Rockstar's Mag Articles

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 59

 

FROM DEFEAT TO SUCCESS

THE COMEBACK KIDS CLIMB THE RANKINGS

 

If you've followed the Minot Gladiators at all, or even the VHLM, you'll know that the team has not been the best, in fact, they've been out of playoff contention every single season for the last three seasons. In season thirty-seven, the team made it to fourth overall in the league, but after that, they've been close to placing last. First we'll look into every season, and see what went wrong, we'll also talk about who was in management and what could have been done to possibly turn around the franchise. Overall, we will see what is going to take place in the future for the team, and what they can do with the assets they have now, to stay competitive. Without further ado, here we go. 

 

Season thirty-eight, when the team hit rock bottom. The team had no assets going into the draft, nothing to move to obtain picks and nothing to move for future picks, the team was pretty much in a hole. In season thirty-seven, they had gotten pretty good as stated earlier, but they moved everything they had under previous management before their GM Da Trifecta stepped down. When he stepped, the team had no direction, they were losing all of their valuable pieces to the draft or to their respective VHLM teams, and that is when new GM InstantRockstar took over. As he took over, he knew he'd have a rough year. His plan was obvious, try to turn the ship around for another season, and let the team float to whatever place they do with whatever we have left. The team had very little to offer, with only three active players in the locker room playing for the team, and only seven forwards by the end, three defenders and one basic goalie. Overall, the teams demise was too much for Rockstar to finish, and in turn he turned the team over with some assets for the next seasons draft. 

 

As season thirty-nine rolled around, the teams roster didn't improve, in fact it looked to be in worst shape than before. The team barely had enough players to ice a full roster and barely managed to get somewhere under DT's direction. It was obvious the team was struggling and Trifecta knew it, what he didn't know is that whatever he was doing, wasn't working, and so he continued to try and make deals to 'secure his future', what the outcome was completely shattered this team, or so people thought. A lot of the actives requested trades off the team and unfortunately the Gladiators found themselves near the bottom once more, placing eighth in the league, two off the bottom. Because of this, the team became one that almost seemed like a laughing stock, with people not wanting to play there and the league not taking them seriously, there was a lot of questions about whether or not they'd continue to be in the league, but it wasn't until this current season that people finally opened their eyes once more. 

 

Our current season arrived and many people were skeptical if a GM change would make a difference, especially with a GM that hadn't been able to really turn anything around, regardless they seen the seriousness going into the team when they out of the blue traded for a ton of current assets that turned into them drafting multiple times in all of the rounds including the first round, giving them plenty of active players to use. If that wasn't enough, the GM was trying hard when he decided it was time to claim off of waivers and get the team from last place to first place or close to it. And while the team struggled in the beginning, their ending point was far from disappointing. The team managed to crawl into the playoffs, finishing fourth in the league which was impressive in turn to their previous poor records. Their team had been the most active it had ever been, and they were really good in the playoffs but unfortunately fell in the playoffs. The question now is, what will the future hold for this team? 

 

It looks as though they may settle down and have a transitional year to wait and see what the future truly does hold for them. With so many of their players once again heading off to both free agency and the VHL, they really have to look into either obtaining more picks or just simply letting waiver pickups and free agents fill their team as much as possible. Regardless, they are a hard fighting team with an active GM, so it's only time that can tell us exactly what will happen with this team. 

 

 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 60

 

Taking The Next Step

When is the best time?

 

The big question is always at a very early age in a players career. Do I stay? Or do I go? The hardest time for a player is to make that big decision, do they stay in the VHLM and try to tear it up, win some individual awards and maybe even a cup, or do they try to make a push for it early. This article is going to describe the pros and cons of the situations and what the possible outcomes could be. We've seen success and failures come from both ways, so with a lot of experience and observations, it makes it quite easy to write this piece. Let's begin, shall we.

 

We start off with the pros of making the jump. After one season, most players should be close if not gaining the cap required to be eligible for the VHL. While they'd only be at around one hundred and seventy-five training hours, it still puts them into a secure position to make or break in the VHL, and not just automatically fail. The pro to this, is that your player would not be stuck in the minors, tearing it up with guys who are newer, because really at that point, it proves nothing, at the same time, it also doesn't show that you're truly dedicated to me. If you have to feel the need to prove yourself in the VHLM and believe it's going to further you into your career somehow, I don't get it. A lot of the time, you may not transition the way you want, so why set yourself up for false beliefs, just let reality hit you, don't make yourself wait. 

