Breaking the 4th Wall: Season 92 Reflective

[LucyXpher 612]

 

This past season in the VHLM, my first season here on the forum, has come and gone in the blink of an eye.  It still feels like yesterday that I signed a contract with Houston, not knowing what to expect, how I might fit in, if I could compete, and where I might be in a short season's time.  Well, the season came and passed and what an experience it was.  The longer I'm here, the more I realize how lucky I was to play on my hometown team in Houston, but also to have such great teammates and a GM who really cared.  He'll probably cringe hearing me say it one more time, but he's the best-- @AJW deserves all the recognition he gets for the outstanding job he does daily to keep his players invested, engaged, and continuing to develop.  I learned so much from him this past season and he'll continue to be someone I hold in high regard as I go further with my player and GM careers.  Thank you AJ for everything!

 

My teammates too!  From the first couple of weeks of the season, we really hit it off and became a tight knit group that supported each other in the locker room and across the forum.  Players like @Nathan_8 and @jake seemed to always be hanging out in the locker room, keeping the team going.  With @Mutti, I was inspired by his creativity and humor on the forums to write some fun articles myself and the back and forth we started together was something that really kept me going throughout the season.  I really hope to continue that with him even as we continue on to the VHLE and VHL, especially as we'll get to be teammates on Vasteras!  I also really appreciated the steady locker room presence of @Crstats23, who became our captain by the end of the season.  His stable leadership, experience, an consistency was a great example for us newer players who were still getting our feet under us.  He's been awesome in multiple locker rooms I've been in and I hope to be teammates again someday.  On top of that, I've had great chats with @Nyx who is going to go on to have a fantastic career with Helsinki, and @MicahC who also brought some enthusiasm and creativity to the team.  @ctoland102 was also an awesome teammate who posted some great graphics and really brought the physicality on the ice last season.  And @CowboyinAmerica, who went 1st overall in all 3 drafts over this past season, was an incredible addition that brought a lot to the team on the ice and in the locker room.  Oh-- and who could forget Superbot!  @Rhynex Entertainment was the best leader a team could ever ask for and really gave us a chance to go far this season.  It's only a shame we couldn't get the Founder's Cup in his hands as it would have been supremely deserving!  There are more awesome players and I'd hate to forget anyone-- the whole team was just such a great group and I'm really going to miss our chats and the fun we had in Houston.

 

With that said, all good things must come to an end.  We all knew when the season started that a lot of this team would be moving on and we'd all be divided between teams in the VHLE and VHL.  Having experienced the excitement of the drafts, it was bitter sweet to see our team drafted all over the world. I'm very proud to have been a member of such a great Bulls team and as much as I would have wanted to return for another season in Houston, I'm ready to move on to the next level.  I am honored to have been selected 2nd overall by Vasteras and I'm really excited to join this team as I think we'll have a real shot at winning the championship in the VHLE this next season!  In the VHL draft, going 3rd overall was much higher than I ever expected at the start of the season and I'm thrilled to be going to Riga, which seems to be a young team on the rise.  In a season's time, I hope to be able to join that lineup and become an impact player that can contribute to Continental Cup contention.  I really appreciate both of these teams using their picks to select me and I hope I can live up to your hopes for my player!

 

I'm also excited for the new prospects that come with being a VHLM GM.  I hope to be half the GM that AJ was this past season and I really want to be able to offer new players the same kind of excitement, fun, and community that I had when I joined.  That experience, I think, is what really keeps people here for the long term-- that genuine community and fun that we're all looking for while we enjoy sim hockey.  We can all play a sim manager on our own, but doing it with other people, collaborating, and following each other's progress is what makes it worthwhile.

 

Yeah, I know, this is probably more sentimental than most people would want to read, but I guess this is the time for it as the offseason winds down and the rollover to S93 is in full effect.  I've got some fun ideas for articles next season and I hope to continue to collaborate with some of my former Houston teammates.  The drama must go on!  I wish all the best to the S92 Houston Bulls who are all finding new homes and I hope our paths cross again in the future.  

 

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

LucyXpher

Claim for 03/17/24

Edited May 4 by LucyXpher

[Nyx 68]

1 hour ago, LucyXpher said:

I hope to be half the GM that AJ was this past season and I really want to be able to offer new players the same kind of excitement, fun, and community that I had when I joined.

 

With all the effort we've all seen from you on the forums, the discord, and just within the league entirely, I have zero doubt in my mind that you will! Keep up the fantastic work - I can't wait to see what kind of career you'll end up with as a GM and a player! Best of luck