mmrs617

VHL Top Stories Calgary Undefeated Through 11 games, the Calgary Wranglers remain undefeated. They are lead by league leaders Catia Goncalves @cLoWn and Raimo Tuominen @SlapshotWrangler who have a combined 55 points. Goncalves is currently on pace for a 196 point season. mmrs617's VHL Stars of the Week Catia Goncalves @cLoWn (CGY) - RW - 13G-17A-30P, +16, 32HIT, 13.00SHT% Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro (MAL) - G - 8W-2L-1OTL, 0.942PCT, 1.89GAA Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer (TOR) - D - 1G-18A-19P, +9, 15SB VHLE Top Stories Anybody's Game The E is relatively deadlocked through 10 games. Rome and Cologne lead the pack with 14 points each, but 6th place Oslo only needs to sort out their defense and they will close they already small gap. The closeness of the league is highlighted by the fact that the top 5 point earners so far are from Oslo and Vasteras, and only 2 of the top 10 from Rome or Cologne. mmrs617's VHLE Stars of the Week Yermolai Nabokov @fonziGG (VAS) - RW - 8G-12A-20P, +16, 13.33SHT%, 3PPP Matthew Highmore @NineIQ v2 (VAS) - LW - 10G-9A-19P, +16, 22HIT, 16.13SHT% Erik Thorvaldsson @Tetricide (ROM) - D - 2G-10A-12P, 18HIT, 19SB, 6PPP VHLM Top Stories Turn Around Season - Miami Marauders Miami has found success early on this season after a disappointing S93. They find themselves in 2nd place, just one point behind the leading Mexico City Kings. The Marauders have found their scoring touch easily, but still need to tighten up their defense if they want to hold onto that position. mmrs617's VHLM Stars of the Week Tim Robinson @Tim Robinson (MIA) - LW - 9G-15A-24P, +8, 21HIT, 8SB Connor Hellebuyck @HockeyFan4Life (MEX) - G - 9W-1L-0OTL, 0.91PCT, 1.8GAA Robin Sierra @ethanjaeda (HFX) - C - 11G-11A-22P, +11, 24HIT

To put it lightly, it has been a less than ideal start to the VHLE debut for Matteo Stefano. The high rising rookie coming out of the VHLM has only one point in his first 10 games for the Cologne Express. After their 4-2 win over Bratislava, Stefano was asked about his lack of offense. "The points will come," he said, "the main thing is I'm helping the team defensively and taking away any chances against us." Cologne currently sits tied for the lowest goals against with 24, but also haven't been adding the offense consistently to maintain their second place standings through the early part of the season. If Stefano, Maple Dogwood, and Nikita Yolishev, can find their footing like fellow rookie Maverick Goncalves has, the team should be very difficult to beat. All left wingers on the Express are new this season, so they should be able to share that experience and find a way to put up points as a unit. Stefano is going to have to shake off the rookie nerves if he wants to find more ways to help this team succeed.

Welcome back!

Review: I really like the use of colour and texture in this graphic. The very busy ice texture as a border is a nice contrast to the less textured inner picture. The use of black transitioning to almost white then to the blues of the jersey really leads the viewer's eye towards the players. I like how you decided to use red for the name instead of blue. This adds another layer of contrast that makes everything very readable. Amazing job! 10/10

Review: These jerseys are simple, clean, and extremely cohesive. The choice of name and number font go perfectly with the shapes and design of the Nighthawks' logo. I feel like the bright green from the Alternate 1 jerseys would normally be too much, but in this case, the whites and blues from the arms and logo almost tone it down. I really like the changes you made to the logos for the Blackout jerseys. It keeps the spirit of the original colour scheme with only one of the original colours. I look forward to seeing more like this. 10/10

