Phil

@Phil

Before coming to Halifax, I had no opinion about the team. Now I love the place. You're doing great work there and I'll be rooting for you guys!

It makes me sad that we (Halifax) likely won’t have the pick to bring you back, but for the short time you were with the team we really enjoyed having you!  Another great podcast btw, always a fun listen!

What's That Racket? With Phil Sakic #3

 
It may be an ungodly noise, but it's TPE!  .    Welcome back! Today we make some noise with going through the latest rounds of the playoffs in the VHLm and the VHL. We also answer questions from @CaptainSB. Cheers for the Qs!   What's that Racket Podcast Question Thread   Songs: What's An Hour Really Worth? - The Dangerous Summer   This is a division of KnightTime Radio.    Run Time: 45 minutes

1. What do you think of Dogwood blaming the team of why the ice rink melted?
2. Who do you believe is the true start of the team?
3. How far does the team think is realistic this playoff?
4. Is there any favorite scouts you have talked to?
5. What are your thoughts of potentially returning back to Halifax?
6. If you did not return next season to Halifax, what would be the main reason?

Season 93 featured a Halifax team that managed to achieve the 5th best regular season record and point total in their 31 seasons of history.  With 51 wins and 106 points, the 21st finished 2nd in the VHLM, only 3 points behind the 1st place Ottawa Lynx, and were one of the deepest teams in the league.  At the time of their elimination from the playoffs, the 21st had 15 players with over 120 TPE earned and 8 players with over 190.  Over the course of the season, each and every member of the team exhibited exceptional growth and dedication to give Halifax the best chance to win.  Though the 21st suffered an unfortunate loss to the Saskatoon Wild in the Founder's Cup Semi-Finals, there is so much to be proud of for this team and some particularly special performances that need to be acknowledged.  So without further ado, here are the Halifax 21st Season 93 Team Awards!
 
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The Most Improved Player:
This award is for the player who makes the most significant individual improvement over the course of a single season. 
Of all the players on the Halifax 21st roster that haven't yet reached the 200 TPE cap, this first gen player earned the most talent points and really demonstrated his investment in the team and desire to improve every single week.  Beginning the season at only 55 TPE, he currently sits at 166 TPE having earned 111 since his draft day when he was picked 52nd overall.  The Halifax 21st are thrilled to welcome him back for a second season with the team in S94 and are excited to see his development continue!
 
 
The Most Creative Player:
This award is for the player who consistently demonstrates a high level of creativity throughout the season with written media spots, graphics, podcasts, or other creative endeavors around the team.
This season's winner is a first gen player who consistently impressed and surprised with new ideas, fantastic graphics, and some fun creative ideas within the team locker room.  Even before the season began, this player was designing jerseys and uniforms for the team.  Throughout the season, they produced high quality graphics, each one better than the last, often with fun and humorous details hidden within them.  These graphics weren't only for their own player, but for teammates as well.  They also initiated a creative poll to rename the team's arena which will be decided in time to begin our next season of play. This player will also be returning to the team next season and we're excited to see what new ideas they come up with next!  
 
 
The Leadership Award:
This award is presented to the player who demonstrates qualities of leadership and teamwork throughout the season, building up their teammates in the locker room, posting quality team-related content on the forum, and leading by example through individual dedication and consistency.
This season's recipient is a first gen who impressed many GM's in the VHLM before he was even drafted.  Demonstrating first a commitment to his own personal growth, he quickly exhibited an aptitude for leadership through a high level of activity both on the forums and in the locker room, often looking for ways that he could help improve the team and taking personal interest in the team's overall success.  Throughout the season, he remained very active on the forums, consitent with his updating and personal development, and was a positive force in the locker room-- supporting and ecouraging teammates, congratulating them on their individual successes, and showing interest in all activity around the team.  Though he'll be moving on to the VHLE after only one season with the team, he made a significant impact on the team culture in his time in Halifax and will always be a welcome presence around the team in the future.
 

Top Defender:
This award is presented to the defender who demonstrates excellence at their position, contributing to the team's success through a strong well-rounded game.
This season's recipient was the 3rd highest scoring defender in the VHLM and was 2nd on the 21st with 75 total points.  He was 4th in the league with 58 assists and finished the season with a +25 rating in 72 games played.  And while he was an incredible driver of offense from the defensive position, he also contributed 135 hits and 86 blocked shots.  He played significant time on the team's top powerplay unit while also being an effective penalty killer and was never a defensive liability on the ice.  After a single season with the 21st he is expected to be a highly sought after player in the upcoming VHL and VHLE drafts. 
 

Top Forward:
This award recognizes the team's top offensive player.  Like the top defender award, it is presented to the player who plays the strongest and most consistent all-round game at the forward position, contributing to the offensive and defensive success of the team.
This season's recipient finished with the 4th most individual points in the VHLM with 85.  He finished 7th in goal scoring with 35 and 8th in assists with 50 across 72 games played.  He led the team in both the points and goals categories and continually drove offensive production with 385 shots on goal-- more than 100 more than the next highest shot producer on the team.  He led all Halifax forwards with 25.67 minutes of icetime per game, 14 shots blocked, and 141 hits over the course of the season.  With his solid two-way game, he was a highly effective contributor for the 21st on both special teams units and could be relied upon in all situations, evidenced by his time on ice.  After a single season with the 21st, he will be eligible for the VHL and VHLE drafts and will likely be taking his talents to Europe next season where he is expected to continue his meteoric rise.  
 

