Here's One For a SOB (HOF Builder Article) [6/6]

[sterling 1,990]

Victor Alfredsson

 

Joined: April 4, 2009
Member Number: 4,679
Positions Held: Administrator, Moderator, VHL General Manager, VHL Financier, Media Spot Grader, Head Grader and (Calls himself) League Historian

 

The Victator, as he's lovingly referred to, has been a mainstay in the Victory Hockey League since Season 11. Interestingly enough, I (again) have to take full and complete credit for this monster. I remember the early days on the New York Americans working alongside General Manager Brandon Best. We needed a goalie real badly and there were two really good ones available to us. We decided to take a chance on a young kid named Alfie_Forever and his player Vase Trikamaki from Finland. Little did we know that the other goalie, Tayson Barabash (represented by Bushito) would also fall to us later in the draft. I told Brandon to draft them both since first gens typically have a tendency to either light it up or flame out. In retrospect, they both lit up the league and interestingly enough again, they both became somewhat polarizing characters in league history.

 

In some respects, Alfie almost always got under my skin. He's a smart guy, an incredible worker and he happens to be very opinionated. Due to these qualities he often gives off the love/hate vibe. In one way I love the guy because of everything he contributes and because he's a genuinely good guy. In another way his confidence and desire to be the best at everything borders on seriously annoying. I remembered being very proud of him after we won the Continental Cup together in S14 with the Americans. That's essentially when Alfie was no longer my mentee. After the Cup win the Americans had to go in another direction due to cap concerns/age. Brandon Best had mostly retired from his role and the team needed a new General Manager. I looked to Alfie to carry the load and I was largely disappointed with his effort, trading off assets for a failed attempt at a run and eventually giving way to Streetlight who turned the franchise around again.

 

Early on, Alfie became involved in the league by the way of jobs. He acted as a grader at first I believe. He also acted as VHL financier. In both roles he was certainly one of the best the VHL has ever seen. Later on he moved up to become the Head Grader and a moderator. Throughout all this time, Alfie wanted to contribute more. He even became critical of the admin team at some points. Essentially David's last act as an administrator in the league was to establish expansion in S31. Alfie became an admin right around this time as I maintained too that David and Jardy needed to add more people to the blue team to support them as the VHL had begun to lag. Due to a fairly sizable chunk of the league history being lost between S23-34 due to the site crash, I don't recall the specific dates of anything.

 

In more recent memory, as a VHL General Manager, Victor certainly established himself as one of the greatest of the past 15 seasons, capturing 2 Continental Cups during four finals appearances as the Manager of the Davos Dynamo, concurrent with his tenure as an administrator. He definitely was and is a Manager who was not afraid to pull the trigger on big moves He often  won trades outright, due to I assume, Victor being a shrewd negotiator. He also emerged as the league's 'offcial' historian, a moniker he gave himself after writing the majority of the past 40 for 40 articles himself. Perhaps his most notable contribution is that ever-encompassing VHL encyclopedia inside his head. He seemingly has the power to spit out amazing stats and occurrences from up to five real life years ago whereas I've forgotten a lot of things that have happened around this place in that same time. Alfie did a masterful job keeping the VHL Hall of Fame in excellent condition, making sure the league's history was been well documented and stored.

 

In terms of policy or changes made during Victor's term as an admin, I'd say he was a fairly conservative leader. He acquired a very well balanced and well run league. He also left it as a well balanced and well run league. We've all been fortunate to be standing already on the shoulders of giants. The biggest highlight to me came during S35 when the league moved again to its current home. Without a lot of Victor's knowledge, it would have been a much more difficult transition. The new site has created a much more stable league. I can't think of any huge changes to the inner workings of the league since Victor stepped in as a commish. His hand in the 40 for 40 series was extremely valuable. Obviously the man did a lot of his work behind the scenes, allowing the Board of Governors to expand their role in setting changes. His leadership is/was a reflection of this. In large capacity, the league has been far more committed to the VHLM due to Victor. He established the VHLM magazine with Noah, created the individual team locker rooms and aided a number of new members in their respective environments, when needed.

