Nyx

Fourth and final claim for week ending in 03/31

1. I missed the awards, I'm sort of swamped atm with school/work and haven't had a chance to look yet :// Congrats to everyone who won though! 2. Definitely curved and always backwards. Makes me feel like an undercover cop or something wearing them forward lol 3. Maybe Courage the Cowardly Dog. Used to love that one growing up, but Regular Show was a staple for me as well 4. Not at the moment, but I'd like to. Manga, anime/video game memorabilia, that sorta thing definitely interests me. Really expensive market though, especially when importing goods from overseas. 5. Solid color - probably the most disgusting color that just completely doesn't match the team colors just to mess with the other squad. Could definitely rock a lime green helmet 6. Whichever the sim engine has a preference for, though that's definitely not something it takes into account

Third claim for week ending in 3/24

Having finally settled down in his . . . humble apartment in Rome, he scribbled in a notebook on the desk in his living room which, well, also happened to be his bedroom. And his kitchen. Underneath some pencil marks spelling out an introductory phrase in English, he wrote out another phrase just underneath. "Ciao il mio nome è Tyler," he trailed off, a hand to his forehead. The language barrier was something that had been troubling him - without the Gladiators organization helping to acquire his apartment, he'd be sleeping out on the streets, no doubt. Shaking his head, he got back into his notebook not allowing himself to grow distracted. Just as he picked up his pencil from his desk, he shot out of his chair in shock as the chime of his ringtone filled the room. Who the hell is calling at this time of night?' He thought, annoyed that he'd been disturbed once again. "I swear whoever called, I'm going to give them a piece of my-" He froze as he picked up the call and heard the voice on the other end. "Hello, is this Tyler Lawson?" The voice asked, to which Tyler confirmed. "Please hold for [USA Manager name] for the World Junior Championship." His eyes grew wide as he removed his phone from his ear to look at the phone in disbelief over what he was hearing. 'Did they say Team USA?' He thought, 'No shot - there's no way.' If he had any more doubts, it was shattered quickly as the team manager informed him of their interest in him playing for the squad, should he be interested. "Yes!" He shouted, "Uh - definitely, I'd . . . uh, it would be an honor, amazing really, I . . . yes, I'd love to." He stammered, his words stumbling over themselves as words were flowing out of his mouth uncontrollably. He winced knowing that the other tenants would likely complain of his outburst just now - what an impression to make on his first night, huh? As the other side of the phone assured him they'd keep and touch and clicked off the call, Lawson couldn't help yet another outburst as he punched the air excitedly. "USA! USA! USA!" He chanted in his celebration, a smile plastered across his face that he couldn't shake off even if he wanted to. During his chanting, though, a man from the floor beneath him began yelling loudly at him in Italian, and from the little knowledge he DID have on the language, he could tell they weren't very friendly words. "I, err, sorry!" He yelled back before resting his head in his hands. "Damnit," he muttered before tossing himself onto his bed, laying on his back. He couldn't help but to just stare at the ceiling thinking about this new opportunity - no, he wouldn't be getting much rest tonight, he thought.

Thank you very much! I really love to write longer forms of media over here as I feel it allows more cohesive storytelling than if I were to split it up over a few weeks or just through writing shorter pieces. I'm happy you enjoyed it, I appreciate you taking the time to read it

This is really high praise coming from you, thank you so much! Playing for Sam is going to be really awesome, but I can say the same for you with Riga - they've got an amazing user in you, it's almost crazy the amount of accolades you have under your belt in such a short time. I can't wait to see what else you end up doing for this community, I feel like you've already accomplished a lot and made a huge mark with both your player and your multiple GM gigs and I'm honestly very excited to see your future in the league.

With all the effort we've all seen from you on the forums, the discord, and just within the league entirely, I have zero doubt in my mind that you will! Keep up the fantastic work - I can't wait to see what kind of career you'll end up with as a GM and a player! Best of luck

Second claim for week ending in 3/17

Thank you so much! My favorite part of these sim leagues is world building with my players so it's really awesome to hear that. Hope all goes well for you in the upcoming season as well!

Thanks for the mention! Great piece, it takes a lot of time, dedication, and attention to detail as well as a little bit of imagination to come up with realistic trade scenarios like you have.

