LucyXpher

D - Leif Reingaard @Gustav

Welcome to the VHL!

G - Fuukka Rask @Hogan

Thanks

S93 Halifax 21st Official Roster LW - Connor Simard @Alex99 LW - Dorji Khan @Oddpurplefly C - Pierre Marc Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito C - Robin Sierra @ethanjaeda C - Ty Duke @TheDuke C - Tommy Shelby @Will RW - Captain Nugget Jr @Captain nugget RW - Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple RW - Robert Tango @trains D - Andrew Skilton @ace_five_ D - Alexandr Novotny @Patrik Tallinder D - John Season @dylanjj37 G - Jon Webber III @Webberj G - Samuel Wazinski @samthemancub

Graphic credit: @Triller On Monday evening, the VHL’s Junior Showcase Tournament wrapped with Game 6 between the Warriors and the Steel. With the Warriors already in control of the series at three games to two, they clinched the Season 92 Junior Showcase Tournament in a 4-3 victory that featured a three point performance by Connor Simard @Alex99 and a stellar night in goal by Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen @Snussu. While the Steel managed to keep the Warriors’ top line off the scoresheet in game 6, it was the second line players of GM @Nathan_8’s squad that pushed them over the top in this game as Simard, Bruhmaninho @BigBruhman, and Robinson @isaak combined for 3 of the team’s 4 goals. 6:04 into the 3rd period, Simard would bury the game winner on the powerplay from de Trueno @Thunder and Robinson. The Steel would draw back to within 1, but the Warriors would seal the Steel fate with an empty netter by Jillian Woods @jacobcarson877 and that was all she wrote. In the ensuing celebrations, an ecstatic Nathan had only two words for any who may have doubted his managerial pedigree, “I’m him.” It’s hard to argue with the confidence of a manager who clinched World Junior Championship gold with Team World and the Junior Showcase Championship on back-to-back nights. Safe to say, his managerial career is off to a hot start and he’ll be carrying this confidence into his first season as general manager for the Mississauga Hounds in the VHLM. And while the Warriors’ triumph may be the top story of the tournament, it was far from the only one. ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ www.hitsfordays.jst - Okay, here’s a random fun fact for you, would you believe that the top three hitters in the JST were Wladyslaw Mintus @mintusaurus, WWumbo @Fire Tortorella, and Walter Jinn @Adrest245? Welcome to the world of weird and wacky... or maybe that's just my tired brain getting overly excited about the letter W. Did I mention that the Warriors won the JST? Sorry-- on with the article! Fire Brigade At one point in the regular schedule, the Brigade were the class of the field. In my preview article, I had the Brigade ranked 5th in the early roster power rankings and it seems that @samx's squad took that to heart. From days 11-25 of the tournament, the Brigade were unbeaten– 11-0-0 during that stretch, outscoring their opponents 32-15. Unfortunately, the Brigade cooled off immediately following this hot streak and lost their next 6 in a row, finishing the season 3-4-4 in their next 11 games. For the Brigade, it was perhaps a case of peaking at the wrong time. Though they still finished the regular season in 2nd place behind the Warriors, their late struggles seemed to shake their confidence in the playoffs as they fell to the Steel in 6 games in the first round, despite having home ice advantage. Notably, Tyler Lawson @Nyx was the Brigade’s leading scorer throughout the regular season and the playoffs. The 14th overall selection of the Helsinki Titans scored 26 points in the 30 regular season games and followed that up with 9 points in the Brigade’s 6 playoff games. Defender, Lucy Leitner @LucyXpher, and winger, UghSike @UghSike, both led the team and were among the tournament’s top scorers during the Brigade’s 11 game tear, but both cooled off considerably down the stretch, finishing with 22 and 21 points respectively. The team boasted a strong two-way game with players like Goncalves @leandrofg, Reynolds Jr @Crstats23, and Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito leading the way