The Bryn Yrwy Award:
Named after Bryn Yrwy, the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 405 points in 288 games with the Halifax 21st, this award honours a player who has played parts of at least two seasons with the franchise and has exhibited a high level of play throughout their time with the team.  
This season's recipient played for the 21st in both S92 and S93 and racked up 104 points in 144 games as a defender.  Announcing his retirement at the trade deadline this season, his contributions to the franchise and in the locker room will be greatly missed as he pursues other gainful endeavors.  Finishing his career with the 21st, he ranks 6th in franchise history with 268 blocked shots and was a stalwart defender for the team throughout the past two seasons.  Though he leaves a hole in the Halifax roster for next season, he will always be welcome around the team-- provided he returns at least one pair of shoes to the GM before he leaves!  Congratulations on a great career and best of luck in the future!
 
 
Season 93 SuperSailor:
This award is like the weekly SuperSailor honor, but is presented to a player who best exhibits SuperSailor qualities throughout the full campaign.  A SuperSailor is involved not only in the locker room as a good teammate, but also on the forums as an ambassador for the team, and also demonstrates effective play on the ice.
This season's SuperSailor finished the season with 73 points in 72 games and ranked 2nd among the team's forwards in scoring.  He was the league's top centerman with a 58.84% win rate across 1990 faceoffs, and contributed balanced offense with 31 goals and 42 assists.  And while he had a strong season on the ice for the 21st, this player was also active in the locker room daily, interacting with teammates (even with a significant time zone difference) and was consistently active on the forums throughout the season.  In many ways he was an unsung hero on the team, at times overshadowed by the weekly accomplishments of his teammates.  Despite not being named as a weekly SuperSailor this season, he was a worthy candidate each and every week and was a positive contributor in every respect.  As a draft eligible player, he may be among the first names called in this offseason’s drafts and will be an important member of any team he joins in the future. 
 
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Before concluding, I'd like to extend a special thank you to our outgoing AGM, @Will3.  He has contributed so much to the team in his role over the past few seasons and was particularly instrumental in helping put together such a great team this season.  I was very fortunate personally to have his help as AGM this season as he very reliably and effectively continued his tasks week after week to help the team improve and was always a pleasure to interact with.  I wish him all the best as he continues to seek out new management opportunities around the VHL world!  
 
And that concludes the S93 Halifax 21st team awards.  Congratulations to all of the award recipients for their significant achievements this season and contributions to the team, and a heartfelt thank you to all Halifax players for making Season 93 such a success! It has truly been a pleasure to have each of you as members of this team in my first season as GM and I look forward to seeing where the VHL takes you next!
 
 
Claimed for 5/12/24

The Mighty Ice Wizard is interested in this position.

Hello friends,
 
My most recent AGM @ace_five_ has decided on another venture which I will not spoil. I am 100 % in support of the move for him. However, that leaves a spot open on our management team. I am looking for someone who will be:
 
-Active and engaged in the locker room.
-Willing to help new members when needed.
-Come up with a presser for the team every Sunday!
-Assist me in draft prep, interviews, trade discussions, learning lines, etc.
 
Please comment below if interested! Or DM me which is probably easier. Would love to have someone hired before the off-season begins.
 
Cheers!
 

What's That Racket? With Phil Sakic #2

 
It may be an ungodly noise, but it's TPE!  .    Welcome back! Today we make some noise with going through the latest rounds of the playoffs in the VHLm and the VHL.    What's that Racket Podcast Question Thread   Songs: Papercut - Linkin Park   This is a division of KnightTime Radio.    Run Time: 21.5 minutes

Pumped up for these playoffs. Feeling good about my re-create. Looking forward to helping contribute to the Cup Run!!  

The VHLM Season 93 is in the books and the playoffs are just around the corner.  Coming into the campaign, the Halifax 21st hoped to position themselves well for a run at the Founder’s Cup, and a 2nd place overall finish accomplishes just that.  With 106 points and a 51-17-4 record, the 21st trailed Ottawa by 3 points in the race for the Prime Minister’s Trophy as the best team in the regular season, but they won’t mind missing out on that hardware if they can make good on the promise of their roster to contend for the league’s ultimate prize.   
 
The last time Halifax won 51 games in a season was back in Season 78 when they had 54 total wins. In the 31 season history of the team, Season 93 ranks as the 5th best in franchise history and for a team that has occupied the VHLM basement in recent history and has yet to win their first Founder’s Cup, the success of this regular season is an opportunity for hope. Of course, nothing can be taken for granted—it's hockey after all and anything can happen—but the 21st have good reason to be proud of their regular season effort and cause to hope for playoff success. 
 
Up and down the lineup, the 21st were one of the deepest teams in the VHLM this season. With 72 games played, the Halifax 21st had 9 players with over 50 points on the season, including all 4 of their regular defensemen and 5 of their top forwards. Leading the way, Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, Pierre Marc Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito, and Alexandr Novotny @Patrik Tallinder were all over a point per game and ranked among the league leaders in important stat categories. Dogwood would finish the season ranked 7th overall in goals, 8th in assists, and 4th in the league in total points with 85. Novotny would finish with the 4th most assists with 58 and was the 3rd highest scoring defensman with 75 total points. Bouchard ranked 1st among all centers who had more than 30 faceoffs taken with a 58.84% win rate in the circle with 1990 faceoffs taken across the season. Add this invaluable utility to his 73 points in 72 games and you see his incredible value to this Halifax team.  
 
