Mats Johnsson Press Conference

[Banackock 8,107]

1. Hows the season going for you?

2. Chances of the Bears winning it this season?

3. Whats surprised you the most about this season?

4. Who are the underdogs heading into the playoffs? whose the team to beat?

5. Who wins MVP?? Who, to you, has been the top 3 players in the league?

 

@Quik

[Quik 4,113]

On 5/21/2018 at 1:19 AM, Banackock said:

1. Hows the season going for you?

 

For me, personally? Not as good as I'd have liked, coming into the year. There's only I think 2 players who have taken at least 100 shots that have a worse shooting % than me. It's mostly a luck thing, I think, as I've taken more shots than ever before in this league, but they're just not finding twine. Hopefully it starts to turn soon, like it did last year, as I'd like to be a bigger piece of the offense and help the guys out some more!

 

On 5/21/2018 at 1:19 AM, Banackock said:

2. Chances of the Bears winning it this season?

 

I'd say better than last year. This year we're even deeper up front, and I think our D is stronger. Last year, nobody gave us a chance going in, but we found our sweet spot just as the playoffs started. This year, it is oddly very similar as the season winds down. We're starting to click, and I think we have a real chance at repeating, if everything goes well.

 

On 5/21/2018 at 1:19 AM, Banackock said:

3. Whats surprised you the most about this season? 

 

Honestly, I think my own numbers, and not in a good way. I expected Riga to fall a bit with Locke going to Finland. I expected the younger teams to start pushing up. Maybe Quebec, after getting a couple big names, being sellers? There's not much that surprises me in hockey though, so maybe it's a me thing haha

 

On 5/21/2018 at 1:19 AM, Banackock said:

4. Who are the underdogs heading into the playoffs? whose the team to beat? 

 

Hmm...I guess the Wild Card series would be the underdogs heading in? Whoever gets out of there will likely be facing New York, who are definitely the team to beat - I mean, they're on what, a 17-gamer right now? I think there is a lot of parity between them, the Titans and us, so I think really, there's not much of an underdog among the 3 of us.

 

On 5/21/2018 at 1:19 AM, Banackock said:

5. Who wins MVP?? Who, to you, has been the top 3 players in the league? 

 

Tough question. I think 1 and 2 are my teammates, McAllister and King. Marcus has been dynamite all season, keeping us in games when we were trying to figure out our chemistry and what works best. Gabe has just been on a whole nother level though, lately, and is doing his best to ensure we repeat. Given everything he's done for us, and his all-round game, I don't know how Gabe doesn't get it. As for 3rd, it's tough. You've got the 3 Americans forwards who have been incredible, but can you really separate them from each other? There's also Fred in Riga, who keeps doing his thing even with Locker gone. And then A-A Ron is probably the top D-man this year, and has been a big part of Helsinki keeping it together. To me, it's one of AA or Freddy, but I can't really split that vote.

[Quik 4,113]

Week of: May 28 - June 03

 

Questions: Hybrid (3), Robbie (3), 2penny (3), Victor

 

Week of: June 04 - 10

 

Questions: jRuuttu (3), Will (1), Lucky 2 Times (3), Beketov (1), Robbie (1), omgithim (1)

Edited June 5, 2018 by Quik

[Quik 4,113]

I’ve asked a lot of questions lately. Someone ask me some

[Banackock 8,107]

Here I am, saving the day for PC's again..

 

1. What was your deciding factor on Calgary? (Congrats btw)

2. What are your expectations for the team this year?

3. What are your expectations for yourself? Goals? Points etc.

4. Predict the top 3 teams this year.

5. Who scores the most goals in the VHL? Best goalie? Best D-man? Top Rookie?

[Quik 4,113]

16 hours ago, Banackock said:

Here I am, saving the day for PC's again..

 

1. What was your deciding factor on Calgary? (Congrats btw) 

2. What are your expectations for the team this year?

3. What are your expectations for yourself? Goals? Points etc. 

4. Predict the top 3 teams this year. 

5. Who scores the most goals in the VHL? Best goalie? Best D-man? Top Rookie? 

 

1. The quality of high-end players on the team this year, I think, is second to none. With Canmore and now Louth up front, Stopko in goal and me on the blue-line, I just think that it's hard to find a better 1-4 on any other roster in the league. Obviously, depth is key, but I believe in the guys in this dressing room.

