VHL Editorial

[Higgins 3,617]

190: VHLM Assistant GMs

 

The VHLM is constantly in motion and you’ve got to be able to adapt to survive in the environment. Every season there seems to be general managers changing, multiple assistant general managers changing and a whole bunch of players graduating to the VHL. The GM’s of the VHLM teams always have to be aware of what players will be going over the 175 TPE barrier to join the VHL and what players will be back for the next season.  Change is a definitely good thing, but only to a certain extent. Players moving up to the VHL is a great thing because it means the VHLM GM did exactly what he is there for. The thing in the VHLM that has bothered me a little bit recently is the turnover rate of VHLM assistant general managers. This off-season and the weeks before it there was a ton of assistant GMs stepping down and getting hired. It would be nice to see a little consistency for assistant GMs, who would ideally take over as GM on the team they are an assistant for or eventually move to another VHLM team to be GM.

 

I hate seeing a gigantic list of threads being created in the VHLM Announcements board for assistant GMs stepping down and being hired. I’m not trying to single out any team or person here. I just think it would be better to have some consistency for both VHL GMs and their assistants. On the logistical side we want the VHLM to be a place where the assistant GMs can learn about STHS and how to set lines and how to send them in to the simmer. The VHLM GM also has a role to play in seeing how to manage people and how to keep new users engaged. This includes keeping the locker room up to date and providing content in it to hopefully spark some conversation. A good VHLM GM will always try to keep in contact with their players through PMs or more ideally though the instant messaging system. If a VHLM team has a lot of active new players it’s good to have that assistant GM who can try to talk with the players to help them and to keep them interested in coming back to check their player and the team. VHLM GMs also have to deal with trades, free agency, waivers and the dispersal draft. Having an assistant GM that you can trust is crucial for these events.

 

There should be a healthy relationship between VHLM GM and the assistant GM. If we can get this for all ten teams and always have somebody waiting to take over the next VHLM GM position it will make the minors a lot better. The people that will step up from assistants to full time GMs will know what is expected of them right away and will have experience dealing with new members and day to day operations of a VHLM franchise to keep it competitive. If the relationship between GM and assistant GM isn’t a good one then I recommend for the two parties to go their separate ways immediately because it’s only detrimental to the VHLM as a whole. There will be more opportunities to be a VHLM assistant GM in the future. The VHLM changes as such a rapid pace compared to the VHL we need to make sure the changes can happen as smooth as possible and we get some consistency in the GM/assistant GM ranks. I look forward to the next season in the VHLM and I’m very happy that assistant GMs have become such an important and big part of the VHLM now.

[Higgins 3,617]

192: Adding a New Award

 

 

This week we are going to talk about awards and no, not predictions for award winners this season. I recently had an idea that adding a brand new trophy to the VHL could be a smart move. The trophy would be modeled after the NHL’s William M. Jennings Trophy, which is given to the goalies who play for the team that allows the least amount of goals over the full regular season. When looking at our current awards there are a lot that, realistically, only skaters can win. Leading points, leading goals, leading assists are three trophies that goalies have a zero percent chance of winning. You won’t see a goalie win a top two-way forward, top defenseman or most sportsmanlike trophy either and it is rare for a goaltender to pick up a top leader award because they usually aren’t captains. That is seven awards that a goalie has no shot at winning. For a goalie to win the MVP or playoff MVP award they need to really excel and if a skater has a lot of points they will be easily beaten because points are the nicer statistic compared to save percentage. In the end there is only one award that is guaranteed to go to a goaltender every season and that is the top goalie award.

 

This concept seemed pretty bad to me because we have ten teams in the league, which means that nine goalies each season won’t be recognized for their work. I know there are a lot more skaters in the VHL compared to goalies, but one award that a goalie is guaranteed compared to the seven awards that always go to skaters is quite a gap. Adding a new award for the lowest goals against goalies, yes the backup would share the award if it was not a CPU, would be exciting in many ways. Teams would strategically play their backup goalies to give them the best chance to allow the fewest goals against. If there was a scenario with two human goalies on one team they would both share the award, just like with the William M. Jennings award in the NHL. Additionally we could have league wide polls on who the award should be named after. Before any award is added to the collection of the VHL hardware we have to do a little research first to make sure that it actually makes sense to add it.

 

If you would draw your attention to the spreadsheet image with this article I will explain what exactly it is showing. I went back through the past 20 seasons in the VHL statistics and recorded the team with the fewest goals allowed each season. I then looked at who the goalies were for that team and put their name(s) down under the ‘new award winner’ column. I then recorded the top goalie trophy winners for each season and put their name under the ‘top goalie winner’ column. Using this data I compared top goalie winners with the goalie that would have theoretically won the fewest goals allowed trophy if it existed. If the winners were the same goalie their names are highlighted in red and if the goalie that won the fewest goals against award was different the names were highlighted in green. From these results we can see that there are 12 seasons where the winner would have been the same and 8 seasons where the winner would have been a different goalie. That is only a 40% rate at which the player who won the new award did not win the top goalie award too. With this data I will now say that it is not viable to add a new award for the goalies on the team with the fewest goals against. Looking at only the last 11 seasons alone though shows a different picture. 7 out of the 11 top goalie award winners would not have won the fewest goals against trophy. That is a 64% difference rate, which is getting close to a significant number to add a new award. As of right now though, with this data, a new award isn’t necessary, but I will continue to monitor this into future seasons for sure.

[Higgins 3,617]

193: Contributor of the Month

 

Here on the Victory Hockey League we have a lot of members who are active and make the forum and league a better place every day. It is the core reason why the VHL has been so successful for almost seven real years. Most of these users are willing to put work into the VHL to benefit their player or to benefit the league as a whole, but they hardly get any recognition from other members in the VHL. It’s time for us to give these members a little bit of recognition through the forum so that they can feel as appreciated and important to the VHL as they truly are. Here is my original idea that I presented to the board of governors the other day, which can hopefully be implemented in the future.

 

This idea would be called the VHL Contributor of the Month. Basically it is exactly what it sounds like. Each month the VHL would pick one member who went above and beyond expectations to receive the honour of VHL Contributor of the Month. Now, when I say “went above and beyond” it doesn’t necessarily mean that they earned 100 TPE in a month or that they made a league changing suggestion. The Contributor of the Month can be someone who made a lot of original graphics or created a new media spot series that started a lot of discussion. Maybe it is someone who is a grader that went above their normal expectations and graded very efficiently. It could be a member that created a new team logo, started off-topic discussions, created an interesting podcast series or helped to mentor new members as a VHLM general manager. It could be a user who created VHL recruitment banners or videos or just generally went out of their way to help recruit new members without being asked too. As you can see there would be many ways to become the VHL Contributor of the Month, and these are just a few I could think of right now.