 

Of course the cons come just as easy. You could see yourself not playing good, you may lose interest in the league because of it. You're 'failing' your team in your eyes and that's a disappointment to you. Maybe you didn't reach the level of TPE you wanted to before making the jump, so to you it'd be another wasted opportunity and a wasted year on the rookie contract to even bother making the jump. I do believe truly that the biggest con has to be that transitional year. I personally stayed down two seasons, and now I'm kind of nervous to be going to the majors, even on a team full of youth, because I know it's not going to be me tearing it up and racking up almost eighty points right off the bat. It's a pretty scary transition to make, but once you think you're ready, then you'll know. 

 

So what do I think you should do? Personally, take the second year if you think you're not ready, and go with the flow. You've got a lot of time to spend here, a lot of people willing to help, and personally, a lot of things to enjoy. Being a VHLM GM, I know we're not the pros and maybe the awards and cups don't mean AS much to people, but truth be told, they do look at it, and I'm sure some of the GM's take into consideration the hard work and dedication you put towards training and becoming better. There is no point diving straight in to the VHL if you're not comfortable, it could easily ruin the experience for you just as much as staying down in the VHLM. Again, that's why we've got the pros and cons. Until next week folks... 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 61

 

SEASON PREDICTIONS

WILL THERE BE A REPEAT OR NEW CHAMPIONS?

 

The VHLM season has officially begun and with the start of the season comes a lot of speculation and predictions. Of course everyone currently playing in the VHLM would want their team to win it all, others not in the minors are cheering for whichever team they want. The big question with these predictions are will we have the standard expansion team winners or will we be getting a new franchise finally stepping forward to give them a run for their money. Ever since joining the league, the Yukon Rush and Bratislava Watchmen have taken the league by storm and given people no reason to doubt them, and just two games in they are proving that once again. In this article we're going to talk about the top of the league, the middle of the league and what should be the bottom of the league. We'll also breakdown who we expect to see in the playoffs and who should make it to the finals. Let's get right into it. 

 

So in the top four of the league, we're looking for teams that have been there before and teams that have continuous successful rosters. In first place we'll look for a tough battle between the Saskatoon Wild and Bratislava Watchmen. The Wild have shown they're willing to compete by moving a lot of their future assets for now pieces including their biggest deal that went down just before the season began when they obtained Joseph Roy III and company for future pieces. The Watchmen have been a strong team since joining the league and they will for sure be battling hard for that top spot in the league. Obviously in second place we'll be looking for one of these two teams that don't make it in the first place spot. Battling for number three and four, I see it being the Minot Gladiators and the Yukon Rush. Again the Rush have proven time and time again that they are ready to continue being competitive despite the management change and aren't going to look back anytime soon. Minot is another team that went from last to contention with just one season full of transition and have some good active pieces to keep them up there in the league. Whether this happens or not comes down to if the teams continue to push forward and not sell off to build up for the future. 

 

Looking at the middle of the league, this one may be a little harder to figure out, but we're going to try and figure it out anyways. Coming in at number five for me is going to be the Moscow Red Wolves. The team has been in a little slump for a season or two, but this season I think they could be pretty damn serious. While they could end up just sliding down the rankings, I do believe that these two games could show us that they're trying to compete, but it's too early to tell yet. Coming in at number six will be the Brampton Blades. Again, this team has been very quiet in previous seasons but this season they may surprise us all and make it into the playoffs. Only time will tell for those two teams. Coming in at our final two playoff spots, I'm looking at the Lynx and the Storm. A lot of the bottom teams will be fighting for the eighth spot, so any of the remaining four could make that spot, but I think the Ottawa Lynx could battle hard enough to obtain the seventh spot and stay there. 

 

Of course the final two teams, again is a crap shoot. We've got so many teams trying to compete, those rebuilding teams will just get lost in the mix. I'll say out of the blue that the Storm will be the final team in the league while the Royals will slowly climb up to ninth. They'll have what could be a strong push but because they're moving all their pieces for the future, you know they're not going to do much. Overall, the VHLM is going to be quite exciting with so many active players spread out on so many different teams. So who is going to win the cup? I'm going out on a limb and saying the Saskatoon Wild will upset one of the Yukon/Bratislava teams and win the cup, ruining their streak. They've got the roster to do it, and the determination to win it all. 

Edited December 11, 2014 by InstantRockstar

[iRockstar 307]

EDITION 62

 

A DAY IN THE LIFE

OF A VHLM GM

 

So you want to be a VHLM do you? Well this article is going to go through everything a VHLM GM has to do, from the perspective of an actual VHLM GM. A lot of people may think it's hard work, other people may think it's a piece of cake, but when it actually comes time to do it, not everything is as easy as it seems. Like I said, this article is going to cover all the necessary steps it takes to becoming a GM, as well as succeeding as a GM. With all that said, let's dive right in. 