When deciding on the players that will make the team, I did a comparison between all their stats for the season. I first looked at number of points to determine their offensive output. Then looked at +/-, hits, shots blocked to see their defensive capabilities. I wanted to choose players that were the most well rounded, as I believe that this would yield the greatest results if they were on the same team. For goalies, I looked at their win-loss record, save percentage, and goal against. There were some players that were an easy choice, but others were more difficult. I know there was a few snubs in there, for sure, due to only being able to choose one player from each position (except defense). I hope I got a good representation of each league and chose players that really deserve recognition. All-VHL Team C - John Jameson (PRG) @Frank - 47G-80A-127P, +53, 10.09SHT%, 63SB LW - Vincent Laroche-Gagnier (DCD) @vincentlg2007 - 55G-54A-109P, 10.78SHT%, 66SB, 29PPP RW - Maxim Anisimov (WAR) @McLovin - 51G-58A-109P, 39PIM, 10.34SHT%, 34PPP D - Skor McFleury (PRG) @Alex - 24G-78A-102P, +39, 263HIT, 227SB, 19PPP D - Jacob Stone (MAL) @scoop - 25G-62A-87P, +39, 223HIT, 164SB, 20PPP G - Lachlan Summers (MAL) @kirbithan - 40W-23L-2OTL, 0.935PCT, 2.61GAA, 0.926PS% Retiree John Jameson leads this team through his impressive final season. Overall this team has a ton of fire power, scoring a combined 534 points with 119 of those on the powerplay. Don't discount their defense though. They boast 560 blocked shots all together and a +/- of +142. Lachlan Summers put up great numbers for a middling Warsaw team, especially when facing penalty shots/shootout attempts, where they stopped 25 of 27. All-VHL Rookie Team C - George Richmond (MOS) @badcolethetitan - 29G-33A-62P, +13, 35PIM, 19PPP LW - Chris Sanzone (PRG) @handfullofbubba - 21G-30A-51P, +25, 14PIM, 27PPP RW - James MacAvoy (DAV) @Enraged - 31G-39A-70P, 123HIT, 9.31SHT%, 19PPP D - Vlad Von Carstein (VAN) @Dom - 9G-36A-45P, 22PIM, 153SB D - Guntis Gavilrovs (VAN) @Girts - 7G-28A-35P, 253HIT, 164SB G - Giorgiy Costanzov (SEA) @Mongoose87 25W-15L-4OTL, 0.907PCT, 3.17GAA A lot of top talent joint the VHL this season. These up and coming players showed a lot of improvement in the first season. They are hoping to continue this momentum into their second season. All-VHLE Team C - Wayne Gretzky (OSL) @MubbleFubbles - 43G-46A-89P, +36, 16PIM, 10.29SHT% LW - Gianfranco Del Rocco (VAS) @Victor - 35G-43A-78P, +28, 20PIM, 23PPP RW - Nathan Ecker (ROM) @Nathan_8 - 41G-45A-86P, 9.47SHT%, 24PPP D - Benjamin Abenduct (OSL) @Schnee - 21G-54A-75P, +15, 68PIM D - Marty Byrd (STO) @Marty B - 30G-51A-81P, 74PIM, 12.4SHT%, 189SB G - Clark (COL) @cl4rk - 46W-13L-4OTL, 0.933PCT, 2.01GAA, 11SO All-VHLM Team C - Walter Jinn (PHI) @Adrest245 - 50G-59A-109P, +22, 10.82SHT%, 31PPP LW - Pombo (LVA) @samx - 51G-51A-102P, +34, 12.23SHT% RW - Maple Dogwood (HFX) @dogwoodmaple - 35G-50A-85P, +41, 9.09SHT% D - Jillian Woods (OTT) @jacobcarson877 - 18G-60A-78P, +34, 22PIM, 21PPP D - Carson Tripp (SAS) @Cartripp14 - 17G-59A-76P, +26, 134HIT, 112SB G - Hugo Boss (OTT) @Dil - 50W-13L-8OTL, 0.916PCT, 1.88GAA, 11SO All-VHLM First Gen Rookie Team These are First Gen players who had not played any games in the VHLM prior to S93 C - Ender (SDM) @Ender9511 - 22G-40A-62P, 129HIT, 16PPP LW - Nikita Yolishev (LVA) @Joel Main - 20G-31A-51P, 114HIT, 14PPP RW - Matteo Stefano (MIS) @mmrs617 - 10G-24A-34P in 41GP, +8, 78HIT, 8PPP D - Andrew Skilton (HFX) @ace_five_ - 12G-42A-54P, 142HIT, 83SB D - kevin johnathen (SDM) @meandyoc - 14G-31A-45P in 63GP, 218HIT, 122SB G - THE MIGHTY ICE WIZARD (LVA) @Royski - 4W-5L-1OTL in 10GP, 0.891PCT, 4.1GAA I wanted to acknowledge the members/players who just joined and created their first player. These members have been working hard to improve and I look forward to seeing their progress in future seasons.