As Tyler Lawson, former Houston Bulls centreman was selected with the fourteenth overall pick by the Helinski Titans, he was initially really nervous at the prospect. He was to live and play in a foreign country and it all seemed extremely daunting for him - it was something that was weighing on his shoulders even now, honestly, but he realized he had to get over himself and face the reality of his situation. After undergoing the contract signing, all the ordinary new team chats, finding his way with all the facilities, and getting to meet teammates, trainers, and coaches, he found himself in his first press conference with the squad. He let out a deep breath from out of view, before smiling and waving to greet the press. The room grew loud as the reporters all were vying for a scoop about their new American prospect. He selected a reporter, a man - probably in his forties, close to the front. As he spoke, Lawson's face dropped and he felt a deep twinge of . . . honestly, fear. It hadn't quite hit him until that moment that they wouldn't be speaking English. His eyes grew wide and he scratched at his neck nervously, looking off side to side at his team for any help. Unbeknownst to Lawson, they'd set him up with someone to translate for him - some team intern must've forgotten to clue him in. The translator looked over at Tyler before speaking, "The reporter would like to know some of the things you intend to do in Helinski once you're settled in." "I, uhm, well, first and foremost . . . I need to crack open some books, err, get on learning . . . Finnish? Right, ah, yeah. I'd like to learn some Finnish and get to take in the culture of your people, and uhm, maybe go sightseeing - that'd be fun. Uhm, thanks," he nodded to the reporter, feeling as though he were sweating bullets. He thought he'd managed to figure out this whole press conference thing back in Houston - but man, these VHL reporters were seriously no joke. It almost felt like a whole other level - though part of that was probably also the language barrier. He found himself growing frustrated as he continued on struggling to answer their questions properly. Eventually, he'd thank them for their time before hastily scurrying out of the box. As he exited the room and turned the corner to meet with his PR Manager, he frowned. "Well, that . . . couldn't have gone any worse, huh," he let out. He could already tell he was going to be in for a hard time with the fans and reporters here in Helinski.