 

The Victory Hockey League hasn’t been running for almost seven years because of just a few users who are at the top of the league in commissioner positions. Those people play a minimal role in how successful the VHL can and has been over the last 37 seasons now. It’s been successful thanks to the users who participate in discussion and do league jobs to make the place better for everyone else. A good question right now is how we would actually choose a VHL Contributor of the Month though. I haven’t quite ironed out this part yet and am asking for your help here. My initial proposal to the board of governors was to have a nomination process where a user can nominate anyone, with reasoning, other than themselves to be the VHL Contributor the Month. The nominees would then we narrowed down to two or three users each month and there would be some sort of voting or selection process to choose the VHL Contributor the Month. As for what the Contributor of the Month would receive from the VHL, they would get the league wide recognition that they deserve as well as a few other goodies such as TPE or a contributor award on their forum profile. I really hope we can get this idea off the ground soon so that we can show our appreciation to you all.

[Higgins 3,617]

195: R&R: Recruiting and Retaining

 

The Season 38 recruitment drive is over and I would officially call it a success. The recruitment drive ran for approximately ten days from June 4^th until the trade deadline which was on June 15^th. There have been over fourteen members either make players for the first time or recreate over those days.  Soon the recruitment team, led by sterling, will be doing the draws to reward the recruiters for their extra effort to help the league grow. There is a monetary reward as well as many perks for your player and best of all is the fact that all the recruitment bonuses are doubled. All of this should make the recruiting drive a big success, but there is a small catch.

 

Getting all these fresh players to stick around and actually stay active until the draft and into the VHL is the hardest part. If you are taking time to respond to first gen player creation threads, liking their posts, reading their media spots, giving them feedback on graphics then you are doing a really good job at helping the first gen members feel welcome and keeping them interested. Of course it’s not going to work out one hundred percent of the time and we have to acknowledge that not all first gen players can be TPE whores. We should promote the effectiveness and importance of the 300 or 500 TPE players for teams. We should highlight that fact that claiming welfare is a good thing if life gets busy or if their motivation is low for a few weeks. Hopefully we can retain a majority of the new members and if we can then it is possible that the VHL could have two deep drafts in a row with Season 39 and 40.

 

Speaking of the VHL Entry Draft it is nice to see that there was a surge in hype last week with four mock drafts being posted in the form of media spots or XM articles. The draft is the pinnacle of excitement for new members and old recreates. As someone who hasn’t been in a draft since Season 23 I am really excited to see all these mock drafts that have my player going to a different team at a different position each time. Since this draft is one of the best since expansion happened it should be fairly unpredictable because there is no one who is at a ridiculous, and absurd, TPE amount on draft day which is great for the first gens trying to compete with carryover. Let’s keep the hype going up until the draft this off-season and at the same time try to also give the VHLM Dispersal Draft a little love since it will have all these new recruits in it. This off-season is definitely going to be all about drafts. VHL, VHLM and the fantasy draft for the Super Cup will all be taking place so I hope to see a ton of predictions and mocks in the next few weeks.

[Higgins 3,617]

197:

 

Getting Fired Up for Super Cup

 

It’s time to get pumped up for the VHL Super Cup! No, seriously. I know the last one was pretty lame because the draft took over a week and was littered with inactive players. It also had some delayed sims too that resulted in double and triple sims to make up for lost time during the busy off-season. The only thing that the Season 35 Super Cup had going for itself was that it was the first one ever. Three seasons later it’s time for the next generation of players to participate in a revamped and hopefully much better Super Cup experience.

 

We have two really good candidates who are currently standing out as front runners for the new Super Cup commissioner title and yes, it is between Mike and Advantage. I don’t think we can go wrong with either option and I hope to make the decision in the next 24 hours to give them lots of time to get things set up in advance. I will obviously be helping the Super Cup commissioner with tasks, other than the draft, and I hope everyone who reads this will help in their own way as well. Now you’re probably wondering how you can help with Super Cup. Maybe the Super Cup commissioner needs you to pick him up a coffee or lunch, but more realistically you can add hype to the Super Cup! This can be done through mock drafts, articles about underrated players who might be steals in the Super Draft, or just adding general discussion and being online when the live draft is taking place and making comments, good or bad, on the general manager’s selections.

 

Speaking of the general managers, I expect that the Super Cup GM applications will be open in the next couple of days. I would strongly encourage everyone to apply if they are interested. Just make sure you keep in mind that the most important job of the GM will be to attend a live draft. I hope that we can gather six GMs that are passionate, motivated and excited to make the 2^nd ever Super Cup a success and be proud of the teams they draft because it will help make it a success. One change that will play a key role this time around will be that players that are ‘inactive’ will be shunned by the GMs in favour of newer members who are currently putting in a lot of work and deserve to be rewarded. We will have more information concerning the Super Cup when the commissioner is picked, but until then you should start getting exciting for Super Cup, which will be firing up when the S38 VHL playoffs end. If you have any suggestions for Super Cup or anything else in the league feel free to send me a message on chat.

[Higgins 3,617]

198:

 

Making the switch to STHS v2

 

The VHL has been running version one of STHS for seven years now, is it finally time for us to upgrade to version two? For those of you know don’t know, STHS is the simulating engine that produces the results to the games played here in the VHL. We all love to hate STHS because of how often it produces heartbreaking results and just because it seems to be so unpredictable. After 38 seasons of running STHS v1, I believe we are reaching a point where we should upgrade and use STHS v2. Now you are asking yourself, why would we change a system that has been successful for 38 seasons of simming?

 

Well the one major positive that will come with upgrading to the new sim engine would be two extra statistics being tracked. The takeaways and giveaways are tracked in STHS v2, which are very informative statistics when it comes to telling how good your player is.  The takeaways and giveaways could also influence, in a huge way, the voting for awards such as top two-way forward and top defenseman. We could even think about introducing a new award with the new statistics to take into account, such as switching the top two-way forward to be more about points and takeaways and making a new award for the league’s top checkers. With making the leap to STHS v2 we will be able to get more player statistics for our numbers based league and hopefully be able to form more accurate opinions of award candidates and even add an award or two possibly.

 

I haven’t done a lot of research into the major differences between v1 and v2 of STHS, but I think there are a few attributes that would actually make a difference in v2. Secondary attributes such as player morale, team morale, leadership, penalty shot and endurance could play a bigger role in v2. Also I’m not fully convinced that team strategies play that big of a role in our current version of STHS. I think line strategies, other than time on ice, are vastly overrated by a lot of general managers. This could change with STHS v2 and we might find it to be a bit more stable and forgiving when compared to v1. There are a lot of settings in STHS that I haven’t looked at yet either and it could be cool to finally get to test some of them out in the VHL with STHS v2.

