LucyXpher

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!

I mean, why not?

I've never done anything with this many layers so I'm pretty happy with how this turned out and it was a fun project to work on. Also the design is fairly easily changed, so I'd be happy to share it with whoever might want one. Now to work on bumping those numbers lol. *Edit - Added image from link with updated attributes and minor tweaks to design.

"In the world of ice hockey, where tradition and discipline often reign supreme, Herald Benson emerged as a breath of fresh air at the tender age of 18." (BensonGPT, 2024). --- Tradition and discipline are two things the Houston Bulls seem to be in short supply of lately-- that, and a breath of fresh air could go a long way. It's been an eventful week in H-Town, to say the least. The team has been putting together wins-- and losses-- with regularity, which amounts to an even record of 6-6-2. The youth and inexperience of this team has been on full display, but they will, no doubt, be happy to remain firmly in playoff contention as they continue to accustom themselves to the pace and physicality of the minor pro ranks. Let's start with a breath of fresh air and talk about some of the more positive story lines first. So far, it has been team captain, Trimiskez Artav @jake, who leads the charging Bulls, sharing the team points lead at 20 with Lucy Leitner. The Greenlander, Artav, has been a lethal weapon for his team through 14 games, converting shots at a 20% clip for 11 goals and pitching in with 9 assists. Leitner, on the other hand, carries a basketful of apples (18), good for 3rd most in the VHLM, but has only converted 2 goals on 33 shots. Normally, with such a low shooting percentage you'd expect to see regression towards the mean, but one scout I asked had this to say: "Right now, she's a bona fide muffin factory! Someone needs to tell Leitner that goalies will gladly eat muffins for breakfast, lunch, and dinner," (Anonymous pro scout). A basketful of apples-- and muffins, apparently-- maybe someone should plan a team picnic. Meanwhile, Leitner's partner on the top pair, Benjamin Abenduct @Schnee, has continued his torrid start, converting defense into offense for 17 points in only 10 games. Assistant captain, Chris Reynolds Jr. @Crstats23, has also been producing for the Bulls, albeit in spurts. He cashed in 7 points across 2 games recently against Saskatoon and Ottawa, but has only managed 1 point in his last 3. That being said, a high shot count is likely to work in his favor as he currently sits 4th in the league with 77 shots. VHLM veteran, Barry McOckiner @LanerDUST has been a stable presence in the Bulls' top scoring lines, contributing an even point per game so far, and young Czech sniper, Filip Zinek @FiZi, has also shown signs of heating up with 6 goals and 5 assists. Though the points haven't necessarily been coming fast and furious for Nathan Ecker @Nathan_8, count him as breakout candidate as this season progresses. So far, his underlying numbers are trending in the right direction, and if he can find some consistency and chemistry with regular linemates, the Bulls may begin to threaten opponents with a potent secondary scoring punch. In the same vein, 2nd pairing defenders, Losfeld @losfail and Toland @ctoland102, have eaten up important minutes for the Bulls, showing flashes of potential. If they can both elevate their game with more consistency, it's going to be a lot harder for opposing teams to reach the Houston net. --- Ah, yes... the net. Look, I'm not going to say that the Houston goalies stink, but in the world of ice hockey, where tradition and discipline often reign supreme, Herald Benson @Benson and Ondrej Vencko @Mutti haven't exactly emerged as a breath of fresh air. Last week, there was speculation about Vencko's connection to a Czech fugitive who was arrested outside the Bulls arena. Authorities are still conducting an investigation, though there is no word yet on whether any charges will be laid against Vencko who continues to split starts in the Houston goal. This week, it was Herald Benson who became the center of controversy as he was found to be in violation of league media policies. To his credit, Benson has dealt with the matter professionally and will not be appealing his weeklong suspension of pay. Despite the reprimand, Benson remained upbeat in the ensuing press conference, saying, "Let me be a crazy goalie, damnit!" Crazy indeed, but concerning, nonetheless. Benson sits at an .886 save percentage and Vencko owns an .881, with the two allowing a combined 49 goals through 14 games. If this run of form persists, the "Houston Crease" may soon refer to the furrowed brow of the GM @AJW who can't be happy with the negative attention his goalies have been bringing to the squad as of late. Unfortunately, the goalies weren't the only source of consternation this week as the sudden retirement and departure of Nathan Schwartz from the team sucked some of the fresh air out of the locker room. There are no indications at this time as to why he opted for an early retirement, but his departure leaves a gaping hole at 1C that Bulls management will be scrambling to fill in the coming weeks. --- Tradition and discipline-- perhaps, ironically, what the Bulls need most. So far, this team has lacked discipline on the ice, taking too many penalties and struggling to defend on the penalty kill. There were at least a few games decided by these two factors and addressing this issue should be a priority for the Bulls if they want to help out their goalies who have been under fire lately. With such a young roster and many new faces, the potential is through the roof with this team, though that potential can be a two edged sword. As the Bulls experienced with Schwartz, a prospect trending towards boom can very quickly turn to bust. It will be imperative for the Bulls to establish a culture of hard work and perseverance, to begin a tradition of winning with this new generation of players who are still only getting their feet under them. 72 games is a long season in the VHLM and it will require commitment from all members of this squad if they hope to achieve their goals. This is a team that still has aspirations of winning the cup, what remains to be seen is the drive of these young rookies over the course of a long season to stay disciplined and motivated. Let's not be too quick to count them out-- or crown them champions a week and a half into the season. There's a ton of hockey left to be played and I'm here for it. Notes: - In a quick turnaround after the departure of center, Nathan Schwartz, the Bulls announced the signing of a new centerman, SID THE FREAKING KID GOAT CROSBY, just this afternoon. No, I'm not trying to shout at you, that's the player's name. Take it up with who ever allows these wild birth certificates to go through. Lauren Lambert for VHL.com

Couldn’t have asked for a better team and GM to join! Great piece! Looking forward to what this group can accomplish together!

