VSN Present: S83 Milestone Watch

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VSN Podcast Ep. 3 | VHLM Illustrated 1st Edition | The Talents Behind The Trophies: The Aidan Shaw Trophy

 

 

 

Riga Reign defenseman Battre Sandstrom

 

 

One of the best things about the VHL is seeing players (maybe yours!) get better and better and fill the stats sheet every night. Each season has a group of almost retirees that have one more shot to climb the all-time leaderboards in various categories. Today, VSN has put together a list of these players who have a chance at reaching some pretty impressive regular season milestones next season along with a few players who will still have more time to immortalize themselves beyond this season. Now, with the new hybrid attribute changes being implemented for next season, reaching these milestone may be more difficult for some of these players, but no one really knows. The milestones covered in order are 1000 PIM, 1300 Shot Blocks, 75 & 90 PPG, 1500, 2000, & 2500 Hits, 500 Assists, 150 & 175 Goals (Defensemen), 250 & 300 Goals, and 600 Points.

 

Of note, you will see that there are no goalies listed in this article due to the retirement of many of the league’s veteran starters. Thus none of the current young goaltenders are close to reaching any significant milestones as their careers are just beginning.

 

We hope you enjoy the S83 Milestone Watch.

 

 

1000 PIM

Tom Eagles @Greg_Di (S76, D) (922)

Duncan Idaho @OrbitingDeath (S77, RW) (887)

Phil The Rock Johnson @Phil (S76, RW) (878)

Aurelien Moreau @Frank (S77, D) (876)

 

While 1000 penalty minutes may seem like a relatively easy mark to reach, only 77 players in the history of the VHL have accumulated that amount which over eight seasons works out to 125 PIM per season. Calgary lifer Tom Eagles is the closest to 1000 to start S83, needing only 78 PIM and seeing as he’s recorded over 100 PIM in each of the last six seasons, he’s pretty much a lock. Eagles’ Wrangler teammate Johnson is also in his final season needing 122 PIM, a total he’s hit the last three seasons. Idaho and Moreau have an extra season to hit the milestone but seeing as they’ve each surpassed 115 PIM every season, there’s a good chance they’ll both reach 1000 by season’s end.

 

Calgary's Tom Eagles is approaching 1000 PIM and 1300 SB

 

1300 Shot Blocks (Defensemen)

Robin Galante Nilsson @RomanesEuntDomus (S76, D) (1185)

Kristof Welch @Juice (S76, D) (1141)

Tom Eagles (S76, D) (1125)

Battre Sandstrom @Acydburn (S76, D) (1091)

 

This milestone is a bit more prestigious. Before last season, only four defensemen in VHL history had recorded 1300 or more blocked shots. With the rise in shots over the last few seasons, the number of blocked shots also rose culminating in three more defensemen retiring after S82 with over 1300 blocked shots. L @gorlab, Chicken Wing @chikn, and R @Kylrad now sit fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively all-time on the career shots blocked list. The four names above have a very good chance at joining them in the Top-10 when S83 is finished with the outlier being Sandstrom who needs 209. He at least has a good shot to crack the Top-15 all-time.  

 

75 PPG

Battre Sandstrom (S76, D) (69)

Brendan Telker @Telkster (S77, LW) (69)

 

Less than 20 full-time defensemen and only 58 players have ever reached 75 career power play goals. Sandstrom has been a force with the man advantage his entire career, hitting 10 or more PPG four times and never scoring less than six, which added to 69 equals 75. Easy math. Despite a down year for Telker in S82, he has been one of the VHL’s most lethal power play specialists scoring 11 or more PPG in each of the last five seasons. We think he’ll be shooting for 90 in S84.

 

90 PPG

Kristof Welch (S76, D) (80)

 

Welch has been an offensive dynamo in the latter half of his career hitting over 100 points in each of the last four seasons with three different teams. He has a chance to join some elite company. He’s only the 12^th full-time defenseman to reach 80 PPG and since he’s averaged over 14 PPG the last four seasons, he could become the 6^th defenseman and 13^th VHL player to reach 90 at the conclusion of his career.

 

1500 Hits

Henry Tucker @NSG (S76, RW) (1471)

Aurelien Moreau (S77, D) (1249)

Tom Eagles (S76, D) (1249)

Zeedayno Chara @Jubis (S77, D) (1211)

 

The VHL has long been known as an offensive league but there has always been a place for the truculent types: the grinders, the muckers, and the bangers. The next few categories celebrate those who love the physical side of the game. Tucker should have no problem reaching 1500 hits as the current three-time Continental Cup Champion loves to hit more than he loves to win. Averaging 200+ hits over the last five seasons, he could reach 1700. Moreau and Eagles each need 251 hits, a total that only Moreau has previously hit but Eagles may get mad and go on a rampage. Chara had 270 hits last season and needs 289 but also has two seasons to reach the mark.

