Admin Victor 10,911 Posted November 27, 2023 Admin Share Posted November 27, 2023 I've always been fascinated by the nationalities of the VHL, both at a member level, but also in the countries that members have chosen for their players. There has been a dominance of Canada and the US as expected but also a lot of other traditional and non-traditional hockey markets, which has meant a very eclectic list of entries into the Hall of Fame, and also a very balanced World Cup which has recently become a particularly underappreciated tournament. I'm moving away from the most unusual locations for the purpose of this article but you can see the nationality of every single Hall of Famer in the linked thread below. In the meantime, here is an attempt to create all-time rosters (3 forwards, 3 defencemen, and 3 goaltenders) for the most popular nations in VHL history. https://vhlforum.com/topic/63841-hof-players-builders/ Note: Blue = Hall of Famer. Italics = out of position (i.e. centers used as wingers) Canada Matt Thompson - Unassisted - Brett Slobodzian Jardy Bunclewirth - Ethan Osborne - Zach Parechkin Tom Lincoln - Andrew Su - Josh Vestiquan Sterling Labatte - Daniel Braxton Black Velvet - Aurelien Moreau Elijah Incognito - Lincoln Tate Aidan Shaw Benoit Devereux Rhett DeGrath Canada's obviously #1 in this discussion. 46 Canadians have been inducted into the Hall of Fame to date, by far the most of any country, and nearly enough for 3 rosters exclusively made out of Hall of Famers. Strength in depth was never going to be an issue here but what I do find interesting is that Canada has almost not produced any player considered the best beyond dispute. Yes there's the award namesakes – Slobodzian, Labatte, Shaw – and for a time they would have been considered the pinnacle of their position, but all have been moved down the ranking with the passage of time. It's also curious that there's not really been an all-time great coming out of Canada since Matt Thompson retired in S68, evidenced by the fact only Su, Moreau, and Tate would be considered “modern” players and all three are a bit buried on the depth chart. Make no mistake, Canada would almost certainly win a hypothetical all-time tournament but it's nice that there is quite a bit of individual brilliance sprinkled across the other nations. @Beketov @STZ @JardyB10 @DollarAndADream @Da_Berr @v.2 @sterling @Frank @Tate USA Gabriel McAllister - Thomas O'Malley - Diana Maxwell Jarvis Baldwin - Mike Szatkowski - Cam Fowler John Locke - Kevin Brooks - Brannan Anthony Conner Low - Ryan Sullivan Hard Markinson - Jake Wylde Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - Brian Payne Apollo Skye Xavier Booberry Benjamin Glover The US might have only half of Canada's Hall of Famers but it's arguably got more bang for its buck. O'Malley and McAllister are two of the 3-4 names in VHL history who can challenge Scotty Campbell as the league's GOAT. Conner Low and Ryan Sullivan – that's basically your #1 and #2 in the all-time defencemen ranking. Any of the 3 lines could realistically be the first and rolling out the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th all-time top scorers as your 3 centers puts the recent Pittsburgh Penguins dynasty to shame. Defence has been historically a weak spot (behind Low and Sullivan) but Markinson and Smitty have bridged the gap as the best of their generations, and likely S91 inductee Brian Payne is building on an impressive recent legacy. Whisper but America could well knock Canada off its perch in a one-off playoff. @CowboyinAmerica @OrbitingDeath @scoop @Will @Smarch @Advantage @Fire Fletcher @Velevra UK Chris Hylands - Leeroy Jenkins - David Smalling Brennan McQueen - Phil Rafter - Phil Gerrard Dougie Daniels - Podrick Cast - UhtredDavid Walcott - Matt Bentley Jeff Hamilton - Phil Hamilton David Henman - Joseph McWolf Hans Wingate Adrian McCreath Finn Davison The streak of HOF-only rosters ends at 2. But the UK put up a very strong effort and is only 2 forwards and a goalie away from matching Canada and the US. Also, the UK as #3 in a hockey setting? The VHL's English speaking background has definitely had its impact here as has the influence of a handful of Builders. The Knight brothers account for 6 of the players on the team (hint: it's anyone named Phil or David) and as a UK resident I have also assisted with Cast and Bentley. Is it enough to challenge the top two? Probably not, despite a sprinkling of real VHL royalty in Jenskins, Smalling, and Rafter. Goaltending depth is where the team falls down (this will start to be a recurring theme from here), with McCreath widely considered one of the weaker goalies in the Hall, and Wingate's famous playoff heroics might not be enough to rescue the UK here. @hylands @Knight @Phil @leafsman @McWolf Switzerland Scott Boulet - Scotty Campbell - Matt Bailey Branden Snelheid - Daniel Janser - Leander Kaelin Rudolph Schmeckeldorf - Jasper Davis - Tomas ZieglerTomas Jenskovic - Alexander Sauve Petr Shirokov - Lars Intranquilo Mike Kloepfer - David TavauSandro Clegane Matthew Pogge Marius