Heading into the playoffs, there is still headroom for the 21st to improve. To break the 4th wall for a moment, at the time of writing, 6 players have reached the 200 TPE limit for the VHLM while the team has 10 forwards, 4 defenders, and a goaltender at or over 110 TPE—most over the 130 mark. If the 21st can make a run deep into the playoffs, there is still opportunity for this team to improve significantly as every player on the roster has been taking big strides this season. If they remain dedicated, this could be a greatly improved team as they go deeper into the playoffs.  
 
Morale is high as the regular season draws to an end and this is a team that truly believes in itself. The road ahead will be difficult however as Ottawa, Saskatoon, Houston, and even Las Vegas all come into the playoffs as legitimate contenders. Mississauga and the defending champion Philadelphia Reapers are also teams that cannot be overlooked and underestimated. Once the playoffs begin, the regular season matters very little—anything can happen. It’s what makes this part of the season so exciting and sometimes heartbreaking. The 21st will be hoping that they’re on the right side of history this time around and that they can finally put it together as a franchise and win their first Founder’s Cup. As the only team left in the VHLM yet to win the coveted trophy, that victory would mean a great deal to these players and this franchise as it completes it’s 31st season of play.  
 
For first season general manager, Lexie Leitner, this is a great opportunity for the Halifax 21st, “It’s difficult to win in the VHLM and with player turnover every season, it’s difficult to stay competitve for multiple seasons in a row. Right now, we have an amazing team and I’m so proud of each and every one of our players. They’ve done an incredible job all season to get to where we are, but we all know the work isn’t over yet. I believe in our players and I know we’ll get their best once the playoffs begin”. 
 
The playoffs are set to begin on either Thursday or Friday this week and first round matchups should be announced later tonight.  It is expected that Halifax will be taking on the reigning champion Philadelphia Reapers in their first round matchup as the 3rd seed against the 6th seed, with the winner of this series taking on the winner of Saskatoon and Mississauga. The regular season has been enthralling, but the playoffs is what every team plays for and it’s going to be exciting to see how it all plays out!
 
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Claimed for week ending 5/5/2024

After Halifax clinched a playoff spot last week, captain Andrew Skilton @ace_five_ decided to take the team out for dinner at the highest-rated restaurant he could find in the city and treat them all to some fine dining. He worked his magic and got them a reservation for 20 for the following evening to celebrate the accomplishment – the first goal of the season being complete. Andrew knew it was going to be a new experience for most of the team, considering the average age of the team is just over 19, with most being 18 or younger. 
 
Arriving first, just after Skilton and 20 minutes early, was newcomer Phil Sakic @Phil. Ready to impress and maybe trying to assert some dominance, Sakic took a seat at the head of the table. Coming in together not too much later were management icons @LucyXpher and @Will3. They casually took a seat while making some small talk with Sakic. Entering with some laughter and light ribbing were big guns John Season @dylanjj37, Maple Dogwood @dogwoodmaple, and Pierre Marc Bouchard @Gaikoku-hito, who showed up just before the reservation time together, with Season dethroning Sakic and taking the head of the table. Right on time, in strolled Connor Simard @Alex99 and Jon Webber III @Webberj, who were coming out of a light jog and checking their watches to make sure they weren’t late. Tommy Shelby @Will was next to enter the restaurant, fashionably (literally) late as usual without a care in the world. He sat right in the centre to make sure he could hear and speak to everyone equally. As everyone was getting their drink orders in, some loud laughing could be heard at the entrance as Dustin Moore @Maxx and Alexandr Novotny @Patrik Tallinder made their way in. A fist bump could be seen as the two came around the corner grinning at each other. Trickling in after that were Aanarsi Reingaard @Laine, Ty Duke @TheDuke, Captain Nugget Jr. @Captain nugget and Dorji Khan @Oddpurplefly, who each quickly took their seats and called over the server to get their drinks in, which of course had to be the most expensive ones on the menu (that they could legally drink of course). Last but not least, in running came Robin Sierra @ethanjaeda apologizing profusely and explaining that they went to two of the wrong restaurants before arriving. Apparently, they’d been left out (or they accidentally removed themself) from the group chat saying where the restaurant was. 
 
Finally situated, the team ended up having an amazing dinner of steaks, salads, seafood, and drinks until each and every one of them was completely stuffed. They chatted about their individual accomplishments throughout the season as well as what they’ve been able to accomplish together, bringing the 21st out of the basement of the league and making the team a force to be reckoned with. There was talk about the beginning of the season when they couldn’t seem to score more than two goals in a game, to now being the highest-scoring team in the league. Robin Sierra finally let Skilton know that they dyed his laces with glow-in-the-dark ink back on April Fools Day, to which Andrew was baffled he hadn’t figured out yet. Everyone had a good chuckle about the ridiculous story that Saskatoon defenceman Bollos de Trueno @Thunder22 put out trying to disparage management. Even Lucy and Will had a laugh about that one, whether it was through their teeth or not was undetermined. By the end, Dogwood had revealed that the Jelly Coin extravaganza was finally over. They would never be getting their money back, but the investigation had finally come to a close. 
 