The loud crack of a hockey stick rang out through the empty arena, echoing off of the walls as the only sound in an otherwise silent stadium. Shortly after that, the sound of skates on ice could be heard as the player skated off the ice and onto the bench. His helmet dropped and rolled around the concrete flooring, the pants of the player loud and frequent. Tyler Lawson threw his head back, wiping sweat from his brow, as he took in his surroundings. Having been cut from the Houston Bulls as he was entering the VLHE Draft, he asked a favor of the staff to let him skate around in Houston for one last time. Lawson had broken his hockey stick out on the rink, taking it as a sign that maybe his time on the ice here was ending. Having spent the better part of a year living here, he felt an odd, almost indescribable feeling creeping up on him knowing that after the draft, he could be playing god knows where. After getting so accustomed to the culture in Houston, he frowned thinking of how it was almost like a reset for him. Not that would be a bad thing necessarily, but he'd enjoyed his time here and the change worried him. He tossed aside his stick, letting it bounce with a clang against the metal bench, before pulling out his phone. He scrolled through a folder in his gallery app, compiled of all the memories he'd made with the team through many various photos and videos. He would take a few more - of the stadium, a selfie on the ice, just taking it all in as he never knew when, or if, he'd be back. He found himself smiling as he scrolled through the media, and looked back on all the team dinners, the pranks played, and the charity events. Enveloped in nostalgia, he had to remind himself to be happy of everything he started here - as his time in Houston was slipping through his fingers, he wanted to end it off on a high note. After all, he would hate to have to look back on his times here and only be able to remember moping around about leaving. His eyes scanned the stands and his mind was filled with the roars of the crowd, the wins and the losses, everything that'd led him to that point. Shaking himself out of it, he let out a small grunt as stood, finding his footing. Letting out a small sigh, Tyler knew he'd overstayed his welcome. He'd scoop up his immediate belongings, before turning to make way for the locker rooms. On the trip over, he made sure to take in the arena he'd grown fond of over the past season. He'd almost felt like he had taken it all for granted - deep down, he knew he was off to bigger and better things, though, that didn't stop the heartache he felt leaving his teammates behind. As he stepped into the locker room, he read the nametags above every locker before making his way over to his. He scooped the rest of his items, placing them in his bag, before shouldering the bag again. As he made his way for the player's exit of the arena, he made sure to thank the staff on the way out for allowing him to check the arena out one last time, as well as for their contributions to the team. Finally exiting the arena, he made his way for a black SUV he'd rented ahead of time that would be taking him to the airport. It only made sense, in his eyes, to watch the draft from home with his family. Lawson wasn't exactly top-pick material, and as such, he decided against attending the draft in person. This way, it allowed for him to spend time with his family without killing his pockets, he thought. He pulled out his phone, checking social media to ease his nerves. Call it conceited, but recently, Tyler had been watching the VHL mock drafts, he was unsurprisingly anxious about the whole ordeal. I mean, whoever drafted him, that very well could be his home until the wheels fell off and he was to retire. He didn't really mind where he was going - well, that was untrue, he'd prefer somewhere a little warmer in climate. At the least during the summer, he thought, as he couldn't think of a ton of places in the world where hockey was played that were quite as hot as anywhere he'd lived before. He'd also secretly hoped to be drafted alongside a few of his teammates - I know, something of a pipe dream. It was highly unlikely, and he didn't honestly expect as much, though it was a fun thought. As the ride went on, Tyler found himself often looking out the window - watching on as they passed his favorite local restaurants, murals across the city, museums, and loads of places he'd spent his free time the last year. He'd loved especially visiting the Rangers during their regular season games, as every time he'd go, they tended to throw him up on the jumbotron, and he'd meet a few players ever once in a while. He did love the attention, honestly, but it was freeing to get out someplace where he wasn't the center of attention. Sure, he'd get asked for some photos every once in a while, or maybe some fan of the team would strike up a conversation, but for the most part - he was left alone, the other bystanders were there to watch the game the same as him. He even visited a few of the World Series games, rooting for the Rangers. If not for the fact he was playing for Houston's hockey team, then because of Arizona being the ones to knock out his favorite team, the Dodgers. As he recovered from his thoughts, he looked down in surprise as the driver thanked him and announced they were at their stop. Lawson shook his head in disbelief before getting his stuff together and exiting the car. He wouldn't dwell on it, but he was confused as he hadn't thought he'd been stuck in thought for quite so long. Entering the airport and making his way through TSA, he found himself waiting for his flight to LAX. He'd taken this same trip not too long ago during the playoffs, and now here he was, heading back home once more and preparing for the draft. He was surprised at how fast things changed - just a year ago, it seemed like his hockey dreams were over - nobody cared about him as a prospect or took him seriously barring his injury at UCLA, and when Houston took a chance on him . . . well, he wouldn't let it go to waste. That much was evident now, but reflecting on the situation, he didn't think he could blame them. He had just taken one of the most serious injuries an athlete can have, and this was coming off of an already shaky injury history back in high school. Now wasn't the time to reflect on that, though, he figured as he stood up to explore the airport. Taking a few photos with fans and grabbing something from the airport for lunch, it wasn't too long before his flight was scheduled for boarding. As he took his suitcase, and his duffle bag slung over his shoulder, he walked down the jet bridge before boarding the plane. He smiled and greeted the attendants before making his way to his seat in first class. He cheaped out on his last flight and had grown to regret it, as a baby crying made it pretty difficult for him to get any rest. As he took his seat, he rummaged through his bag reaching for a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that he'd toss on. Buckling his seatbelt, he'd cross his arms and close his eyes, nodding off not too long after the fact. As he awoke, he groggily rubbed his eyes before checking the flight tracker ahead of him. '30 minutes,' he thought, 'not too bad'. Reaching into his bag once more, he retrieved a book that he'd bought at one of the airport shops back in Houston. He decided that he could get a little bit of reading in before disembarking, and it helped to ease his nerves a bit. Despite things going alright last time, this was only his second ever flight and he was stil . . . somewhat nervous about the thought of the plane going down. The book had managed to be a successful outlet for distracting himself, as before he knew it, he was exiting just as quickly as he'd boarded the flight. Lugging his belongings behind him, he met his parents outside near the front and after helping him with loading his belongings, they'd make the two-hour trip to take him to his childhood home, where he'd set up shop for the next week or two as they awaited the results of the draft to see where he'd be living for the foreseeable future. Much to the dismay of many of his friends ("Dude, you seriously didn't want to attend live?"), on draft day, he opted to watch the whole thing from the comfort of his family home in Poway, California. Surrounded by his loved ones, he took in the atmosphere and cherished the environment as, to be honest, he didn't know when he'd see a lot of these people again. He had childhood friends, cousins, uncles, grandparents - you name it. He found it really heartwarming that so many people cared to make such a big deal of his accomplishments - he didn't think it was all that serious, but he was clearly in the minority. "With the first pick in the VHL Entry Draft, the HC Davos Dynamo select . . . Antonia Bucatini!" The room erupted with claps and cheers - he had been teammates with Antonia, after all. A smile crept on Tyler's face as he celebrated for his teammate. He hadn't spent too much time thinking about it before, he had been too nervous about his own position, but he was going to be interested to see where his teammates would end up. He hadn't known Antonia for all too long as he was sent to Houston nearing the trade deadline, but Tyler had looked up to the guy who'd been essentially the consensus number-one pick this draft. To the surprise of nobody, it wouldn't be too long before another of his former teammates would fly off the boards. "With the third pick in the VHL Entry Draft, the Riga Reign select . . . Lucy Leiter!" Again, the room seemed to fill entirely with celebration. He wasn't all too surprised, honestly, she was a lock for the top three in nearly every analyst's mock draft, and he could see why. Having played alongside her for so long, her impact in the locker room and around the league as a whole didn't go unnoticed. Her drive was really unlike anything he'd seen before. He was really excited for her alongside Antonia, and he looked forward to seeing the two again in the future. He hadn't been expecting a phone call or anything all too soon - he didn't really know where he'd land, but he was guessing somewhere in the second or third round given the deep talent pool. He anxiously began to pace, he knew he'd be left on the board for awhile and the thought made him sick, honestly. The tenth pick just came through and Ecker, another of his teammates, had just been selected. 'Bulls just flying off the boards, huh,' he thought with a small laugh. A few more picks would come in, and he jumped unexpectedly as his phone on the counter began to ring. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards him and the room went dead silent. Tyler scanning the room felt white as a blanket, and walked back over to his phone. He let out a small gulp, "I . . . uhm, I . . . I gotta take this," he just managed to let out before taking his phone and sprinting up to his room upstairs. He recognized the number as one belonging to his agent, who'd break the news for him. "Son, you've just been drafted to the Helinski Titans." * 2,059 words