 

2. I expect a Continental Cup. I make no bones about the fact that my goal is to win as many of those in my career as possible. I was fortunate enough to get one in my first season with Seattle, but I want multiple rings. Anything other than a Cup, at this point in my career, is going to be looked at as a disappointment.

 

3. My expectations are something I like to keep to myself. I know what I'm capable of, and what I think I can accomplish in this league. I'm not one to tout my own horn though, so I will just say that my goal is to continue to improve. I've scored a career high in assists and points each year I've been in the league, and while I don't know for sure about the assists, I would like to continue to improve my point totals, and hopefully set a new career high in goals this season.

 

4. I think the clear top 2, on paper anyways, are New York and us. After that, I think it's tough to separate Davos and Helsinki. The Dynamo have a great up and coming roster, and will be a force for years to come, but the question is is this their year? On the other hand, Helsinki is making their last hurrah, and have proven to be able to play above the sum of their parts. It should definitely be a fun season to see how things shake out.

 

5. It's hard to go against Gabe for most goals. Right now he's the best player in the league, at least in my eyes, which made it a very difficult decision not to stick with him when we got traded to Davos - I haven't talked to him since, but I hope he understands my position and doesn't feel any ill will towards me. Top tendy has to be Stopko, the kid puts in a ton of work off the ice, and it shows in his performance. Top rookie, it's gotta be between Zhields and Thomson, but I think being a little older, I'd probably give the edge to Z. As for top D, there's a bit of bias in my opinion, but if I had to choose, I'd guess I go with the guy who's done it year in, year out in AA Ron. The guy's been a monster for Helsinki the last bunch of years, and while he's off to a slow start right now, I'd bet dollars to donuts that he'll be in the discussion again by season's end.

 

22 hours ago, Beaviss said:

 

I got a question! Out of all the other teams why Calgary? 

 

As I said before, I think that we've got the best group of top-end guys in the league. I think that, if we all put our work in, we should be able to do something special this season. I know that some people think it was a foregone conclusion that I was heading back to Calgary, but I didn't even think they'd make an offer, as the cap situation was very tight heading into FA. To me, hitting FA was to see what it was like, as I hadn't actually made it to market before, and had no idea what to expect. Calgary was actually the last place I expected to end up when I declared for Free Agency, and would have expected a return to Seattle for this season, before the trade was made, before another go in Calgary.

[Quik 4,113]

Week of June 25 - July 01

 

Questions Asked: Higgins (4), street (3), spade (3)

[Quik 4,113]

Week of July 02 - 08

 

Questions asked: Will (3), Tagger (4), Hybrid (3)

[Quik 4,113]

July 09 - 15

 

Questions Asked: Beketov (3), Victor (4), hedgehog (3) 

[Tagger 2,722]

If you need any questions at any point since you asked me some:

 

1) With Ay Ay Ron set to be subjected to some sizeable regression next season, do you believe that makes you the front-runner for the top defenseman award in Season 62?

2) It's been a weird year for defenseman with Casey Jones and Colton Rayne falling short of expectations and third and fourth place in defenseman scoring held by an inactive Jake Scheel and Pablo who missed a chunk of the season, as a defenseman yourself anything you think this can be attributed to?

3) You mentioned about Seattle playing their backup goalie against Helsinki, a move that could potentially hurt Keaton Louth's award chances. Do you think he'd have a right to be aggrieved if for example he were to miss out on the Brooks/Szatkowski award by one? 

[Quik 4,113]

July 16 - 22

 

Questions Asked: tfong (6)

 

Answers:

 

On 7/15/2018 at 12:19 PM, Tagger said:

1) With Ay Ay Ron set to be subjected to some sizeable regression next season, do you believe that makes you the front-runner for the top defenseman award in Season 62?

 

If I'm being honest, I thought this would be my year to surpass him. Personally, I still feel that my numbers are a bit better, when you take into account that most of his points are coming off assists where his team has the top 3 goal scorers, and I've got twice as many goals, never mind the GWG that I've racked up. I do think that next year will be a big year for me to really separate myself though, with the guys around me right now all set to take a step back.

 

On 7/15/2018 at 12:19 PM, Tagger said:

2) It's been a weird year for defenseman with Casey Jones and Colton Rayne falling short of expectations and third and fourth place in defenseman scoring held by an inactive Jake Scheel and Pablo who missed a chunk of the season, as a defenseman yourself anything you think this can be attributed to?

