My S94 VHL Award Ballot

[Advantage 2,891]

MY S94 VHL AWARD BALLOT

 

 

FULL DISCLAIMER: I wrote most of this prior to awards being announced but had not finished it in time prior to them being revealed.  So keep that in mind while reading.

 

 

 

It’s that time of the year again…and frankly one of my favourites….AWARD SEASON!! Listen, for some it’s probably not as exciting but I love the debate, controversy and most importantly, the joy that comes from the lucky recipients.  As I did last season, I wanted to provide my award ballot for those selected for the S94 VHL Awards, as voted on by the Board of Governors.

 

This year, I decided to include the All-VHL Teams as well as the All-Rookie Team, just to add a little bit more transparency into my thinking.  Without further ado, let's take a look at my S94 VHL Award Ballot, starting with the Most Improved Player.

 

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Dustin Funk Trophy (Most Improved Player) - Raimo Tuominen  @SlapshotWrangler
S93 Statistics: 72 GP, 30 G, 35 A, 65 P, +7, 93 PIM, 100 Hits, 4 GW
S94 Statistics: 72 GP, 56 G, 64 A, 120 P, +38, 41 PIM, 149 Hits, 13 GW

 

Let’s start off with an award that always seems fitted with a bit of controversy.  Whether it is the person chosen, what the award stands for or even getting all the right candidates, this award has had a ton of incredible winners including eventual Hall of Fame talents like Tarik Saeijs @frescoelmo, Ryan Sullivan and Matt Thompson @Beketov…and many more.  

 

Some candidates I wanted to shine a light on before getting to my pick to win the Funk Trophy include Eric White Jr. @Mysterious_Fish, of the Seattle Bears, who stepped it up this season increasing his point total from 80 to 109.  He went from being a solid accessory forward to a top line, to someone that finished 5th in assists and 10th in points in the entire VHL.  I had to look at Darko Alexander Malkovich @AColdCanadian as well, with his drastic improvement from Season 93 on Chicago to Season 94 on Los Angeles.  The defender went from 5 goals and 18 points to 12 goals and 65 points, and while his plus/minus took a hit, Malkovich improved his physicality and was fifth in the VHL in blocked shots.  His team definitely wasn’t of the same quality, but Malkovich still was a driving force for the Stars.  Finally, Merome Dilson @MexicanCow123 had a much improved Season 94 after being traded by the Wranglers to the London United.  While the goalie improved significantly, jumping eleven points in SV% and sporting a .40 better GAA than his previous campaign, I just couldn’t justify voting for him when he has had far better seasons (MVP and Top Goalie in S92).  For me, that’s not in the spirit of the award which to me is to recognize someone that didn’t just improve, but also made significant strides in finding themselves as a player.  

 

This year, I felt the choice was fairly easy for me, as it deserved to go to someone who truly improved across the board.  Raimo Tuominen, of the Calgary Wranglers, rode a hot wave that the team had, and kept it going throughout the entire season, despite what was a colder finish for the Albertan squad.  Tuominen would almost double his goal total to finish second in the league, while also being number three in total points and improving his physicality while drastically reducing the number of penalties he took.  Most importantly, he became a clutch player that finished the season in fourth in game-winning-goals with 13.  Tuominen made up one half of one of the most feared 1-2 punches in the VHL, alongside winger Catia Goncalves @cLoWn.  They went back-to-back in Season 90 and are both coming off seasons that will find each of them in this media spot as an awards recipient (spoiler for later).  

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David Knight Trophy (Top GM) - Jacob Carson  @jacobcarson877
S94 Statistics: 51-15-6, 108 P, +84 DIFF, 1st in EU

 

This is probably one of my least favourite awards to vote on, and I have really never made that a secret.  One that I have won six times when I GM’d back for the New York Americans and the Stockholm Vikings, but also is miraed in a ton of controversy itself and is one of the only awards that seems to get consistent award cases made by the candidates for themselves (hi @Banackock).  

