A Summary of the Current State of the VHLE

[jacobcarson877 2,563]

The VHLE is something of a personal dilemma floating around in my head semi-regularly, and it is a battle between logic and sentiment that I can’t quite win.

 

I’ve been vocal in the past about how I think the VHLE is an incredibly useful tool in the league’s development system and should be the perfect way to increase engagement and parity, and provide a buffer space to account for natural fluctuations in league membership. Reducing stagnation and continuing to stimulate members as they work to progress to the point of being useful in the VHL sounds like the logical decision. Allowing for members to have the opportunity to meet new people, work under different management and face new levels of competition just makes sense. Not launching a 250TPE player into the VHL against 1300TPA monsters sounds like a good way to keep player’s producing in a way that motivates them and doesn’t leave them seasons away from having a shot at being moderately useful. Having more GM's, AGM's and commissioners to help support league activity and provide more points of contact for any given new member makes sense. Easing players into the concept of competitive cycles, roster construction and player roles sounds like a good way to approach it.

So why is the VHLE not working?

Well there are a few reasons why in my mind.

There is an overwhelming crowd of people who were moderately inconvenienced, put off or delayed from making it to the VHL upon conception that have been vocal of their dissent towards the decision. With very few openly praising the VHLE, the quiet minority have become the dominant voice in the conversation. I don’t think there are many people absolutely enthralled by the VHLE, and thus there really is no push-back against whatever people want to say against it.

 

It has been a long time since the VHLE started, and yet it is still viewed as something new. Nearly everyone has had the opportunity to be a part of the VHLE by now, excluding our newest members. Not many remember the circumstances leading towards the creation of the VHLE in the first place, and to be fair, those conditions no longer exist. While recruitment is fine, and we maintain decent draft classes, they are nothing like they were in the mid-70s during peak Reddit recruitment and well, peak COVID boredom.  

 

At the same time, the VHLE is no longer new and exciting. Most players affected by the launch of this new league at the time were excited to be a part of something massive and new. It was a chance to take their talents to the next level, and essentially duke it out against their draft class again. Now that everyone has been there and done that, the charm has worn off quite a lot.

 

GM's often see the VHLE as a steppingstone into a VHLM or VHL position, or simply want to GM without caring about the goals of the league. The VHLE is all about hunting down players, forcing retention in players that aren’t themselves internally engaged, building pipelines from the VHLM to the VHL and encouraging growth constantly in those who don’t earn at their potential. It is a ton of work, and not everyone is prepared to give that much to the VHLE. Not every GM style works for it, and not every GM candidate would make a good VHLE GM. This heavy workload also means it is draining on the GM, and leads to turnover. Turnover means more transitions which only lead to more lapses in activity and eventually leaving altogether.

 

There is also a growing group of members who aim to skip the VHLE entirely, and it remains possible, rather simple if you earn well, and does not have really any drawbacks in the long run. Many people would rather stay in the constant chaos of the VHLM or propel themselves to the VHL right away to begin the important part of their career. The VHLE has none of the waiver hype and none of the meaning that its competitors have. You either earn moderately well and end up right around 200TPE and stay down or earn so much that you get to a place where VHL teams will want to call you up early. At least that seems to be the goal of a vocal minority in the VHLM.

 

This leads into the real problem, and the snowball effect. There simply aren’t enough active players in the VHLE to make it interesting. Cap structuring in the VHL encourages calling up prospects in the 300s, the lack of activity spawns more inactivity, transitions lead to opportunities to go inactive, losing the chaos of the VHLM can bore members, members might overwork in the hype of the VHLM leading to burnout in the VHLE, GM's with their empty rosters might themselves lose interest and not do enough for their players, inactive players cost less (no pick needed) and perform better on average than active players, boom and bust cycles are vicious and essentially knock out 2-4 teams before the season even starts, anyone who is earning consistently graduates and anyone earning inconsistently goes inactive.

 

So, what is the answer?

