VHLE city choices from someone who plans to spend very little time in the VHLE

[scoop 3,294]

Personally, I view the VHLE as VHLM 2; that is to say, playing well and winning is nice, but it won't make me feel any better about a player's career. Those achievements will not matter much in my mind whatsoever. That being said, I am probably not the type of person for whom the VHLE was created, and that is fine. While I am not exactly excited about the VHLE (and not just because my player will be a first- or second-year player in the VHL when the 'E' debuts), I do enjoy discussing the potential teams and locations. Well, I enjoy looking at the history of the VHL and using that to make a case for certain cities.

 

Before I get started, I should say that I don't know exactly what the plans are regarding the teams. The announcement seemed to suggest the VHLE would be made up entirely of former VHL and VHLM teams, and while I haven't seen any subsequent statements to the contrary, given that a poll put out Victor included other European cities, I would have to assume there is at least a thought to bring in entirely new teams. Personally, I would like to see a mix. Give us at least two new teams and at least two returning teams. Novelty is fun, but history is cool too. I will start by looking at the former teams that I think are the best candidates, because that will help dictate where I think we should put the new teams.

 

Which Teams Could Return
I think the number one team I want to see return is the Bratislava Watchmen. They were a part of the S31 VHLM expansion and played their final game in S53, after which they suffered the fate of contraction for some reason. During their 23 seasons of existence, they won 7 Founder's Cups, and although I said earlier that winning in the VHLM doesn't matter, I do think it is a bit different looking at it from a team perspective. Regardless, I recall the Watchmen being a fairly popular team during their time. The biggest knock on putting a team in Bratislava is that the VHL has not actually had a lot of Slovakian players, but as this is a case of an established team with a history in the league, that does not come into play as much.

 

The other former VHLM team that I think is most worth considering is the Bern Royals. After moving from Toledo to Bern in S17, the Royals were a staple in the VHLM for 37 seasons. In the same season that we lost Bratislava, the Royals moved to Las Vegas and became the Aces. While they did not have a history of winning, they had a history in the league. The 37 seasons they spent as the Royals puts them only behind the Wild, Lynx, Storm, and Rush. Switzerland is also one of the nations that I think could be deserving of a team even though Davos already exists in the VHL. While the Swiss player base is not like it used to be, the city of Bern alone has produced four Hall of Famers.

 

Looking now at former VHL teams that could make a comeback, I will first point to the Cologne Express. Their timeline is exactly the same as the Watchmen but without the history of success, winning just a single Continental Cup. What this really comes down to is the need for a team in Germany, which I will touch on a bit later. While I do think contracting them was the correct choice at the time, bringing the Express back is something to think about.

 

The thought of bringing Vasteras back is undoubtedly on the minds of many people. Although I am not entirely opposed to it, and I have defended keeping the team in Vasteras in the past, I think a return of the Stockholm Vikings would be more ideal. Even though a lot of members nowadays might not know the history of Vasteras in the league and the associated stigma, they likely also don't know of the existence of the city of Vasteras. I think Stockholm would be a more popular choice among the masses, and if we're going to put a team in Stockholm, I think the return of the Vikings would be more than appropriate.

 

Where We Could Add New Teams
As I mentioned above, I think Germany needs a team. If not Cologne, then somewhere else. I don't think we strictly have to look at places known for hockey, but it certainly helps, in part because the members of the league are creating players from those places. I don't think we have seen as strong of German players in recent seasons as we have in the past, but there are certainly noteworthy names. Putting a team in Germany makes sense for many reasons, and I'd be surprised if it doesn't happen, whether it is the Express coming back or somewhere like Berlin or Munich getting a new team.

 

Now let's talk Nordic nations. Sweden or Finland could get a team somewhere despite each already having a VHL team. They have both produced a long list of players in the VHL. They have both had multiple teams that are no longer in use that could be brought back or cities that could be given a new team. Then there are Norway, Denmark, and Iceland (sorry Reinharts, I'm not looking at Greenland beyond this acknowledgement). Norway has not historically been a popular nation among VHL players, despite Oslo having a team in the VHLM for several seasons. Both Denmark and Iceland have been more relevant in the VHL, and for that reason, I look toward Copenhagen and Reykjavik as possible locations as opposed to Oslo or another Norwegian city.

 

Glasgow, anyone? Honestly, it took London too long to get a team in the league. Maybe the UK doesn't stack up with the top dogs in real life, but when it comes to the VHL, it is up there with the likes of Finland and Sweden. I could legitimately see putting a VHLE team somewhere on the British Isles, and I have seen a couple others bring up Glasgow as a potential destination as well.

 

I lump Paris and Rome together as well-known cities in nations not totally irrelevant in the hockey world. Neither France nor Italy have been particularly popular among VHL players, but these cities do seem to be places that people would like to see teams anyway. Plus, if we just went based on proportionate player base, the VHLE would end up being two teams in each of the UK, Sweden, and Finland. We don't want that. We want Paris and Rome.

 

I would like to see something further east than Bratislava. The first, probably most obvious city that comes to mind is St. Petersburg, Russia. That is definitely one to consider. I'm more partial to exploring Ukraine a bit, however. While obviously not a top producer of talent, the VHL has had a number of good Ukrainian players, including four Hall of Famers. If we were specifically trying to branch out into nations that don't already have a team, I would definitely put Kyiv, Kharkiv, or Odessa in the mix.

 

My Final Picks

Bratislava Watchmen

Copenhagen

German city

French city

Ukrainian City

Glasgow/Rome/Stockholm Vikings/Vasteras Iron Eagles/Bern Royals

 

As you can see, my sixth slot is a little up in the air. If you want me to make absolute picks, I would say the Watchmen and Express return, with teams in Copenhagen, Paris, Odessa, and Glasgow joining them. Again, though, I'm not really all that passionate about what cities get teams, though I will say that the Watchmen are my only absolute lock and Copenhagen is my number one choice for a new team.

 

1313 words; claiming for weeks ending 6/20 and 6/27

Edited June 13, 2021 by scoop