VHL Draft: All-Time Best #24 - #19

[Doomsday 4,130]

@Zetterberg is not late with graphics. He makes them exactly when he means to.

 

Hello, and welcome to another special presentation by VSN! The VHL is currently in it’s 78th season, and still going strong. The reason that is so is because season after season, new talent enters the league courtesy of the VHL Entry Draft. Whether it’s first-generation members entering the league for the first time or existing members continuing the cycle anew, these new prospects keep pumping the VHL up with the players that will one day be the new superstars. General Managers have not had to rely on having early picks in order to get these next elite players, as substantial value can certainly be found in later rounds as well. Thanks to a spark of inspiration and a lot of research from @animal74, along with invaluable insights from VSN contributor and VHL historian @Victor, the extensive archives of the VHL Entry Draft have been thoroughly scoured, and VSN will be counting down the best selections made at each pick in VHL history, from 24th overall all the way to first overall. Today, we start with the 24th overall pick, which has ranged from being a third round pick to a second round pick depending on the era, and we will count down to the best selection made with the 19th overall pick.

 

But first, let’s take a look at the exciting content that the VSN has out right now! With Season 77 wrapped up, @Ledge and Dairy takes one last look at a wild VHLM Playoffs in Under 250. Getting us up to speed with the current season, @fromtheinside brings us the first power rankings of Season 78 in the VHLM. The VSN Scouting Department looks to the future with a massive labor of love and their latest project, the Season 79 Wayyyy Too Early Mock Draft! If you’re looking for content on the VHL, @tcookie ‘s preview of the European Conference for Season 78 will fit the bill! Lastly, if you miss the lovely voices of @Berocka and @dasboot, you can check out their most recent edition of VSN Australia: One and a Half Aussies, and perhaps encourage them to break out their mics again!

 

Under 250: S77 VHLM Playoffs Review | S78 VHLM Power Rankings | S79 Wayyyy Too Early Mock Draft | S78 Season Preview: European Conference | VSN Australia

 

 

#24. Randoms, LW @hedgehog337

Drafted: 3rd Round, 8th Pick, S63

Teams: , ,

Highlights: Scott Boulet Trophy x2 (S69, S70), Kevin Brooks Trophy (S70), Continental Cup Champion (S70)

 

Randoms may seem like a strange name for a player, but when you realize that TPE was initially being distributed at random to this build, it makes a bit more sense. Drafted in with the final pick of the third round of the Season 63 VHL Entry Draft by the Quebec City Meute, Randoms never suited up for the team, making his debut the next season with the HC Davos Dynamo before joining the Riga Reign the next season. It was his time with the fledgling Moscow Menace, however, where Randoms truly shined. He never scored less than 36 goals in his four seasons in Moscow, establishing himself as a premiere power forward with back-to-back Scott Boulet Trophy wins in Seasons 69 (nice) and 70. His final season in Season 70 was his best, with a league-leading 44 goals and a total of 90 points, which combined with 316 hits resulted in his second Scott Boulet Trophy win. Moscow rode his brilliant season to the Victory Cup and the franchise's first Continental Cup win. Not bad at all for a player originally viewed as an afterthought in an era of the league sorely lacking in players. 

 

Honorable Mention: PASS (Numerous seasons)

 

#23. Ace Lightning, RW @harvey

Drafted: 3rd Round, 7th Pick, S5

Teams: ,

Highlights: Continental Cup Champion x2 (S8, S10), Mikita (Alexander Beketov) Trophy (S9), Never Missed Playoffs

 

Drafted 23rd overall way back in Season 5, the Calgary Wranglers found lightning in a bottle with their final pick of the third round. Ace Lightning turned out to be so much more than just a depth body, as he grinded out a seven year career with the Calgary Wranglers and the Riga Reign, scoring 235 goals and a total of 593 points. In his seven seasons, he played in the Continental Cup Finals an astounding six times, with two Cup victories. Ace Lightning also holds the distinction of having never missed the VHL Playoffs during his career, and also led the VHL in assists with 74 in Season 9, winning what was then the Mikita Trophy. On teams that boasted lots of legendary figures, Ace Lightning was an excellent complementary player, and in spite of the exploits of many players of the era being lost to time, the fact that Lightning's story survives proves what a quality and memorable part of his era he truly was.

 

Honorable Mention: Harvey Singh, D/F: S14

 

#22. Alex Gegeny, G @Pominville29

Drafted: 3rd Round, 6th Pick, S5

Teams: ,

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S14), Continental Cup Champion (S9), Tretiak (Aidan Shaw) Trophy x2 (S8, S9)

 

Quite possibly the greatest steal in the VHL Entry Draft, yet the Hamilton Canucks never reaped the benefits of Alex Gegeny, trading him before his rookie season in the VHL. Instead, Gegeny became a legend with the Toronto Legion as an elite goaltender of his era, posting numbers that quite frankly look unreal to this day. He was virtually unbeatable in Seasons Nine and Ten, winning a combined 105 games, boasting a save percentage of over .930, allowing an average of less than two goals a game, turned in 24 shutouts, and became a Continental Cup champion in Season Nine. Gegeny won two straight Tretiak Trophies (now the Aidan Shaw Trophy), and what can only be politely described as an oversight by the Awards Committee denied him a third straight Tretiak Trophy in Season 10, despite a superior season to Benoit Devereux. The VHL Hall of Famer is arguably the greatest steal in league history, and Alex Gegeny was a no-brainer for our countdown.