At the end of dinner, Skilton tapped on his glass and asked for some silence at the table. He stood up from his chair with his glass in hand and said, 
“I just want to thank each and every one of you for the season that we’ve had. We couldn’t have made it this far without the hard work and dedication of everyone. While we’ve had some ups and some downs, we’ve been able to band together and put up some outstanding numbers for this club. I want to thank Lucy and Will for putting together this group and pushing us to our highest potential. You’ve given us all an opportunity to shine on this stage, knowing that in doing that, you won’t end up seeing us for too long as we make our way to the VHLE and ultimately, the VHL. You’ve made the experience for a new guy like me one to remember, and I’ll carry that through to the end of my career and beyond.” Some cheers of ‘Here here!’ were shouted from various points of the table at this statement. Skilton continued, “It has been an honour and a pleasure to call myself the captain of this squad and I’m proud to call you all brothers and sisters in arms. Now, this isn’t the end of the road, the playoffs are a whole new game, but I’m confident that if we continue what we’ve been doing all season long and trust in each other, we’ll be hoisting the Founder’s Cup in no time! So let’s make a toast, to the best locker room in the VHLM, the Halifax 21st!”
 
As those words were spoken the team erupted in a cheer, clinking glasses and chugging what was left in them. The restaurant staff had to come over and quiet the team because they were disturbing the other patrons. Understanding they were maybe overstaying their welcome, the team began departing. They all decided to take a walk at the pier and take in the ocean and the namesake of the team. Of course, the group can’t go anywhere without causing some sort of havoc, so Phil Sakic was sent to the end of the pier after being told that if he looked straight down into the water he could see the remains of the last ship to dock at Pier 21 before it caught on fire. Unceremoniously, Sakic was shoved into the chilly waters by his teammates, who let him wade a bit before helping him out and handing over a cheque for a new suit. They all had a laugh and began breaking off to head home and get some rest for the upcoming playoffs.
 
(1042 Words)

1. We’ve only got a few regular season sims left, who do you predict will be the Continental Cup champion?
Long Live The King! London got this.
2. Our beauty of a captain, David Jokinen, has had a career year! Any words to commend him on this feat? 
Thanks
3. What do you believe we can learn from this season that we can carry onto the next? Any bold predictions or suggestions?
Our rookies will dominate.
4. If you had a chance to add a new award to the VHL, what would it be and what would you name it?
We could try and bring back Top Leader award and name it The Annual @Phil Award.
5. Regarding fighting in hockey, do you believe it is a staple of the sport? Or is it something that should be phased out of the game entirely?
Personally I don't like fighting in hockey, but I understand why it's there. I hope there will be less of it in the future, doesn't need to be fully phased out of the sport though
6. The Stanley Cup playoffs have begun! Which team has impressed you most thus far?
McDavid, 5 assists in the first game of Oilers playoffs. For a team it's too early to say imo
7. In terms of playstyle and build, which NHL player is yours most similar to?
Brady Skjei?
8. Since this debate has flared up again recently: is a hot dog a sandwich?
 

Phil Sakic Biography

 
This is a short biography about the latest teenage sensation, Phil Sakic. It has always struck this author as odd that we make biographies of athletes and celebrities whose careers are not even over, or more to this point, of ones that have barely even begun. However this is great for my business so I shall tell you the tale of Sakic up to this point.
 
First, a little more of a pre-amble from yours truly. My name is Phil Knight and I run the prestigious talent agency that has been bringing players to the VHL for multiple decades. As those that know me are fully aware, I specialize in bringing British talent into the VHL. All of their names just happen to also be Phil. What is great about the agency is that I foster not only a passion to the sport but also to the community. A lot of my previous clients are now close friends and work with me to help develop the new generation. You will see some of this in this short story. Alright. Let's begin.
 
Phil Sakic, yes, is related to the Canadian NHL Hall of Famer Joe Sakic. For privacy's sake I will not tell you exactly how, so just go with it. The lad was born in a small Village outside London in Buckinghamshire called Beaconsfield. It's a quiet area where not much happens. There are local farmers markets and community events, but otherwise it's just your typical small English town of sheep and rolling hills. 
 
Football (soccer) in England is obviously all the rage and all boys play it on the school fields. Generally in the phys-ed curriculum, there is a short unit where the kids learn and play ball hockey, however, field hockey is more well known. Sakic obviously knew of ice hockey because of Joe Sakic and had watched the Winter Olympics replays where he had won gold for Team Canada. He was infatuated with skating - knives attached to shoes. But more so it was how players could move so quickly and gracefully on the slippery surface. Moreover, the handling and deking done with the hard black rubber puck was bewitching to him. 
 
So by 8 years of age, the youngster was already practicing his puck handling in the driveway of his home. His parents bought him a net so he could practice shooting. On some weekends, his parents would also take him into London to the local ice rink during the winters so he could practice skating. They signed him up for skating lessons, however, the only ones they could get him into was figure skating. Phil was fine with that. As long as he could speed across the ice, he didn't care how he did it. 
 