This was a hell of a post, even by your standards. Holy shit - seriously, awesome work!

1. We made it to playoffs and we're doing pretty darn good! Houston currently leads San Diego 3-2 in our first round matchup. What are your thoughts on Houston's play through the first 5 games? Amazing! Everyone on the team has been playing great - hoping to be able to put away San Diego tonight, but we'll see. 2. Goaltender Ondrej Vencko @Mutti has been a stud between the pipes for us this season and will start every game for Houston these playoffs. What kind of difference does having a hot goalie in net make? All the difference, really. Doesn't matter how many goals you can get if you're letting 7 fly in every game. Awesome to have an elite keeper like Vencko. 3. I know we're still in season, but I bet a lot of you still have the VHL and VHLE drafts in the backs of your heads! What team/What pick do you predict you will be drafted? Do you have any VHL or VHLE teams you'd prefer to go to? Really I haven't had it on my mind too much - I haven't been reached out to by a ton of people, so it's kinda on the back burner for me at the moment. Of the teams I would prefer to go to, well, I'd have to say either Seattle or Helsinski as they're the only teams who, as of writing, have had the courtesy to reach out. I'll be happy no matter where I end up, but I really would hope that wherever that is, they reach out beforehand lol 4. VHLM playoffs are closer than we thought with each series needing 6 games minimum! Has there been any series which have surprised you? Did you predict the parity of matchups to be this good? Given Philidelphia's awesome season, I'm really surprised that Saskatoon has been able to hold on for as long as they have. That upset would be crazy - I'm lowkey rooting for them. I think someone mentioned their record was so strong because of their competition - but even then, they led the league so I almost expected them to sweep. Would be really cool to see the Wild pull through here. 5. OUCH!! I stubbed my toe on the corner of my desk and I need the day off. The pain, the suffering... it's too immense. I told AGM @Nathan_8 to take over for the day and he wants to bag skate everyone?... WTF NATHAN!?!? We need to figure out a plan to get revenge on him for his tyrant actions. What prank/revenge act are you and the team pulling on our AGM for making everyone bag skate? Might be a bit cliche, but it's a classic. First things first, while he's busy tyranically ordering the Houston Bulls locker room as he pleases, we send in a teammate to steal the keys. Once succesfully retrieved, we schedule a rendezvous to the team parking lot to fill his car with popcorn. 6. It's reading week in Canada for most universities and a lot of people are making me jealous while on their vacations. It's probably daddy's money I get it, but still, I want a Miami Vice under the Cuban sun right now! If you could pack your bags this week for vacation where would you like to go? Definitely would wanna go somewhere with beautiful beaches with water so pure that almost looks unreal. I've lived on the coast before, but not exactly in someone's dream destination or anything, so the ocean was unfortunately pretty murky. While I'm not the biggest fan of beach trips/vacations, it would be so cool to take a trip to the beachfront of Okinawa or Seychelles to see the ocean at it's best.