 

It's been a really weird season for defensive scoring. I'm the only active in the top 5. Pablo had such a scorching start, I think he had something like 33 points in his first 15 games, and I seriously thought he was going to pass me even with his 19 games missed. I think that, if you look at the guys at the top though, the teams don't have quite as much depth as a team like New York. There's only 1 puck on the ice, and when you're splitting the ice-time among more players, it's probably tough for guys like Case and Colt to really put their stamp on the offense. In Helsinki, they've got 2 d-men, so everything goes through Ron and Shlem. In Riga, they have so few players, Scheel and Pablo, along with the kids there, somebody's gotta get points. I think, at the end of the day, roster construction and deployment really plays into what a player can do on the ice, and we're seeing that bear out this season, for sure.

 

On 7/15/2018 at 12:19 PM, Tagger said:

3) You mentioned about Seattle playing their backup goalie against Helsinki, a move that could potentially hurt Keaton Louth's award chances. Do you think he'd have a right to be aggrieved if for example he were to miss out on the Brooks/Szatkowski award by one? 

 

I don't know that it actually makes that big of a difference at the end of the day - Sterling will be a great goalie in this league, but right now he's not that much better than SEA G. To me it was more an integrity thing, where you've got one GM with both of his players on another team, and he's using at least 2 of his 8 back-up starts against that team. There's 3 other teams not looking to take the Victory Cup this season where it makes more sense to use the back-up against. Whether or not it makes a difference at the end of the day, have some pride and put your best roster forward against the top teams. I understand doing so doesn't benefit him or his 2nd team, so it doesn't surprise me, but it's not really the best look on him.

[Quik 4,113]

July 23 - 29

 

Questions Asked: tfong (4), tfong (1), Symmetrik (2), Banacock (3)

 

I am always open to questions, if you have any, fire away and I will answer them!

Edited July 24, 2018 by Quik

[Tagger 2,722]

1. When you came back to the league with Johnsson, what was the change to the league that you were most surprised by?

2. Looking at the finances, you appear to be the only player this season who has a player option in his contract (although I think Keller also might've prior to his retirement), are you surprised that there aren't more people asking for options in their contract negotiations?

3. Thoughts on Calgary's chances heading into the playoffs? 

[Quik 4,113]

4 hours ago, Tagger said:

1. When you came back to the league with Johnsson, what was the change to the league that you were most surprised by?

2. Looking at the finances, you appear to be the only player this season who has a player option in his contract (although I think Keller also might've prior to his retirement), are you surprised that there aren't more people asking for options in their contract negotiations?

3. Thoughts on Calgary's chances heading into the playoffs? 

 

1. Definitely the biggest change was that people had 2nd players. That was never even a thought when I was first here, so the fact so many people had 2 players was pretty surprising. It was a cool idea, sometimes people just want to try random builds but don’t want to waste an entire career, or they just want more than a single player to build/follow. I can see why it didn’t work though, but maybe one day we can find a way that doesn’t overtax members. 

 

2. I am a little surprised to learn that, yeah. You only get 8 seasons in a career here, so I’m surprised more guys don’t try to take advantage of shorter contracts and/or options in their contracts. I know people don’t want to rock the boat too much or be seen as a “villain,” but when shit can change so much from one season to the next, I personally don’t see a reason to sign long-term if you plan on being active. There will always be a team looking to fit good players, and if your team doesn’t get worse, they can still re-sign you.

 

3. I think we’ve got a great shot. We finished first in the league. We’ve got the best tendy in the league. Great team defender. And our offence can run with anyone. I’m not going to guarantee a win, but I’m very excited about our chances this year!

[Quik 4,113]

Week of July 30 - August 05

 

Questions Asked: Toast (3), omgitshim (2)

 

Answers: Three (3)

 

As always, I am open to questions.

[Hybrid1486 577]

1) You were my first GM (with me being active, at least) and I thought you were pretty good at it. That said, 'twas a long time ago. Would you give any thought to being a GM again?

 

2) It looks like Johnsson is set to hit regression next season. Is the end of his career in sight, or will he go the distance?

 

3) On that note, the Wrangler core is beginning to age. That said, with a top goalie still looking effective, can Calgary be competitive for the next season or two?

 

4) Any thoughts on the impending VHLM expansion?

 

5) Now that we've had a chance to acclimate to portal updating, how do you feel about it, both as a player and an updater?

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

I think I said I would do this last week, but better late than never!

 

1.) Game 7 tonight - who ya got and why?

2.) Is this the most competitive season you can remember recently? The top 3 teams were separated by only 2 points, and NY was only 6 points behind.

3.) What are your thoughts on the VHLM? Necessary/unnecessary?