 

First and foremost, you've got to apply. Make sure you know what the team is all about, where it's located and what your plans are before you even apply. If you think you're magically going to just succeed right off the bat, despite having no picks or any kind of activity coming from your players, you might as well just stop reading right here and go find a new game plan. Once you've applied, it's all about the luck of the draw, and if you've got what it takes. I'll be honest with you, if you're new to the league, or coming back after some kind of inactivity, or have some kind of issues with following the rules, you likely won't get to make it further than applying, but don't let it disappoint you, continue to be active and prove you've got what it takes, the new guys lately have been getting the chances, but there is only so many teams to go around. 

 

So now you're a GM, great for you! Get your big boy pants on, because it's time to jump right in. Most of the changes happen through the off-season, so you've got to prepare for the draft pretty much right away. This is the time that you should already know what picks you have, some scouting should be done and maybe even some deals depending on what direction you're going to to take the team. I know, now you may have peed a little bit, but it's okay, it's not as overwhelming as it may look. By the time the draft happens, you should have an understanding of who's on your roster, and what you're going to do with that roster. Because now we're getting ready for the serious business. 

 

Before you can finalize your roster, you've got a chance at signing some free agents, but it's time to make your life a little more difficult, because if a VHL team signs a free agent, you cannot sign them to your roster, making it about ten times harder to actually make a signing, and with the new rules, you can only have one active and inactive free agent on your roster, what a ball buster, right? So now you've likely cried a bit and signed some possible free agents, you've got to submit your roster. This part's pretty simple, you submit it, make sure all the seasons for your players are okay, and they're all accounted for. Once this is done, regular season can finally begin. 

 

You're thinking to yourself, regular season? What about pre-season? Well you see, we don't get one down in the minors because we're just not good enough. Our off-season is pretty much extended an extra couple of days, sometimes a week if the simmers like to give us a nice long extended vacation, but then the fun starts. Regular season is the time to get all of your actives involved. As a GM, it's likely at this point in time that you'll be in the LR daily making sure all your new guys and even your recreates are doing all their possible tasks. A good GM always makes sure the team is up to date on all the current events, whether it be free TPE being given our for a holiday or special occasion, or just a fun little PT to do around the league. Overall, this is the most active time of the season. 

 

And that's pretty much it. You do this over and over again, of course without the applying every season and continue to bolster your team and move forward with the hopes that you compete and climb the standings. With all of this said, if it scares you now, please just give it a try because it's the most fun you'll have other than being a VHL GM. It's a great feeling to get to help other people around the league, this was just a fun topic to discuss. If you ever have more questions about all of this, you can always ask a GM, commissioner or even experienced member. Enjoy the league, friends. And since this is the week of Christmas, have a safe and happy holiday. 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 64

 

GM FLASHBACK: PART ONE

THE LEGACIES THE PAST HAS LEFT US

 

Last week we looked at what it takes to be a VHLM GM and kind of living the life, through the eyes of an actual GM. This week is a special historic edition of the magazine, and in relation to that, this article is going to be all about looking back at the previous GM's of each team and what they've been able to accomplish under the reign. Some may have found success while others may have not. Here we go folks. 

 

First and foremost we look at the Brampton Blades. Currently they have a GM named tfong that many have seen around the board as he's old as balls and direly wanted a GM job, but who was in the reign before? Well it happens to be a guy that has a name related to something you usually eat for breakfast. Toast was the GM for god knows how long, and since he was the GM, he had been in the playoffs almost every single season which was surprising because the Blades don't ever really get too much media attention. In the past five seasons, he was either second or third in his respective division/conference and constantly battled day in and day out to push the limits of the other top teams. This was one reign that actually paid off, even though they never managed to win the cup. 

 

Next we look at Minot and see a totally different aspect of play. Currently the team is in competition near the middle of the league, but after complications they would have been one of the top teams in the league. Before this, they had a GM known to most as Da Trifecta. A very controversial GM, he was looking to turn this team back around but unfortunately didn't have the assets to do so after they managed to make back-to-back playoff appearances. Trifecta would step down with virtually no assets leaving the team pretty much in shambles, close to last place. As I said, if we look at the success rate between the previous GM and the current one, it's already better just after one season. 