in that respect, but seemed to lack scoring punch at times, conceding points in a tournament high 6 shootout or overtime losses. Though they led the tournament with 212 shots blocked, the Brigade conversion rate of 9.91% on the powerplay was nearly 5% lower than the league average. While goaltending was thought to be a question mark for this team entering the tournament, it proved to be a strength as Da TypThond @Erik and Kendra Cavill @Firekiss both posted solid numbers in the regular season, highlighted by Da TypThond’s .918 SV% and 1.84 GAA. In the playoffs, however, Cavill struggled to a .877 SV% and 4.75 GAA in all 6 starts for the Brigade. Though it would be unfair to pin the Brigade’s playoff disappointment on Cavill who performed well during the regular season, it was certainly a performance to forget. Solid Steel In my preview for the Steel, I suggested that if they chose to play Kolesinska @chikn and Swift @lilchrist on the same line along with Artav @jake, they could boast one of the most complete starting lineups in the tournament. While Swift and Kolesinska didn’t play together all season on the Steel’s top line, they did play together on the team’s tournament best powerplay. Perhaps the team I was most accurate about in that preview, the Steel placed a solid 3rd in the tournament, never losing more than 3 games in a row or winning more than 4 in a row. The Steel were consistently a solid team throughout the tournament with Benjamin Abenduct @Schnee leading the way from the blueline, notching 34 points in 30 games. He was also tied with Trimiskez Artav with 13 goals, which was the second highest goal total in the tournament. Despite the Steel’s consistency, there were some anomalous numbers on their stat page, including Abenduct and Dukat @MSouthworth both being a minus rating throughout the tournament at 5-on-5. For the Steel, the statistical performance of goaltender, Ondrej Vencko @Mutti, was also a bit mystifying. With a .904 SV% and 2.07 GAA in a tournament-high 17 starts, Vencko’s numbers were respectable, though perhaps not as impressive as his closest rivals from this past season in the VHLM. Vencko, however, did claim the distinction of the tournament’s most victorious goalie, claiming 12 wins with only 5 losses on his record. In the playoffs, however, Vencko was arguably outperformed by his backup, Austin Goulet III @Tuchy, who posted a .919% compared with Vencko’s .903%, though both goalies held a record of 3-3. For Steel GM, @dstevensonjr, this tournament has to be considered a success. Entering the playoffs as the 3rd seed and knocking off the Brigade in the first round, the Steel were in the final with a chance to win it all. Despite losing the first two games of the finals on the Warrior’s home ice, the Steel pulled off two wins in their own barn to draw even at two games apiece. Unfortunately, they lost a close game 5 to the Warriors 4-3 which was punctuated by a Jean-Pierre Devote @eagle_3450 hattrick, and then the 4-2 loss in game 6. While they didn’t achieve their desired outcome, the Steel proved to be a formidable opponent throughout the season and measured up competitively against the eventual champions. No Rush If it wasn’t for the performance of Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish, I’m not sure where this team might have finished… Where have I heard this story before? Lovstrom paced the field of netminders with a .931 SV%, a 1.44 GAA and an impressive 4 shutouts in 15 games. Compare those numbers to his counterpart, Connor Hellebuyck @HockeyFan4Life, who is no slouch between the pipes, and you start to see why Lovstrom was so important to his team. For his part, in an equal sample of 15 games, Hellebuyck posted a .902% and 2.51 GAA. While he won the same number of games as Lovstrom, it’s clear which goalie gave his team the best chance to win. In the best of 5 play-in round, Lovstrom still managed a respectable .906, despite a shocking 4.50 GAA which likely reflects more on the team’s performance in front of him as the Rush would fall in 4 games to the Royals, who were the tournament’s weakest team through the regular season. Offensively, the Rush were led by 