 

This year I really didn’t have a great idea of who I wanted to vote for.  Even in the Board of Governors, it seemed a lot of us shared that opinion, with there not really being a main candidate (multiple people even had originally put forward their opinion of @Spartan - who ended up not even being on the final ballot, likely due to the underperformance of his team this season (remember this is sadly a regular season trophy, so while the Continental Cup is a great indication of the team’s strength, it ultimately wasn’t part of the decision). @Lemorse7 (RIG), @Frank (VAN) and @badcolethetitan (CHI) all were part of the conversation, but ultimately I went in a different direction for the David Knight Trophy.

 

Jacob Carson, of the London United, were my eventual decision.  He helped propel the United to the best record in the European Conference, at 51-15-6 for a EU best 108 points.  While they finished just short of the Victory Cup, Carson used multiple trades and acquisitions in order to avoid a rebuild and giving them another shot this season, all while adding an elite goaltender in Merome Dilson @MexicanCow123 that made substantial improvements over the previous season.  The best part is he did this without sacrificing too much in the long run, leaving the United in a positive situation going forward.

 

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Christian Stolzschweiger Trophy (Top Rookie) - Antonia Bucatini  @CowboyinAmerica
S94 Statistics: 72 GP, 31 G, 62 A, 93 P, +8, 52 PIM, 111 Hits, 4 GW

 

This award has always hit a bit close to home for me, as it was the first award I really ever won in this league.  Michael Angelo, my first active player, went on to win the award in a high-scoring Season 20 that saw the defenseman break the record (IT STILL STANDS BTW) for the most assists by a rookie with 98!  This award is usually a great indication of the elite future the league has to offer, and while Angelo ultimately was just a solid defenseman for the entirety of his career, many that have won it after were much more the Hall of Fame talents you may have expected.  

 

I honestly thought this may have been one of the easier awards to vote for.  David Slezak @ShawnGlade had a really strong season for the Wranglers and helped propel them during their early success.  While he ultimately fell back to worth, the netminder finished with solid numbers with a 35-25-4 record and a .917 SV%.  Tom Dufour @Cookie of the Dragons also was mentioned as one of the leading candidates, after the winger hit the 30 goal and 70 point marks, despite the fact that his team was absolutely pitiful for much of the season, and were often hemmed into their own end (case in point with Dufour’s 91 blocked shots this season).  While these two had great seasons and showcased that they have bright futures, they really had no chance with the much-hyped Antonia Bucatini taking the ice this season.

 

Bucatini would record 31 goals and 93 points over the 72 game season, which would be the highest since Season 82.  Bucatini, who was drafted first overall in the Season 93 Dispersal Draft, played for a Dynamo team that finished near the bottom of the league and had a -64 goal differential throughout the season.  Despite that though, Bucatini finished a +8, contributed a solid 111 hits and finished the season nearly 52% on draws, which is honestly solid for a rookie.  Antonia had eight more points than any other player on the team, and was one of just two that hit the seventy point mark.  Which is why I do believe Bucatini will be a unanimous vote and certainly got mine.

 

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Scott Boulet Trophy (Top Two-Way Forward) - Catia Goncalves  @cLoWn
S94 Statistics: 72 GP, 50 G, 67 A, 117 P, +37, 60 PIM, 202 Hits, 5 GW

 

An award that has often previewed the league’s best all-around players, typically rewarded to those who not only produce offensively, but play sound defensive hockey through their physicality.  Some of the biggest legends in VHL history are plastered all over this award’s history, from Scott Boulet himself winning it four times in the first six seasons, to Duncan Idaho, who was the first player to win the award five consecutive times.  

 

This was the award I actually struggled with the most ultimately.  And to be honest, that isn’t usually the case.  I really considered two players here, but will give big shoutouts to Mac Atlas @v.2 and Wann Kerr @VattghernCZ, who both were discussed in the award talk (with Kerr actually getting some support).  Ultimately though, both players fell short of two others that seemed to gain the most support.

 

Jimi Jaks @ke1vi absolutely deserves this award if he ends up winning it.  While 209 hits is a bit pedestrian compared to some of the totals we used to see from the award winners, he actually has the same amount as Atlas and more than Goncalves, who was the other candidate.  More importantly, Jaks was the most terrifying offensive player in the VHL this season, with a blistering 62 goals and 131 points to go along with his 209 hits.  He did record 100 PIM and admittedly that was a factor for me with my decision.  