 

After looking over Minot's rise to success, we look at Ottawa who seemingly has some of the strangest GM changes ever. Streetlight was the GM of the team, not sure when he decided to step down but it was recently, not even going a full season in tenure to a newer GM called Kingma. I personally had never heard of Kingma before, but it's obvious Streetlight hadn't built this team to succeed, as they are currently in last place. Because Streetlight hadn't been a GM for too long, there isn't much to say here, he left the team close to last place and gave it to a newer member, if they are going to succeed they likely need to be blown right up. This franchise used to be one of the most successful, so hopefully they can bounce back. 

 

Saskatoon is a team that has surprised a lot of people but for good reasons. Currently, former co-gm Kendrick has taken the reigns but before he did, the team had a very well known member, his name is Slobo. Slobo brought this team some of the most success it's ever seen as a franchise. Since he took over, the team has won a cup, been constantly in the playoffs and has not looked back, this season again they are one of the top competing teams. A lot of people would always complain that the two new expansion teams always won, this team broke that up, and will continue to make that push. Slobo was the reason for this, easily the best former GM on our list thus far in my opinion. 

 

Finally we look at the last franchise in the NA division. Yukon, what can I even say about this franchise. I don't even think they've had a GM change since they were introduced to this league but I could be wrong. Eaglesfan has brought this team way too much success and I'm sure everyone want's to play on the team. Eagles shows what it takes to make this team successful and that's likely why he hasn't stepped down, ever. If he ever does, the next GM will have tough shoes to fill, with so many cups being brought into this team, like I said it's hard to fill those kind of shoes. 

 

Next week we'll look at the other conference and talk more about the GM's as a whole. Thanks for reading. 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 65

 

GM Flashback: European Conference

What legacies have they left? 

 

Last week we looked at the North American conference and seen that some of the GM's just made too good of legacies that their newer halves could never live up to, while some have not made some legacies at all, and if you're eaglesfan, you haven't let anyone else try to make a legacy because as we know...Yukon2Gud. In this edition however, we're going to jump conferences and see just what differences we can spot with the five other GM's both past and present. We'll see if the conferences vary in GM skill or everyone just either sucks or is a god. Let's begin, shall we? 

 

We get the pleasure of starting this all off with Bern Royals. Now, this team to me has a secret place in my heart because I've brought them much success myself as GM in the past, but we're not looking at me, so let's pop that ego bubble right now. Their previous GM was AwfulHomesick and let me tell you right now, I'm not even sure if people remember who he is. He was actually pretty chill and even really active back in his reign, and I'm not sure if something happened IRL to make him leave the league, but I haven't seen him or maybe that's just me, but he left Bern in shambles, and now they've got a GM in jaladolar but to me, this team still isn't competition ready. I've talked to jala personally and I know that he's having trouble keeping guys active because there is really no one to keep active on this team (his words, not mine). So if you look at it, nothing has really changed and no legacies have been left per say. It's just a lot of back and forth nothing, and it pains me to see this happening. Hopefully in the near future we see a comeback, but it's going to take smart moves to make any of that possible. 

 

I'm not really sure who the former GM of this next team was, if memory serves me correct the former GM was STZ but I mean, I may have been oblivious of who was after him if anyone. Anyways, Bratislava came into this league and took freaking over. Much like Yukon in the other conference, this is the team to look out for. Bratislava was made famous by STZ, much like eagles made Yukon what they are. Well, the new guy clearly got his memo, because the team is still constantly running all over this league and chewing them up. It's a lot to handle on this team, I don't think they've ever missed the playoff which just makes other teams that have been around longer look like crap. They have so much success rates that other people should be jealous. If you want to win, come to this forever winning legacy franchise in Bratislava, apparently it's the place to be. 

 

After revving that engine for a bit, we move on to Moscow. This team relocated at some point, not sure why Moscow but we knew a Russian team would get either a major or minor team sooner or later that wasn't Davos. I'm not too sure if they even had a previous GM from Moscow, pretty sure d3v has been their GM forever now, but I am likely wrong. I know he had been dying for a shot to GM and got it, and to be honest he hasn't made it anything spectacular. You look at a lot of long time GM's like eagles and he's got success coming out his butt like he's pooping four leaf clovers, then you've got Moscow that just isn't impressing anyone the way you'd assume they would be. Hopefully this is another franchise looking to get a makeover soon, if not, someone needs to step in and help them out, even an assistant at this point, because d3v is far from a bad GM, just needs some help obviously. We've all been there. 