2nd overall selection in the S93 VHL draft, Gianfranco Del Rocco @Victor, who finished the tournament with 24 points in 30 games, followed closely by Oliver Loo @Misty with 20 in 30. Notably, Loo was a net 2nd in the tournament at +11 in 5-on-5 play and tied for net 3rd in goals, also with 11. In the play-in round, Nathan Ecker @Nathan_8 led the team with 6 points in 4 games, though the team seemed to lack scoring throughout that series against the Royals, managing to score only 2 or fewer goals in three of the four games. The Rush never really seemed to get going in this tournament, losing three consecutive games on four separate occasions, while only managing a three game winning streak at one point during the schedule. Having the second fewest total goals in the tournament with 62, the Rush were asking a lot of their goaltending tandem– and not to put too fine a point on the goaltending disparity in the Rush crease, Lovstrom only allowed 22 of the team’s 66 goals against. With a goal differential of only -4, the Rush were not so far off the mark that they weren’t competitive game to game, but they did seem to lack the offensive spark that would have put them in contention for the JST title. In the end, the overall result was not what the Rush would have hoped for, though the tournament still provided a spotlight for some of the team’s brightest stars. We’ll Never Be Royals… Okay, maybe that subtitle is a little harsh, but I’m trying to keep things light so allow it... please? Finishing last in the regular season with only 9 wins in 30 games, the Royals never really got going in the Junior Showcase Tournament. Going 9 games without a win in the middle of the season certainly doesn’t help the cause either. After their top goal scorer and point getter, Steve French @Seabass, who had 11 goals and 10 assists in 30 games, the next highest goal scorer on the Royals only had 7 goals and 17 points. You might be surprised to learn that this player was selected 1st overall in the recent VHL and VHLE drafts, and also went 1st in the VHLM draft a season ago. While I don’t think for one second that this JST performance is indicative in the slightest of what Antonia Bucatini @CowboyinAmerica is or might become, it is a surprising outcome for a player and a team that I had among the favorites to win the tournament. Revisiting this Royals roster, it’s frankly shocking how poorly this team performed in the tournament, despite featuring the likes of Annie Oaks @Noodle Enjoyer, Forum Content @frescoelmo, The Phantom of the VHL @Hogan, Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, Felicia Hardy @JCarson, Toby Cooke @KRZY, and the aforementioned Bucatini and French. With the tandem of Wazinski @samthemancub and Benson @Benson, two proven goaltenders at the VHLM level, it’s even more puzzling that this team allowed the most goals in the tournament– 77! With a goal differential of -18, they were in a class of their own at the bottom of the table. Look, I don’t want to pile on a team that had a run of bad luck so I’ll reiterate what I said before– I don’t think their record is indicative of the quality of the players on the roster. Chalk it up to bad puck luck, chemistry, low morale, or just speak the unspeakable name. Here’s the thing, whatever the Royals were in the regular season, they were a different team in the playoffs. Take Forum Content, for example, who scored 17 points in the regular season, but 18 points in the playoffs in 20 fewer games! Oaks and Bucatini experienced similar scoring bumps, both recording 15 points in 10 playoff games. The Royals would dispatch the Rush convincingly in the best-of-five play-in round, and matched up quite competitively against the eventual champion Warriors, losing in 6 games. If nothing else, the tale of two teams that was the Royals in this tournament is just another example of how fickle the game can be at times– or perhaps we just give the devil his name… Simon. The Warriors are… them? If their GM, Nathan, is him, then they are them, but let’s not get bogged down in semantics. The bottom line is that the Warriors were the class of the tournament. The only team with more than a +1 goal differential, the Warriors lapped the field with an absurd +20 in 30 games, finishing the tournament with a record of 21-8-1. In the regular season, Yermolai Nabokov @fonziGG led the way with 16 goals and 30 points in 30 games, while Jean-Pierre Devote pitched in 20 assists to go with his 8 goals. Jillian Woods and Ray Stanton @horoscope were standouts on the back end, logging 23 and 21 points respectively, but it was the Warrior’s goalie who may have really stolen the spotlight. Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen played an unbelievable tournament, recording 11 wins with only 4 losses in his 15 starts, a .924 SV%, and a 1.51 GAA. In the playoffs, AKK continued his strong run of form with 8 wins and only 3 losses, a .920%, and a 2.72 GAA. While Lovstrom may have had slightly better percentages and Vencko, more wins, AKK played the most consistent tournament of those 3 top goalies and deserved every bit of his team’s victory. Throughout the tournament, the Warriors never really struggled and, unlike the Brigade, managed to heat up at just the right time. Down the stretch, the Warriors racked up 11 wins in their last 12 games and went into the playoffs flaming hot. In the playoffs, they would never face elimination and took care of business against the resurgent Royals and the consistent Steel. While the Brigade came the closest in the regular season to reaching the level of the Warriors, they seemed to lack the bona fide starting goaltender that the Warriors had to go along with a strong blueline and a frightening forward corps. This was a well constructed Warriors team that found a way to win most nights and delivered on the lofty promises made by their GM before the tournament started. Fair play and congratulations to the Warriors on a dominant Junior Showcase Tournament! ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ Players of the Tournament: Goalie: Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen @Snussu Regular Season (11-4-0, .924%, 1.51 GAA, 2 SO) Playoffs (8-3-1, .920%, 2.72 GAA) As I suggested earlier, I think AKK was the most consistent goalie throughout the tournament and played a huge part in his team’s success. While his last season in the VHLM may not have played out the way he hoped, his JST performance reminded us why he’s considered among the best goalies in his draft class and was a highly rated prospect in the recent VHL and VHLE drafts. Congratulations to Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen on a fantastic tournament. Skater: Benjamin Abenduct @Schnee Regular Season (30GP, 13G, 21A, 34P) Playoffs: (12GP, 9G, 13A, 22P) There’s really not much debate when it comes to the top skater of the tournament and who I would consider the tournament MVP. Abenduct led the tournament in points as a defenseman, scoring the second most goals, and recording the highest assist total. He was also 3rd in shots blocked, 6th in hits, and played the 4th most minutes of any player in the tournament. In the playoffs, he led the tournament in points again, had the 2nd most goals, 3rd most assists, and was 2nd in shots blocked. It was an absolutely dominant performance by Abenduct at this tournament and there’s really no other player who performed at the same level throughout both the regular schedule and the playoffs. Though he came up short in the finals with the Steel, it wasn’t for lack of effort. Congratulations to Benjamin Abenduct for his incredible individual performance and a great run to the final. ════ ⋆★⋆ ════ And that concludes my coverage of the S93 Junior Showcase Tournament! Thank you to all the players and managers for giving us an entertaining showcase, as well as the simmers and commissioners who made it all happen behind the scenes… despite a few hiccups and a false start. I wish the best of luck to all the players continuing their careers-- some returning back to the M, while others are moving up to the E, and even potentially the VHL as early as this season. We’ll see what the future holds for this generation of players, but if this JST was anything to go by, the future is bright! LucyXpher for VSN Claim 03/24/24 - 2676 words Claim 03/31/24

