My VHLM - A Retrospective

[Mongoose87 384]

The VHLM was the first thing I loved about the VHL. My first player, Kosmo Kramerev, had the privilege of being an inaugural draft pick of the Miami Marauders. That was a fun team. Flush with first-gens, we all learned about the league together.

 

For many of us, it was our first time in simulated sports, so there was a lot to learn. I used the opportunity to test drive my concept of a defenseman with a focus on shooting. The results were excellent, in the M, at least, as Kosmo would rack up a team-leading 106, sixth among league defensemen. The feisty Marauders would sneak into the playoffs, counter to all expectations and then nearly upset the first seed Minnesota Storm in seven games, as Kosmo put up 18 points in a Herculean attempt to bring Miami its first ever playoff series victory. It was a bittersweet moment, as everyone knew the Marauders had been playing over their heads, but we had been so hopeful that we could make that early impact. Kosmo was drafted by the Calgary Wranglers, and I let my GM decide if I should go up or not. I almost regret that decision. Another season in Miami would've been a blast. 

 

When Kosmo's professional career was winding down and the time came to create anew, I couldn't help myself - I needed to make another D with a big shot. On a personal level, the results were outstanding. James Teekirque, my second ever player, pulled off an amazing 112 points, good for third in the league, not among defensemen, but among all players. I'm still a little insulted that Cameron Elsby took home the Ryan Sullivan Trophy (best defenseman) that season, with a mere 87 points. That kind of remarkable scoring should be rewarded. Sadly, James could not replicate Kosmo's playoff par excellence, and only saw six postseason games with the Hounds, before moving on to a wasteland in Oslo and then discovering in Davos that he was born to play forward.

 

All in all these first two forays in the M were a blast, and a great way to kick off a new player's career. 

 

Then came Giorgiy Costanzov, goalie. I knew goalie could be an uphill battle. I never expected that part of the fight would be having two active players on my team. It was an absolute travesty. Giorgiy led the M with a disgusting 2815 save attempts. The next highest? Nearly 500 less, at 2330. Despite a save percentage of .918, good for third among eligible players, Giorgiy had, through no fault of his own, a miserable 3.19. You see, though Giorgiy had only one other active on the team, there were teams in the league icing full rosters. Despite the VHLM being our opportunity to induct new players into the league with a fun, competitive experience, instead it is squeezing them out by subjecting them to a zero parity mess. My third time in the M was such a letdown. The first two times there, it was possibly my favorite part of my players careers (jk, it was definitely winning a cup and getting my number retired by DAVID). My third was borderline insulting. 

[Daniel Janser 2,185]

That S81 Mississauga team was stacked...