 

Well, I think it begins with education. I think looking at the VHLE logically is the best way to approach it, and to understand that it only works if we as members of the league embrace it and use it for the purposes that it is intended to be used for. My VHLE experience was great because there were a handful of people that committed to making the experience fun, and we weren’t even that great of a team. We knew we were there to mature a bit more for the VHL, and we tried our best to keep all the semi-active players participating in the league that best suited their activity. Us who earned well got the chance to give being leaders a shot, and got to fulfill important roles, instead of being on the fringes of a VHL squad that really didn’t need us taking up precious ice time.

 

The VHLE is a great experience when players invest in it. There is a lot of bad press to undo in order to turn it around, and that starts with the older members, and carries down into the VHLM, and those players making their decisions on where to play. GM's need to be advocating for the VHLE, hyping their players up to go play there, and making it feel special. The VHLE also needs to carve out its external motivation, finding some way to increase parity, and following, competition. With so few teams the playing field should be incredibly tight, and yet it consistently seems to be a 2-3 horse race. With short player cycles, every season needs to be a competitive opportunity, something the VHLM has embraced under current leadership. If every season in the VHLE becomes a shootout, a star-on-star battle, every game a feature affair, then the VHLE has something that separates it from the other leagues. As is, its simply the VHLM of 10-20 seasons ago without the waiver battle.

 

I do think the VHLE missed its greatest opportunity to claim its identity, and it was only just recently that I came to that conclusion. Not that all hope is lost, and they should tear down. Not by any means. But if you look at the GM group the VHLE had compiled a couple seasons ago, it was made up of some of the most prominent voices in the league, who have mostly left those positions for their own reasons. There was a group really committed to creating an identity for the VHLE, and well now there’s a completely different group. Even VHLE GM's have been joking about how they’d rather be AGM's in other leagues than GM's in the VHLE, and while I imagine that is more joke than fact, it isn’t entirely unreasonable that the sentiment might feel relatable to the consensus view of the member base. I’d like to see this GM group really embrace their positions and drive for a better VHLE, not simply a better resume for their later careers, and not simply for a little more power to their name.

 

Another concern I have since becoming a GM, so for a while now, is that our supply of streamers, staff and admins have been sorely lacking when it comes to draft day. We had to beg someone who didn’t even have a microphone to come on and stream the VHLE draft, and while I hear it went well, the league had no plan leading into the draft, and there was no incentive for anyone to step up and do it. I swear there used to be designated streamers, and they used to get pay to do so. If I’m mistaken and that never existed, that really should. Organize the draft dates around when commissioners and streamers can stream, the GM's can figure it out, and that’s coming from a GM.

 

1500+ words.

[Nykonax 1,566]

@Enorama

[Enorama 2,039]

56 minutes ago, jacobcarson877 said:

With very few openly praising the VHLE, the quiet minority have become the dominant voice in the conversation. I don’t think there are many people absolutely enthralled by the VHLE, and thus there really is no push-back against whatever people want to say against it.

 

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point. People bad mouth the league, so people don't want to participate in it, so it becomes lame, so people bad mouth it, etc.

 

57 minutes ago, jacobcarson877 said:

It has been a long time since the VHLE started, and yet it is still viewed as something new

 

Compared to the M or VHL, it is still very new. I think a large part about the lack of LR culture or what have you is the 80 season head start that the VHL and VHLM each had on the E. Franchises, rivalries, GM histories, records have all had time to grow and nurture in other leagues. I think this will come with time (and an engaged membership) in the E.

 

1 hour ago, jacobcarson877 said:

Another concern I have since becoming a GM, so for a while now, is that our supply of streamers, staff and admins have been sorely lacking when it comes to draft day. We had to beg someone who didn’t even have a microphone to come on and stream the VHLE draft, and while I hear it went well, the league had no plan leading into the draft, and there was no incentive for anyone to step up and do it. I swear there used to be designated streamers, and they used to get pay to do so. If I’m mistaken and that never existed, that really should. Organize the draft dates around when commissioners and streamers can stream, the GM's can figure it out, and that’s coming from a GM.

