan Ninefingers' @Scurvy missing 10th finger on a rope that I wear like a rabbit's foot for good luck. I generally keep it pretty low key because apparently people were wondering what happened to his finger and those who have seen it thought it was kinda weird, but whatever works! 6. Twix is the best, followed by KitKat, other than that I don't have THAT much of a sweet tooth

You are correct!

I love what you did with the transparency and cutting out the center parts of the logo! And I like the muted blues