 

2000 Hits

Phil The Rock Johnson (S76, RW) (1757)

 

Johnson is well-known for being one of the premier power forwards of this era. He’s crashed over 250 hits each of the last five seasons including a career-high 403 in S80, one of only 19 players in VHL history to record 400 or more hits in a season. Reaching 2000 hits and a spot in the Top-35 seems merely a formality at this point.

 

2500 Hits

Druss Deathwalker @animal74 (S77, RW) (2165)

 

If you haven’t been on the wrong end of a Deathwalker hit, it’s probably because you haven’t played in the VHL yet. The league’s active leader in hits is currently 21^st on the all-time list and has two seasons to lay more bodies in his wake. He needs 335 hits to reach 2500 and 13^th place, a total he’s recorded four times in his career.

 

500 Assists

Kristof Welch (S76, D) (436)

Battre Sandstrom (S76, D) (432)

Robin Galante Nilsson (S76, D) (428)

 

Another milestone awaits these three defenders, who could very well all might receive calls from the Hall of Fame. Indeed, all of the eight defensemen who have reached 500 assists before them are enshrined in the Hall. Welch needs 64, Sandstrom needs 68 and Nilsson needs 72, numbers that all three have posted in each of the last three seasons. This milestone may be the one in the most jeopardy due to the new attributes but if anyone can dish out that many assists, these three stars can.

 

150 Goals (Defensemen)

Battre Sandstrom (S76, D) (133)

 

Sandstrom has scored 14 or more goals in every single season. He needs 13 to join Welch as the 40^th defenseman to score 150 goals.

 

175 Goals (Defensemen)

Kristof Welch (S76, D) (151)

 

The S80 Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman) has averaged over 27 goals over the last four seasons. Will he defy age and pot 19 more to become the 17^th d-man to score 175 career goals? We think so.

 

Vancouver teammates Jivere Zolnek, Henry Tucker, and Jerome Reinhart are looking for 250 goals.

 

250 Goals

Paul Atreides @Mr_Hatter (S77, C) (220)

Jivere Zolnek @Sixersfan594 (S76, C) (212)

Henry Tucker (S76, RW) (211)

Brian Moreau @weekz(S76, LW) (202)

Jerome Reinhart @MexicanCow123 (S79, LW) (202)

 

Even though 161 players have reached 250 goals, it is not an easy feat and requires consistent excellence throughout a career. These five players are at different stages but all have and equal shot at 250, the meta be damned. Atreides, the S77 1^st overall pick doesn’t have any awards to his name aside from three straight Cup Finals appearances, but he’s be steady and reliable for a surging Moscow group. He only need 30 goals, a mark he’s reached in all but one season. Although known as a passer, Zolnek pots his fair share of pucks as well. He’s scored 38 or more goals in each of the last four seasons. Tucker has developed into quite the sniper for the Wolves and has averaged over 53 goals the last three seasons, well above the 39 he needs. Moreau and Reinhart, the third Vancouver player on this list both need 48 goals but Reinhart has much more time on his side. Moreau has potted 48 and 53 in the last two seasons while Reinhart has been just ahead of teammate Tucker, averaging over 55 goals the last three seasons.

 

300 Goals

Duncan Idaho (S77, RW) (263)

Brendan Telker (S77, LW) (257)

 

Idaho and Telker, the 3^rd and 5^th overall picks in the S77 draft respectively have been neck-and-neck offensively throughout their whole careers. Idaho has had a bit more individual success while Telker won the coveted Continental Cup in S79. Both are approaching significant milestones in 300 goals and 600 points and both have a couple of seasons to pad those totals.  Idaho is riding three consecutive 50-goal seasons and should easily hit the 37 he needs. Questions as to whether Telker has peaked after a 50-point drop last season will need to be answered if he is to score 43 goals this season, a total he’s hit in four of the past five campaigns. Write it down that they both finish their careers in the Top-50 all-time goal scorers.

 

600 Points

Kristof Welch (S76, D) (587)

Duncan Idaho (S77, RW) (566)

Battre Sandstrom (S76, D) (565)

Brendan Telker (S77, LW) (559)

Robin Galante Nilsson (S76, D) (548)

Jivere Zolnek (S76, C) (541)

Paul Atreides (S77, C) (508)

Jerome Reinhart (S79, LW) (459)

 

600 is a nice round number, just over a point-per-game for a career, an accomplishment achieved by only 171 players and 24 defensemen throughout the VHL’s history. Each of these players hit 100 points with seemingly regularity. In fact, they have 21 100-point seasons between them. The adjusted attributes shouldn’t rob the first six names of this milestone but Atreides and Reinhart may fall short but they have time on their side. Reinhart is on the list more due to the fun fact that if he duplicates his 141 points from last season, that will give him an even 600 with three more seasons to play.

 

The players shooting for these milestones have delighted fans and impressed rivals throughout their careers. Their hard work and wizardry on the ice have put them in a position to rewrite the league’s history books, have their names in the annals of legend and perhaps hear their name called to the Hall of Fame someday. No matter where they find themselves on among the all-time greats, they represent what the VHL is all about: hard work, dedication, and achieving your dreams. And that is a milestone worth striving for.

 

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