VSN Presents: the Season 77 VHL Awards Show

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

Good evening everyone, and welcome to the Season 77 Victory Hockey League Awards Show, presented by VSN! Once again, it’s Doomsday here to wrap up the festivities for Season 77 by celebrating the accomplishments of the VHL’s best here tonight!

 

In our current era of the VHL, there have been three constants: Depreciation, retirement, and the Seattle Bears lifting the Continental Cup at season’s end. Blake Campbell @Banackock has found a way to edge out the rest of the league time and time again, and Season 77 marks the Bears’ fifth Continental Cup victory in the past decade alone. Another symbol of dominance in this era has been the absurd offensive powerhouse known as Mikko Lahtinen @Beketov, but unlike with Seattle, Lahtinen and the Class of Season 70 have rode off into the sunset, making room for another batch of aspiring superstars to replace them. Such is life in the VHL, and so it ever shall be. Also leaving the ranks of the VHL is Julian Borwinn @Jubo, who is stepping down after a very successful tenure as the General Manager of the Helsinki Titans. Congratulations to both Jubo and the Class of Season 70 on an outstanding job with their respective careers!

 

The Season 78 VHL Draft is tomorrow night... but before that, let's finish off Season 77 in style by celebrating the players who shone the brightest!

[Frank 5,258]

[Doomsday 4,143]

When the season began, you heard a lot of different teams being bounced around as Cup favorites. The Warsaw Predators. The Chicago Phoenix to repeat. The London United to send Mikko Lahtinen @Beketov off in style. There were quite a few... but one team I don't recall hearing mentioned to win it all was the Seattle Bears, and boy, did they very quickly rediscover their winning ways. They finished third place in the North American Conference with 85 points, but it was just three points off the pace of the first place Chicago Phoenix. The playoff magic of the Rayz Funk @Rayzor_7 Seattle teams lived on, and they moved past the Toronto Legion in six games, before sweeping the Los Angeles Stars in quick, ruthless fashion. The Helsinki Titans fought hard, looking to send General Manager Julian Borwinn @Jubo out on top as a champion, but ultimately, it was Jim Bob @jRuutu, Timothy Brown @a_Ferk, Isabella Campbell @Banackock, and Rara Rasputin @Victor that powered through to emerge as Continental Cup champions, returning the championship to Seattle through a new generation of Bears talents.

 

 

 

Congratulations to the Seattle Bears, the Season 77 Continental Cup Champions!

[Doomsday 4,143]

Note to anyone looking to one day become a parent: toddlers absolutely do not care about your virtual hockey schedule.

[Doomsday 4,143]

In Season 76, the Warsaw Predators became league darlings after an absolutely memorable postseason run, in which they became the epitome of, "never say die." Going an absurd 6-0 in elimination games before ultimately falling to the Chicago Phoenix in the Continental Cup Finals, big things were expected of them again this season, and did they ever deliver. Led by a breakout season from Aloe Dear @Renomitsu , all Warsaw did for an encore was put up a 47-21-4 record, good for 98 points and the best record in the VHL. After dusting off the Prague Phantoms in a series mired in controversy (through no fault of their own, it should be said) in five games, the Predators found themselves at war with the Helsinki Titans, in a series destined for Game Seven. In fitting fashion, even Game Seven wasn't enough, and it went to overtime, where Warsaw was burned by a penalty with James Rose @MattyIce burying the series-clinching power play goal. That close to returning to the Cup finals... but this is a team just getting started.

 

 

Congratulations to the Warsaw Predators, winners of the Season 77 Victory Cup!

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

Last season’s race for the Alexander Beketov Trophy, awarded to the league leader in assists, featured a battle for the top spot that went down to the wire, decided on the final day of the season. Unlike in season’s past, however, forwards factored prominently in the hunt for the league lead in assists. In the past ten seasons, only two forwards, Kronos Bailey @Quik and Rauno Palo @jRuutu have led the league in assists, with the last eight Alexander Beketov Trophy winners being defensemen. London United defenseman Kasper Kankkunen @16z had a breakout campaign with 69 (nice) assists, which tied the breakout campaign of the Warsaw Predators’ Aloe Dear @Renomitsu . It came down to Chicago Phoenix blue liner Spencer Elsby @Spence King and Vancouver Wolves superstar Andrew Su @Da_Berr for the league lead in assists, and after a tight race, they finished just one assist apart from each other. Elsby tallied 72 assists, leading all defensemen, while Su’s 73 assists led the entire VHL, making him the first forward to do so since Season 68!