 

So this is where it gets good. Oslo had Doomsday as their GM who I recently got to know a little better due to being on his team now. Doom knew what he was doing and had a great head on his shoulder, and he knew exactly how to work everything into his master plan of succeeding. Now they've got Draper who is trying to continue that master plan but looks to be struggling a lot as of late. I know Doom left just out of the blue, for personal reasons I'm sure, but overall I know that Doom left a great legacy behind, and Draper has some heavy shoes to fill. Whether or not he does, comes in the next season or two, because right now he's not really helping his case in my eyes. 

 

Finally we look at Turku who has had so many GM's I can't even count on two hands, literally. Right now they've got Da Trifecta who's been a GM numerous times and this time, he's making it count it seems. They are sitting in a playoff spot and trust me when I say, it's not a fluke. They just traded for a top defender and are making the right moves to keep them as one of the top dogs. Whether or not they can continue this is up to the GM and the teams willingness to push forward. All I know is this team was good at one point in the league with guys like fever as GM but other than that, they weren't too impressive. Another roller-coaster team that needs to really keep the head of steam they have. 

Edited January 12, 2015 by .Enigma

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 66

 

DRAFTEE OVERLOAD

WHO IS THE NUMBER ONE PICK?

 

So this season may be one of the most boring. But you ask yourself why that is? Well it's because to me, and possibly everyone else, there is a consensus number one pick in this draft. Everyone gets to pick their favorite, obviously, but this season there is a favorite that everyone can agree on. Bismark Koenig is leading his draft in practice hours, but despite all of that, his agents reputation to be respectful, funny and a great person to have on the team just makes him an easy favorite. And you're thinking right now, well doesn't this just ruin your article? Well kind of, but at the same time, it creates some discussion with the other questions that come up. IF and only if you don't take Koenig with the first pick, who the heck else do you pick? Well, we're going to answer that for you. 

 

The top three in terms of practice hours are all centers. With that in mind, all three are re-creates and not new members to the league, so this always plays a factor in my mind. In the top three, two of the top three players have consistent agents in this league that have yet to take a hiatus, this could cause a rift between GM's and who they want to take. So again we go back to the question, if not Koenig than who? Well A.C Savage could be the answer. Savage again being a center has been a great player thus far in the minors and could easily be a top player in the VHL if he continues to train the way he is. Savage could easily be just as good as Koenig, which pretty much brings the decision down to, do you take the consensus in Koenig, or do you trust that Savage could be better? Well, that's not all. 

 

Joseph Roy III came into the mix a bit later than the two studs talked about above, but he really could be taken as he came back to being fully active in the practice hour department and is finally starting to shape into a top player in the league. While he hasn't found the total success the other two draftees have, he has been keeping up on pace with them, to be one of the best. So obviously we've talked about the first three, but who else could we see as a top pick in the draft? Well it really depends who gets it. If someone like Stockholm gets it, who is stocked up already on defenders, it's one of the three mentioned before, but what about a team struggling in another department. 

 

Well we've got three guys that could be the next big things at their positions. First we'll talk about the goalie position which could also have someone like Stockholm who has no goalie very interested. Jax Barnstormer and Callum Sinclair have really impressed scouts thus far, and have been great goalies for their respective VHLM teams. Because of this, they could be one of the top picks in the draft, even being behind the others mentioned in practice hours, simply because of their position. Though this could be a tough call simply because all the other teams more or less have a goalie and could let them fall. Finally we'll look at Wolfgang Strauss who is the only player really mentioned in the top ten discussion that could be taken pretty high. Again while he's not really top line material yet, if a team gives him a chance, he could be the number one pick. So my question to you is, who will it be? Will they go with the obvious or completely blow our minds? Reply and let us know, you could be featured in our next article. 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 67

 

VHLM TEAM BREAKDOWN

SASKATOON WILD ON BLAST

 

Ever wonder what it takes to be good? Well this week, I'm going to answer that question for you. Every so often, I like to breakdown teams and look at them and see just what they are capable of. This week, we're going to take a look a pretty dominant North American team known as the Saskatoon Wild. They've won the cup before, they've consistently made it to the playoffs, and now, we're going to find out why. We're going to break it down into three major components. Offense, Defense & Goalie, as well as Coaching Staff and Management. Together, this should tell us exactly why they've been able to find success and tell us a little more in-depth, why the Wild are so...Wild. Let's begin! 