I wasn't sure. I just feel like the best way to help a new member is if they had contact with someone within the first 24 hours. I know they get the welcome message, but I feel like it is a bit of an info dump that can be hard to process. I would suggest the welcome message link to one place that gives the basics of the league (What it's all about, what is TPE, How to earn TPE, and How to join a team). I think this is less overwhelming for someone who has no experience with sim leagues at all. Maybe at the end of the welcome message there is some sort of confirmation that they've read it (like a google form or a poll) which the recruitment team can access. Then a member of the recruitment team can sign up to mentor that player until they join a team and are comfortable to continue on their own.

What about a second inbox for the recruitment team instead. That way people don't have to log in and out of accounts and it would be more personal than getting a message from an unknown person.

Last season I made weekly articles outlining the top VHLM stories. These stories were created with a stats central approach. I would take the basic stats from the portal, wait a week, then compare what I saw. I used Excel to help do the mass calculations and it definitely wasn't the most streamlined process. For S94, I'm planning on doing this for all three leagues. I wrote some code that will take the full stats list from the index and compare all the stats. Then it will make a top ten list (like we already have) but for the weekly stats as well as the season stats. I think this new process could still be made more efficient, but for now I should get a pretty in depth look at all the in game statistics. What I liked to include in the articles were quotes from GMs and AGMs. I'd like to include player quotes this time around as well. If anyone would like to have quotes included from week to week, I am open to DMs. If there is interest, I'm happy to show the code to anyone. Keep in mind, that I am not a coder and it was mostly written by AI with me guiding it to what I want it to do. There are times when there were errors that I couldn't figure out how to solve, so I gave up on some functionalities I wanted. Look for the Weekly Stats Central articles coming week 2 of the season.

Thank you so much for the kind words. I am going to work hard to create the best player I can. I look forward to competing against Soju and what see what the future holds.

1. I am not performing quite as well as I would have hoped, points wise. That being said, as a team we've put ourselves in a great position going into the playoffs. 2. Mississauga was out in the first round of the VHLM playoffs, so it feels like it's been a while, but now that we're close to the playoffs for the JST and the draft is close, I'm excited for the weeks to come. 3. I will be happy to be drafted anywhere, whether it's to a playoff contender where I am motivated to show what I can do alongside veterans, or a rebuilding team where I can show my leadership and help the team rise the ranks. 4. I think @ace_five_ and @LucyXpherhave built a great team that will definitely be a contender. We finished the season strong and are looking to ride that momentum. If we can reach the finals, most likely against the Warriors (definitely no bias there) we will have to bring our A game. We've beat them in the past, including the final game of the season, so I am confident we can win it all. 5. Sadly, no. At this point I'm hoping for any Canadian team. We're guaranteed one in the Conference Finals, I just hope they can continue their success. 6. The first thing I thought about was doing what cats do and randomly knock things off shelves (or any surface for that matter). I feel like one of the scariest things is not being able to explain what was happening.

1. One of the first NHL video games I played was NHL 2001 on PC. When creating a player, the name options were limited, so I chose what was close. It's a funny thing to remember a detail like that, but it's always stuck with me. 2. I would have to say short handed goals. It seems doable to score more than 5 in a season. 3. I love just taking a handful of salted peanuts at random times in the day. It is quick and hits just the right spot when I need it. Questions 1. Does your player's build match with the goal you had when you first created? 2. What off-season tournament are you most excited about? 3. If you had to substitute water for another non-alcoholic drink that you would need to survive, what would you choose?

Matteo Stefano (5'5") lines up with his JST Steel teammate Andrew Skilton @ace_five_ (6'6")

Matteo Stefano joined the VHLM's Mississauga Hounds midway through S93. Since then, it's been non-stop training. Stefano was on a team that was having trouble finding its groove. They were having trouble stringing wins together, and don't remind him of the onslaught of one-goal losses. Did he help to change that? Well, no, not really, but the team did improve their overall standing by season's end. In the playoffs, Stefano excelled, reaching 6 points in the Hound's short 5 game stint. It can be disappointing to make it that far and still lose out, but each loss was a reminder that there was still work to do, and there will continue to be work to do as long as Stefano plays. Stefano believes that practice makes progress, not perfect. Perfection is an intangible and subjective thing. To him, it's unattainable and undesirable. To feel like you've reached perfection is the same as saying you have nothing else to do, you are without a goal. And if there is nothing to strive for, then what's the point in continuing playing. Maybe you've achieved your personal goals, then set another. It could be as small as one more assist, or play one more game. It could be focusing on leadership and helping teammates build their skills. The point is, it shouldn't be stagnant. Stefano's goal was originally to join a VHLM team... check. Then to score a few points... check. Then to end the season with a +/- in the positives... check. His latest goal is to be drafted. Does his draft ranking really matter? No, not really. Any draft position shows that a team is willing to take you on and sees your value. So what can Stefano do to show that he has value? Continue training. Over the course of April, Stefano was ranked first in training hours (TPE earned). He continues to put the hours in since then. The Junior Showcase Tournament was announce and Stefano managed to be drafted to the Steel at #12. On top of this he was named alternate captain. He was honoured by both of these and is grateful that the GMs are seeing his value. He is hoping to participate in the Victory ProAm as well to network the league and hit the ice as often as possible. Ultimately, Stefano's fate lies with him alone. If he wants to continue to reach these lofty goals, he's going to have to put in the work and not get lazy. I'm excited to see what happens. As a side note, I am constantly blown away by the patience, kindness, and comradery shown by every member I have come in contact with since I joined last month. I've had no less than a dozen people offering their help every step of the way. This is all still very new for me, but having an amazing community makes it so much more fun than I could ever even imagine. For that, I thank you all. I can't wait to see what Stefano's (and my) future hold.