Henchoz Probably the most unbalanced team of them all. Switzerland was a VHL superstar hotspot in its early days (see Campbell, Boulet, Jenskovic) and then after S20 or so stopped producing notable talent with any regularity at all. “Recent” Hall of Famers Clegane and Janser retired some 40 seasons apart. Tellingly, Jasper Davis makes the cut despite being in his third season at the time of writing. Tavau, Kloepfer, and Ziegler in the meantime might be the worst players on any of the teams being profiled although satisfyingly have a Davos connection as either cup-winners with the Swiss team (Kloepfer, Ziegler) or Dynamo lifers (Tavau). In a 6v6 tournament, Switzerland would be up there with the best of them. Even the second line can hold its own but it all falls apart after that and the production line doesn't seem to be getting any better. @Quik @Daniel Janser @Corco @Josh @diamond_ace @Ahma Sweden Mathias Chouinard - Anton Brekker - Theo Axelsson Miles Larsson - Niklas Lindberg - Lasse MiloOla Vikingstad - Sebastian Ironside - Scotty SundinAlexander Valiq - Mats Johnsson Battre Sandstrom - Bo Johansson Robin Galante Nilsson - Patrick Bergqvist Torstein Ironside Papa Emeritus Oskar Lindbergh Probably the team most expected to be third in the list, Sweden likely does occupy that spot based on quantity, but has not really provided the VHL's absolute cream of the crop over the years. The thing that does stick out here is the overall balance – take out Brekker and Valiq and there's not really much separating the Hall of Famers from the 3rd liners. Most of the players on the roster have been or currently are on the HOF ballot. In particular this is relevant in net where Emeritus and Lindbergh are still awaiting the call and could change the complexion of this Swedish team if they do get inducted. Overall, however, the verdict would have to be solid but unspectacular which definitely fits the stereotype. @solas @boubabi @Dil @fromtheinside @Acydburn @Shindigs @RomanesEuntDomus @Doomsday Finland Tukka Reikkinen - Mikka Virkkunen - Jukka HakkinenSaku Kotkakoivu - Aleksi Koponen - Joel JarviValtteri Vaakanainen - Mikko Lahtinen - Karsten OlsenFabio Jokinen - Voittu Jannula Kasper Kankkunen - Spencer Elsby Kerkko Hyvärinen - Ville Sixten / Velociraptor GregTuomas Tukio Vase Trikamaki Fuukka Rask Sweden's neighbours and eternal rivals are hot on their tail and one thing stands out from the off – they love a center. 8 of the 9 forwards are centers by trade and fittingly the only winger, Karsten Olsen, was a defenceman to begin with. This means great depth in the middle (not quite US level but very possible second place) but less so elsewhere. This is particularly obvious on defence where Jokinen flies the flag alone in the Hall of Fame and the depth guys blend so much that I couldn't even pick one between Sixten of 30s Toronto fame and current Prague dinosaur Greg. But the contrast is clear in goal as well – Tukio is one of the greatest ever in contention with Shaw, Wingate, and the Cleganes yet somehow my first-gen who retired in S16 with 634 TPE is still the second-best Finland has managed to produce. Like Switzerland, we are top-heavy here and will struggle on the line changes. @.sniffuM @Jubo @jRuutu @Spence King @samx @Higgins @Jubis Denmark Aloe Dear - Lars Berger - Max Molholt Jerome Reinhart (GR) - Aksel Thomassen - Zach Arce Tomas Sogaard - Venus Thightrap - Niels Skovgaard / Tyler Reinhart (GR) Zeedayno Chara (GR) - Frans Spelman Asher Reinhart (GR) - Reylynn Reinhart (GR) Joe Madison (GR) - Sven Eightnine Grekkark Gyrfalcon (GR) Jakob Kjeldsen Tobias Reinhart (GR) The Danes have really put all their eggs in one basket. Six Hall of Famers is actually quite good going for a country that's not necessarily a hockey hotbed but each one has been a forward. Offense as a strategy is a pretty good one in the VHL and Dear, Berger, and Molholt is one of the higher-scoring first lines out there, but we shouldn't cut Denmark too much slack. They've been bailed out significantly by the VHL's Greenland and interlinked Reinhart epidemic and will soon need to worry about whether a stand-alone Denmark team could beat a stand-alone Greenland one. For now though, this is a well-balanced combined team which would hold its own in a Nordic tournament. @Renomitsu @Molholt @MexicanCow123 @Arce @Brandon @BladeMaiden @Zetterberg @Ricer13 @BarzalGoat @Spaz @Sharkstrong Germany Tyson Kohler - Markus Strauss - Christian StolzschweigerIgnatius Feltersnatch - Felix Peters - Shawn Muller Marek Schultz - Lukas Muller - Wolfgang Strauss / Christoph KloseJochen Walser - Joey Kendrick Erik Summers - Torsten Schwarz Cole Hagstrom / Jaeger Stryker - World B. Free / Klaus Muller Dominik Stryker Greg Harbinson Mathieu VanCoughnett Germany is definitely closer to the Swiss end of the range in that a lot of its strength comes from its past rather than more recent seasons. The majority of the roster had retired or at least debuted by S30 and talent has only trickled in since. There are two old names who continue to hold up well in modern discourse in