 

Of course it is going to take a lot of dedication to make the switch from STHS v1 to v2. If we simply just switched to v2 without altering any of the goals, penalties, fights, shots and other sliders the sims would likely be crazy. It wouldn’t have the same consistency we have seen over 38 seasons with v1. I’m not sure what would happen but there would likely either be a lot more goals scored or a lot less. The same would also apply for the amount of penalties too. We would need to set up two duplicate STHS files and run one on v1 and the other on v2 and do test sims of a full season and playoffs. We could look at total goals, leading goal scorers, and goaltenders to see just how different v1 and v2 really would be and adjust the sliders until we found the sweet spot. I doubt we will switch anytime soon, but I think we should seriously start to consider the idea and maybe make it a goal into the 40^th Season of the VHL.

[Higgins 3,617]

200:

 

Milestone and Success of the Magazine

 

The VHL Magazine, or as it is more commonly referred to as ‘The Mag’, has been bringing league related stories, news, rumours and ideas to the league for 200 editions now. That’s 200 weeks of, mostly, top notch content being published about the VHL in the magazine. In fact the first edition was published over four years ago on March 15 of 2010. Its success hinges not on one person, but the league as a whole. It depends on the writers who produce unique articles every week, the readers who read and comment on articles, and of course the editor. When a new member joins the league and sees that we have 200 editions of a league related magazine that looks like a real magazine and has top notch covers, images and articles they are shocked and amazed. It really shows how dedicated all the members of the VHL are to making this place successful.

 

When Raymond Funk, otherwise known by his username Ree_21, started The VHL Magazine there is no way he could have imagined he would be running it to the 100 edition milestone. Even when Ray could no longer run the magazine and had to step away from the VHL, there was no way we would let his extraordinary effort and legacy with The VHL Magazine die. The editor position is a tough one because that person has to make sure all the articles and cover are done weekly and then put it all together so that it meets the high standards set with 200 editions. STZ took over in edition 155 and has done a fantastic job to meet the expectations that Raymond had for The Mag. He has kept the traditional outline and articles of the magazine and has added his own touch with new articles, formats and the lottery system each week.

 

I’ve seen a ton of changes in the Magazine in my time as a writer here. I started out on The VHL Magazine for edition 69, which was in August of 2011, and I haven’t left the crew since then. It’s been almost three real life years since I joined as a ‘noob journalist’ in the words of Edgar who actually hired me. Since I've been the longest serving member of The Magazine, aside from Raymond Funk, I have seen a lot of positive changes. Remember earlier I said that the content was mostly top notch? Well I said that because of Robbie Zimmer’s In Your Face articles. He didn’t value quality writing, but he did bring a unique aspect to the magazine for about 100 editions which got people talking. There has been a lot of changes in magazine articles, the writers and the VHLM Magazine, but throughout all the editions The Mag has provided high quality content from a diverse group of writers. I’ve been on The Magazine under both Raymond and STZ as editors and they are the main reason that the magazine is celebrating 200 editions now.

 

As the longest serving writer on The VHL Magazine I’m forever grateful for the opportunity that was given to me as a new member in the VHL to write here. It’s tough for me to step down from The Mag because I’ve been here for 132 editions now and it was my first ever league job, but I think edition 200 is the perfect time. The Magazine has been a constant through two players and three real years and there’s no doubt it motivated me to be active early on in my career. I hope that with my retirement from The Mag that STZ will take the opportunity to hire a first gen member to replace me and hopefully they can enjoy it as much as I have. The VHL Magazine has been a staple in the VHL for over four years and now 200 editions and I can’t wait to keep reading them into the future!

[Victor 10,563]

201: Belated Birthday Thoughts

You may have noticed that I have been missing from the VHL for a month or so, though perhaps it was not so obvious given that things run so smoothly regardless of who runs those things. The VHL relies on no single individual these days and this is something I intend to discuss in the space below. Indeed, the blood of Higgins' VHL mag career is not yet cold as I usurp his place in the Editorial section (fear not, I should return to my Historical Significance segment shortly).

It's a real shame for me to have missed the VHL's birthday festivities, the 200th (!!!) edition of the magazine, and the off-season (one with a Super Cup) during my longest ever time away. However, there are always positives to gain upon returning from a prolonged absence and one of these, particularly this time, is seeing how much goes on in the VHL. When visiting the VHL is a daily routine it can become tedious and seemingly lacking in activity but this is without a doubt a false impression: take even a few days off, especially during the off-season, and logging back on can be an overwhelming experience. Small wonder then that this is a criticism of sorts most often presented by new members.

So much goes on in the VHL, with people going on about improving their player and being involved in all sorts of discussion, with a remarkably large chunk of it focused on something league-related. Important and even semi-important tasks never get left astray and are picked up by someone with free time, be they new or old, with or without the necessary moderating powers. There is the odd debate, usually with the best intentions, and as a result the league just keeps growing and growing and growing.

It's become a bit of a cliché that the infamous DDOS attack just before the start of Season 35 truly showed the strength of the community and its potential to keep moving forward but repeating it doesn't make it any less true. For a time during that trying week or so, I felt that this was the end and was contemplating whether I could become an active member of the SHL (thankfully I was spared the ordeal) but it all worked out fine, if not better, in the end, as we moved onto a, in truth, superior website. There was never really any doubt that a solution would be found by Higgins or Sterling or even someone else, but for every single member to find their way across and for so many to offer and provide help in quickly transferring the necessary data to get back on track was truly an impressive sight.

I am convinced for particularly these reasons but also some others that the VHL will one day double its current age and surpass that and the same goes to the VHL Magazine. I don't know where my long-term future in the league lies but I'm certain that should my time here come to an end it will be my own decision, not forced upon me by the league disappearing. Happy belated birthday to the VHL and here's to many more years of this wonderful and unique community.

[Doomsday 4,043]

Hello, VHL. I am very excited and pleased to be writing the Offside Editorial, especially being the community's selection to carry the torch. I can't say I expected to receive your support and backing, but I'm not going to complain, for this is an opportunity I very much wanted and very much will enjoy. So before I do anything, I want to say thank you to the entire VHL community for not only making this magazine and editorial possible, but for making this entire league possible. It just doesn't work without you guys.

 

My career in sim leagues began as the summer loomed in 2006, with a baseball league that died about a week after I joined it. However, that league led me to the FSL, with none other than Da Bearfan as the commissioner. However, it wasn't really until late 2006/early 2007 that the story of Jethro Novacek began when I joined the Madden Simulation Football League Reborn. In an attempt to give a more professional, journalistic edge to my media spots, I began to add a two or three sentence description of a writer named Jethro Novacek (named after classic rock band Jethro Tull and former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek), which always listed roughly how long the MSFL Times had existed (or how long he had written there) and what he enjoyed to do. Often times this was my favorite section of my media spots to write, for even if the subject I had covered was somewhat serious, I could go nuts and release all the humor I wanted to into this outro. 