Welcome!

Welcome to the VHL! Feel free to reach out if you ever have any questions, I'm always happy to help!

F - Jimi Jaks @Gustav

D - Skor McFleury @Hogan

I don’t see an issue with career point tasks. Seems like fair TPE value for effort, and if they were just regular PTs not many would do them. I’ve seen some that are worth reading, and some that aren’t, that’s always going to be up to the person writing it, but I have noticed generally that there seems to be a bit more creative effort given to these than regular point tasks.

We’re all glad you made it… eventually! Here’s hoping all those geography books and atlases help prevent any future detours!

Answer 3 Questions for 1 Capped TPE Answer 6 Questions for 2 Capped TPE For week ending on March 24, 2024 1. The VHLM draft took place this past Saturday afternoon and Halifax drafted 10 players! We also added Robin Sierra @ethanjaeda on waivers and traded for a goalie, Samuel Wazinski @samthemancub, in the offseason to compliment our 1 returning player John Season @dylanjj37. What are your thoughts on the roster going into Season 93? And is there one player that you're looking forward to being teammates with? 2. The VHLM awards also happened this past weekend, and while none of our players claimed any hardware, we did have at least one nominee from last season. Obviously we want to win the Founder's Cup, but besides that trophy, is there any other that you would really like to win? 3. Okay, simple question, what is the most embarrassing song that you listen to regularly? And no cheating, let's have the truth! 4. What are your hopes and expectations for this VHLM season? Do you have one goal in mind that you'd like to achieve either in the sims, forums, or discord? 5. Getting ready for the season, everyone is training hard...I hope! Does your player have a weakness that you think needs some extra attention? 6. Do you think the Halifax 21st have what it takes to win the Founder's Cup in Season 93? To claim TPE: Go to the portal > Manage Player > Claim Capped > Type > Press Conference

Welcome to the VHL!

Welcome!

GM of the year material. I'm gonna miss that team

Amazing first press conference! Loved getting to know more about you!

I'm only here to be helpful and friendly!

Welcome, feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Congrats to all the winners and nominees! All of them deserved the recognition! Also, big shoutout to @AJW for the Jack Reilly Trophy! He did an incredible job in Houston in S92 and I am nothing but grateful for all he did for our group and for each of us as players!

Thanks so much for your review! I’m glad the dialogue was easy enough to follow. I lie to avoid naming characters ever time they speak, but I’ve also read pieces where that makes dialogue very confusing. Glad to hear it worked out here!

Thank you! You’re too kind lol. I don’t think I can even claim next week with this since it’s a career pt but it’s cool, I’ve got other plans for next week.