 

I have changed my opinion on this award a bit over the seasons.  I used to really not take PIM under much consideration, but have since made it a far more important focus for me.  Ultimately, I feel like if you are in the box, you aren’t contributing to the team in the moments they need strong defensive play the most.  So while I do value hits and offensive player for the Boulet Trophy, I do think a player’s discipline should be considered too.  And that’s why my vote ultimately went to Catia Goncalves.  The Wranglers forward had the second most points on the ballot list, with 50 goals and 117 points over the 72 game campaign.  While that did fall short to Jaks offensively, and they did technically have 202 hits versus Jaks’ 209….my thing was that Catia Goncalves did all this and was that physical, all while only having 60 penalty minutes.  To me, that was pretty astonishing and I wasn’t the only one that felt that way.  Even still, I went back-and-forth and had both players selected at separate teams.  I actually have a feeling Jaks will win this due to his ridiculous offensive season, I ended up siding with spreading the wealth a bit and going to the equally physical and very disciplined forward that still managed to finish seventh in goals, eighth in assists and fourth in points over the course of Season 94.

 

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Jake Wylde Trophy (Top Defensive Defenseman) - Jack Jeckler  @Uncommon
S94 Statistics: 72 GP, 20 G, 49 A, 69 P, +16, 128 PIM, 213 Hits, 200 SB

 

An award named after the Hall of Fame legend created by one of my favourite people in this league (shoutout to @STZ).  This award has won by some legends but has often also gone to those who have maintained their reputation of being very underrated in the grand landscape of the league.  Just look at someone like Phil Strasmore @Phil, who was essentially the epitome of this award throughout his VHL career, and ultimately won it in Season 88, only recently retiring after he played his final season for the Wranglers in Season 93.  Strasmore had only 477 points over his 648 game career, but also finished with over 2000 hits, almost 1300 blocked shots, and finished as a plus player for the majority of his career, while still heing a five-time 60+ point player.  He wasn’t someone that really ever got Labatte consideration, but was someone who exemplified incredible work ethic and a willingness to battle in every situation.

 

This season had a number of players who fit the above criteria to an absolute tee, including multiple write-in mentions.  It is safe to say that this was not an easy one to vote for either, and I was ultimately swayed by some of the discussion.  David Jokinen @Ahma received a lot of the discussion, and may honestly win it given what I read, after finishing the season with 17 goals and 67 points, while being a plus player on a bad team, and also racing 206 hits and 218 blocked shots.  Honestly, I wouldn’t even argue it if he won, as he was a positive player on a bad team (just like Bucatini @CowboyinAmerica) and managed to still hit the illustrious 200-200 mark while finishing just short of a PPG.  Fradin McGryer @Fradin99, of the Riga Reign, was also mentioned after he finished the season with 77 points, 268 hits and 136 blocked shots.  I think his lower blocked shot totals may hurt him with how voters evaluate this award, but he had an amazing season regardless.  There would be four other names mentioned who weren’t even on the original ballot, so there was definitely a ton of competition for an award that has been a difficult one to vote on in the past.

 

With that being said, I didn’t struggle with this one too much as the discussion progressed.  For those that do not know, being on a bad team in the VHL usually results in your team having high blocked shot totals.  Look at Tom Dufour @Cookie, who was nominated for the Christian Stolzschweiger after having a really great season on one of the worst teams in the VHL.  Due to how bad the Dragons were, Dufour ended up having 91 blocked shots, which is a number typically only reserved for forwards who play on really underperforming teams.  That’s why it is very impressive, almost to an insane degree, that Jack Jeckler hit the 200 blocked shot mark, and also finished with an illustrious 20 goals and 69 points while reaching that 200-200 measuring stick.  The fact he did this while being on one of the best teams in the league, is a great example of what a true top defensive stud is.  That’s why Jack Jeckler has my vote for the Jake Wylde Trophy.