The S93 Junior Showcase Tournament is set to begin soon. The draft was held Friday and the stacked teams are ready to hit the ice. I would like to announce the S93 JST Warriors Team! Front Office GM: @Nathan_8 AGM: @mmrs617 Forwards Gabriel Finley @burritohour Jerry Box @barryst Justin Rike @JCV Nikita Yolishev @Joel Main The Phantom of the VHL @Hogan Sammie Kiefer @Fno Shawn Marijekese @Kadertot Wally Lose @youloser1337 Defense Ahsoka Tano @aimkin Bollos de Trueno @Thunder Dakota Nachbaur @Wiliestjester56 Jillian Woods @jacobcarson877 Samsayz I-Smell @CaptainSB Goaltender Soju @Frank And finally, the leadership team representing the Warriors this tournament Captain - Jillian Woods Alternate Captain - Bollos de Trueno Alternate Captain - Nikita Yolishev Congratulations to all players! Let's play some hockey!

The Junior Showcase Tournament is coming up, so I wanted to take a look at the Warriors logo and give it a revamp.

1. As much as I would love the Leafs to win, I'm really hoping for any Canadian team at this point. 2. I would like to live in a place that is on the warmer side. I don't really know that much about the climate of each state, but I think northern California would be nice. 3. I think some sort of off-season training would be interesting. Maybe like the practice facility, but you need to do it a few times a week to earn the TPE. OR some sort of media scrum for draftees so teams and other members can get to know everyone better. 1. What's something you think could motivate members to get closer to the capped TPE amount each week (specific new opportunities, writing prompts, etc.)? 2. During your off-season (when you're at home or off work), what activities do you do to "reset"? 3. I've found the VHL to be a great way to build habits. Do you have VHL routine?

Quarter Finals Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Mexico City Kings (8) Ottawa has been a force the entire season. They earned points in 59 of their 72 games, almost doubling Mexico City's point total. Pair this with the Kings selling off many players at the trade deadline and we've got a recipe for a sweep. Ottawa in 4 Players of Note: Ottawa - Jillian Woods, The Phantom of the VHL, Hugo Boss Mexico City - Gavin Bebard, Ahsoka Tono, Connor Hellebuyck Saskatoon Wild (2) vs. Mississauga Hounds (7) This matchup may be closer than it appears. Mississauga has improved greatly throughout the season. This should come down to their defense and how they handle Saskatoon strategically. If Saskatoon can exploit some of Mississauga's weaknesses early it will spell disaster for the Hounds. Saskatoon in 6 Players of Note: Saskatoon - Carson Tripp, Felicia Hardy, Oliver Loo Mississauga - Anthony Simmons III, Toby Cook, Taylor Swift Halifax 21st (3) vs. Philadelphia Reapers (6) I predict that Halifax will have a relatively easy time with Philadelphia, as long as they keep Walter Jinn in check. Halifax has a shut-down defensive core that any team will dread. They may have a misstep, but should bounce back fairly easily. Halifax in 5 Players of Note: Halifax - Maple Dogwood, John Season, Andrew Skilton Philadelphia Reapers - Walter Jinn, Tim Robinson, Soju Houston Bulls (4) vs. Las Vegas Aces (5) This will be the closest series in the first round. I have Houston coming out on top as they have been a more consistent team as of late. Las Vegas made a great push at the end of the season, but I only see that as delaying the inevitable. If Vegas wants to come out on top, they will need to score early, and score often. Houston in 6 Players of Note: Houston - Herald Benson, Cole Stermer, Wladyslaw Mintus Las Vegas - Pombo, Finneas Finnegan O Cleirigh, Masa Akimoto Semi-Finals Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Houston Bulls (4) I think this is where the fatigue starts to set in for Ottawa. Houston is a tough team with some very accurate shooters. Ottawa will need to step up their playoff game after a relatively easy first round. If Houston can catch the Lynx off guard, they may have this one. Ottawa in 6 Saskatoon Wild (2) vs. Halifax 21st (3) The closest series so far. This is the first one I have going to 7 games. Ultimately, it will be the 21st's defense that will win this one. Saskatoon won't be able to win if they can't score. I predict each game in this series will be a one-goal game, with no more than 5 goals scored in each. Halifax in 7 Finals Ottawa Lynx (1) vs. Halifax 21st (3) The final showdown between the Eastern Conference's top teams. Only three points separated these two teams, with Halifax actually coming ahead in regulation wins. This should be a back an forth affair. I predict this will be the closest finals since S90, with at least a couple going to overtime. Ultimately, I think Halifax has the upper hand by a fraction. This will be a tough loss for the Lynx, but they should have some returning talent and some exciting draft picks. Look for them to be in this position next season as well. Halifax in 7 Skylar Rift Trophy - Andrew Skilton