 

Unfortunately, all good things must end (except for the VHL seemingly), and the MSFL Reborn eventually died. However, Jethro Novacek did not die with the MSFL, nor did the MSFL Times. As I moved on to different leagues, so did Novacek and the bizarre outros to my media spots. My username may have changed from time to time, but Jethro Novacek always let those know who I really was to those who knew, ultimately becoming a tradition that I've adhered to to this very day. But today, however marks a new beginning for my tradition, for today, Jethro Novacek writes for a new publication: the VHL Magazine. It has been a long road filled with absurdities, bizarre jokes and premises beyond comprehension, but it has all culminated in joining the staff of this esteemed publication.

 

Here's to many more years of the writing of Jethro Novacek, the VHL Magazine, and the VHL.

[STZ 5,288]

Great job, Doom. Just so you know (even though Higgins never did it), for the editorial you can bold a phrase you would like me to caption and put in larger text. It's the only article that does it, but just an FYI for future editions.

[Doomsday 4,043]

As the trade deadline draws nearer and nearer, I can't help but look past that and towards the off-season. Granted, I have a little bit of extra incentive as I'll more than likely be starting over again for the first time here in the VHL, but something larger and of much greater significance than that is looming. The Season 40 VHL Entry Draft has the potential to be one of, if not the best classes the league has never seen. That's no small feat considering that our beloved community has been going for seven years and nearly 40 seasons. However, it's not the season that has my eye with this draft. There are a bunch of things that stand to make this draft truly one for the ages.

 

The first thing that comes to mind to me is naturally the amount of talent that this class contains. You've got the returning favorites, highlighted by Mason Richardson and Thomas O'Malley. There's newcomers in guys such as Ryan Cattrall and Emidas Blair, products of an absolutely outstanding recruiting drive put forward by Sterling. Then you've got Jody 3 Moons... we'll leave it at that. The point being, there is an excellent mixture of faces both old and new, along with the relatively normal and insane. This draft is currently slated to go for an astounding five rounds, making it very likely that a team can grab a great piece for the future with every single pick they've got.

 

Unlike in year's past, I've also noticed that every team still holds their first round pick. Well, almost every team, since the Calgary Wranglers foolishly traded theirs away for questionable gains. But with that aside, every other team will have a crack at the top tier of talent in this draft, which is a breath of fresh air when drafts have typically been dominated by rebuilding teams. But unlike past drafts, the show doesn't end when the first round does. We will likely see actively updating rookies being drafted in the third round, so maybe it isn't as bad for Calgary as I've made it seem. They will have plenty of opportunities to prove the pundits wrong by having themselves a good draft.

 

To me, though, the best part of this draft is that a new era of the Victory Hockey League could be unfolding before our very eyes. Over the last seven years, many of us have come and gone, then come and gone again. But with this class coming up, absolutely loaded with fresh blood and new faces may very well contain a new mag writer. We could get a couple of graders and I'm sure we'll get some Photoshop wizards. We might even have some future Board of Directors and Commissioners waiting to hear their names called. Unlike most drafts, the Season 40 VHL Entry Draft has the potential to not only shape the course of the league on the ice, but off of it as well. The future is coming and it's difficult to imagine it being any brighter for the VHL.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a newly christened writer for the VHL Magazine, as impossible as it may seem. He enjoys studying the history of the league, mercilessly heckling the Atlanta Braves' recent attempts at defense and trying to locate both Alex Lewis and Nagger.

[Doomsday 4,043]

All players in the Victory Hockey League are created equal: with no TPE and a beastly rating of 40 in most attributes. From here, though is where equality ends. Returning veterans receive carryover, while the others have their first three point tasks doubled. The paths their various careers can take from here is endless, but one similarity that every player that passes through this league shares is the length of their careers: every player has eight seasons before they must hang up the skates. Or rather, a maximum career length of eight seasons. Not everyone decides to go on for eight seasons, as you've no doubt noticed over the past week. Why suddenly cut your career during the time where you would be at the top of the league? I've wondered this over the last week, so here's my take on it.

 

The biggest reason I've seen thus far is disappointment with their performance. I can't pretend to have not experienced this, especially towards the beginning of my career. It definitely hurts your ability to care and have fun, jeopardizing your activity. No one likes to watch their player suck. During Steven Smyl's retirement announcement back in July, this was more or less precisely why he was retired. Davey Jones listed declining performance as the primary reason for his retirement. Starting over can prove to be more fun than wasting away wondering what could have been.

 

Unfortunately, that's life in the VHL. Not every single player is going to be great. Not every single player is going to have a Hall of Fame career. But we can't help but expect that our career is going to be great. If you don't think that you're going to be a legendary player, why bother? But that's part of what makes achieving greatness so fun: it's all about seeing your hard work pay off. The VHL is beautifully constructed in that you don't need to be mega active in order to build a good player, but you won't achieve greatness without hard work and a little luck. 

 

But, in the end it comes down to the player themselves. It's easy to go with a team-first mentality and ride it out with your team regardless of your player's contributions (and boy did that pay off big time for me!), but if you aren't having fun, then you're not really getting the most important element of the VHL experience. If you're not having fun with your player (and you're not putting unrealistic expectations on yourself), then consider starting anew. The league is better served by active members having fun rather than people going inactive because they aren't having fun anymore. Now, I'm not saying to up and quit if you have a bad season. But, if you dread checking the site like IR did over his player's performance, give retirement a thought. 

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine and still has yet to receive his own office. He enjoys pondering the fate of his nation, wondering how people could possibly find rice appealing and fruitlessly trying to get Billy Joel to teach him to play the piano.

 

Bolded Quote: If you aren't having fun, then you're not getting the most important element of the VHL experience.

Edited August 21, 2014 by Doomsday

[Doomsday 4,043]

One of the traditions of the great sport of hockey that I always liked was the selecting of captains. Granted, most every sport has true leaders on your team unless you're the Dallas Cowboys. But until the NFL copied it starting several years back, hockey was the only one where it would be represented on the player's jersey. The Victory Hockey League is no different when it comes to this tradition, as the C has been proudly worn every year of the league's storied existence. To many, unfortunately, the captain is merely just an added title and getting their name on the ballot for the Grimm Jonsson Trophy, awarded to the top leader in the VHL. But a recent debate got me thinking: what does it truly mean and take to be an effective captain in the VHL?

 

Obviously, a good captain needs to be active. A good amount of you probably just yelled about James Lefevre, who hasn't been seen in quite some time. Well naturally, he's the captain in Seattle, which is littered with inactives. He's just the best one at it. Also remember that all that rain washes away the logic in Seattle. But back on point, take a look at guys like Odin Tordahl, who are prominently seen everywhere positively representing their team. Being a captain is more than just posting in game threads, it's about being the face of your franchise, the guy that inspires everyone to do their best and keep working hard.