It was only when he was 12 that his dad signed him up for a league. They would make the trip into London 3 times a week. His dad wanted to make sure this was something Phil was serious about before committing such a large chunk of time to pursuing. It was a decent call, and of course Phil had been training, mostly independently, for 4 years for this. 
 
Obviously, he was phenomenal, because otherwise I would not be writing this biography and neither of us would know who he was. I'm not going to bore you with all the statics, but suffice to say that in his first game, he scored 8 times and set up 3 assists. He probably could have done more but he was trying to pass the puck to give others a chance to score. It took him 7 seconds to score his first goal. 16 to score 2. See? You get the point. 
 
By the season's end, the junior hockey team, the London Lions, wanted to reserve a spot for him on their roster for when he turned 15. Let's skip to that part. 
 
So here we have a 15-year old Phil Sakic, clearly a talented skater and handler of the puck, step inside the locker room of the London Lions for the first time. He was completely overwhelmed. They had banners hanging from the rafters of the arena and plaques of individual awards from past legends. He stood in the doorway for a good minute drinking in the history and the moment. This league attracts the best youths in the area and country so this would be the biggest test for Sakic to see if he has a future in ice hockey. I took the train down from Liverpool to attend the game. I knew there were new players starting and wanted to see what the Lions were so excited for. 
 
Now for context, this league has players 15 to 17 years of age. Developmentally that is a monstrous gap. For as you know, so 15 years olds can look like 8 year best people and some 17 year olds can look like grisly men. Sakic, being on the smaller side, would get a huge test on his physicality. As Sakic laced up his skates, he kept replaying Joe Sakics highlight reels in his head. He knew he was meant to play ice hockey and today was the biggest opportunity to date. He was not going to squander it. 
 
10 seconds into the game, all spectators jaws, including mine, were on the floor. From the faceoff, which London lost, Sakic on the wing flew towards the defenseman with the puck, lunged and intercepted the pass across to the other defenseman, shrugged off the checked and trip attempt, and snapped a shot from the slot that snuck under the blocker-side arm of the goalie for a 1-0 lead. It seemed even the players were shocked. What's great about this league is that practices before the first game are not allowed so this was literally the first time anyone on the team had seen Sakic skate. 
 

 
So the game went on like that. The other team, the Slough Sloths, put immense pressure on Sakic, but he was so quick and agile around the boards, he was always able to skate or pass his way out of trouble. Though he isn't too tall, he has long, powerful legs that he is able to accelerate for as long as he needs, outpacing even the best of Slough's skaters. Sakic ended up helping (really leading) his team to a 16-2 trouncing, putting up 9 goals and 7 assists in the process with a +16 rating. I was already talking with his father, as were a couple of other agents but his father was shooing us away. That's how I knew I needed to make a house call. 
 
And so I showed up, hat in hand, to the Sakic residence to offer my services to Phil. I told him of my past and my agency, telling him that I could have him work with Hall of Famers Phil Gerrard and Phil Rafter to continue developing his skills and help him get drafted to the VHLm. Phil's eyes were wide with excitement but his father told him that they wanted a family meeting to discuss. They told me to come back next week. 
 
I deliberately did not disturb the family during that time. Obviously this is a giant decision and pestering them in the meantime is rather disrespectful. Their lives would change dramatically with the decision to sign with me and both his father and I knew it. No need to state the obvious. So I showed up the same time the next week to check in on them and see if they needed any further information or had reached a decision. Phil had come prepared. He invited me in, his mother presented us with tea and biscuits, and Phil asked me some terrific questions. Of course, I had come prepared as well. I presented Phil my career plan for him. He was thrilled to see that I didn't want him to do anything until he had finished in the league with London. Once he was 17 and a half, that's when he could make the jump to the VHLm. I mapped out how I would support him and guide him to success, gave him my resources, and some pre-paid visa cards to his father. Starting out, not many people have money and since the VHL is an international league, if he ended up in North America, that's a huge cost. I told them I would put them up until he's drafted in the VHL. Although my offer was good for the 3 of them, Phil's father said that since Phil was serious about making this his career, he would be the only one relocating. Phil nodded enthusiastically. 
 

 
It was a great meeting. I had never really seen such preparedness from a 15 year old when it came to life outside of hockey. So I knew he would be successful where ever he went. 
 
So we fast forward 2 years, and he arrived on his first VHL contract in Canada, home of his relative and favourite NHLer, Joe Sakic, on a 1-year contract for Halifax. We will see what the future holds but the VHL better brace themselves for this young spark. He means business
 
 
Words: 1,500+

I swear I read Baconfield first and went full Homer-made 'mmmm a field of Bacon'...

Phil Sakic Biography

 
This is a short biography about the latest teenage sensation, Phil Sakic. It has always struck this author as odd that we make biographies of athletes and celebrities whose careers are not even over, or more to this point, of ones that have barely even begun. However this is great for my business so I shall tell you the tale of Sakic up to this point.
 
First, a little more of a pre-amble from yours truly. My name is Phil Knight and I run the prestigious talent agency that has been bringing players to the VHL for multiple decades. As those that know me are fully aware, I specialize in bringing British talent into the VHL. All of their names just happen to also be Phil. What is great about the agency is that I foster not only a passion to the sport but also to the community. A lot of my previous clients are now close friends and work with me to help develop the new generation. You will see some of this in this short story. Alright. Let's begin.
 