 

Right away we jump into the offensive side of their game. The Saskatoon Wild are a dominant offensive team, this shows with their record of 59-11. Along with these statistics, we look at their offensive production which includes a 350 goals for to 158 goals against ratio and a percentage of 2.21 goals for over goals against. So why is this team producing more than two goals for? Well, let's see. They have a total of seven forwards, combined for a massive 999 total practice hours shared between them, that's a crazy average of 142 TPE each! So how did they get so many good players on the team? Through smart drafting and trading of course! They're lead by Joseph Roy III who is expected to go top three in the upcoming draft as well as names such as Niklas Kurri and Griffin Simons. This team is an absolute offensive powerhouse. 

 

On the defensive and goalie side, we look at some pretty outstanding numbers too. The Wild have a total of four defenders and one goalie, totaling 697 total practice hours, talk about TPE whoring! If that wasn't good enough, breaking that down between the five of them is an average of 139 TPE each! So close to the offensive guys who had two more players than them. This team though is really great defensively. The goals against is hard to look past, as is their short handed production which comes into play with defense and goalies. We've got an astounding 128 of their goals while being shorthanded and their goalie is atop the individual leader-boards for all the major statistics. You show me another goalie and another team with this much success, and I'll pay you fake dollars. 

 

Finally we look at the teams staff and management. A team can only be so good as the person leading them, and this season they've got one of the best in my opinion. While they've had talented names like Slobo running them in the past, they've now got a powerhouse member of the forum running the show. If you don't know who Kendrick is, he may arrest you, so seriously just get to know him. But anyone that does know him, knows he's not here to play around and actually makes deals that doesn't cripple his team. While they're always fair, they always come out looking better for him than anyone else. Kendrick is the go to guy for this team and the absolute shot caller, without his guidance I don't think they'd continue to do this good. So kudos to him. So this is why the team is doing so good, they're stacked and have legendary management, go figure! 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 68

 

VHLM Team Breakdown

Yukon 2Gud or Nah?

 

Last week, we looked at the Saskatoon Wild, a team with one of the best track records during the regular season. However this week, we look at a team that has one of, if not the best track records in both the regular season and playoff season. Everyone that is anyone likely knows the saying "Yukon 2Gud", started by an unknown person on the forums. This breakdown should show us exactly why they're so good, and what makes them the team they are. As per last week, we're going to be breaking down the offense, defense, goalie and management of the team. We'll be putting in some research that is both easy and hard to find, so stayed tuned, sit back and get comfy, it's time for some fun facts! 

 

Obviously we're going to start with the offensive side of the game. Yukon managed to do some amazing drafting along with some good trades in order to pull out this offense. In total, the team has ten forwards, which is enough for three full lines and then a fourth line including one player and two bot players. Seriously, that's just an insane number, but wait until you see the rest. In total, the team's offense players alone has 1304 TPE. If you remember when we broke down Saskatoon, that number is much greater. If we do that on an average, it's a total of 130.4 TPE per player. This number would be higher if two of their players didn't have 0 TPE and the other's had around the same TPE as the higher end guys. If that isn't impressive enough, we look at some other offensive statistics from the regular season that just passed us. In a full season, they managed to score 391 goals, and only allow 191. What's impressive about that in terms of offense is that the team scored 200 more goals than they did get scored on. Just insane! On top of all that, they were lead by Ryan Cattrall that had 184 points and 68 goals, to put that into perspective that's almost 25% of their goals, all on his own. Can't lie, that's just too impressive for me right there. 

 

Now we go onto their defense and goalies. Honestly at first, I wasn't too impressed, but on second look, it's hard not to continue being impressed with this team. In total, they have four defenders and one goalie, a total of five defensive players. With those five players, they total 583 TPE. If we look at that in terms of an average, it's 116.6 TPE per player. Unfortunately again, the teams downfall is that they've taken on two players that have no practice hours, thus it hurts their chances of having an even better average and practice hour total. If we look into stats, the defense really didn't contribute too much offensively, with their best player being Ken Anderson who notched 69 points in his full season with the team, however looking back at that stat we looked at earlier, it's obvious those 191 goals they managed to escape them, wasn't enough to hold them back. So defensively, they're doing something good. 

 

Finally we look at the managerial staff, aka eaglesfan. He's been a longtime member here in the league, and by now if you don't know him, you should just quit. He's one of the most respected people in the league, and because of that, it makes a lot of sense that his team is succeeding, cause who wouldn't want to play with him? Unfortunately he has decided to leave for better things than the VHLM and a new man will step in to try and fill his shoes. Ramicus is not so known around these parts, but others know him from another life, so we'll see if he can continue to bring this success to the team. We know eagles has too good of a track record, so it'll be hard to beat. For more information on this team, we've provided links to their roster, statistical page and more. Enjoy the read and we hope to see you all next week. 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 69

 

So it's obvious you'd been waiting for quite some time to become a VHLM GM. You had applied time and time again but finally you've been given the chance. Has the chance lived up to the expectations you had when you applied? Yes it has for the most part. The challenges of maintaining a team in a league with large turnover has been interesting to say the least and has given me better insight into many of the new members joining the league. It has also increased my understanding of the sim engine.

