Three Rookies You Need to Know About!

[LucyXpher 1,433]

Since this season's theme week is rookies, I'm excited for the opportunity to tell you about three rookies (one in each league) that have really left an impression on me and who I think will continue on to have fantastic VHL careers!  I'm very proud to be able to say that all three were-- or still are-- members of the Halifax 21st and it was in my capacity as GM of the team that I got to know them.  Each has had a unique path to where they are currently, but all three show incredible promise and have been a pleasure to have around the team both because of their production in the sims and their personality in the locker room.  So without further ado, here are three rookies you need to know about!

 

VHL Rookie - Andrew Skilton @ace_five_

In the S93 Draft-- my first as Halifax GM-- we were lucky to have the opportunity to select at 2nd and 6th overall and it was with our 6th overall pick that we selected Andrew Skilton.  As a first gen player who joined the VHL in the offseason, Skilton was a bit of an unknown quantity for GMs scouting for the draft, though he certainly impressed early on with high quality forum posts and regular activity.  During my scouting for the draft, I had the opportunity to chat with Skilton a fair bit and it was his great personality and desire to jump into the league with both feet that really sold me on him as a player and as a person.  While there were a lot of other great established VHL users available at 6th overall in that draft, I have no regrets about selecting Skilton there and he went on to have an excellent season in the VHLM with Halifax as the team's captain, collecting 54 points in 72 regular season games as well as 12 points in 11 playoff games.

 

In the S94 drafts, Skilton went 7th overall to the Bratislava Watchmen in the VHLE and 11th overall to the Toronto Legion in the VHL. For Bratislava in Season 94, Skilton had a monster season racking up 27 goals and 58 assists for 85 points in 72 games which ranked him 3rd among all VHLE defensemen that season.  After another strong earning season, Skilton would be called up to the VHL for S95 where he is currently in the midst of his rookie season for the North American Conference leading Toronto Legion.  So far, Skilton has 23 points in 40 games, but don't let that distract you from what he projects to become in the future.  I have no doubt that Skilton, along with S94 rookie Gul Dukat @MSouthworth, are the future of the Legion blueline when Bobby Bob @Baby Boomer eventually retires.  Skilton in particular figures to be a huge part of the Legion's future as he only trails Dukat by 26 TPA, despite being drafted a season later.  At 599 TPE total, Skilton currently ranks 7th overall in his draft class and when you consider the earning reputation of the 6 players ahead of him ( @leandrofg @jacobcarson877 @JCarson @Gaikoku-hito @Thunder @Frank ) it's obvious to see that Skilton is in good company.  Five of those six players rank in the top 13 on the all-time TPE leaderboard for a single career and the 6th has a previous hall-of-fame career to his name.  I have no doubt that if Skilton's development continues on its current trajectory, he too will rank among the VHL greats someday.

 

VHLE Rookie - Dorji Khan @Oddpurplefly

As a 6th round pick at 52nd overall, there wasn't a whole lot of fanfare around Dorji Khan when he was selected by Halifax in the S93 VHLM Dispersal Draft.  Khan played part of S92 with the Philadelphia Reapers and actually won the Founder's Cup with the team before having his name called at the VHLM draft. In that first stint with Philly, Khan had 2 points in 5 regular season games and 1 point in 16 playoff games, and by the time he was drafted he had collected a modest 55 TPE.  By his own admission, the VHL took some time to figure out early on and it would take Khan A.K.A. the Mongolian Stallion a bit of time to build up some momentum.  In his first full VHLM season with Halifax, Khan produced 18 points in 72 regular season games, albeit playing on a very deep 21st team that finished 2nd in the VHLM.  In the playoffs, he would record 3 points in 11 games as the 21st would lose to the eventual Founder's Cup Champions in the second round.  It should be noted that his point totals don't tell the whole story, however, as partway through Season 93 Khan would go from earning an average of 6 TPE weekly to over 12 on a consistent basis.  Once he had the league figured out, there was no stopping him and Khan would earn his way quickly to 200 TPE in order to be a capped player for one more season with Halifax, his sights set on helping the 21st capture their first ever Founder's Cup.  

In Season 94, Khan would finally have his VHLM breakout with 83 points in 72 games as the captain of the Halifax 21st, leading the team to a 1st place league finish and the 2nd best season in franchise history.  Unfortunately, Halifax would again fall to the Saskatoon Wild, this time in the Founder's Cup finals, though the Mongolian Stallion lit up the postseason scoresheets with 17 points in 15 games.  Funny enough, just like Skilton, Khan would be drafted to both Bratislava and Toronto going 24th and 22nd overall in the VHLE and VHL drafts respectively.  At the time of those drafts, it was already clear to see how his stock had risen from 52nd in the VHLM draft to 22nd in the VHL draft.  Clearly, GMs around the VHL world were taking notice-- though it's hard not to notice the 6'8", 240 lb monster when he's on the ice! At 429 TPE, Khan has climbed up the leaderboard to rank 18th among all S94 draftees.  This is no small feat as he featured in the same draft class as Skilton which was full of high end recreate talent.  Among first gen players selected in the S94 draft, Khan ranks 4th behind Skilton, Matteo Stefano @mmrs617 and THE MIGHTY ICE WIZARD @Royski.  Now in the VHLE playing his rookie season with Bratislava, Khan is 5th in the VHLE with 52 points in 38 games while also ranking 2nd with 22 goals and 6th with 30 assists.  He also leads the league with 2 hattricks so far! Known for his two-way game with Halifax, Khan has continued that with the Watchmen as he boasts a +22 rating which is the 3rd best in the league.