Phil Sakic, yes, is related to the Canadian NHL Hall of Famer Joe Sakic. For privacy's sake I will not tell you exactly how, so just go with it. The lad was born in a small Village outside London in Buckinghamshire called Beaconsfield. It's a quiet area where not much happens. There are local farmers markets and community events, but otherwise it's just your typical small English town of sheep and rolling hills. 
 
Football (soccer) in England is obviously all the rage and all boys play it on the school fields. Generally in the phys-ed curriculum, there is a short unit where the kids learn and play ball hockey, however, field hockey is more well known. Sakic obviously knew of ice hockey because of Joe Sakic and had watched the Winter Olympics replays where he had won gold for Team Canada. He was infatuated with skating - knives attached to shoes. But more so it was how players could move so quickly and gracefully on the slippery surface. Moreover, the handling and deking done with the hard black rubber puck was bewitching to him. 
 
So by 8 years of age, the youngster was already practicing his puck handling in the driveway of his home. His parents bought him a net so he could practice shooting. On some weekends, his parents would also take him into London to the local ice rink during the winters so he could practice skating. They signed him up for skating lessons, however, the only ones they could get him into was figure skating. Phil was fine with that. As long as he could speed across the ice, he didn't care how he did it. 
 
It was only when he was 12 that his dad signed him up for a league. They would make the trip into London 3 times a week. His dad wanted to make sure this was something Phil was serious about before committing such a large chunk of time to pursuing. It was a decent call, and of course Phil had been training, mostly independently, for 4 years for this. 
 
Obviously, he was phenomenal, because otherwise I would not be writing this biography and neither of us would know who he was. I'm not going to bore you with all the statics, but suffice to say that in his first game, he scored 8 times and set up 3 assists. He probably could have done more but he was trying to pass the puck to give others a chance to score. It took him 7 seconds to score his first goal. 16 to score 2. See? You get the point. 
 
By the season's end, the junior hockey team, the London Lions, wanted to reserve a spot for him on their roster for when he turned 15. Let's skip to that part. 
 
So here we have a 15-year old Phil Sakic, clearly a talented skater and handler of the puck, step inside the locker room of the London Lions for the first time. He was completely overwhelmed. They had banners hanging from the rafters of the arena and plaques of individual awards from past legends. He stood in the doorway for a good minute drinking in the history and the moment. This league attracts the best youths in the area and country so this would be the biggest test for Sakic to see if he has a future in ice hockey. I took the train down from Liverpool to attend the game. I knew there were new players starting and wanted to see what the Lions were so excited for. 
 
Now for context, this league has players 15 to 17 years of age. Developmentally that is a monstrous gap. For as you know, so 15 years olds can look like 8 year best people and some 17 year olds can look like grisly men. Sakic, being on the smaller side, would get a huge test on his physicality. As Sakic laced up his skates, he kept replaying Joe Sakics highlight reels in his head. He knew he was meant to play ice hockey and today was the biggest opportunity to date. He was not going to squander it. 
 
10 seconds into the game, all spectators jaws, including mine, were on the floor. From the faceoff, which London lost, Sakic on the wing flew towards the defenseman with the puck, lunged and intercepted the pass across to the other defenseman, shrugged off the checked and trip attempt, and snapped a shot from the slot that snuck under the blocker-side arm of the goalie for a 1-0 lead. It seemed even the players were shocked. What's great about this league is that practices before the first game are not allowed so this was literally the first time anyone on the team had seen Sakic skate. 
 

 
So the game went on like that. The other team, the Slough Sloths, put immense pressure on Sakic, but he was so quick and agile around the boards, he was always able to skate or pass his way out of trouble. Though he isn't too tall, he has long, powerful legs that he is able to accelerate for as long as he needs, outpacing even the best of Slough's skaters. Sakic ended up helping (really leading) his team to a 16-2 trouncing, putting up 9 goals and 7 assists in the process with a +16 rating. I was already talking with his father, as were a couple of other agents but his father was shooing us away. That's how I knew I needed to make a house call. 
 
And so I showed up, hat in hand, to the Sakic residence to offer my services to Phil. I told him of my past and my agency, telling him that I could have him work with Hall of Famers Phil Gerrard and Phil Rafter to continue developing his skills and help him get drafted to the VHLm. Phil's eyes were wide with excitement but his father told him that they wanted a family meeting to discuss. They told me to come back next week. 
 
I deliberately did not disturb the family during that time. Obviously this is a giant decision and pestering them in the meantime is rather disrespectful. Their lives would change dramatically with the decision to sign with me and both his father and I knew it. No need to state the obvious. So I showed up the same time the next week to check in on them and see if they needed any further information or had reached a decision. Phil had come prepared. He invited me in, his mother presented us with tea and biscuits, and Phil asked me some terrific questions. Of course, I had come prepared as well. I presented Phil my career plan for him. He was thrilled to see that I didn't want him to do anything until he had finished in the league with London. Once he was 17 and a half, that's when he could make the jump to the VHLm. I mapped out how I would support him and guide him to success, gave him my resources, and some pre-paid visa cards to his father. Starting out, not many people have money and since the VHL is an international league, if he ended up in North America, that's a huge cost. I told them I would put them up until he's drafted in the VHL. Although my offer was good for the 3 of them, Phil's father said that since Phil was serious about making this his career, he would be the only one relocating. Phil nodded enthusiastically. 
 