 

Victor was a great administrator for a few key reasons. First of all, he was always Johnny on the spot with making needed behind the scenes moves such as running the draft, tabulating HOF and Award ballots, moving permissions and player threads, etc. He was a simple master of activity. The guy created some of the best players in the history of the league during the second, third and now fourth generations of the VHL. His commitment to the league was the key factor in helping revive activity in a lot of ways. If you have an active and capable leader, you have a strong league. Second of all, Victor does truly care about the league and despite wanting to win so badly, he's often done the best for the league in a lot of ways that we don't and can't see. Third, I think his legacy will most notably be reflected in the history he has maintained and retained. I've always fancied history myself, but I don't have the time to remember as much as he does. It's simply amazing.

 

I've only joined paths with Victor a few times in the league (New York S11-14, Toronto S22-23ish, New York S41-42) and they have always been good times. He's very determined, confident and active. He adds a lot to a team and to the league. Since he's also very competitive and he's also become somewhat of my rival. I've never been too concerned with individual statistics or awards (not as much as he has been), I've always been more focused on watching the league flourish and I think Victor too has done this in his own unique way. In a lot of ways, I'd say our relationship has been adversarial and due to this he has blurred the lines between respect and insult on occasion. I respect the guy a lot despite me seeing him seemingly from all angles since he's joined. A lot of ways, it's hard for the old man to watch someone he drafted, mentored and aided mature into one of the greatest members in the league. Victor's contributions to the VHL have been enormous over the past five years. I'd like to see him continue on as a valued mentor and respected opinion-maker. It's clear he's beloved by the masses and for good reason; he's been a tremedous administrator, player agent, General Manager and member.

 

So here's to you Alfie_Forever, long live the Victator!

 

 

-sterling

[eaglesfan036 4,585]

vicky 2 gud

[sterling 1,990]

vicky 2 gud

You're banned

[eaglesfan036 4,585]

You're banned

eaglesfan 2 banned

[Munk 1,298]

Vicky ur my bae unlike sterli who is stoopid n cant count his abcs rite to left

[sterling 1,990]

Vicky ur my bae unlike sterli who is stoopid n cant count his abcs rite to left

Banned.

[Munk 1,298]

Banned.

Ull never hawe me sterlinga ull newer be like victoria

[Phil 5,041]

[Munk 1,298]

Lovato/avg

[Victor 10,613]

I wish Phil was more active when I was commish because he could be the best mouthpiece/PR in history. But then is it coincidence he wasn't as active?

sterling, you know I asked you to write this because I love me an ego boost and you absolutely delivered! Means a lot and that little pinch of criticism at times just makes it more honest. Pinnacle achieved, I have nothing left to do in this here league.

Thank you. <3

[sterling 1,990]

I wish Phil was more active when I was commish because he could be the best mouthpiece/PR in history. But then is it coincidence he wasn't as active?

sterling, you know I asked you to write this because I love me an ego boost and you absolutely delivered! Means a lot and that little pinch of criticism at times just makes it more honest. Pinnacle achieved, I have nothing left to do in this here league.

Thank you. <3

banned

[Laflamme 376]

Content: 2/2- Hof in my books! great read man keep up the good work and stay here forever! I do not know what the league would be like if u were not around and never want to find out. 

 

Grammar: 2/2 - few but nothing worth taking away. 

 

offcial -----> official 

 

encyclopedia -------> encyclopaedia

 

 tremedous  -------->  tremendous 

 

Appearance: 1/1- Would have really loved to see a picture or two. The text in Blue was a little hard to read at first but my eyes did adjust. 

 

Final : 6/6 

[Higgins 3,618]

Wish Victor was still making me look good

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Appearance: 1/1- Would have really loved to see a picture or two. The text in Blue was a little hard to read at first but my eyes did adjust. 

 

HOF articles have a standard appearance.

[Munk 1,298]

HOF articles have a standard appearance.

Dnt fkin talk to hulio like dat

[Mike 708]

Putting Victor in HOF as a builder does the hall mean nothing anymore.

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

 

Appearance: 1/1- Would have really loved to see a picture or two. The text in Blue was a little hard to read at first but my eyes did adjust. 

 

 

HOF articles don't have pictures. They don't need to be graded either, I don't think. But we can grade if we feel like it and give it a proof-read for them, like I have before as well.