claiming for week ending in 2/25

Tyler Lawson raised a fist in the air triumphantly, screaming all sorts of words - celebrating his first playoff win in, well, a league that mattered. As odd of a time as it was to think back to his UCLA days, he had never had the chance to make the playoffs there due in part to his injury. He quickly shook the thought off, indulging in the moment and enjoying it all as it washed over him. He skated over to his teammates, McOckiner and Abenduct, who had been two of his other teammates who had helped the team by getting goals on the board to lead Houston to a 3-2 win over San Diego. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders, cheering them on and hyping them up - reminding the other two to savor this moment, this winning feeling. It felt as if he could've kept on celebrating the win forever, honestly, as the trio made their way to celebrate with the rest of the team. As the three did, however, he felt a tap on his shoulder - and he turned, he was met by a member of the press hoping for a quote, he figured. Due to the wide smile of the reporter, he guessed that they were a friendly - or rather, some sort of Bulls fan or supporter, so he obliged. He would remove his helmet, sweat trickling down from his hair as he did and running along his forehead. As the interviewer questioned him on the feeling of scoring his first-ever playoff goal, he met her question a bit of a dopey smile. Having just had such a performance, and after playing first line in such a competitive game, he felt as if he was running on fumes. "Well, I have to say, that might've been the best feeling I've ever had on an ice-hockey rink," he said through a laugh in a slow and tired tone, "I, uhm, don't know, it's amazing. I never would've guessed I was going to make this kind of impact so quickly in the postseason. I have to say, though, the playoffs really are another level, I am winded. God, I need a drin-", the 19 year old started before quickly deciding to hold his tongue. "Err, yeah, great game. Thank you," he smirked, patting the reporter on the back before skating off to exit the rink.

