Oddpurplefly

Big news coming out of Toronto! After making a trade roughly a week ago to acquire center Spanish Moon Moth, GM Doug shocks the VHL with recent moves. He manages to sign veterans Raimo Tuominen and Toby Kadachi, two of the most sought out free agents this off season. These signings put Toronto back in a competitive position after losing Legion legends Callahan and Machado to retirement. They both will come in and make an impact on the team right away. Toronto had a strong core of young players with the likes of Skilton, Shevchenko and Khan but with the recent acquisitions, it solidifies their top 6 lines for at least one more season. Can Toronto come back strong after losing in the second round of the playoffs? Will the Legion be able to make the playoffs next season? Will these moves payoff? All these questions remain to be answered as we impatiently await the beginning of the s98 season.

Dorji Khan of the Toronto Legion took time to reflect on the team’s season. Khan expressed pride in his team’s determination and resilience. The team progressively got better and dominated the league in the last stretch of the season. After a significant win against the Calgary Wranglers, they faced a tough loss in the conference finals to the Seattle Bears who ended up winning the Cup. Reporter: Dorji, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. It’s been quite the season for the Toronto Legion. How are you feeling after a tough loss in the conference finals against the Seattle Bears? Dorji Khan: Thanks for having me. It's definitely been a tough season. Obviously we're disappointed with the loss to Seattle in the conference finals. They’re a great team and they played exceptionally well. But we also have a lot to be proud of. Beating the Calgary Wranglers in the first round, we were feeling good about things. But unfortunately we fell short against the Bears. Reporter: Let’s talk about that first round against Calgary. What was going through your mind during that series and how did you manage to come out on top? Dorji Khan: The Calgary series was intense. They are a tough team and every game was a battle. We actually had their number during the season so we came in ready to fight and the results speak for themselves. I think our success came down to our preparation and our ability to stay composed under pressure. We focused on our game plan, tried stayed disciplined and supported each other out on the ice. It was a total team effort and I’m happy of how we handled it. Reporter: After such a high from winning against Calgary, what was the mood like in the locker room when you faced the Bears and ultimately came up short? Dorji Khan: It was mixed emotions. I think we left everything out there on the ice. We wanted to go out there and make sure we didn’t have anything left in the tank. With Veterans Harry Callahan and Diego Machado who were both lifelong Legions retiring after the season ended, we wanted to bring the Cup home one last time before the team turned the page into the future. Reporter: What did Callahan and Machado mean to the team? Dorji Khan: They both were incredible leaders. They were the backbone of this team who gave their all every time they stepped on the ice. They brought the cup home in S91, so they were packed with experience and ready for the playoffs. They stayed calm and composed which rubbed off on the rest of the team. They surely will be missed and are true Legion legends in my book. Reporter: With them retiring, what are your thoughts on the team’s future? Dorji Khan: I think the Legion’s future is in good hands. GM Doug has been doing a great job so far in the off season acquiring Spanish Moon Moth. Legion was desperately seeking help at center so they can definitely help us right away. We still have a strong core with Skilton, Shevshenko, Dukat, myself and an incredible goalie duo of Vidarsson and Bobbly. We also have one of our prospects Inker Belle who will be making the jump from the M. We are starting to see the new face of the Toronto Legion. Are we going to be cup contenders next season? That I am not sure but I know we will be competitive enough to give us a chance. Reporter: What are your plans for the off-season? Dorji Khan: I will be going back home to Mongolia to help with the family farm and do my training for next season. Hopefully come back stronger and better than ever . Reporter: Thank you for doing this Dorji. Best of luck in the off-season and next year. Dorji Khan: Thank you! It’s always a pleasure to be here 660words PT Feb24-Mar2

1. I think Prague definitely improved. I haven't been looking much elsewhere. 2. Favorite singer is either Floor Jansen or Tarja, both formerly from Nightwish. Male singer.. hmm Dio 3. Black and gold 4. Free speech above all 5. My last season in the M or my one and only season in the E 6. Simpsons definitely come to mind first

1. I don't mind snow. I actually enjoy shoveling and using the snowblower.. I just don't like excessive snowfalls lol we've had over 2 and a half feet of snow in the past week.. so for now.. I'm done 2. Leafs players are all not doing anything lol but I love the intensity. It’s fun to watch teams full of skills like Canada ( Crosby, Mackinnon and Mcdavid) 3. Mini games to earn easy TPE 4. I grew up on ketchup for everything but lately I've been using a lot of honey mustard especially for chicken 5. Aggressiveness 6. OG peanuts 7. ... especially when the snowplow drivers just leave a mound to the bumper of my vehicles

Toronto started their playoffs strong. Diego Machado was leading the team in a dominating fashion in the first round against the Calgary Wranglers where the Legion managed to win in 6 games. The excitement in Toronto was high and everybody was ready for a strong push in the conference finals. Unfortunately despite giving a good effort, the Seattle Bears came in and proved to be the better team. Toronto lost the series 4-1. With that loss, it marks the end of an era for Legion veterans Harry Callahan, Diego Machado and Mikko Borisyuk, who have retired following the playoff loss. Callahan and Machado were both lifelong Legion members and legends. They left an impressive mark on the team with their strong work ethic and dedication to the team. Although they are gone from the team, they will never be forgotten. Now the Legion prepares to move forward with a younger core with the likes of star defensemen Andrew Skilton and rising stars Konstyantyn Shevchenko and Dorji Khan. The Offseason will prove to be a challenge for GM Doug, who will have to sign some players who can hopefully come and make an impact right away. Depending on the players who get signed, the Legion might be back up and competing in no time. It’s all in GM Doug’s hands now and one thing is for certain, the team is in good hands whatever the future may bring.