As our flight touched down in Stockholm, I couldn’t help but be reminded that I was a long way from home. Having spent most of my life and professional career as a writer in Houston, the prospect of crossing the pond and living in a new country for any extended period of time was admittedly quite mystifying. Opportunity calls-- or at least that's what I told myself as I disembarked the aircraft and began making my way through the terminal. After a nearly 12-hour flight, my destination was still an hour's train ride away-- Vasteras, one of northern Europe's oldest cities, approximately 100km west of Stockholm. Stepping outside, I found myself instinctively buttoning up my coat and folding my arms. In contrast to the humid heat of Houston, even in the month of March, the air here in Sweden tasted fresh, brisk even, if not a little chilly. It's a change, no doubt about that, though not an entirely unwelcome one. Last season, writing for VHL.com, I covered the story of the Houston Bulls, chronicling their rise from an early season underdog to a playoff favorite. Having privileged access to the locker room, the players, and staff, I grew quite fond of the team, experiencing the excitement of their first-round playoff victory, as well as the pain of their semi-final defeat. The loss was made to sting all the more as I knew that I would be moving on from coverage of the Bulls at the conclusion of the playoffs, not unlike the players who would be moving on to new teams for S93. Only yesterday, my next assignment was confirmed-- the Vasteras Iron Eagles of the VHLE. I had known I'd likely be heading to Europe to cover the E, but the city I'd be calling home for the duration of this next season remained a mystery until what seemed like the final hour. When I finally got the call on Monday evening, my bags were already half packed and I scrambled to put the rest of my life together in short order—coat, scarves, boots, hat... I don't live in the real world and my life is chaos, though I suppose that's half the fun. And while I could go on about my hectic travel schedule, my lack of sleep, or prepping for a feature interview while on an intercontinental flight, this piece isn't about me so I'll spare you my melodrama. Suffice it to say, the whirlwind that was my weekend surely cannot compare to the experience of recent VHL and VHLE draftee, Lucy Leitner. I had the opportunity to follow Leitner's first professional hockey season in Houston and was impressed with her level of play and commitment to development on and off the ice. She got off to a flying start, quickly dispelling any doubts that her success at the junior level wouldn't translate to the minor pro ranks. Finishing the season with 76 points in 72 games, collecting 60 assists in the process, Leitner impressed scouts enough for Riga to select her 3rd overall in the VHL draft. In the VHLE draft, it was Vasteras that collected the smooth skating defender with the 2nd overall pick. Notably, in both drafts over the weekend, it was Leitner's Houston teammate, Antonia Bucatini @CowboyinAmerica, who was selected 1st overall, completing a trifecta of 1st overall selections in the VHLM, VHLE, and VHL. Vasteras, Sweden I slept through the hour-long train ride from Stockholm to Vasteras and, groggy-eyed, I caught a cab from the train station to the hotel and turned in early (it was only 4pm local time). The next morning, I met Lucy in the hotel lobby at 9:00. She was in a chipper mood, almost glowing as she crossed the lobby and greeted me warmly. She had arrived in Vasteras the same day as I had for a short visit and already had plans to leave in less than 24 hours to fly back to the US—to Salt Lake City, for the World Junior Championships. Today, she had the morning free to explore the city and I was more than happy to tag along. Unlike Houston, Vasteras is a walkable city. In Houston, if you don’t have a vehicle, you’re not going to get far. If you want to get anywhere, you’ll need to put on your game face, grit your teeth, hit the freeway, and hope to hell you don’t encounter the infamous Houston driver. Sure, there are bike paths down by the bayou and the city has got some nice parks, but it’s hot, horrendously humid, and sweatier than hyperhidrosis if it isn’t one of those precious few temperate weeks in the middle of February. Sound like your cup of tea? At least make sure it’s iced and unsweet, you psycho. By contrast, Vasteras has a beautiful historical district called Bondtorget. With quaint and colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, outdoor markets, a picturesque plaza, and bridges that cross the Svartån river, it doesn’t feel like life is coming at you a million miles a minute. In the chaos of the last 48 hours, taking in these relatively quiet streets with Lucy was a breath of fresh air—and I mean that literally. Back in Houston, it’s muggier than a stein of bulldog-branded root beer... Look, I’m tired and I’m trying, do with that odd analogy what you will. Walking through the narrow streets, we stumbled upon a small bridge over the Svartån with hundreds of locks hooked on the railings. I had seen bridges like this before in Europe and in North America, but Lucy seemingly had not. “Why are all these locks here?” she asked, curiously. “They’re called love locks,” I replied, “Look, you can see the initials inscribed on them. Couples leave them as a