As he sat towards the back of the coach, his eyes glued to the window - his attention was moved elsewhere as the plane slowly lurched forward, coming to a slow roll down the runway. Over the intercom came a woman's young lively voice, a flight attendant, as she cheerily went over the demonstration, explaining emergency protocol to all the passengers onboard. As she spoke, almost as if on cue, the screens in front of them would show a display of everything she would explain - how to fasten your seatbelt, as well as urging the passengers to please turn off their celluar data and place their devices in airplane mode when prompted by a light overhead. Wrapping up her instruction, she reminded the passengers that should they feel the need to revise anything, every seat had a safety card in the backpouch - so should they like to, they could reach in front of them to grab the card. With that, a loud click could be heard overhead as the intercom shut off and the plane began taking off into the air. Shortly thereafter, a gruff voice would roughly come over the very same intercom. "This is your captain speakin'," he started lazily. If he had to guess, the pilot had likely had been working here a loong time - evident by his clear disdain for the job. "Welcome aboard," the man continued in a slur, "We are presently flying at forty-thousand feet on our trip from Houston to Los Angeles. Expectin' a smooth flight and anticipate an, err, on-time arrival in Los Angeles around 9:45 A.M. We hope you enjoy your flight," he croaked, before a click would be heard overhead once more as the intercom would go silent. Tyler would let out a small sigh, relieved to have that all over with. Honestly, he wasn't a fan of flying. As a kid on a summer vacation trip to China with his family, they'd experienced some turbulence that really shook him up - and ever since, he wasn't 'afraid' of planes per se, but it would be fair to say he had a general disliking for them. He would look down, and ever so slightly unfasten his seatbelt as now that his ears weren't being nagged at by the flight crew, he realized that it was a bit of a tight fit around his waist. 'Much better,' he thought, having loosened it up a bit. The sound of a baby's cry already began to ring out throughout the plane, much to the annoyance of . . . well, everybody else. Almost as if to counteract this, he'd put in an earbud, playing music he'd downloaded the night prior as to allow him to listen to music locally without service enabled. He look down at his phone, shuffling his playlist, with the first song filling his ears being 'Well I Wonder' by The Smiths. Setting his phone aside, he rummaged through his carry-on bag, retrieving a neck pillow and resting his head on it, where he'd doze off. He would later awake in a bit of a sweat - it was pretty cramped, he would admit, and the warm pillow around his neck didn't help too much either. He tried to orient himself and recall what this situation was, as well as figure out what woke him. He quickly realized that the intercom had woken him, as the captain was explaining how they would be touching down shortly. It wasn't too long before he'd realized that they were touching down - as the plane, somewhat roughly, approached the runway and the plane darted down the track. Eventually, it would come to a stop after continuously slowing down the aforementioned runway for what had felt like forever. Knowing he had places to be, Tyler was quickly growing impatient. He didn't have very long to take this trip for himself - in all honesty, he was surprised that the coach and GM had even allowed for it in the first place, even with it being such a short trip. As he found his way out of LAX to the front of the airport (with minimal difficulty, he'd been there a dozen times before), he gave his mother a call. "Hello? Yeah, I'm right out front, like you asked . . ." He told his mom, pacing around in a bit of a circle as he talked. "Yeah, no, of course I've grabbed all my stuff - I'm literally right outside the front door," he instructed her, "Yeah, just . . . uhm, I'm wearing a maroon jacket - oh, you found me? Alright, cool." The phone clicked as he watched on as his Mom drove over to pick him up. The two would hug as she pulled in before he'd pack his bags up into the back. Somehow, it had felt like forever since he'd seen his mother even though he'd only left for the VHLM such a short time ago. He could almost swear his mother seemed older somehow - even though her physical appearance looked to be nearly exactly the same before he'd left for Houston. As the two got into the van, he couldn't help but smile being back in California. As the two made back home for Poway, Tyler felt what he had deemed to feel like a huge cloud over him, or a weight on his shoulders, seem to disappear. Being home, even if it was only going to be a short period of time, felt great. They would chat about his season, and about the playoff games to come as the team had only played two, with a split 1-1. As the team had a few days piled up with no games, he took the opportunity to ask if he could take a day-trip home before returning to Houston to get ready for the games to come. Initially, they were worried about the idea of jet lag, but Tyler assured them it'd be a non-issue; after all, it wasn't that bad of a flight. Spending the rest of his day back home, he would thank his mother along with the rest of his family for the incredible day and for welcoming him back with such open arms. He would return to the airport that night (told you - short trip), and prepare for yet another flight. A smile grew along his face as he felt more prepared for the playoffs now than a million practices could ever have helped him. His family were the only reason he'd made it this far - to have the chance to see them as well as a few of his best friends from college and high school would make all the difference, he'd thought. Though, he did miss Houston - which he often referred to as his new home. He thought of all the late-night food spots he would frequent, and to the new friends he'd made on the team. As he sat on a bench inside the LAX Airport, he thought of the day he'd had, as well as what was to come as the next playoff game drew closer. * 1,170 words; to claim for week 2/18 as well as 2/25

Not surprised in the slightest to see yet another amazing article from you! Was a really great read.