Stolzschweiger and Walser and a strong trio of centers, while the 3 split decisions on the third line show that there is more than decent depth to call upon. Goaltending is definitely a weakness however, with one of the great first overall busts in VanCoughnett propping up two names more famous for their GM roles than their exploits on the ice. @Kendrick @gregreg @TheLastOlympian07 @der meister @Erik Summers @stevo @Zero Russia Alexander Beketov - Daric Radmonovic - Pavel Koradek Evgeni Fyodorov - Sergey Preobrazhensky - Nikolai LebedevBogdan Trunov - Igor Molotov - Yuri GrigorenkoMaxim Kovalchuk - Aleksei Federov Radislav Mjers - Vladimir Boomchenko Siyan Yasilievich / Vladimir Pavlov - Victor GrachevAlexander Labatte Maxim Desny Rara Rasputin Finally we close off this piece with the Russian team which is quite similar to the Swedes in 1) being quite balanced with no real standout superstar and 2) being pleasingly stereotypical. Russia's famous in the hockey world for producing individually brilliant players with good attacking instincts and little in the way of a two-way game – it is both their strength and often their downfall. The all-time VHL Russian team is no exception with pretty much everyone on the team focused on scoring (other than the goalies of course) and doing so well enough to be in the Hall of Fame or at least the Hall of Very Good. Everyone on the roster except Desny is also a cup winner which is quite impressive so if nothing else, team Russia would be entertaining. @Bulduray_1 @qripll @Dom @Banackock @InstantRockstar @BOOM @badcolethetitan @KaleebtheMighty After Russia the disparity grows, with no other country really providing a consistent stream of high quality VHL players. Ukraine is the only other nation with more than 2 Hall of Famers, with 4, and features prominently on the best of the rest roster I've put together below just for fun. Of course there are not many traditional hockey markets not covered above (and indeed the UK and Denmark are probably less traditional than others). The Czech and Slovak presence has also been low in the VHL with just 1 Hall of Famer between them, while Latvia actually does quite well with 2 but as expected doesn't really have the depth. Apart from that, lots of VHL members opted to bring in talent from eclectic destinations, from Asia to Australia, from South Africa to the Caribbean. It's provided a good deal of flavour to the overall list but does mean there are still gaps to fill on the more traditional teams which should be the main takeaway from this.... don't make Canadians and Americans. Everyone else Volodymyr Rybak (UKR) - Franchise Cornerstone (MON) - Odin Tordahl (NOR) Lord Karnage (SOM) - Alexander Chershenko (UKR) - Duncan Idaho (SMR) Pietro Maximoff (ROM) - Grimm Jonsson (ISL) - J.D. Stomwall (NZL) *Ronan Lavelle (IRL) could have a claim here Japinder Singh (IND) - Condor Adrienne (VAT) James Bencharski (UKR) - Patrice Reynaud (FRA) Tui Sova (FIJ) - Roque Davis (POR) Greg Clegane (IRL) Daisuke Kanou (JPN) Alex Gegeny (NAM) @Baozi Baozi, Smarch, Tate and 20 others 12 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyinAmerica 2,880 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Love the history pieces, I picked a good time to also return to activity. That U.S. first line is nasty, I'd love to see it (Season 100 specialty tournament?!?) And wasn't expecting Olsen to sneak in there for Finland but glad to see him get some shine. Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex 3,190 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 (edited) Great read! Jake Thunder FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY? edit: LMAO, forgot that snub bed autocorrects^ Edited November 27, 2023 by Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted November 27, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted November 27, 2023 2 minutes ago, CowboyinAmerica said: That U.S. first line is nasty, I'd love to see it (Season 100 specialty tournament?!?) Brooks on the 3rd line is unholy. It will be scary but not for Murica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted November 27, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted November 27, 2023 Just now, Alex said: Great read! Jake Thunder FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY? That American defence could definitely shift a bit. A lot of is recent retirees who we haven't really settled on a specific order yet - I couldn't tell you off the top of my head if I think Thunder is better than Payne or if Payne is better than Smitty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex 3,190 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 1 minute ago, Victor said: That American defence could definitely shift a bit. A lot of is recent retirees who we haven't really settled on a specific order yet - I couldn't tell you off the top of my head if I think Thunder is better than Payne or if Payne is better than Smitty. fair, the american defense has been really tight the past few seasons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahma 1,426 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 My player somehow made it to THE TEAM WITH SCOTTY CAMBPELL!! omg And it's a @Victor ARTICLE! unbelievable now we better have a tournament with these teams! Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Baozi 1,658 Posted November 27, 2023 Moderator Share Posted November 27, 2023 How is it possible you left XXX the greatest second liner off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted November 27, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted November 27, 2023 10 minutes ago, Baozi said: How is it possible you left XXX the greatest second liner off? should have been Swiss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOOM 8,722 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Awesome read and well put together. Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlamb 1,326 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Awesome article, definitely love this stuff. Except Lamb > Su. (It's closer than you think ) Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leandrofg 1,153 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 2 hours ago, Victor said: Roque Davis (POR) PORTUGAL, PORTUGAL, PORTUGAL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solas 1,951 Posted November 27, 2023 Share Posted November 27, 2023 Great trip down memory lane with the names in this article. I remember making a list of hall of famers by nationality a while ago (I think you ended up making a better one) but seeing the teams grouped up like this is really interesting and it's still surprising to see the relatively lower number of HoFers from Finland and Russia. Good to know I still have two players that could make it on a team Victor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zetterberg 863 Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 5 hours ago, Victor said: Denmark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arce 755 Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 I missed these media spots so, great read sir! Ahma and Victor 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Janser 2,154 Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 19 hours ago, Victor said: - Brian Payne Is Payne supposed to be blue yet? I thought he is not HOF eligible yet? Not shitting on the player or the member at all, I think they are a good candidate for the HOF and a great addition to our community. And their mutual rant with Thunder and ScottyP is hilarious. @Scurvy no offense intended, I hope you get the nod for the HOF you certainly have the silverware to qualify for it. Scurvy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted November 28, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted November 28, 2023 6 minutes ago, Daniel Janser said: Is Payne supposed to be blue yet? I thought he is not HOF eligible yet? Not shitting on the player or the member at all, I think they are a good candidate for the HOF and a great addition to our community. And their mutual rant with Thunder and ScottyP is hilarious. @Scurvy no offense intended, I hope you get the nod for the HOF you certainly have the silverware to qualify for it. I mean there hasn't been a vote yet so yeah that's a mistake for now. But only for now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Janser 2,154 Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Victor said: I mean there hasn't been a vote yet so yeah that's a mistake for now. But only for now but a spoiler mark next time smh I have no doubt in my mind that the Payne-Train should and will be inducted Edited November 28, 2023 by Daniel Janser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted November 28, 2023 Share Posted November 28, 2023 Probably pained you so much to put any of my players on there you big potato Ahma 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted November 28, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted November 28, 2023 1 hour ago, Kendrick said: Probably pained you so much to put any of my players on there you big potato Nearly cried over Germany won't lie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STZ 5,354 Posted November 29, 2023 Share Posted November 29, 2023 Dear god, Wylde Markinson pairing Interesting read, so cool to see some of those forgotten names of the S30’s era Victor and Ahma 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted December 4, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted December 4, 2023 Week 2 of 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted December 14, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted December 14, 2023 Week 3 of 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,911 Posted December 18, 2023 Author Admin Share Posted December 18, 2023 Week 4 of 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molholt 2,185 Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 Ctrl + F, "Jarkko" - No Results - Skipped. jacobcarson877 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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