 

Coming from one of the two guys that ran VHL draft streams for 20 seasons, we never really had say beyond maybe a tie breaker. I was planning to host the E stream myself up until the day prior, hence the last minute scramble. In any other season, we would be hunting for a streamer at least 48-72 hours out if we needed one.

 

Re: pay; it's just podcast pay. If you're already capping out, there's no real incentive. We just did it because we enjoyed it. I can definitely count on one hand the amount of times I have actually claimed a draft stream for any TPE. I think that kind of drive from the membership as a whole evaporated a bit in the post-lockdown world. It's not something reserved for the E, I had to get roped in very last minute to stream the VHL or VHLM drafts a handful of times over the past few seasons despite me trying to take a step back in that regard.

 

1 hour ago, jacobcarson877 said:

There is a lot of bad press to undo in order to turn it around, and that starts with the older members, and carries down into the VHLM, and those players making their decisions on where to play. GM's need to be advocating for the VHLE, hyping their players up to go play there, and making it feel special.

 

Relating to my first point as well. I don't know how we do this beyond policing people's opinions which is obviously a non-starter. I guess... just please be nicer?

[jacobcarson877 2,563]

5 minutes ago, Enorama said:

 

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point. People bad mouth the league, so people don't want to participate in it, so it becomes lame, so people bad mouth it, etc.

 

 

Compared to the M or VHL, it is still very new. I think a large part about the lack of LR culture or what have you is the 80 season head start that the VHL and VHLM each had on the E. Franchises, rivalries, GM histories, records have all had time to grow and nurture in other leagues. I think this will come with time (and an engaged membership) in the E.

 

 

Coming from one of the two guys that ran VHL draft streams for 20 seasons, we never really had say beyond maybe a tie breaker. I was planning to host the E stream myself up until the day prior, hence the last minute scramble. In any other season, we would be hunting for a streamer at least 48-72 hours out if we needed one.

 

Re: pay; it's just podcast pay. If you're already capping out, there's no real incentive. We just did it because we enjoyed it. I can definitely count on one hand the amount of times I have actually claimed a draft stream for any TPE. I think that kind of drive from the membership as a whole evaporated a bit in the post-lockdown world. It's not something reserved for the E, I had to get roped in very last minute to stream the VHL or VHLM drafts a handful of times over the past few seasons despite me trying to take a step back in that regard.

 

 

Relating to my first point as well. I don't know how we do this beyond policing people's opinions which is obviously a non-starter. I guess... just please be nicer?

Agree with absolutely everything here! I hope time will prove just how great the VHLE can/will be!

[Pifferfish 597]

@EnoramaI strongly feel a couple things about the E so I'll start with one thing I have peddled before. I'm sure you've seen it... But simple change IMO... 3 practice facility in the E.

 

For the older members who can recreate at the TDL and get just up to 200 at the cutoff making joining the E offer more total TPE will get these veterans a huge incentive to join the E, they will then be able to be the glue of locker rooms and make the experience for newer members in theory.

[Pifferfish 597]

Also I can see how that idea could be bad. Maybe unbalanced but I think if that how we make people join the E willingly then that is what it is

[ShawnGlade 1,010]

Honestly, I may have silly reasons about why I don't like the E but maybe it's just me. "Muh America" jokes aside, I have connections to a lot of places featured in the VHLM/VHL, which is probably true for a lot of the site coming from North America and so the prospect of playing in Europe doesn't appeal to me if it's not the VHL. But also for the reasons mentioned above, it's just a middling league that nobody really wants a part of. You don't get to be high TPE enjoying lighting it up in the VHLM, and you aren't good enough to make it to the VHL yet, it's just sorta......there. I'll be honest, I don't even remember what team my player was on in the E because it's just forgettable. Not necessarily on the GMs, but you can't force me to care about the league

Edited June 13, 2023 by ShawnGlade

[v.2 1,412]

[Ahma 1,444]

#AbolishTheVHLE

 

[Beketov 9,102]

7 hours ago, jacobcarson877 said:

I swear there used to be designated streamers, and they used to get pay to do so

Never officially. There were consistent people who tended to do them and we’d pay them for it but it’s not an official job.