 

With that new found knowledge, how do you expect to continue pushing forward with Brampton? You've recently found success with the team, bringing them to the playoffs and despite a first round exit, it's a major accomplishment. Should we expect to see Brampton back in the playoffs next season? Since day one I have been trying to figure out how to avoid the cyclical turnover rates of what most teams in this league go through. Meaning they will tank one year to get the best picks then jump to the top while trading all their futures. I want to show that it can be done where a team can  continually push for the playoffs without going through that cycle in hopes of encouraging others to do the same.

 

I've built a reasonable team and acquired depth pieces from multiple years to sustain and support active players coming into the team. Ideally I want to always be able to make the playoffs and if able to, acquire pieces to put the team into a favourable championship contention. The goal here is to provide a positive environment for new players and creates to come through and just have a good experience while they build up their player. Nobody likes to lose, even in a make-believe league and by providing a winning culture and having support pieces in place throughout, I expect it will help players develop and stay interested in the league going forward and in turn pass them forward in to the VHL ranks as contributing permanent members.

 

Great answer! We love the enthusiasm and I'm sure your players appreciate the work you've put in. So with everything you've said in mind, what's the off-season going to look like for the Blades? Are we going to see a lot of draft picks come out to play or are we going to see some trades being made? As you said, you don't want to tank then win, you want to constantly win, and I'm sure there is a certain procedure to it. Nothing changes, I will continue building the foundation of the team as I have prior seasons, adding pieces that will fit in with the structure and look to adding assets to benefit the future.

 

Thank you so much for your time fong. You'll certainly be a great GM for a long time. 

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 71

 

Meeting The New Guys

Getting To Know The Young Bloods

 

We've all been there, done that. We all remember a time where we couldn't find a damn thing on the boards and had no idea what we were doing. A proper player build you say? Yeah, no clue what that is. A sim engine? That's a neat word, now spend days explaining it to me. Well the VHLM has gotten some newbies and we're going to introduce a couple of them to the league. Without further ado, let us begin. 

 

MarkIsALiar;Screw Mark - Well...we know this guy doesn't like Mark, so if you're Mark, screw you. Screw Mark is a new center in the league and while he hasn't been productive in gaining practice hours, he's still got one of the greatest player names and usernames in the league. Someone must have really done a number to this guys emotional system for him to hate Mark so much. I feel kind of bad for Mark, but at the same time, he probably deserved it. We're hoping just for his name to stick around that this guy begins to practice with his team and go on a rampage in the minor league. He could be a legend if it all works out, as he's on a team that's got two pretty big studs already. 

 

JPL;Grady Simons - Here's a guy that every VHLM team was after, proving just how hot commodity centers are in the league. JPL is no newbie to sim leagues, however he is a newbie to the VHL and he's looking to prove he can find success here. Simons should be able to become an elite talent on the Oslo Storm this season, but even if he's not this season, he'll likely be down there next season unless he just packs on as much practice hours as he possibly can. Right now he's at about 11 practice hours, making him a bottom six player, but because he's further behind most of the other players, this means he's just got some catching up to do. We're all pulling to see a great player turned into an even better player. 

 

Goon;Doug Glatt - Watch out hockey fans, we've got a badass on our hands. Doug Glatt is all about fighting, ripping your ear off and making sure you're on the ice, flat, unconscious if possible. It's very unheard of for a player especially a defensemen to be solely a fighter in the VHL as it seems to be an extinct player build, however Glatt is just proving that his handlers username 'Goon' is exactly what it's meant to be. Glatt may not be on the score sheet for 100+ points in the season, but expect him to likely hold a record for most fights in a season, most fights won in the future and likely a whole lot of PIM's. Think Edwin Encarnaction but ten times worse. This guy is going to put fear into everyone's eyes. 

 

Andybj;MC Hammer - Can't touch this? It's very unlikely you'll hear this term referenced in the early stages of Hammer's hockey career simply because he's got piss poor skating attributes and likely can be touched and maybe even laid out by our other newbie Doug Glatt. Hammer is working towards having an illustrious career and he's actually building pretty solidly. He's not looking to focus in any major stat, but rather be an all-around defender, something that's somewhat rare this day in age. Andy isn't a sim league noob either, he's pretty well known from the land down yander (SHL) and obviously loves to give or receive BJ's (shots fired). Overall, this kid could be successful, but it will only show if his off-ice antics can stay...off the ice. 