 

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Alexander Valiq Trophy (Top Offensive Defenseman) - Skor McFleury  @Alex
S94 Statistics: 72 GP, 35 G, 63 A, 98 P, +6, 102 PIM, 180 Hits, 144 SB, 7 GW

 

The Alexander Valiq Trophy was named after a player who made the Hall of Fame despite not winning a single individual award.  Valiq @Koradek was unfortunate to have played in an era of two of the league’s best defenders of all-time.  Ryan Sullivan won the Labatte Trophy twice during Valiq’s career, being an elite offensive juggernaut that also racked up the hits and blocked shots at an incredible level.  However, the harder hit to Valiq’s chances of winning the award was Conner Low @Smarch, who is my vote for the best defenseman in league history.  Low, who played five seasons as a defender before transitioning to forward for his last two seasons, won the Labatte Trophy five different times, and ran supreme when Valiq was in the prime of his career.  With that being said, Valiq deserved far better in his career when it comes to votes and awards, after he hit fifty goals twice as a defenseman over his eight seasons in the league.  Valiq finished with 300 goals scored and honestly, if the league at the time wasn’t so focused on players that stat-padded in points, hits and blocked shots, maybe Valiq’s greatness would have truly been recognized.  Looking back, we fell short on our end.

 

I really think this is a clear two-horse race between Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer and Skor McFleury.  Bob finished with the most points by a defenseman in the VHL, with 92 of his 111 points being assists, a league best this season. I really do think Bob has a good chance of winning this award, as long as enough people think his point advantage outweighs the fact that 82.9% of Bob’s points were from setting up his teammates.  With that being said, the league has taken far more consideration into goals by a defender since the days of Valiq, and I tend to agree with them.  

 

That is why I have Skor McFleury as my recipient of this award.  McFleury did finish with just 98 points, compared to Bob’s 111.  With that being said, McFleury scored 35 goals and ultimately finished with 35.7% of his points coming off him filling the back of the net.  He did this while also being a more physical presence and someone that consistently been one of the league’s best shot blockers. This would be the third time that McFleury has won the Valiq Trophy, and while I definitely don’t think it’s a guarantee he will win, I do ultimately think he deserves it. 

 

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Sterling Labatte Trophy (Top Defenseman) - Skor McFleury  @Alex
S94 Statistics: 72 GP, 35 G, 63 A, 98 P, +6, 102 PIM, 180 Hits, 144 SB, 7 GW

 

At one time, this was probably one of the most hyped awards every single season.  You had flamboyant defenders like Daniel Braxton @Jericho chasing records while filling up his cupboard with the award and eventually one of the league’s best players ever, Conner Low, making an absolute mockery of it all.  This is probably my favourite award to vote on every single season, and while it isn’t always all that competitive, I have always been a bit of a sucker for an elite defenseman.  

 

Callum Gary Tannick Janser @Daniel Janser will likely fall short of winning the award, but was mentioned on the ballot, finishing his season with 14 goals, 88 points and 240 hits to go along with his 143 blocked shots.  Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer definitely has a bit of a case here with his 111 points being absolutely tremendous, while still being fairly physical and great in his own zone, on a very stacked offensive team.  That being said, that also may be his downfall, with some wondering if he is being helped along a bit by his elite offensive forwards like Mac Atlas, Diego Machado and Jimi Jaks, who more than did their part for the league’s Victory Cup winners and Continental Cup finalists.

 

I went with Skor McFleury again here, and if I am right, it would be the second Sterling Labatte Trophy win of his career, and another cherry on top of what is already a shut and locked Hall of Fame case.  McFleury ultimately did it all this season, scoring 35 goals, recording 98 points, being a very physical presence with 180 hits and getting in front of a lot of pucks with 144 blocked shots.  He even scored seven game-winning-goals, which for a defender is actually pretty impressive.  While it may not be quite as illustrious as his phenomenal Season 93 campaign, I do think that Skor is a favourite to win his second consecutive Sterling Labatte Trophy.

 

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Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie) - Lachlan Summers  @kirbithan
S94 Statistics: 64 GP, 38-20-6, 2.45 GAA, .934 SV%, 5 SO

 

An award that has been won by absolute titans like Aidan Shaw, Alexander Labatte @sterling, Hans Wingate @CowboyinAmerica and most recently, Lachlan Summers who is absolutely filling the shoes of some of the elite netminders that have come before him.  Summers has won the award twice already in his career, and figures to be a favourite once again this year, after taking it in Season 90 and 93.  