 

A good captain is the face of their franchise. In addition to being the leader on the ice, they set the tone for their teammates off of it as well. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tze claimed that a leader is best when he is barely noticed, but I couldn't disagree more. For starters, I don't think that it is truly possible to be that invisible and be recognized as a great leader. Take for example Ethan Osborne. The Helsinki Titans were blessed to have the newly-inducted Hall of Famer, for he was the heart and soul of what proved to be a powerhouse while he was there. While he was tremendous on the ice, his biggest contributions to the Titans were perhaps in the locker room. His spirit and energy were absolutely infectious, making Helsinki a lively, upbeat and dangerous team during his career. Naturally, it wasn't just the Helsinki faithful who knew this: the entire VHL bore witness to it as well as Osborne won the Grimm Jonsson Trophy an incredible four times, matched only by Grimm Jonsson himself.

 

What can we take from that? Osborne's greatness didn't come from working behind the scenes, it came from doing his best work in full view of the VHL and challenging them to do better. Granted, one doesn't need to be a captain or even an alternate captain to truly be a leader. But typically, if you possess these traits, if you are the rock that holds your team together and if you are 100% committed to your team's success, then you have some captain in you, my friend.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine and still has yet to receive his own office. He enjoys pondering the fate of his nation, wondering how people could possibly find rice appealing and fruitlessly trying to get Billy Joel to teach him to play the piano.

 

Bolded Quote: Being a captain is more than just posting in game threads, it's about being the face of your franchise.

[Doomsday 4,043]

Sloth. To some, it's a cute, cuddly animal, especially when it yawns. To others, it's excessive laziness, on top of being one of the seven deadly sins of Christian lore. Seeing as how I can't possibly manage to write an article about actual sloths that would be relevant to the Victory Hockey League, my hand is forced and I'll have to talk about laziness instead. Then again, it can also be defined as apathy... let's go with that instead. That's easier to work with.

 

The VHL is best-known for the more active teams and members. It's easy to list people on teams such as New York and Riga, for they're bustling with activity. Even people who are rather apathetic towards these teams could name two or three members. Now think about a certain team in North America that's constantly being rained on. Yeah, that's right Seattle: I'm calling you out here. There's only one player on this team who really seems to care, and that's Bruno Wolf. Even then, this talented young guy clearly hates where he is because the only person he can talk to on his team is himself. Only Wolf and Damon Tyrael have shown up to the weight room in the last couple of months and Tyler Barabash's office has been collecting a considerable amount of dust bunnies and previously undocumented species of spiders in the meantime.

 

Speaking of Mr. Barabash, Seattle as a team has made several interesting moves, or rather, a lack of moves this season. For instance, Seattle is in a decidedly weak North American Conference this season. So granted, the playoffs were a sure thing, pretty much regardless of how much Seattle stunk it up, especially with Toronto and Quebec City going into super tank mode. So despite that, despite the chance that Seattle could suck and still make the playoffs... they did nothing. No moves in the off-season. None during the season. Went on vacation during the trade deadline. Didn't try to get a rebuild going with an excellent draft class coming up. Didn't go for it to try to top the Americans. Instead, they're a team that wouldn't have even made the playoffs in the European Conference, yet they have home ice advantage against the Calgary Wranglers this weekend. Maybe they'll win the series, securing a worse draft pick before getting obliterated by the Americans. Or maybe they'll hilariously lose to the Wranglers instead. Regardless of what Seattle does in this series, they still lose in the end.

 

Don't worry though, Barabash says that there's moves in the works this off-season. He's got better offers! Meh. Have you ever asked someone if they had done something you asked them to and they said they were working on it? Then a week later, nothing had come of it? That's essentially what's going on here. Seattle will continue to sit stagnant while Edgar's insanity somehow makes things happen in Toronto and Quebec City continues to add more young talent. Meanwhile, the old talent will either retire due to league rules and the one active guy will run away the moment he gets an opportunity. Where's the strategy here? First person to give me a reason any of this makes sense gets a mention in next week's column.

 

Don't like this editorial, Seattle? Prove me wrong and win. No, I don't mean beat the Wranglers. Beat the Americans. Win the VHL. Or at least start acting like you want to VHL. Is that so much to ask?

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, and the owner of a comfy new desk. He enjoys the smell of leather bound books, the fact that football season is upon us and not playing for the Seattle Bears.

 

Bolded Quote: Regardless of what Seattle does in this series, they still lose in the end.

[Doomsday 4,043]

When it comes to the playoffs, I've always felt that hockey's format was the absolute best. Granted, it's got the tournament bracket, which even the NCAA finally decided to implement for football this year. It's got the multiple games you need to win to show that you're truly better than your opponent, as opposed to simply luckier. Better yet, the fact that they remove the worst aspect of the sport from the playoffs: shootouts. No longer are deadlocks resolved through a simplified version of the sport that removes all aspects of teamwork and defense. Victory in the playoffs can only be achieved through defeating your opponent as a whole on the ice, as opposed to guessing what side of the net an unprotected goalie will leave open. But if you ask me (which you clearly are, seeing as how you're reading this column), the best part of the Victory Hockey League Playoffs is when a series makes it to Game Seven.

 

The fans of the VHL were blessed to have an astounding four Game Sevens so far: two each in the VHL and VHLM. There are few things in life better than a Game Seven, and for good reason. Game Seven is the culmination of two teams that are clearly evenly matched, which has the potential to go even further with a tied score after three periods. From then onwards, it's not just a measly five minutes before the sham known as the shootout occurs. Full periods are played until the decisive game-winning, series-winning goal is scored. It is impossible to not be drawn into the game knowing that every single shot could be the one, each shot could be the one that will either send your team home or taste the joy of victory. We got one of these memorable moments in Riga this week, as Niklas Valiq scooped up the puck after two Mikey Blade shots missed the net, fired... and beat Vasteras goalie Eggly Bagelface to not only win the series for the Riga Reign, but likely ended the Vasteras Iron Eagles' stay in the VHL in the traditional fashion: with a crushing defeat.

 

For the retiring veteran, it's a memory that Valiq will always cherish. But after Davos' Felix Zamora scored the game-winner in Game Seven of the European Conference Finals, effectively ending Valiq's career. But regardless of the overall outcome of the playoffs, moments like this are what makes this time of the season so memorable. Waiting to see what players will become legends, who the next great clutch performer and hero of the VHL will be or even if a team can make it to dynasty status by defending their title are the kind of storylines you simply can't get during the regular season. This is the kind of stuff that gives the VHL its lasting legacy, what adds to our storied history and truly brings it all to life.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, the finest publication known to man. He enjoys a nice Chianti, waving his freak flag high and removing items from doorknobs in the hopes it creates an awkward encounter for someone else.

 

Bolded Quote: Every single shot could be the one, each shot could be the one that will either send your team home or taste the joy of victory.