sign of their unbreakable love.” Leaning in closer to examine the locks, Lucy had an air of fascination about her, like a kid in a candy shop, a youthful curiosity. I had to remind myself, she was still only 18 and this was the furthest she’d ever been outside of the US. For all of her maturity and composure on the ice and in the locker room, this was all still new to her. Europe was a new world. Moving on from the lock encumbered bridge, we continued picking our way through the winding streets and found ourselves a quiet coffee shop where we could sit and chat. And while I fought back yawns and gulped my coffee down, fiending for caffeine, Lucy apparently had all the energy in the world. “Are you sure you only got here yesterday?” I asked, marveling at her excitement. “How are you not exhausted after all you’ve been through this past weekend? I mean, you were just drafted to the VHL and the VHLE, you’ve been playing in the Junior Showcase Tournament, you’ve flown across the Atlantic to a place you’ve never been, and you’re flying back to Salt Lake in less than a day to play against some of the best young players in the world—what's your secret? How are you not crashing?” Lucy laughed, “I don’t know. I guess I never really thought about all that. I’m just taking it all as it comes and it’s all been so much fun!” “Tell me about that experience, though-- the VHL draft was on Saturday and you were selected by Riga. Did you expect to get picked 3rd overall?” “Not at all! If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t even know Riga was in Latvia until after I got off the phone with the GM when I was drafted. I was just like, ‘where on earth is Riga?’ I guess I had it in my head that it was in Switzerland or something.” Amused, I asked, “Did you know Vasteras was in Sweden?” “Yeah, I knew that because I had a couple of former junior teammates who had been here, actually, for a tournament.” “So how do you feel about Riga? Is that where you would have hoped to get drafted?” She shrugged, “Honestly, I didn't really have any expectations, I was just happy to get picked. The organization has been nothing but great to me so far. I mean, I kind of knew they were interested because they interviewed me before the draft, but so did a bunch of other teams so I was totally shocked when I heard my name at 3rd overall with all the other great players that were still on the board. I’m just super honored more than anything else.” “No, that’s so great to hear,” I say, drinking in her luminous demeanor—and another slurp of my coffee, “And so you were picked 2nd overall by Vasteras in the VHLE draft on Monday, tell me about that experience.” “Honestly, I was still on a high from the VHL draft and when they picked me at 2nd, I couldn’t believe it. It was just such a surreal moment realizing that I could kind of see my future, like, where I would be playing next season and for, hopefully, many seasons after that in Riga.” “What does your family think about you moving to Europe? I’m sure there’s a bit of mixed emotion seeing you move so far away to play hockey.” “Yeah, definitely a little bit, like you said, obviously they’re all super supportive, but, you know, obviously, there were some tears when they dropped me off at the airport. I’m sure I’ll be able to see them a fair bit if they travel here for games. They’re already planning on coming to my first game here in Vasteras so we’re all super excited for that.” “What will that mean to you—your first game in the E with your family in attendance? I remember last offseason we spoke about you making the jump up to the M and I think you proved pretty quickly that you belonged in that league. Do you have any nervous energy going into this season?” “It’ll mean the world to me to have my family there. They’ve been with me throughout the whole journey so having them there for the first one will be super special. Like, I guess I’m maybe a little bit nervous, but, like, nothing crazy. I mean, a little bit of nervousness is good, right? Like, it kind of gets you going and I think it really helps me focus. Like, if I’m not nervous, maybe I’m not taking it seriously enough. So, yeah...” “Do you put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform at a high level?” “I guess, yeah, I definitely have high expectations for myself, but I also just love to play, so I obviously want to be at my best and I expect to play well, but if things are kind of off, I guess I don’t beat myself up over it too much. At the end of the day, I’m just so lucky to be playing this game.” “I think that’s a great mentality to have. Just take it as it comes and enjoy every moment.” “Exactly!” Lucy smiled brightly. “I wanted to ask you about your new teammates—particularly, an old teammate who will be playing with you in Vasteras. Ondrej Vencko @Mutti was also selected by the Iron Eagles, as well as a couple of rivals of yours from the Reapers, Jorgen Lovstrom @Pifferfish and Yermolai Nabokov @fonziGG. On top of that, another high VHL draft pick in Gianfranco Del Rocco @Victor was also drafted by Vasteras. What do you think of being teammates with all of them now?” “I can’t even tell you how happy I am, honestly! I’m so glad Ondra is here. He’s just such a funny and amazing personality and an incredible player, and to have Lovstrom too? Like, our goalies have to be the best in the E, right? I also heard that they’re