 

 

Congratulations to Andrew Su, the Alexander Beketov Trophy winner!

[JardyB10 4,868]

This is awesome, amazing work @Doomsday!

[diacope 1,696]

Was checking in on assists all season, want to say nice job to my fellow rookie to veteran/defender Elsby for working hard to rise the ranks but ultimately amazing season by Su who didn't take a foot off the pedal

Edited May 13, 2021 by 16z

[McWolf 3,116]

Just now, 16z said:

Was checking in on assists all season, want to say nice job to mu fellow rookie to veteran Elsby for working hard to rise the ranks but ultimately amazing season by Su who didn't take a foot off the pedal

You were so close, and then got like one assist in the final 3 sims. Great season though, captain!

[N0HBDY 1,130]

Tanky robbed??

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

If you thought the race for the league lead in assists was tight, well, we bring you to the Kevin Brooks Trophy, awarded to the league leader in goals. Season 77 saw a wide-open race for bragging rights as the top goal scorer in the VHL, with seven players finishing within four goals of the league leader. Isabella Campbell @Banackock and Thomas Landry II @Doomsday both tallied 45 goals, with Jungkok @tfong , Dakota Lamb @dlamb, and Groovy Dood @bigAL finishing with 46 goals. Andrew Su @Da_Berr led the league in assists, and came tantalizingly close to leading the VHL in goals as well, falling just one short with 47. That leaves Jim Bob @jRuutu of the Seattle Bears, who capped off a championship winning year by smashing his previous career high of 34 by 14 goals to become the VHL scoring king of Season 77 with 48 goals!

 

 

Congratulations to your Kevin Brooks Trophy winner, Jim Bob!

[Banackock 8,138]

2 minutes ago, JardyB10 said:

This is awesome, amazing work @Doomsday!

Yeah he is good at this. Steve Harvey of VHL presenting 

[Doomsday 4,143]

1 minute ago, Banackock said:

Yeah he is good at this. Steve Harvey of VHL presenting 

 

Well, you just know I'm going to have to screw up announcing a winner now, right?

[Dom 1,445]

Just now, Doomsday said:

 

Well, you just know I'm going to have to screw up announcing a winner now, right?

challenge accepted?

[McWolf 3,116]

Just now, Domg5 said:

challenge accepted?

sounds like it ayy

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

We’ve crowned our league leaders in goals and assists, so we move on now to the Mike Szatkowski Trophy, awarded annually to the player(s) who led the VHL in points. While the competition was tight for the Beketov and Brooks Trophies, it turns out this wasn’t the case here. Groovy Dood @bigAL of the DC Dragons put together an impressive 106 point season, and Aloe Dear @Renomitsu had a massive year for the Warsaw Predators, leading them with 112 points. But in the end, however, this was Andrew Su’s @Da_Berr award to lose, and he had no intentions of letting that happen. His 120 points distanced him by eight points from Aloe Dear’s second-highest total of 112, and had he scored just one more goal, Su would have swept the Beketov, Brooks, and Szatkowski Trophies, truly a dominating season by Vancouver’s star forward.

 

 

Congratulations to the Mike Szatkowski Trophy winner, Andrew Su!

[Banackock 8,138]

2 minutes ago, Doomsday said:

 

Well, you just know I'm going to have to screw up announcing a winner now, right?

@TXC

 

[BOOM 8,817]

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

Let’s get our goalers some love, shall we? We’ll move along to the Greg Clegane Trophy, awarded annually to the goaltender with the lowest goals allowed average in the VHL! This does, however, go to a starting goaltender, but I’ll take the time to acknowledge Nils Friedriksen @Biggreen10 of the London United, who put up the statistically lowest GAA in the VHL with 2.43 in 17 games. Fittingly, it’s the goaltender he backed up, Jacob Tonn @MexicanCow123, who brings home the Greg Clegane Trophy for the second season in a row! Amongst starting goalers, his 2.82 GAA was the best in the league, with Doug Dimmadome @Esso2264 of the Los Angeles Stars just missing out with a 2.89! It’s a great feeling tonight for Tonn, as he shows that his great play is of his own merit, not just the team he’s playing for. Big accomplishment for his legacy with back-to-back Cleganes!

 

@McWolf, how hyped are you for your tendies?!

 

 

Congratulations to Jacob Tonn, the Greg Clegane Trophy winner!

[McWolf 3,116]

First award in franchise history level of hyped! Gratz @MexicanCow123!