Edited September 15, 2014 by Doomsday

[Doomsday 4,043]

End of An Era In Davos

 

As the lights dimmed at Madison Square Garden following the New York Americans' Continental Cup-clinching win in Game Five over the HC Davos Dynamo, it marked the two very different directions that the two teams are now heading in. For the Americans, it clearly represented the zenith, the absolute peak for New York's new group of players. But for Davos, it marked the end of an era for the HC Dynamo. They had made the playoffs for five straight seasons, reaching the Continental Cup Finals in the last four, ultimately winning two championships. Led by their captain, Thomas Landry and goaltender Lennox Moher, Davos proved that they still had what it took to win games. However, once they reached the Finals for the final time, it became clear that they were no match for the Americans. Despite a valiant effort, one era began while another faced the curtain call.

 

Uncertainty is now the name of the game for the HC Dynamo. For two players, however, the uncertainly is over. Longtime captain Thomas Landry and Season 39 free agent pickup Godavari Yumalatopinto have been traded to the Calgary Wranglers for two first round picks. The departure of Landry, the longest-serving captain in team history, all but signifies the beginning of a new era in Davos' history. His old partner in crime, Davey Jones, has officially played his last game, entering the retired life going into Season 40. Center Naomi Young is signed for Season 40, but will almost certainly be traded away to a contender. Winger Jarkko Olsen is without a contract and perhaps no one's future is more uncertain than his right now.

 

Davos still retains Moher, Young, defenseman Matt Bentley and forward Felix Zamora. Although new general manager Jack Reilly has already begun making moves, it's still not clear who will remain and who will go. The HC Dynamo have some excellent trade bait remaining on the roster in Young and Bentley and the right team could go the extra mile with Lennox Moher as well. Davos will definitely be taking a step back, but that's to be expected when you're coming off of one of the best times of the illustrious franchise's history. The Season 40 VHL Entry Draft will be supplying Davos with plenty of opportunities to bring in the new future for the Dynamo. This coming season may be bleak for Davos, but the VHL's most successful franchise may not be down for long. Don't be surprised to see them banging on the door to the playoffs by Season 41 again.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, bringing sexy back to the VHL. He enjoys reminiscing about good times, laughing at people who enjoy Miller Lite and getting stuck in lesbian wedding traffic.

 

Bolded Quote: The departure of Landry all but signifies the beginning of a new era in Davos' history.

 

[Doomsday 4,043]

Busting the Cap

 

For my next trick, I'll visit a topic we've seen resurface time and time again, particularly during the off-season. The 175 TPE cap that decides whether or not a prospect will be called up to the Victory Hockey League or remain in the minors is especially magnified during an off-season that has an astronomical amount of prospects flowing through the league. It's seemingly straightforward: go above the cap, and to the pros with you. Stay below it, and in the minors you'll remain. It's no secret that some players have earned more than that magical number of 175 TPE, but elected to not claim it either at all or at the very least not to the fullest extent in order to remain in the minors one more year. The incentive of dominating the minors and collecting loads of free TPE is far more enticing than reaching the majors and absolutely stinking it up. I should know, I've been there.

 

Then again, I handled it completely differently than most others would have. Despite joining late in Season 32, I was considered a Season 33 draftee and I was nowhere even close to making it to my VHL club upon being drafted. My first year of eligibility would need to be spent in the VHLM, my second in the minors. I started to bust my ass to get as much TPE as I could, for I wanted to be able to get the call-up and join the Americans before the inevitable rebuild. It was going to be really, really close. I could have simply decided to just take another season in the VHLM and be in really good position to gun for Rookie of the Year in Season 35. But instead, I got that one last TPE to make it to 175 and made the bare minimum to go pro. I earned all of 30 points as a rookie, but I got to be right in the middle of a playoff run and shared a locker room with several future Hall of Famers. Had I followed the standard procedure nowadays, I wouldn't have had that experience and my career would have only had six seasons.

 

Granted, it does make sense to sandbag it and stay down in the minors that extra year as a demigod of sorts. But my biggest gripe with it is that it takes away from the young guys that are there because they need to develop. They're there because they don't have that 175, not because they chose to burn some of it. By destroying these new guys, you're not helping the league at all. The entire point of the VHLM is to develop and mold future talent, not to stay there and rack up stats. If you can choose whether or not to keep playing in the minors, I have news for you: you don't belong there. You belong on your VHL team, getting your professional career ready while the guys who need the VHLM to develop can do so without getting the wrecking ball from people with three to four times more TPE than they do.

 

In the end, no one remembers your accomplishments in the VHLM. What you do there really has no bearing on whether or not you'll be a great player or reach the Hall of Fame. A player's true legacy is built in the VHL, not in the VHLM. Don't rob yourself of time to build your real legacy and don't rob others of the time they need to develop into professionals themselves. 

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, who knows where Bruce Springsteen's secret garden is. He enjoys long walks on the beach, a fine Chianti and not having iOS8.

 

Bolded Quote: The entire point of the VHLM is to develop future talent, not to rack up stats.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Doomsday

[Doomsday 4,043]

Multipliers Running Wild

 

Among the changes made to the VHL Player Store last off-season was one that really didn't garner too much attention: Double and Triple Award Prediction points. With the goal to reduce TPE inflation through purchases, cash for TPE measures were nixed for options such as extra Fan590 articles, two attribute points and a welfare upgrade, to name a few. On paper, naturally it seems as if less TPE would be given out as opposed to simply buying it. Well, you know it didn't work out that way this off-season or otherwise this column would be about something completely different. On account of Odin Tordahl winning practically every award there is to win in S38, along with a couple Tony awards and an Oscar, many VHLers banked on him doing it again. Surely enough Tordahl, along with the New York Americans delivered. In Season 38, the highest amount of points earned through predictions was seven points. That total jumped to twelve in Season 39, with some of those lucky recipients having purchased a double or triple. Among them was Boubabi, who scored 11 points and then tripled it to earn a cool 33 TPE. For those keeping score at home, $4 million would have bought 10 TPE in the old store, meaning Boubabi earned 3.3x more TPE for roughly that same amount, or 13 more TPE than the top package for $7 million would have bought, for $2.5 million less.

 

Naturally, you're probably thinking that I'm about to go on some ridiculous rant about how the old store needs to come back. However, that's not the case. Granted it doesn't just look bad for the new system to be doling out so much TPE. It looks terrible. But, keep in mind that the new system didn't account for something. Rather, just one thing: Odin Tordahl. With his complete and utter dominance over the VHL, he has made correctly predicting awards rather simple, hence the jump from a high of seven to twelve in the span of one season. Add the multipliers into the mix and, well... it's just cosmically bad timing for it to occur. Not that the Blue Team or the BoG could have ever predicted madness like that. It just so happens that the most inflated, ridiculous outlier possible just so happened to occur on the first results for the new system. It's more bad luck than a broken system.

 

This off-season, countless double and triple modifiers have been purchased in the wake of the feeding frenzy enjoyed by those who purchased one last season. Since Odin Tordahl is still around, it'll likely pay off for just one more year. What the system has in its favor is that Tordahl will be forced to retire after Season 40, meaning we will return to normalcy when it comes to award predictions. People will still occasionally get that big return from the multipliers, but it will take much more luck than it does currently. Just make sure you all thank Tordahl once his playing days are done for all the TPE he's earned for you.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, fine purveyors of Alexander Chershenko memories. He enjoys not having splitting headaches, admiring the bust of General Thomas J. Jackson on his desk and laughing at someone who's different.