kinda drinking buddies in the offseason when we’re supposed to be in ‘training camp’, so maybe now that we’re all teammates they’ll let me join them! Nabokov, I don’t know too well, but I’ve heard great things about him too, and he was obviously incredible last season so I’m super excited to have him on the team. We were actually both drafted to Riga as well, so I’m sure I’ll get to know him pretty well in future. —And Del Rocco! I was honestly surprised Vasteras didn’t take him at 2nd overall, what a player!” “It must be nice that you’ll have at least one other former Houston Bull on Vasteras with you after so many were picked in these drafts.” “Absolutely! I was honestly hoping that there would be more, but of all the people it could have been, Ondra is the best—no offense to anyone else! I love them all!” “What do you think of the team’s chances to compete for the VHLE championship this year?” “I mean, with all the talent that Z @Zetterberg brought in with the draft, plus the players we already have on the roster, I really like our chances! It’s obviously a long season and a lot can happen, but right now I absolutely believe we have a chance, and talking with some of the others, we’re all really excited to get started!” “Yeah, so with the season starting in less than a week, how are you preparing for the start of the VHLE season? I know you’ll be attending the World Juniors for Team USA, but do you think you’ll be prepared once the regular season starts?” “Definitely, I’ve been training all offseason to get better, really working on my defensive game and trying to play bigger. I’m obviously not the biggest person on the ice, but I know the levels go up in the E, including physicality, so I’m just trying to do everything I can to be ready for that. But I’m feeling really confident that my game is in a much better place now than at the end of the playoffs. I’m just feeling ready.” “And what about the World Juniors, how do you feel about your chances in that tournament? It must be an honor being able to wear your country’s colors, right?” “Yes! Oh, I can’t wait. I’ve wanted to play for the national team my whole life, so this is like a dream for me. It’s gonna be so cool putting on those jerseys and skating out against Canada in game one—like, I just can’t wait. I think we have a good chance in the tournament too, like, we’ve got a solid lineup and it’ll be great to be on the same team as Abenduct again for this tournament. I think he and Gul Dukat are going to be a monster pair if the coach puts them together!” We continued our chat for a while longer. I ordered a second coffee in the meantime, still trying to keep up with Lucy’s energy, though it seemed no amount of magic bean juice was going to get me to that level. Just before we concluded, I asked her, “Now that you’ve finished your first full season of professional hockey, have your goals changed at all? When we spoke in the last offseason, you were focused on helping the Bulls win. I know it was a disappointing end to that run, but do you feel you accomplished what you set out to do? And what is your goal for this season?” Lucy seemed to think for a few moments before answering, “Wow, yeah, I’m definitely still getting over that loss to Philly. It was heartbreaking, honestly. I mean, we didn’t get the Founder’s Cup like we all wanted—like I had hoped, I guess, but I don’t think the season was a failure. Just seeing how far we came is so incredible to look back on and I think it’s really kind of changed my perspective. I still want to win— I want to win this season, of course, but I kinda feel like how we came together as a team was even more important in the end. I’ve never had a season quite like that run with the Bulls and I really hope it’s not the last. It would have been so much sweeter if we had won, and I’m not satisfied with losing, but that’s the game, I guess. So, like, not much changes this season really, but I feel like maybe my first goal is bringing the same team energy that we had in Houston here to Vasteras. I really think if we have the whole team on the same page that way, the sky is the limit to what we can accomplish, and a championship will kind of take care of itself. I don’t know, it’s a good question. “Last one, where do you see yourself in five years?” “That’s easy,” Lucy smiled, “I’m having my day with the Continental Cup in Riga.” Riga, Latvia For a player with only one season of pro experience, her goals are lofty, but her self-expectation is higher. Certainly, the road to a Continental Cup in five years will be a difficult one. Still to play her first game with Vasteras, Leitner has a long road ahead of her just to get to that opening faceoff as she heads back to the US for the World Juniors this week. While she exudes the energy of someone who takes every minute as it comes, allowing the moment to shape her experience, her long-term goal is set in the stars. Whether or not she reaches it remains to be seen. Saying our goodbyes, I caught myself exhaling tiredly. I think Lucy noticed it too as she flashed me a knowing grin, leaving the coffee shop for a waiting cab. Light travels fast. ──•~❉᯽❉~•── Lauren Lambert for VHL.com 3/14/24 - 2938 words

Amazing article, and a really great idea! I haven’t seen anybody do one quite like this this and it’s fantastic! Nice to get a little insight as to what the others are thinking

Welcome!