4.) If you could bring one member back to full activity, who would it be and why?

5.) Have you ever gone by any other username?

[Quik 4,113]

On 8/4/2018 at 10:59 PM, Hybrid1486 said:

1) You were my first GM (with me being active, at least) and I thought you were pretty good at it. That said, 'twas a long time ago. Would you give any thought to being a GM again? 

 

2) It looks like Johnsson is set to hit regression next season. Is the end of his career in sight, or will he go the distance?

 

3) On that note, the Wrangler core is beginning to age. That said, with a top goalie still looking effective, can Calgary be competitive for the next season or two?

 

4) Any thoughts on the impending VHLM expansion?

 

5) Now that we've had a chance to acclimate to portal updating, how do you feel about it, both as a player and an updater?

 

1. Aw shucks, you're making me blush! It was a lifetime ago, when I was still in high-school and had pretty much no life commitments. I'm not actively looking to be a GM right now, I'm comfortable in my position with the BOG and having Johnsson be the only player I worry about. That said, if the league needed someone to step in and GM a team, I would be open to it. Right now, I think it's fair for the new guys to get a shot at it first, though, as GMing is a way to retain good members.
2. The end is nowhere in sight for Johnsson. This was probably the last season where he'll have 99 in any attributes, but with the build I've gone for, I don't think there's any reason to expect a large drop-off going forward. Personally, I think his best seasons are still in front of him.
3. I'll be honest, I'm not sure how things are going to unfold. Stopko is the best goalie in the league by far, and with Canmore, Louth, Bog and Johnsson, it's tough to bet against us. But Quebec and Davos are both gearing up for a big season, so we'll see what happens.
4. I think it's the right thing. There are a lot of VHLM guys who won't graduate. Coupled with the incoming recruitment drive, we need spots for the new guys to get meaningful minutes. Having 18 active (to differing degrees) players on a team is great, but nobody wants to be the guy getting 8 minutes a game and no points.
5. Love it. As a player, any time I earn TPE, I just pop it in, and within hours its on my page. I haven't actually updated my stats too much on it, since I've been banking to curb regression, but it's pretty easy, and it means the sim gets updated way more often. As an updater, it's super easy. I click the link, make sure it's legit, and approve the update. I don't have to go through player pages 2355 posts deep, and if I need to verify anything, it's right there to see. So yeah, I love it and can't wait for more features!

 

On 8/5/2018 at 8:07 AM, Fire Hakstol said:

I think I said I would do this last week, but better late than never!

 

1.) Game 7 tonight - who ya got and why?

2.) Is this the most competitive season you can remember recently? The top 3 teams were separated by only 2 points, and NY was only 6 points behind.

3.) What are your thoughts on the VHLM? Necessary/unnecessary?

4.) If you could bring one member back to full activity, who would it be and why?

5.) Have you ever gone by any other username?

 

1. If I had seen this before the game, would have said Calgary. It was a tight series, and nobody won back-to-back until Games 6&7. Going into the game, having home ice, as well as the advantage between the pipes, I thought we had a real good shot to win. It was definitely tough to lose, and I'm sure probably sweeter for Davos to beat me, but it was a great series and I look forward to the future.
2. It was, and it wasn't. There was really only 4 teams in it after the mid-way point of the season. It was a very tight race at the top, but the distance from 5 to 6, and even 4 to 5, was fairly large, and I think there's been seasons where, maybe the gap at the top was a little bigger, but there was more competitive teams in the league.
3. It's funny, my answer changed 3 times while I was thinking about this question. I think you could get away with removing the VHLM by starting players off with more TPE. It would counteract the whole pre-draft season+, and get more players in the VHL. The only issue would be the amount of inactives as a result of entering and then losing interest, but that would just lead to more waived/released players. If I'm being honest, I've now convinced myself that dissolving the VHLM entirely might be possible, but that would be a large undertaking and the logistics of it would need to be examined carefully.
4. Good question. There's a lot of members from the original era that would be nice to have back at full activity. The Knights, Brooks, Campbell, Sterling, Jardy, STZ, Marshall, even Noiles and PensFan. Hell, even nibbz brought a lot of controversy without actually attacking members (though, my memory might be wrong on that?). That doesn't exactly answer the question, but there's a lot of OG members who I'd love to have back at full activity, all for various reasons, the common one being that they were great members who helped the league thrive!
5. There was a time where I went by the name boub...Nah, originally it was Quiksilver in the SHL (original, not the off-brand one that's around today), and other sim leagues I had joined, then I just shortened it to Quik. At the time I was kind of into skateboarding, and I love superhero cartoons/comics, so I went with Quiksilver since it worked with both. Then I got tired of the long ass name, and figured Quik for short was a fun way to keep the original nod, while also speeding up the typing of it.