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

Up next: The Frederik Elmebeck Trophy!!

[MexicanCow123 915]

Wow I actually was not expecting to win this season as I was much worse last season. Really appreciate it though, feels great! Mcwolf did an amazing job construing a fantastic team.

Edited May 13, 2021 by MexicanCow123

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

On now to one of the most meaningful awards the VHL has to offer: the Frederik Elmebeck Trophy. Named in the honor of Frederik Elmebeck, a wonderful man who engaged our community with incredible passion and positivity before he was taken from us all far too soon, this award is to honor the lasting legacy of Elmebeck by recognizing the member who best served the VHL community. This season, the nominees, as selected by you, the VHL community, are:

 

@dlamb, for stepping up and absolutely crushing it as the new GM of the Ottawa Lynx!

 

@GustavMattias, for being the lovable Grand Poobah of the Town of Salem!

 

@rjfryman, for his tireless work on pre and post draft rankings, and many, many behind the scenes activities!

 

@Sonnet, for being the brain behind the scenes of the VHL merch store!

 

@Spartan, for being an outstanding contributor towards league retention, and keeping the Moscow Menace rolling along!

 

Congratulations to all of our nominees! The VHL community has become what it is today in large part to the endless contributions that members like you have made, and that is the secret to the enduring success of the VHL itself. The sims are what brought us here, but it’s members like all of you that keep us here. The lasting spirit of Elmebeck’s legacy resonates in everything you do, and I personally can’t thank you enough for all the great things you do here.

 

The votes have been tallied, and the winner of the Season 77 Frederik Elmebeck Trophy winner is…

 

Spoiler

@rjfryman!!

 

A tireless worker behind the scenes, RJ has been nominated for the Frederik Elmebeck Trophy every single season after it was created, and he finally gets to take it home this time! New members to the VHL become familiar with him right away, especially now that he’s become the General Manager of the Houston Bulls. His tireless work towards updating pre and post-draft rankings, however, is a new member’s first glimpse into the competition ahead of them in the VHL, and it has largely gone unsung. No longer, however, as rjfryman is the Season 77 Frederik Elmebeck Trophy winner!!

 

Thank you, RJ, and congratulations!!

 

Voting: 

 

Rjfryman: 8, GustavMattias: 3, Sonnet: 2, Spartan: 1, dlamb: 0

 

[dlamb 1,328]

Wow, was not expecting no see my name on the ballot, thank you!

 

Congrats to all the nominees, and a big ups to @rjfryman! Well deserved!

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

The VHLM delivered quite a lot of promising future stars through the Season 77 VHL Entry Draft, along with some prospects from past drafts making their pro debuts in Season 77 as well. Teams such as the Moscow Menace and HC Davos Dynamo leaned heavily on rookies this year, but will one of their guys take home the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy as the best rookie in the VHL? Zeedayno Chara @Jubis of the New York Americans continued the Big Apple’s tradition of fielding quality rookies, as he established himself as a steady, physical two-way defenseman. Javad Kamkar @Parriyah9374, a Season 76 draftee, made his pro debut with the Vancouver Wolves this season and quickly turned some heads, fitting right in with strong two-way play, showing no fear with 171 shots blocked! Olof Samuelsson @Azlan may not have been the second coming of Roque Davis @Josh in Davos, but he brought his own game with him. A punishing defender comfortable playing the body in his own zone, along with a keen eye for setting up scoring plays have the bar raised high for him with the Dynamo. The two gems of Moscow’s Season 77 draft class, Paul Atreides @Mr_Hatter and Duncan Idaho @OrbitingDeath  were the two top scorers of Season 77’s rookie class, with Atreides being the only rookie to surpass 60 points. Idaho’s two-way play as a forward has many labeling him as a future Scott Boulet Trophy contender as well.

 

Let's find out who will be taking home the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy this season! Your winner, and top rookie of the VHL, is...

 

Spoiler

 

Duncan Idaho!

 

Voters were impressed with both of Moscow’s top-flight rookies, but ultimately, the strong, physical presence of Idaho, along with similar offensive production to Atreides gave him the nod as the VHL’s top rookie. OrbitingDeath, fresh after having Condor Adrienne inducted into the VHL Hall of Fame, appears to have another hit on his hands with Duncan Idaho, who begins his career as the Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy winner as Season 77’s top rookie!

 

Congratulations to Duncan Idaho, your Season 77 Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy winner!

 

Voting:

Duncan Idaho: 11, Paul Atreides: 2, Javad Kamkar: 1