Thank you for the kind words! Lots of work went into this considering all of the background info on some of these players that isn't essential, but nice to include. I appreciate you doing this for all of us first-gens! To see work like this recognizing all of these players is the kind of thing really makes me wanna stick around, honestly. Great article - it was a really fun read.

Was such a fun read - some of this was stuff I hadn't even known since I joined so late. No players entering the draft is crazy. Happy you took the chance on me. Whatever comes of this season, it's been great being a part of this squad!

1. The regular season is almost done and playoffs are just around the corner. What is your favourite thing about playoffs? What is your least favourite? Playoffs are always exciting because it's where it all matters at the end of the day. Contending teams crumble, and underdogs play to their potential — to put it frankly, it's sports at it's best. Of course, with that comes heartbreak if your team loses or underperforms, so I can say that's something to dislike about the playoffs. 2. On the topic of playoffs, Houston is projected to finish this season 4th-6th place in the VHLM standings. What does walking into the first round of playoffs as a 'middle of the pack' team mean? Are we underdogs? Are we just a first round exit? I think that, despite our record, we've proven ourself as more than just an 'underdog' team, despite our streakiness as of late. Come playoff time, I think that you could present a strong case for our being a competitive team. We're much better than the standings might suggest. 3. How was this season in the VHLM for you/your player? Were there any milestones reached? Any goals set that you accomplished? Given how late I joined into the season, it was pretty awesome. Lucy did an article just recently about midseason signings, and I topped that chart so I have to say I'm really happy with how my season has gone. My goals are more team-oriented, though, as that kinda stuff comes before my player success to me — so really I'm just hoping for a deep playoff push, even if we don't end up winning it all. 4. The Houston Bulls are hosting a charity event where fans and community members can purchase their tickets to this weekend's "Bulls in the Spotlight". Each player on the team must perform a song of choice and sing it to the crowd... what song is your player choosing to sing? Might just have to freestyle — come up with something on a whim for the fans. 5. The charity event was a smash hit (pretend we are in the future)! We raised so much money that we could buy every bitcoin ever invented, we're RICH rich!! With unlimited money in the bank account, what should the team spend all this money on? A new arena? Team private jet? A 10ft tall statue of your favourite GM (me)? As the success is obviously attributed to my amazing freestyle, it's only fair to immortalize as a member of the Bulls. I want Tyler Lawson murals everywhere. 6. Last but not least, it's Valentine's Day on February 14th. I will personally be studying for my midterm while eating chocolates alone, what will you be doing for Cupid day? Just so happens that a family member of mine has a birthday on Valentine's Day, so I'll most likely be spending my day with them, if not just out with some friends or something.

We aren't as good as we used to be, at least in the past 10 games played. 3-6-1 through our last 10 games, what do we need to do as a team to get back on the winning track? With a lot of the moves being made recently to shake up the roster, and with the line changes, I'm confident that alone should be enough to get us back into winning form. 2. With our roster now set we do not need to add any new players to the team this season. What is the best feeling about being part of a full 12-6-2 roster? Are there any negatives you find? No complaints here at all, of course. It seems like I'll be taking a backseat role here as I get moved back to second-line, but when you pitched me initially, it was for third-line so again -- I can't complain whatsoever. 3. Trade Deadline is here and Houston has two new faces joining us to complete our roster. @CowboyinAmerica was traded from Halifax and @KRZY signed from waivers, these two are fresh meat in the locker room. What is something these players should know about Houston and our team? Are there any cool spots in Houston you want them to know about? If it's BBQ he wants, I know a few spots to share! Maybe we'll see about getting a team dinner together downtown after Bucatini's debut. 4. Playoffs are always in the back of my mind. Since drafting, trading, and signing each player this season, my goal is always to get to the playoffs. Looks like we got a good shot this season to make it! What is the one team you DO NOT want to go up against in the 1st round? VHLM playoffs take the top 8/10 teams in the league. I'm not so worried, honestly. As a late joiner, I don't have the highest TPE ever - but I made do with what TPE I had and performed, well, decnt. With a genuine first-line center joining, like Antonia, I feel a lot more confident about our playoff run. 5. I have always loved Taco Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays, Freaky Fridays, etc... Which day of the week is your go to "event day"? Is there a day of the week where you have a routine meal or event? Feels almost cheap to take an example that you provided, but Taco Tueday is a classic. It just can't be beat. 6. It's GM day! I literally just made that up. For GM day you are required to give me something. This "something" can be anything! A unicycle? Sure! Some baby turtles and a tank for them to live in? Thank you very much! What is one thing you would like to give to me, your GM, if you could give me anything? I'll make sure to get you a championship in return so it looks like I'll have to put your GM Day gift on hold for now - might have to be a while before I can get that to you.