[Quik 4,113]

Week Ending: August 12th

 

Answers: Hybrid (5) + Fire Hakstol (1) --- (Banked 4)

[Quik 4,113]

August 13 - 19

 

Questions Asked: oilmandan (1), Dtayl (4)

 

Answers: Fire Hakstol (4 - banked from last week)

[hedgehog337 3,483]

1. So, gratz with becoming the Helsinki GM! how much are you excited?

2. What happens with Johnsson then?

3. How much season will you need to bring Helsinki back to competition?

4. Are you making a goalie as your GM player? Remembering Pogge...

5. How the last and upcoming draft are looking comparing to early VHL drafts? (S1-10 or some like that)

[Quik 4,113]

W/E: September 2, 2018

 

Questions: Titans PC (5)

 

Answers: 3 (banking 2)

 

16 hours ago, hedgehog337 said:

1. So, gratz with becoming the Helsinki GM! how much are you excited?

 2. What happens with Johnsson then?

 3. How much season will you need to bring Helsinki back to competition?

 4. Are you making a goalie as your GM player? Remembering Pogge...

5. How the last and upcoming draft are looking comparing to early VHL drafts? (S1-10 or some like that)

 

1. Thank you! I'm actually really excited! I've talked to the players currently on the roster, and they're on board with my vision, which really bodes well for the future of the team. It's been a while since I've been in the GM chair (I think about 9 years? @Victor could probably answer that one better than me =P), and things have changed quite a bit, so it'll be a fun challenge to take on going forward.
2. With Johnsson, there's really no reason to expend assets on bringing in a player in his final 2 seasons (after this one), so he won't have any affiliation with the Titans. His focus will very much be cementing his legacy as best he can with Continental Cups and hopefully another Labatte or 2 to make a final push for the HOF. It's unlikely at this point, but who knows, stranger things have happened!
3. I've discussed this with both @Higgins and @BarzalGoat, they know the timeline I'm striving for, and to me, that's what matters. Not that I don't appreciate the question, and I feel like everyone out there can figure out what things look like for the Titans, but putting a timeline in the public is of very little benefit to the Titans organization. I'm happy with the building blocks that are here in Helsinki, and with the right moves/drafting, things can definitely accelerate. Otherwise, I understand that a rebuild is underway, and I'll let things unfold organically, rather than put a timeline out there.
4. No, my GM player will be a forward. With the amount of good young goaltenders in the league, and a few good looking prospects in the upcoming draft, I don't think the lull in quality goaltending in this league will last very long. 
5. I think, going back to the S61 draft, this S60 decade has been off to a very promising start, with regards to drafts. S61 was heavy on re-creates, but you never know if the member will burn out at this point in the league's history, so it's nice to see a lot of them sticking around and really taking the league by storm. S62 was very reminiscent of the early drafts, with nearly 3 rounds full of actives, so far, and S63 is shaping up to possibly be even deeper, and resemble the stacked S1/S2 drafts when the league was first kicking off! It's fantastic to see the league thriving after a down period where things were starting to look a little grim. The amount of new blood being injected into the league definitely give me hope for us to see 100 seasons, and are a big part of why I'm so excited to build the Titans back up!

Edited August 27, 2018 by Quik

[Victor 11,004]

2 minutes ago, Quik said:

It's been a while since I've been in the GM chair (I think about 9 years? @Victor could probably answer that one better than me =P)

Your last trade was made on June 6th, 2010: https://vhlforum.com/topic/1172-s16/

Not one of your finest mind.  

[Quik 4,113]

7 minutes ago, Victor said:

Your last trade was made on June 6th, 2010: https://vhlforum.com/topic/1172-s16/

Not one of your finest mind.  

Hey! Kaelin was a stud, and while the 1st ended up being Kanou, one of the picks I got back ended up being Shaw! Not my fault Kendrick traded it  

[Victor 11,004]

2 minutes ago, Quik said:

Hey! Kaelin was a stud, and while the 1st ended up being Kanou, one of the picks I got back ended up being Shaw! Not my fault Kendrick traded it  

Traded it to me as well! Think @street then traded it away.

 

Wtf are we all still doing here?