 

Honorable Mention: Brian Strong, RW @Wheaties: S65

 

#21. Oskar Lagesson, D @fever95

Drafted: 2nd Round, 9th Pick, S69

Teams: , ,

Highlights: Continental Cup Champion (S70)

 

Over the many, many years of the VHL, the 21st overall pick has seen a great deal of misses. No one that has been drafted 21st overall has ever made the Hall of Fame, but the Moscow Menace did find a dependable member of their blue line there in the Season 69 (nice) VHL Entry Draft. Oskar Lagesson was a part of the Season 70 Continental Cup champions as a rookie, with the fascinating achievement of scoring two combined goals in the regular season and playoffs, but both were game-winning goals. Lagesson developed into a reliable two-way defender, with over 1300 career hits, 858 blocked shots, and 327 career points. As a staple of Moscow's blueline through the first half of the 70s, Lagesson never won any individual awards, but he played well enough to place himself into contention, especially in Season 73, when he set career highs in points with 66 and hits with 261. At a spot that has traditionally yielded forgettable players, Moscow instead found a dependable member of their core at the 21st pick in Oskar Lagesson. 

 

Honorable Mention: Max Weinstein, G, S6

 

#20. Mathias Chouinard, RW @Spangle

Drafted: 3rd Round, 4th Pick, S18

Teams: ,

Highlights: VHL Hall of Fame (S68), Continental Cup Champion x3 (S23, S24, S25), Lemieux (Mike Szatkowski) Trophy (S24), Howe (Daisuke Kanou) Trophy (S23)

 

The Season 18 VHL Entry Draft was one of the most successful at producing Hall of Fame talents, with five. However, after several decades, Mathias Chouinard received long overdue recognition by becoming the sixth member of the Season 18 draft class to be immortalized in the VHL Hall of Fame in Season 68, 43 seasons after his retirement. Despite only playing six VHL seasons, Chouinard made a huge impact, scoring 624 career points, including 286 career goals. Playing for both the Calgary Wranglers and the HC Davos Dynamo, he was also an excellent postseason performer, scoring 51 points in 41 games, winning the Howe (now the Daisuke Kanou) Trophy as the MVP of the Season 23 Playoffs, and won three straight Continental Cup championships to end his career. He was selected to the VHL All-Star game five times out of six seasons, led the VHL in points in Season 24, and scored over 100 points three times. One can only imagine what Chouinard could have done with a full eight seasons, but he is still a legend in his own right, and one of the biggest steals in the history of the VHL.

 

Honorable Mention: Sigard Gunnar, LW @Big Mac: S68

 

#19. Joey Clarence, G @.sniffuM

Drafted: 3rd Round, 3rd Pick, S18

Teams: ,

Highlights: Continental Cup Champion (S23), Dustin Funk Trophy (S21)

 

The Class of Season 18 has six Hall of Famers, yet there are calls for one more player of that famed class to join them: goaltender Joey Clarence. Taken the pick before Chouinard, at 19th overall, Clarence became a quality goaltender overlooked by time, sharing an era with legends such as Daisuke Kanou, Aidan Shaw, and Zach Voss. Co-winning the inaugural Dustin Funk Trophy as the most improved player in the VHL with Kevyn Hesje in Season 21, Clarence helped the Seattle Bears get within one game of the Continental Cup, but came up just short, and was dealt to the Calgary Wranglers as Seattle entered a rebuild. In Season 23, Clarence and Chouinard became champions together, followed by Clarence's abrupt retirement. With 228 wins in the regular season, along with a .915 save percentage, Joey Clarence was quality, but he was even better in the playoffs, with a save percentage of .927 and a GAA of 2.17, he elevated his play when it mattered the most. Had he not retired early, there is a high possibility he could have made the Hall of Fame, but unlike Chouinard, his shorter career has left him as a footnote in the VHL's history. Joey Clarence was, however, tremendous value, as getting a Hall of Fame caliber goalie in one of the deepest draft classes in the third round is simply incredible. 

 

Honorable Mention: Greg Eagles, G @Greg_Di: S67

 

That wraps up this week’s list! With a majority of these picks as third rounders, it’s pretty incredible that two of these players, and perhaps one day a third, went on to become Hall of Famers! As VHL Entry Drafts continue to get deeper and deeper, perhaps we’ll begin to see some later round picks become legendary parts of the league’s history again soon! Stay tuned next week as our countdown continues, going from the 18th overall pick down to the 13th overall pick!

[bigAL 2,176]

31 minutes ago, Doomsday said:

Randoms may seem like a strange name for a player, but when you realize that TPE was initially being distributed at random to this build,

Wait what? @hedgehog337 can you elaborate??

 

also GREAT idea for a series Dooms!

[Doomsday 4,130]

25 minutes ago, bigAL said:

also GREAT idea for a series Dooms!

 

This is all @animal74 's idea, I'm just along for the ride!

[animal74 1,808]

2 hours ago, Doomsday said:

 

This is all @animal74 's idea, I'm just along for the ride!

And you've made it a fantastic ride so far! F-ing spectacular writing again @Doomsday!

[fromtheinside 1,290]

great idea for content! Good work Dooms

[Victor 10,940]

Ace Lightning also one of the most sought after free agents ever when he moved from Calgary to Riga - I remember snooping around the site when I joined and his FA thread had 7 pages and none of them some petty drama! People loved the guy.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

@Doomsday i assume you don't intend to do the best ever 72nd overall pick, or the best ever 46th overall pick? I'd hazard a guess we have both of them on our roster right now