 

VHLM Rookie - Steven Nichols @SlyDigi

Selected in the 4th round of the S95 VHLM Dispersal Draft at 34th overall, Steven Nichols had the 2nd lowest TPE total of any player in the draft class, but that certainly hasn't stopped him from making a great impression in his VHLM rookie season!  Nichols currently has 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points in 40 games so far this season which is an impressive total so far for a first season player with so much TPE to gain!  The way I see it, starting his career with Halifax at 32 TPE, Nichols has huge potential to be an important part of this team for at least this season and next before he reaches the 200 TPE cap.  My first interaction with Nichols was while scouting for the S95 draft and I was initially impressed with how he conducted the draft interview.  He was very personable and went over and above the samey boring answers that interviews sometimes elicit.  As Halifax had mostly later picks in this past draft, Nichols was near the top of our draft board and when we had the opportunity to take him with one of our 4th round picks, there was no hesitation.

Since joining the team, Nichols has shown qualities similar to Skilton and Khan before him.  He's reached out personally to see how he can improve his player development and take his game to the next level, and on top of that has actually followed through and begun completing extra weekly point tasks starting with press conferences.  In the locker room, he's one of the players who remains most consistently active an that kind of activity and leadership is not only inspiring and encouraging for other teammates, but also for management.  It's exciting to see players who care and want to be involved in the league and that gives me a boost to keep on in my role.  So far, Steven Nichols has been everything you could ask for from a player who is new to the league and the sky is the limit for where he can take his career!  VHLE and VHL GM's take note: this is a player you don't want to miss!

 

──•❉᯽❉•──

 

In my first 3 seasons as a GM in the VHLM I've learned that there is no particular box that you can fit all successful players in.  Sure, there are tell-tale signs that give you an indication of how effective or active a player will be in the long run, but sometimes the most exceptional players are those that are overlooked or maybe take an extra season of conditioning before they're ready to take the VHL by storm!  My favorite NHL player of all time is Joe Pavelski, who was a 205th overall pick in the 7th round of the NHL draft.  In my opinion, he was the greatest Sharks captain ever and is undoubtedly one of the top American-born players in NHL history-- he didn't earn the nickname Captain America for nothing!  I'm including this anecdote only to say that a player's draft position doesn't always tell the whole story.  Of course, 1st round picks are very valuable as evidenced by the trajectory of Skilton, but there is plenty of electric talent to be found later in drafts and it's one of the most rewarding things to see a player develop far beyond their draft projection, as in the case of Khan.  Going forward, my hope as a GM is to be able to continue to support players-- especially first gens who are learning the VHL ropes-- so that they can experience the same enjoyment in the VHL that I have had to this point.

 

LucyXpher
1700+ words
1st Claim for 09/01/2024

Edited August 30 by LucyXpher

[Gaikoku-hito 2,089]

Great shout-out to @ace_five_ and Andrew Skilton as former team mate for the past two season I am cheering for Andrew even if he plays for the Legion and could be a long term rival of PMB. I love it when I see a First Gen doing so well and yes, It is impressive that they are keeping up with the six of us!!

 

Edit* I should also mention Dorji Khan @Oddpurplefly (another Toronto prospect; Booo!!) could easily become a steal in the S94 draft at 22nd overall if they learn to come off welfare and earn a bit more TPE by writing a few words (500 for Media) a week. Another Halifax and Brats connected player so I am a fan boy!! 

 

Edited August 28 by Gaikoku-hito

[Scurvy 1,495]

9 hours ago, LucyXpher said:

but there is plenty of electric talent to be found later in drafts

Amen to this.  My first player was drafted 26th overall and ended up in HOF. 

[Oddpurplefly 138]

17 hours ago, Gaikoku-hito said:

Edit* I should also mention Dorji Khan @Oddpurplefly (another Toronto prospect; Booo!!) could easily become a steal in the S94 draft at 22nd overall if they learn to come off welfare and earn a bit more TPE by writing a few words (500 for Media) a week. Another Halifax and Brats connected player so I am a fan boy!! 

I'm trying!! when I'm not busy but also got writers block recently at least with theme week I had something to write about but definitely appreciate the recognition!

 

[LucyXpher 1,433]

2nd claim - 09/08/24

[CaptainSB 117]

Media Review

 

This is a really great spotlight article show casing three amazing rookies across the various leagues. VHL is Andrew Skilton who has been lighting up the league as of late. VHLE Dorji Khan is a sleeper that has been overperforming many GM's expectations and looks to have a bright future in the VHL. And lastly a late sleeper again in Steven Nichols. You did an amazing job highlighting these under appreciated player and hope you can keep shedding the light on these type of users and players. You are an amazing GM and am always impressed at how well your teams have done!

[LucyXpher 1,433]

3rd claim - 09/15/24