 
It was a great meeting. I had never really seen such preparedness from a 15 year old when it came to life outside of hockey. So I knew he would be successful where ever he went. 
 
So we fast forward 2 years, and he arrived on his first VHL contract in Canada, home of his relative and favourite NHLer, Joe Sakic, on a 1-year contract for Halifax. We will see what the future holds but the VHL better brace themselves for this young spark. He means business
 
 
Words: 1,500+

Yeah.

 
Presented by comedians. It's insanely well researched on so many stories - the Black Plague episode was fascinating, as was the rugby team who survived a plane crash in the mountains (you may have seen the movie Alive or Netflix show Society of Snow about it). 
 
The comedy cuts some of the horrific things they discuss so it's easier to digest. They also have stories about cults and paranormal activity. 

In which @Advantage accidentally offered me a $1 bonus, which I purposely accepted, which made the portal look like we were in cap trouble.
 
 
Expansion was the name of the game back in the day. S65 saw the founding of the Moscow Menace franchise, along with two additions to the VHLM in Houston and Philly. I'd played for Houston and was fairly intrigued when I saw that the big league would be expanding again right in time for me to join it. The Malmo logo looked cool, the limited impressions I'd had of inaugural GM Advantage seemed positive, and I just really liked the idea of being a team's history rather than simply adding to it. They were also one of a handful of teams to actually scout me, which is something I don't care about as heavily now but did as a first-gen. 
 
In the days leading up to the draft, I had a good time taking in the new member experience. I remember @MubbleFubbles writing a mock draft that said some nice things about me, and I took that idea and made what's still one of my favorite articles ever--my own mock draft, 50 picks deep, that taught me everything I needed to know about every player when I was writing it. I really knew nothing ahead of time about who was going where, but correctly speculated on a bunch of things. Some that I'm proud of were Julius Freeman over Shane Mars to Vancouver at #2 overall, Apollo Hackett to Riga at #16, Edward Vigneault at #33, and Rhys Chism at #39--oh, and my very own Jerry Garcia, 7th overall to Malmo and the first player ever to be drafted to the Nighthawks.
 
My mock was weirdly accurate with Malmo picks in general. I ended up joining Rusty Shackleford (@K1NG LINUS) and Nacho (@Nacci25), picked 17th and 37th overall in both my article and the actual draft. Also of note were goaltender Juan Jaundice (@Jus) and monster goon MORPHEUS DESTRUCTIOUS (@Abaddon), as well as Blake Laughton and @Grape, my VHLM teammate and the only other member of Malmo's inaugural draft class to be active today. I knew some of these people already, and the time that all were active was enough for me to get to know the rest. Our locker room was super active and a really fun place to be in general, removing quite a bit of the doubt that many players have when they leave the M. But of course, we were an expansion team that finished last in S66. Garcia played just-OK and wasn't really anything special despite having lots of empty space on the roster to stand out from.
 
These trends would continue in S67, where the team got marginally better and so did Jerry. Worse, we already had a couple of our S66 picks go inactive. There was some sort of foundation built, at least (we drafted @Phil's Phil Marleau and @fonziGG's Michael Johnson, players that stuck with us at forward and in net for a while)--and we figured it wouldn't be too-too long before things started going the right direction.
 
And go the right direction it did in just the next season--not only did we pick @OrbitingDeath 's Condor Adrienne (the best defenseman of the generation) at #1 after winning the draft lottery, but @Beketov's Matt Thompson (the best player of the S60s) signed with us in free agency for his last season. A few things happened in S68 that were really nice. First, Garcia had his best season on defense. His stats (60 points, 154 hits, and 150 SB) may not mean a whole lot to anyone used to the standards of the S90s, but they were pretty solid for that time and got me nominated for the Jake Wylde Trophy. And though the vote had solid support, it fell one short of winning. I still haven't won an individual award not named Campbell, and this was the closest I ever came.
 
But I digress--S68 had a whole lot more going on as far as the team was concerned. We went from the VHL's basement all the way to the top, finishing first place in the standings and taking home the Victory Cup in just our third season of existence. At some point in our first few seasons--and I think it was here--Advantage became the first VHL member to ever hit 1000 wins as a GM. All of that was cool, and we carried that success into the playoffs, where regular-season MVP Thompson played so well--shooting at somewhere around 20%--that it drew accusations of sim rigging and the strongest demand for live sims up until that point. That's the reason why we have live sims today, actually--it's not a special event as much as it's proof that the simmer isn't cheating.
 
The playoffs went very well, and we made the finals with the chance of becoming the earliest championship winners of any expansion team in the league's history. The finals had been simmed live before S68, so doing them this way was as much common practice as it was the result of peer pressure. So, we did them live--and although I never once believed that the sims were being rigged, the people who thought they were certainly had something to laugh at when we got swept by Seattle (whose core by this point was made up of multiple players who used to be my own first-gen players in the M). It was my first finals, and would remain so for quite a while.
 