 

As for the actual main point of this: Papa was a S79 draftee so I had to wait a full 9 seasons to play in the league I helped introduce. Calaway could have skipped, I had the TPE, but I wanted that first hand experience. Maybe it’s different for other teams, in fact I’m sure it is, but my experience was great. Locker Rooms were active, GM’s were engaging, sims were intense (even if I did arrive in Rome to immediately lose 18 games or whatever it was).

 

Obviously the VHLE has issues, anything we could have made would have, but I stand by the belief that it’s still the best solution we have right now and if it becomes not the best solution we’ll deal with it. Acting like it has ruined everything in the league when it hasn’t though certainly doesn’t help anything.

[Enorama 2,039]

8 hours ago, Pifferfish said:

@EnoramaI strongly feel a couple things about the E so I'll start with one thing I have peddled before. I'm sure you've seen it... But simple change IMO... 3 practice facility in the E.

 

For the older members who can recreate at the TDL and get just up to 200 at the cutoff making joining the E offer more total TPE will get these veterans a huge incentive to join the E, they will then be able to be the glue of locker rooms and make the experience for newer members in theory.

 

As E commish - obviously I love it!

 

As someone who recognizes that we want to be graduating players to the VHL at the highest rate possible, I am hesitant to incentivize people on the cusp (300-400 TPE) to stay down in the E. We had this issue for years with the M -> VHL pipeline where people would want to stay down for the extra 1 TPE PF, even if it meant giving up a bunch of TPE to stay under the threshold at cutoff. Totally illogical, but it was happening. If your VHL team has room and wants you - I want you in the VHL.

[Esso2264 774]

i've been named without being named here like 5 times

[Pifferfish 597]

5 hours ago, Enorama said:

 

As E commish - obviously I love it!

 

As someone who recognizes that we want to be graduating players to the VHL at the highest rate possible, I am hesitant to incentivize people on the cusp (300-400 TPE) to stay down in the E. We had this issue for years with the M -> VHL pipeline where people would want to stay down for the extra 1 TPE PF, even if it meant giving up a bunch of TPE to stay under the threshold at cutoff. Totally illogical, but it was happening. If your VHL team has room and wants you - I want you in the VHL.

Well in the VHLE isn't there a range... So as a player you'd have to sit under 350 to stay in the E but anything above your GM could just yank you up? Also I think this affect is stronger in M

 

There are players in the M that will sit on the M/E cusp and earn slow enough that they actually fall short of the VHL and get stuck in the E an extra season losing potential VHL time anyways

 

I think right now the decision to move from the M to the E feels "obvious" to some and they choose the M... I don't think that decision despite the TPE offering will be so obvious in the VHLE to VHL decision bc time in the VHL matter of you are going for a great legacy. Idk... You could also argue that that will happen anyways with even the one extra TPE from PF the E gets now.

[Enorama 2,039]

48 minutes ago, Pifferfish said:

Well in the VHLE isn't there a range... So as a player you'd have to sit under 350 to stay in the E but anything above your GM could just yank you up? Also I think this affect is stronger in M

 

It's 300 now, but yes. We don't want players to feel powerless in the decision though, we want them to want to go up.

[JCarson 744]

Article Review: This article provides a number of interesting thoughts about he VHLE, as a first gen player I will admit the VHLE was a dull part of my VHL experience as the locker room I was in was most of the time silent.  My GM answered my questions, no issues there but outside that it was dead.  To someone sitting on the outside it really seams like a place where inactives go to die, or potentially a place that kills careers depending on how you want to look at it. I expect there is a long term solution, hopefully discussions like this help find what that is.

[jacobcarson877 2,563]

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[jacobcarson877 2,563]

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