Awesome graphic! I love this idea and it's well executed!

1. Houston after 1 week: 4-4-2, 4th in the Western Conference. Does our current record reflect the rest of the season? I don't believe so... I mean, I hope not! It's honestly not awful considering how many of us are rookies and still getting used to playing in this league, but I would hope that by the end of the year we're going to be a lot more competitive as we continue to develop and gain experience. 2. How has your player performed through these first 10 games? Been on a bit of a nice run of form to start the season! 15 points in 10 games is way more than I expected to be getting so I can't complain. Though the PIMs are a little concerning. Apparently I'm an absolute goon, haha! 3. Team Bonding Opportunity!: Ondrej Vencko @Mutti is our well known drug addict. We need to hop the border from Texas to Mexico, what vehicle are we cruising in to partake in illegal activities? Oh, that's an easy one! An El Camino. I think it's kind of a self-explanatory choice. I feel like nothing good ever happens in the back of an El Camino... 4. @Nathan_8 was announced this week as Houston's newest AGM. Do you have any words of advice for Nathan? Anything you would like to say? He's been a great addition to the front office! He's very active in the locker room and he's been a great teammate so far. I have no advice for someone who's doing as good a job as he is, and it's not like I would know better anyway. All I'd like to say is thanks @Nathan_8, you've been a big part of making this team a fun place to play so far this year! 5. Our captain Trimiskez Artav @jake and our assistant captain Chris Reynolds Jr @Crstats23 lead the team with 7 goals each. In a 72 game season, how many goals will the two end up with? My guess is around 45-50 goals for each of them. How many goals will your player end with? I'm going to predict they both hit 50 goals for a nice round 100. That would be incredible, and I think possible! As for me, lol, I'll be lucky if I ever score again shooting at 4.17%. But hey, who doesn't like a good muffin? 6. I am deciding to drop everything I have and run! The mafia has caught up to me and Houston needs a new GM now. You have been chosen to fill my spot! As GM of the Houston Bulls what is the first thing you do? What?! NO! Is the mafia wearing green by chance-- or red and white? I knew I shouldn't have said anything about those Greenlanders... You can't leave us! If this was happening, I'd probably demand that Artav reclaim his American citizenship and I would never draft another Greenlander again...in this hypothetical scenario, that is. Greenland good, Greenland great, Greenland green. ...I've probably said too much ...

This was well written and fun to read! Of course, part of me is flattered to hear someone else write about my player, but I have to say it was genuinely awesome to read about some of the other players that I really don't know much about. I've been trying to get to know some of the standout players throughout the VHLM, though it can require a good bit of research and sifting through stats. Your article really makes that process easy and palatable. As a fan of observing the process of scouting/drafting IRL, this is a fun piece to be included in and helps build anticipation for the S93 draft which is going to be a stacked class! I also really liked how you clearly looked at each player's STHS sheet and used it to write about their pros and cons in a realistic way. Awesome job, and I look forward to reading more of your writing soon! 9/10

Awesome media spot! It provides a highlight reel of all the relevant statistical information for the Bulls so far this season. I especially appreciated the suggestion of a free, fancy meal. I know my AGM's got my back! I really liked the projections you mathed out for the season to contextualize the stats, that was a good bit of analysis, even if is still early in the season. I think you were also quite balanced when being positive and critical about certain statistics, though maybe I should be taking a little more heat for all those PIMs. If I could offer one piece of constructive feedback, I think this kind of article would really benefit from some paragraph breaks and formatting. It's really a minor thing, but it can go a long way if done well, I think. All in all, a great writeup of the first week of action! Can't wait 'til the next! 8.5/10

Hmm, that's a good idea! Let's get on that!

A quick click over to the VHLM standings and league leaders will give you a sense of which players are making a name for themselves so far this season. In this post, however, we'll be looking at 3 quality players who are flying under the radar after one week of play. 1. Nathan Ecker - RW - Houston Bulls @Nathan_8: Though his 6 points in 10 games may not jump off the page just yet, it is worth noting that 5 of those points are goals. Sure, shooting at 21.74% is not likely sustainable for the duration of the season, but then it's also not likely that he continues getting only 1 assist every 10 games. Add to that the fact that he is a rookie who is looking more and more confident with each passing game, don't be surprised if he takes a leap forward in production as the season progresses. Possessing good speed and a great shot, he has the weapons in his arsenal to be a serious player at the VHLM level and beyond. 2. Annie Oaks - RW - Saskatoon Wild @Noodle Enjoyer: 60 shots in 10 games. That's the headline for Annie Oaks so far this season. With a respectable 4 goals and 7 assists, she's had moderate success offensively, but it's not likely she continues shooting at 6.6% for long. Sitting at 5th in the league in shots, there are 25 players who have more than her 4 goals. At some point, those shots are going to start going in, and when they do, we could be looking at an absolute terror for opposing goalies. 3. Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen - G - Mexico City Kings @Snussu: The .897 save percentage doesn't exactly flatter this 18 year old Finnish netminder, but we're also only 10 games into a long 72 game season. In those 10 games, Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen holds a winning 6-3-1 record as the Kings sit 2nd in the Western Conference and 5th overall. It's still way too early to count out the 2nd overall pick from the S92 VHLM draft. With high potential and a quality blueline in front of him, look for Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen to find the form that made him such a hot commodity in the last offseason. Lauren Lambert for VHL.com Claiming for week of 01/21