@shaun1979

Review This is beautiful. I love the composition of the piece. The tall aspect ratio and your player looking up at the logo makes everything fit together so well. Everything blends so seamlessly from one element to the next. Also, the half-tones used on the edges really give that rugged/burnt look. This is the kind of graphic that makes me work harder to increase the quality of my own. Thank you for sharing it. 10/10

Review Very consice and a great insight to the thoughts of a VHLM GM. I'm sure it can be difficult making the decision to rebuild for the future and trading away key pieces of the team. On the other hand, it shows that you are preparing preparing for the long term and understand the best way to do that for your team. I look forward to seeing more like this as we get closer to the draft and beyond. 9.5/10

Playoff Seeding Still in Flux With around five games remaining for each team, the playoff seeding still remains mostly unknown. We do know who has made the playoffs, but the only matchup that is likely locked in is between the first seed Ottawa Lynx and the 8th seed Mexico City Kings. Mexico City went 1-9-2 this week, but Kings GM @JCarson was not surprised. "It was decided at the trade deadline that we would sell off and focus on next season. The fact we have not done well since was an expected outcome of that decision." He is not optimistic of a first round upset saying, "We are outmatched, so we will just focus on having fun." Las Vegas is poised to take the fifth seed, and will await their opponent (either Saskatoon or Houston) over the next few days. Building Momentum - Ottawa Lynx, Saskatoon Wild, and Houston Bulls Ottawa, Saskatoon, and Houston are all gearing up for their playoff run. All three teams achieved ten wins this week and are hoping to take that momentum forward. Ottawa in particular is hoping for a deep playoff run as they are likely going to take home the Prime Minister's Cup. They finished off the week with a six game win streak. Looking to the Future - Miami Marauders and San Diego Marlins With Miami and San Diego officially eliminated from the playoffs, they look forward to the S94 VHLM Dispersal Draft. Miami has two first round picks (MIA and HOU) and 8 picks total. Marauders GM @Ricer13 declined to give specific details about their draft plans, "but I will say that we are going to be looking to fill those holes on our roster with the best players we can." While Miami is set to have a big first round, San Diego has seven picks, but none appear to be in the first round. Marlins GM @Mysterious_Fish assures that "we do have a 1st with an agreement made last season." They are focused on locker room engagement to bring the team back to its winning ways in going forward. It will be an uphill battle by both of these teams, but things can turn around quickly in the VHLM. mmrs617's Stars of the Week Herald Benson @Benson (HOU) - G - Benson posted a 10-2-1 record this week, facing a league leading average of 17 shots per game. Houston hopes to make a push for the second place seed. Taylor Swift @lilchrist (MIS) and Anthony Simmons II @Starchychaff (MIS) - C and RW - Since acquiring Simmons II, the one-two punch in Mississauga has put phenomenal numbers. The combination of Swift and Simmons II have put up a total 35 points in the last 13 games. Bollos de Trueno @Thunder (LVA) - D - de Trueno put up 18 point last week (5 goals and 13 assists) to jump up 22 places in the overall league standings. They were a key factor in the Aces bounce back week, just in time for the playoffs.