 

Merome Dilson @MexicanCow123, Fuuka Rask @Jubis and Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro were all mentioned in discussion.  Rask was celebrated for his ridiculous .936 SV% and 2.29 GAA, but ultimately doesn’t seem to be getting too much consideration due to his 42 games played, which is 22 less than each of the other three goalies on the ballot had.  Ash Sparks once again surprised some doubters and turned back the clock one more time, winning 43 games of the Nighthawks, while finishing with a .927 SV% and 2.31 GAA, narrowly losing out on winning the Greg Clegane Trophy (Best GAA) for a second consecutive season.  Merome Dilson finished a little bit better than Sparks from a save percentage POV, while also winning a league-high 45 goals and finishing with an impressive 2.38 GAA himself.

 

With that all being said, I had to give Summers his third win and a fitting end to the career of the VHL’s best goaltenders in league history.  An absolute bonafide Hall of Fame player already, Summers has already scored five individual awards over the course of his career, including League MVP in Season 93 and Top Goalie in both Season 90 and 93.  And once again he figures to be a potential favourite in multiple awards discussions, including this one.  Summers finished with a league-best .934 SV% among all goaltenders that played a full 64 game season.  He also had a 38-20-6 record and finished with a 2.45 GAA, despite facing almost 38 shots per game over the course of the year.  

 

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Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding Player) - Jimi Jaks  @ke1vi
S94 Statistics: 72 GP, 62 G, 69 A, 131 P, +55, 100 PIM, 209 Hits, 15 GW

 

The Brett Slobodzian Trophy is rewarded to the player that essentially has the most ridiculous statistical season in the league.  That's how I essentially see it at least.  The most incredible offensive seasons in the league are what is celebrated here, and more importantly it is the only award that is voted on by the public, and for that reason, I do think there is a certain significance labelled to this one.  I'm sad to say that I have never had the honour of winning this one, but it is probably the one I want to win the most because it is truly special to be recognized by your peers on that level.

 

This one is a public vote so I won't go too into this, outside of acknowleding that Lachlan Summers @kirbithan, Diego Machado @Dadam30 and others that have been mentioned throughout this ballot rundown were listed on the poll.  To me this was also always going to just be a two-horse race, with Lachlan Summers and Jimi Jaks ultimately being the most outstanding goaltender and skater in the VHL this season.  Some may give some love to someone like McFleury @Alex, but Jaks was just on another level from every skater in the league this season, including his teammate Machado.  

 

While I do think Jaks may be in tough to win League MVP (but more on that later..) I do think he is the absolutely deserved winner for Most Outstanding Player.  Jaks finished the season with the most points with 131, the most goals with 62 and the sixth most assists with 69.  He also hit the 200+ hit mark on top of that and was one of the clutchest players in the league, sporting a league best 15 game-winning-goals to show it.  These are straight up video game numbers and it shows with the last player to hit 60 goals being Paul Atreides @Mr_Hatter in Season 83.  While the Legion had a lot of elite players running their offense, none had the impact that Jaks did on their teams success, and it’s debatable whether anyone else in the league did either.

 

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Scotty Campbell Trophy (Most Valuable Player) - Lachlan Summers  @kirbithan
S94 Statistics: 64 GP, 38-20-6, 2.45 GAA, .934 SV%, 5 SO

 

Ultimately, the Scotty Campbell Trophy is the ultimate one that rewards the greatest the league has to offer.  The winners of this award aren’t always the ones with the most prolific statistics, but are rather the individuals who were the most valuable to their teams success.  The incredible Scotty Campbell, Thomas O’Malley @OrbitingDeath and Franchise Cornerstone @boubabi are just three of the most prolific players to dominate this award over the course of their careers, with three wins by each of them.