What a sponsor that would of been

Thanks man. It's my first real graphic so still trying to figure things out

Dorji Khan gets a sponsor from an energy drink company in Mongolia. It was branded Mongolian Stallion in his honor.

1. Keep up our intensity and hard work 2. He was definitely our MVP for the first round. Hopefully he keeps it up 3. Would be nice to have both at the same time. A getaway to relax and recharge lol 4. I think Malmo and Vancouver both being at the top of their respective Conference and both lost 5. Trying to balance things out. Hopefully try and boost a little scoring 6. I did watch it and I think I had the classic pizza and wings

You mentioned that Halifax finished first in the league, but no mention of how the captain middletoe led the team to that first place

I think Shevchenko and Khan are ready to take the playoffs by storm! On a personal level, I do hope the everything works out for the better. I know how difficult it can be in times of pressure coming from every direction. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep moving ahead.

Excitement ramps up across the league as the VHL playoffs are about to start. The Wildcard games have concluded and now the playoff series are set in stone. The New York Americans lost against the Seattle Bears 3-1 in the wildcard games. The Phantom of the VHL had an incredible performance with 10 points in 4 games in the series. The Seattle Bears are now set to face the Vancouver Wolves who have been the at the top of the North American Conference for most part of the S97 season. Riga Reign had a strong performance, sweeping the Prague Phantoms in the wildcard series 3-0. Axel Gunner and Severus Targaryen both led Riga to victory with an incredible 20 points combined in those 3 games. Riga is now set to face Malmo Nighthawks who have been dominating the European Conference. Staying in the European Conference, HC Davos Dynamo and the Moscow Menace are already set for the first round series. It’s going to be an exciting matchup between the two teams who, on paper, seem to be even in talent. Then in the North American Conference comes the matchup between The Toronto Legion and the Calgary Wranglers. Although Calgary was higher in the standings for most of the season compared to Toronto, Toronto had a strong push near the end of the season where they surpassed the Wranglers in wins and have been a team to watch out for. Calgary ended up higher in the standings due to the OTL points. It’s going to be a tough and thrilling matchup between the two teams. 264 words

1. Shutting down their forwards. I feel like if we can do that while playing our game, we'll be in a great position. 2. Our goaltending has been amazing. They consistently gave us a chance to win. 3. I personally feel like the puffs are better. I really started enjoying them with a dash of vinegar on them. 4. I think he's had a good season overall. Wish I had hit the 30 goal mark but not dissapointed in my season. Khan has always been a playoff performer and always made an impact so I hope he keeps it up in the big league. 5. They have been amazing for the Legion and held the team on their shoulders the last few seasons. They need to keep up their hard work and consistency into the playoffs. 6.* flicks lighter and inhales* just light up some good stuff

As another season in the VHL comes to an end, players brace themselves for another post-season playoff run. The playoffs is a place where everybody steps their game up to a whole other level and work hard to obtain the league’s prized possession: The Continental cup. The Toronto Legion took the league by storm in the last stretch of the season after struggling to be in a playoff position during most of the season, being one of the hottest teams in the VHL. They were 18-1 in their last 19 games of the season which earned them 3rd place in the North American Conference and 5th overall in the league. It was quite a contrast to their last season where they failed to make the playoffs, but GM Doug made some interesting moves in the off season for a hopeful final push before 3 veterans retire ( Harry Callahan, Diego Machado and Mikko Borisyuk) and his gamble paid off. The Legion will now face the Calgary Wranglers in the first round of the playoffs, who has been a team in the top of the North American standings throughout the whole season. As the playoffs are about to start, we sit down with Legion player Dorji Khan for an interview. Reporter: Hello Dorji! Thank you for being here and doing this interview. Dorji: It’s always a pleasure to be here Reporter: I’ll start by asking questions about the season that just ended a few days ago. What are your thoughts on Toronto’s season? Dorji: I think we had a tough schedule to start mostly playing the leagues toughest teams and we struggled a bit to find our groove. But the more the season progressed, we worked through our struggles as a team and came out on top! Reporter: Were there any standout moments or turning points that really marks where the team started having success? Dorji: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what changed for us. I think we just needed to keep giving a consistent effort throughout every game. Even when we were struggling, we still managed to outshoot our opponents more often than not. The puck just was not going in, but we knew if we kept it up eventually it would go in. And now here we are! We went from 9th in the league to 5th by the end of the season. Reporter: On a more personal level, how do you feel your season went? Dorji: I think I’ve had a decent season, but I do owe it all to my fellow teammates. I surpassed last season’s point total by 14 points, totalling 60 points. I am happy about the progression I had. Where it really shows is in the +/- section, where I went from -22 last season to a +35. I pride myself on being a 2-way forward and last season was my first and only season in the minuses but it was also my rookie season. But at the end of the day, I am just happy to be able to help the team get some wins. Reporter: Now let’s talk playoffs. What do you think about your opponents, the Calgary Wranglers? Dorji: I think they are a good team. They have been competitive throughout the whole season. We finished the season with more Wins than them, but they finished with 1 more point than us at 103 due to the OTLs. I think the series will be tough for both teams and definitely be fun to play and for fans to watch. Reporter: How do you prepare yourself to face them in the first round? Dorji: To prepare for a tough playoff series, I make sure I'm on top of my physical shape and stay focused mentally. I watch game footage to study our opponents and sit on the bench of the empty arena after practice to visualize different scenarios. On the ice, I ramp up practice intensity and work closely with my teammates to fine tune our strategies. Off the ice, I stay grounded by meditating and practicing mindfulness to be mentally ready when the puck drops. Reporter: Thank you for your time Dorji and best of luck during the playoffs! Dorji: Thank you! And thanks for having me. 706 words PT- Feb.3 to 9