 

Bolded Quote: The system didn't account for one thing: Odin Tordahl.

[Doomsday 4,043]

Busting the Cap: Part II

 

Without exaggeration, there's no doubt that the recent firestorms over the 175 TPE cap limit have been the hot topic of the Victory Hockey League as of late. Regardless of how much I disagree with the way the two folks who have been yelling for change conducted themselves, their actions have begun to fan the winds of change. However, unlike those two, I proposed a solution for the cap issues. It has been passed along to the Board of Governors, but I'm going to use this opportunity to further explain my idea, for better or for worse.

 

As it currently stands, the absolute highest amount of TPE you can have while still remaining in the VHLM is 174. If you reach 175, you break through to the VHL and begin your professional career. However, some people wish to remain in the VHLM for one more year to plunder the booty of the minors and rack in free TPE... or simply to just be a minor league superstar. Now, people can burn TPE in order to stay under this cap and be playing in the minors as demigods of sorts that can quite possibly be near 300 TPE by season's end. Seems simple enough, right? Well of course it's not. Players that want to circumvent the cap don't think they should have to lose the TPE they earned in order to stay in the minors. The hell with making a choice of keeping the TPE and going pro or sacrificing it for potentially more TPE in the end. The people want to have their cake and eat it too. 

 

My proposition starts with the cap of 175, or rather, the language of it. Rather than it being once you reach 175 TPE, you go to the VHL, my idea is that you must have allocated 175 TPE towards your attributes. This way, those who wish to remain in the minors one extra year can do so without having to forfeit TPE they have earned. Now, I don't like that it means that people can seemingly get to circumvent the cap and get that extra year in the VHLM. However, you cannot put more than 174 TPE into your player. This will work wonders towards keeping competition more level and stopping the demigod-like dominance those who worked their way around the cap would hold. The massive gains in free TPE will likely be reduced in this manner, but on the bright side, players will be reaching the VHL with more TPE than before, hopefully leading to less frustrating seasons for rookies.

 

Naturally, sacrifices need to be made for these guys to get to keep that extra TPE. Players will lose a season of eligibility by staying in the VHLM, so they cannot play a full eight seasons in the pros. If a player exceeds 175 TPE, they may only remain in the VHLM for that season. I'd also like to propose that no player be allowed to play in the VHLM for longer than four seasons. Unfortunately, possibly the biggest sacrifice would come from the updating team. Making sure that players don't add more than 174 TPE towards their attributes will definitely add to their workload, but fortunately for them this is nothing more than an idea now. But at the very least, a possible solution is out there, which is more than those screaming the loudest have accomplished.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, masters of mollusk. He enjoys pulling his hair out over hockey games, beating anorexia and foolin' those Duke boys.

 

Bolded Quote: Sacrifices need to be made for these guys to get to keep that extra TPE.

[Doomsday 4,043]

Hard Parenting Required

 

Several members of the Victory Hockey League either are already parents or are soon to have children of their own. They'll probably appreciate this column more than others. Don't worry. I'm not about to talk about babies or children... directly. Rather, what's bugging me this week is the childish, tantrum-like behavior being exhibited by some members... and how it is being directly rewarded by caving into what they want. The parents I mentioned before probably cringe when it's put that way, for they recognize it as caving towards negative behavior in order to shut the child up. Naturally, this teaches the child that they can manipulate their parents and others into getting what they want by acting like overbearing hellspawn. 

 

By now I think you've realized where I'm heading with this: caving to the incessant, immature whining of some members is not setting a good precedent heading forward. Before I go forward, I do want to establish that said members (which I won't give the pleasure of naming) have brought some valid points forward that could potentially bring a change for the better to the VHL. However, the manner with which they have done so is childish, immature and not the type of behavior I felt the VHL would reward. Throughout all of the whining, they failed to pitch forth any solutions. All they wanted to do was simply thrash about and hope that the league would eventually give them the candy they wanted. By acknowledging and responding to it, you have given them the candy and caved to the tantrum. Shame on you, VHL.

 

I personally thought the VHL was better than that. We have the Thunderdome for all the ridiculous, petty bickering and other nonsense like that. But when it came to influencing league policy, I always believed it needed to be brought forward in a clear, concise manner that encouraged discussion. Now I see that all you need to do is scream the loudest to attract attention. All we are doing by acknowledging it is teaching these simpletons to continue to act like brats when they encounter rules they don't like. Rather than take a golden opportunity to show them how to properly behave, we've instead bent over backwards and taught them that being a bitch works in this league after all. Shame on you, VHL.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, which now comes in compact sizes. He enjoys chasing kids off of his lawn, rolling dice in the alley and securing Alexander Chershenko a spot on the All-Time Calgary Wranglers roster.

 

Bolded Quote: Caving to the immature whining of some members is not setting a good precedent.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Doomsday

[Doomsday 4,043]

Culling the Fat

 

When the VHL Magazine released its 200th edition back in July, it was a pretty big deal. The Victory Hockey League has now spanned for 40 seasons and seven years back in the real world and to have a publication that dedicated to consistently following the league is a very impressive feat considering how badly many attempts to portray media fail. So naturally, when the big milestone of 200 editions was reached, expectations were very high going forward. Well, unfortunately that standard has not held up so far, despite the best efforts of some of the magazine staff. Despite the professionalism and contributions some writers have made, the trend of lightly-packed issues of the VHL Magazine have all but confirmed that the time for a shake-up of the staff was indeed now.

 

It may not be a popular decision, especially with the writers being let go, but the past three issues in particular tell you all you need to know. The effort that was being put forth before simply hasn't been there and you can see it when you have editions that look more like a community newsletter than the VHL Magazine. To write on this magazine, it takes commitment and consistent dedication. When your name hasn't appeared on the payroll for the last month, how can you possibly justify keeping your job? For the VHL Magazine, there were no longer any reasons or justifications needed: the proof was in the pudding. And as a result, I won't be the resident new guy on the staff any longer.

 

One of the newcomers is Kesler, making the move up from On the Rise, continuing the Ups and Downs previously done by Jericho. Regardless of your opinions of the at-times polarizing attitude of the young writer, he'll definitely be bringing in fresh opinions and an unwavering commitment to the magazine. The new blood of the Season 40 draft class also makes its way to the magazine through Denver, who went a little under the radar leading up to the season. However, a work ethic like his can't go ignored for long and he looks to finally have a home for which his hard work will no longer go for nothing.