 

The notion that this award isn’t just won by the statistically prolific players is actually an important one when it comes to my vote.  Francesco Mancini @GioSivo, Ash Sparks @DarkSpyro, Daryl Dixon @Ricer13 and Skor McFleury @Alex are all names of players that did come up during discussion (along with several others).  Jimi Jaks seemed like the one that was getting discussed about a bit, and it’s hard to argue with that given the already mentioned 62 goals, 131 points and 202 hits this past season.  That being said, Jaks was on a team with Diego Machado @Dadam30, Mac Atlas @v.2 and Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer, who all hit the 110+ point mark.  While he was the most valuable player on their team, I don’t think he meant quite the same to his team as the person I picked.

 

And therefore, I ultimately went with another back-to-back win for Lachlan Summers.  Lachlan had the league’s best goaltending performance over the course of the 72 game season, and helped the team considerably in 38 of the team’s 41 wins this past season.  The Predators only had three players who hit the point-per-game mark, and just two players over eighty points.  His team allowed 38 shots per game against them, and despite that they finished with 41 wins and just one point out of third place in the European Conference.  They allowed just two goals more than the Seattle Bears, who allowed the least in the entire league, showcasing just how elite Summers was.  As for the offense? The Predators scored 207 goals over the season, which was good enough for 11th in the entire league.  

 

 

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ALL-VHL FIRST TEAM
F - JIMI JAKS @ke1vi
F - DIEGO MACHADO @Dadam30
F - CATIA GONCALVES @cLoWn
D - SKOR MCFLEURY @Alex
D - BOBBY BOB @Baby Boomer
G - LACHLAN SUMMERS @kirbithan

 

ALL-VHL SECOND TEAM
F - RAIMO TUOMINEN @SlapshotWrangler
F - MAC ATLAS @v.2
F - WANN KERR @VattghernCZ
D - JACOB STONE @scoop
D - CALLUM JANSER @Daniel Janser
G - MEROME DILSON @MexicanCow123

 

ALL-VHL ROOKIE TEAM
F - ANTONIO BUCATINI @CowboyinAmerica
F - TOM DUFOUR @Cookie
F - PHANTOM OF THE VHL @Hogan
D - LUCY LEITNER @LucyXpher
D - GUL DUKAT @MSouthworth
G - DAVID SLEZAK @ShawnGlade

 

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Around 4500 Words.  Hope everyone enjoys even if we don't agree on everything.  See you next award season!

 

Claimed Week 1 of 4

Edited July 26 by Advantage

[Advantage 2,891]

Realized I forgot the Kanou but went with the undisputed vote there for Obuz. 

[badcolethetitan 921]

Man that's brutal.. I'm so unknown and my team is so irrelevant that we don't even know who the correct CHI GM is

[Advantage 2,891]

3 minutes ago, badcolethetitan said:

Man that's brutal.. I'm so unknown and my team is so irrelevant that we don't even know who the correct CHI GM is

Nah more than likely just my super stoned brain not working well tonight and reading the wrong team   all fixed!!

[FrostBeard 2,049]

Grimgor Ironhide being my player is probably a bit biased however, I do feel that he should 100% be in the conversation for the Boulet if not be one of the front runners. Probably the best defensive forward this season. 

[badcolethetitan 921]

31 minutes ago, Advantage said:

Nah more than likely just my super stoned brain not working well tonight and reading the wrong team   all fixed!!

 

LOL I was more poking fun not actually being serious. Don't worry about it!

 

Article is great.

[frescoelmo 1,276]

Aww my first gen 

[DarkSpyro 939]

Thanks for the nod towards MVP I guess..  

 

I’m still disappointed in the league for giving the Clegane to someone with 1/3 less of the games played tho, it’s an absolute joke.

[SlapshotWrangler 864]

Catia & Raimo too good.

[Advantage 2,891]

Week 2/4

[Advantage 2,891]

Week 3/4

[Advantage 2,891]

Week 4/4

[CaptainSB 117]

Media Review

Wow this is an impressive analysis of the VHL awards for S94. I agree with all the first, second and rookie teams and think you are spot on with the selections though people can debate a few for the second team. The individual awards seemed pretty spot on and the cases were really nicely made. However, the only one I would have argued as you highlighted was the most improved player and thought Eric White Jr. was a bit more deserving.