 

That's it boys. There is four of your newest members and hopefully they all amount to something. For more information on these boys, go to their team pages. Hammer is on Bern, Mark is on Minot, Glatt on Ottawa and Simons as mentioned is on Oslo. Let's hope we see transformations into successful future VHL superstars. 

Edited February 21, 2015 by .Enigma

[iRockstar 307]

Edition 72

 

Fall Of The Super Teams

What Happened To The Winners?

 

Each and every season, there seemed to be a trend. We had the same few teams always making it to the playoffs, always making it to the finals. We seen breakout performances since the beginning of season thirty-five from the expansion teams Yukon and Bratislava, but this season, a whole new atmosphere is sweeping the VHLM by storm. This article is going to take a look at what happened to these self proclaimed super teams and why they're now sitting out of the playoff picture. We're also going to discuss what teams are currently sitting in the picture, and why they are sitting where they are in the standings. So without further ado, let's breakdown the mystery. 

 

Being tenth in the league is nothing to brag about. It's dead last, and it's simply kind of humiliating unless you're tanking for someone in the draft you know will instantly make your team better. The Saskatoon Wild, are not tanking for that reason. The Wild were once a superior team in the league, and while every team does have it's season for transition every once and a while, we wonder why the Wild decided after three straight playoff appearances including a final appearance in S40 that they decided, to call it quits. Our logic? Management change. Kendrick and Slobo had a plan, they were going to make a dominant team and continue to dominate the league, but was it fully the new GM's fault for the teams demise? We're unsure. The team is left without their first round pick, almost guaranteed to be first overall. They also have only four players under contract right now. But was this a lack of previous GMing leaving the team in shambles for someone to pickup, or was this a lack of activity and dedication from their new GM? We'll have to find out what new GM R1c3muncher does in the upcoming seasons, or he may not be at the reigns too much longer. 

 

Next we turn our attention to the two expansion teams. We spoke earlier about them, but now it's time to find out what's going on with these guys. Yukon for starters, has been one of the hottest teams in the league, they literally could not have been stopped if they wanted to, but was this their time as well to cool down? All the superior teams doing it at once? It makes no sense. The only change that's been made again? Management. Now it's not to say that it's the new GM's fault again, but this seems to have become a trend in the VHLM lately. Whether the previous GM left the team to rot, or the new GM just didn't take the time, it is beginning to show. They have one player worth a dime which is the GM's player, and only one major pick in the upcoming draft. With no players to move for picks, and no upcoming picks to move for future picks, it's going to be a tough downhill fall for this once amazing team. We'll see if the new GM Ramicus has what it takes to get out of the rut. 

 

Turning our attention to Bratislava, they are in no better condition than the Rush are, if anything they are doing worse. Currently ninth in the league or second last place, the other multiple cup winner is now rotting in the bottom. We did some investigating, and low and behold...new GM. Kit has his first full season as GM, and he sold off. This makes a little more sense however, because he actually chose to move all of his players and holds half of the 2nd's in the league (5) for the upcoming draft. This actually seems like a smart move, because if he wants, he can pair those up with later picks to obtain a lot of first round picks in this draft. If he's looking for a quick turnaround, this is the smart technique to do it, and he's doing a re-tool process properly. I'd actually commend KitRas for the job he's doing, he's the one new GM that actually has something to show right now for the team falling in the downward spiral. 

 

Finally we'll take a look at some of the teams that have certainly jumped to the top of the standings, that haven't been where they are in a while. First one is Oslo. They are one one hell of a hot streak and proving that they can be dominant. They are currently first in the league with a 17-1-1 record and under a new GM. This GM clearly knew what he was doing, but was kind of setup by previous management with some of the pieces he had. With some further pushing, this could be league favorite to win the cup this season. But not to be outdone, is second place Brampton. They currently sit second in the league with a 16-2-1 record and that's a good improvement for them. They've been competitive in the past, and they're finding their roots again. To keep this pace up, could make for a great finale. Bern is the final super team that's come up from the bottom, as teams like Minot and Moscow have been in the playoffs in the past couple of seasons. Bern was nothing, now they're something. Sitting fourth in the league with a 12-5-2 record, it's pretty damn impressive. Their GM finally found chemistry and if he can push to the final stretch, Bern could fight Oslo towards the end for an epic duel.