After S68, my player success (and my team success) declined steadily. I don't remember a whole lot about S69-71 as a player, to be honest--S69 was my best run as a VHLM GM (as I'll talk about in a future article), and I remember S70 being absolutely dominated by Moscow. Also during this time, Garcia somehow acted as Condor Adrienne's kryptonite. He didn't even steal stats, either, because his totals went down a little bit even as I kept adding to his TPE. But after S71, Advantage stepped down, @FrostBeard took over as GM and started the team's first rebuild, at the start of which he was gracious enough to give me a fair deal to move Garcia out to the Davos team I was then running. That's also a future article, but the long story short is that I made Jerry a winger and enjoyed a couple seasons of being half decent on my own underachieving team before retiring. 
 
Jerry Garcia would eventually finish his career with 420 points (an amazing coincidence). He never won a Cup or an award and was never really the top player on any of his teams. He doesn't even come close to making my own Hall of Not Bad series. In fact, I believe that he was the worst player to ever reach 1500 TPE back when 1500 TPE actually meant something. But even though his TPE total was his most impressive number, that's still representative of over a year of work that I put into making him what he was, and I have no regrets about it (not even the part where I built Passing over Scoring). Jerry taught me that I could make it in the VHL as more than just a flashy new kid, that I could earn with the best of them and build a player that most people still respected even when that didn't show up on the leaderboard. And I hope no one who played with him regretted it, either. There were lots of players drafted after 7th overall in S66, but none of them can say that they were Malmo's first choice--and I like to think Malmo wouldn't have had it any other way.

1. This team is already good and Phil makes it better.
2. I think the trade is good for building the future.
3. No I think this team is good and is gonna win the cup.
4. Saskatoon they were already first in there conference and they just got better.
5. There hasnt been a weird way ive got injured 
6. Ottawa 

1.  Welcome @Phil and hire new player to the team. What is exciting about the latest recruit?
If it helps the team than I am good for anyone joining the team and if he is anything like the Sakic that used to light-up the Vancouver Canucks than I am game. 
 
2. There was also  a trade. A S95 1st rounder for S94 4th AND S95 2nd. Is this a good trade building for the future?
Can be an underrated move for the future of the team but I am focused on this season and winning now. The future can wait or is for the management to worry about!!
 
3. Should more have been done to load up for the Cup run?
Yes, and no!! We will need a ton of puck luck if we are going to win the Founder`s Cup so if we lose than yes, you should have done more but if we win than nope it was correct. We are the second best team in the league yet anything can happen as Halifax should know from S74!!
 
4. What team made the biggest moves in this trade deadline?
Seattle Bears as they trade a bunch of prospect that are long shots at best to Helsinki for a starting goaltender and one of the best forwards in the game really for next to nothing but hey who is judging!! Oh, You meant VHLM!! Saskatoon made the biggest move but it will be a matter of time if it actually paid off or not!!
 
5. What is the weirdest way you have been injured?
Wrestling with my girlfriend as she put me in a leg lock and with her being a smaller Japanese girl I expected to be able to twist my out of the leg lock only for her to tighten the lock and break my hip. Luckily for me it wasn`t a full break of the hip but rather a small stabilizing bone that men have in their hips (Less Trochanter); I guess woman have it as well but it is much smaller than a males. I also didn`t know that a woman pelvis opens at 120 degree while a male is limited to 90!! Thanks Internet!!
 
Worst injury was being crushed at work by a pallet jack when training a new higher how to drive the machine. Broke my leg, shattered and dislocated my ankle. Took me six month to learn to walk again and cost me my job. But I was luck since I could have/ should have lost my leg but due to how hard he hit me knocked my leg up into a pallet crushing the ankle rather than the leg.
 
6. Which visiting team should I arrange hotel arrangements for?
Ottawa and we should put them in the best hotel in town so book them into Season Inn in Fairview. Look like most of the creepier hotels/motels have been taken out of business.
 

1. always good to get a player that can help us make a run
 
2. never know what picks can bring you
 
3 i think we already have a great team so what ever we add just helps us a little more
 
4. im not sure i didnt really pay attention to the trades
 
5. fell out of bed and broke a finger
 
6. i dunno. dont they do that them selves? 

1. Welcome @Phil and hire new player to the team. What is exciting about the latest recruit?
 
Adding fresh blood is always good. He will be well surrounded by the team and hopefully he can contribute to our success
 
2. There was also a trade. A S95 1st rounder for S94 4th AND S95 2nd. Is this a good trade building for the future?
There's two way to look at it.
1. A first rounder can land a star but
2. A late first vs a early second and a 4th can give you the chance to draft 2 players who can help out a team. There's plenty of surprises after the 1st round and you could draft 2 players beyond the 1st round who can out perform 1st rounders. All in all, it's a gamble. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. Time will tell but also I trust management to make good moves
 
3. Should more have been done to load up for the Cup run?
I feel we have a great team. Management has done an excellent job and we should be able to make a great run in the cup run
 
4. What team made the biggest moves in this trade deadline?
Mexico city, they are trying to rebuild for next season
 
5. What is the weirdest way you have been injured?
Jumping off a big forklift. Had spinal compression and concussion like symptoms for a week
 
6. Which visiting team should I arrange hotel arrangements for?
Hotels? Maybe change it for motels😅 make them struggle a bit before a big game