Final Claim for Week 4

1. We have officially crossed the halfway point of this season, S92. Through a half season of play, what are you overall thoughts on our team? Really good! We may have had a few rough sims as of late, but I think we'll pick back up no doubt. We're too good not to, really. 2. It's Theme Week! This season's theme for Theme Week is "All-Star". What are you planning on doing for Theme Week? Have you already submitted a Media/Graphic/Podcast? I more or less did mine on a few reasons as to why I think All-Star Weekend is a really important event across sports in general, emphasizing a lot on how much it can bring to the table what with fan involvement via the fan vote. 3. Weekly tasks sometimes turn into a bore. VHL.com's might not be as interesting as they use to be, or you may get trivia wrong and lose all motivation... If you could choose a new way to earn TPE, what would your task of choice be? I'm not sure. I think this might be too broad of an example, but maybe some form or medium that can bring the teams and players to life. Like, maybe that's through NHL 24 with created teams (I've yet to play NHL 24, but if they have something akin to NBA2K then maybe you could create VHL teams on there), or maybe it's through some other medium. Maybe it's player cards as someone else previously mentioned. I'm blanking a bit unfortunately - but great question! 4. Halfway through the season is usually when players finally feel their groove. Daily games create great routines! What is your routine in order to be ready for each and every single game? Throw on a calming playlist and meditate, maybe indulge in a bit of mental imagery of how I would like for the game to go. 5. If you had to choose between only winning team awards, or only winning individual awards, which would you choose and why? Team awards easily. I don't care nearly as much about team awards if I'm bringing home tons of championships. 6. Almost February! One month of 2024 gone already, has anything cool/interesting happened to you in this first month? Planning a trip currently with one of my childhood best friends to Panama, where his family is from. Hoping all goes well and that I'm able to go lol. I've also worked three weeks ahead in my sociology class, which is pretty awesome. Not much else going though aside from that though

With 34 appearances under his belt to this point in the season, Tyler Lawson -- the late signee for the Houston Bulls, has gotten enough games under his belt to solidify himself as a contributor to this team's success, and as a player who's become one to watch, as there's no doubt that there is a place for him in this league, much to the dismay of those surprised by his signing a few weeks back. In his 34 appearances, he's managed to put up 34 points in a point-per-game display - amazing for a player to come into a team and manage to mesh so well into the team and it's tactics and put up such a stellar performance. Luckily, we were able to grab an interview from the rising talent to get a few words on what he thought of his performance. "Oh, well, I mean -- err, truth be told, I don't pay attention to any of that," he laughed at the notion, "I mean, it's great, don't get me wrong, but I don't keep tabs on my points or anything. I just go out there and try to score - or put a teammate in position to. It's as simple as that, really, but it does feel incredible. I'm playing very well, perhaps the best I ever have, and even though we may be a bit down on our luck, y'know having a bit of a rough patch, we're an incredible team and I have no doubt we can bounce back. I will say, it is pretty cool of you to mention that though, a point-per-game is a pretty cool statistic, just not something I'd usually, err, look at. That's awesome, though, really." Tyler gazed off to the locker room, patting the reporter on their back slightly, mouthing a small 'thanks' before quickly skating off to the locker room after a tough loss to the Ottawa Lynx. They'd let up four goals in the first, and nearly came back, netting an end-score of 4-3 but were unfortunately unable to get it done. Bottom line, it seems as if Lawson cares far less about this kind of performance, instead opting for team success as his main priority. However, with his knack for goal-scoring and putting teammates in positions to score, he will likely look to uphold his performance as the season goes on. At the moment, it seems that only time will tell as the season continues marching towards the postseason.