 

But in the end, the real winner is the reader. Some quality writers for whatever reason just haven't been getting it done. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes people just lose their drive or maybe they simply didn't care anymore. But it doesn't matter why, what matters is that some new talent will be here to actually do the work and provide a better end product for you guys. It's really a shame when you consider who some of those departing writers are, but the new cast will have plenty to prove. They're ready to show that they deserve to be here and they're ready to make this magazine their own and their dedication will pave the way. In that regard, the reader comes away as the big beneficiary in the end.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, which you can find in gas stations everywhere. He enjoys teaching respect with a baseball bat, stopping injustices with a pen and laughing at Malkin's freak head.

 

Bolded Quote: The trend of lightly-packed issues have confirmed that the time for a shake-up was now.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Doomsday

[Doomsday 4,043]

Raging Rivalries

 

As the Victory Hockey League playoffs continue to draw nearer and nearer, I'll re-visit a topic that tends to come up often during these times: the rivalry sliders. Many don't like the added aggressive play caused by the sliders, which results in more penalties and massive brawls between entire lines. Apparently teams are supposed to just ignore the bad blood off the ice and play like gentlemen regardless of the opponent or situation. Now come on, that's just silly. We're talking about the playoffs here, not the regular season. Emotions and tempers will be running hot, especially going up against conference rivals. What happens when tempers flare and emotion gets the best of a player? Penalties. Penalties happen.

 

Additionally, I love the added aspect of realism that the rivalry sliders have. We may never have massive, bench-clearing brawls that would make the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche give the VHL a standing ovation, but that doesn't mean that rivalries can't transfer into the game itself. We saw the HC Davos Dynamo and Riga Reign go at it on the forums countless times and when they met in the playoffs, the rivalry carried over. We've seen something similar going on in the regular season already this season to boot. The New York Americans and Calgary Wranglers had themselves quite the war of words before the season began and those feelings were not forgotten in Game 219. In a tough, hard-hitting game that Calgary would eventually win 3-1, a whopping 64 penalty minutes were handed out. This game featured a line brawl in the third period that saw Edwin Encarnacion pummel Bennett Wahl, Tony Stark and Mikkel Boomgaarden exchange blows along with a slew of other minors called. The rivalry leapt off of the forums and directly onto the ice, adding another dimension to the league. That can't be allowed to get taken away.

 

The history of the VHL is at the very core of what allows this league to thrive and continue to survive. Each new generation of players spawns new legends, new heroes, new rivalries and more new stories to add to our storied history. The drama that the VHL Playoffs bring is further intensified by the rivalry slider, which adds a realistic component to our beloved league. This is the 40th season of the VHL, don't let it be the season in which the playoffs turned into a pillow fight instead of the battle for the Continental Cup that it has been for 40 seasons.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, which continues to deny the existence of directors named Quentin. He enjoys hogging the remote, laughing at personal ads in the newspaper and the finer arts of wearing a bathrobe successfully.

 

Bolded Quote: Rivalries can leap off of the forums and onto the ice, adding another dimension to the VHL.

[Doomsday 4,043]

All For the VHL and the VHL For All

 

Perhaps one of the more unique aspects of the Victory Hockey League is that no single individual is all-powerful. Traditionally, sim leagues would typically have one admin, the commissioner, most often the creator of the league itself. Typically this person would be in charge of all decisions, policies, and costs. Typically, most leagues didn't last long enough to see a commissioner step down and be replaced. It has happened in the VHL, albeit before my time. I've only ever seen it happen in the MSFL, which I'm sure you no doubt have heard me speak about before. But the neat thing to me is that with the VHL, it's a team that works together to oversee the league. Between the group of commissioners overseeing the league to the Board of Governors quietly working behind the scenes to keep the VHL a well-oiled machine, it truly is a team effort to keep things operating smoothly.

 

The same holds true when it comes down to decisions. No one person gets precedent when it comes to a decision or action. The needs of the many outweigh the wants of the few. Whether a decision will greatly benefit or greatly harm just one person is irrelevant. No man or woman is above the Victory Hockey League in any way, shape or form. The league's not out to benefit one person, nor is it out to get one particular person. That's just not how it works, for if it's not for the best interest of the league as a whole, it doesn't happen. Selfishness is often the death of leagues, but it's something that has been avoided here for the most part.

 

Finally, on multiple occasions that would have all but killed a league, the community rallied to keep the league alive. Whether it was moving to a new board or the (alleged) nefarious and evil actions of sage wizard Edward Goddamned Eldred, the community of the Victory Hockey League proved to be stronger than the crisis at hand. Just as how no one person reaps all the rewards or takes all of the abuse, no one issue has proved to be powerful enough to stop the VHL. With the teamwork and camaraderie displayed by the VHL at large, there's no telling to the limits of our beloved league. Perhaps we could get members into Parliament or Congress? That's a definite exaggeration, but with the teamwork and determination the VHL possesses, there's no telling what we can all accomplish. The only for sure thing is that it is more than one single person can accomplish.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, which continues to subsist by eating On the Rise. He enjoys the finer arts of cannibalism, playing the living daylights out of Castlevania and preparing for the Writing Ranks.

 

Bolded Quote: No man or woman is above the Victory Hockey League.

[Doomsday 4,043]

An Impossible Dream

 

Over the previous week, potential draftees of the Season 41 and 42 Victory Hockey League Entry Draft received one of, if not the sweetest present ever bestowed by the Blue Team: quadruples week. This to my knowledge unprecedented event offered a maximum of 24 TPE (25 for magazine writers) for a point task, offering prospects a tremendous ability to further their development before the draft. Naturally, wherever there is joy in the VHL, naysayers can be found. Yes, even when it comes to a sweet stash of free practice hours. Now, before I make it seem like there is a villain so dastardly and heinous to want to deny you TPE, I should point out that there is a noble reason behind it. Let's say a new draftee comes along and joins up. In addition to starting with zero TPE, this new guy is now a quadruple point task behind those in front of him as well. What do we do about that?

 

Simply put, the easiest way is to allow new members the ability to claim a quadruples week. By limiting it to new members, or first-generation players, that will prevent members who were already in the league and missed their opportunity from cashing in. Now, naturally there needs to be some sort of limit as to when this bonus expires, unless we simply want to replace the three doubles weeks with one quadruples week, which I don't believe would gain any support whatsoever. My idea would be to grant this quadruples week to all members who join up until the Season 41 Entry Draft. At this point, it is off of the table completely and we'll never see it again until Season 80's octuples week.

 

Naturally, some of you are asking about those guys who join after the Season 41 Draft? Why don't they get the quadruples week too? Simple. The dream of having 100% equal prospects that have had the same opportunities and amounts of time to get the same amount of TPE is impossible. There is no way that every single prospect can have the same opportunities and this unfortunately will be true with the quadruples week. By the time the Season 41 Draft rolls around, many of the prospects who would have benefited from the bonus should be moving on to the VHL. Although the next group wouldn't be getting that extra 18 TPE, they wouldn't be competing with people who did get this bonus, or at least not very many of them. No plan is truly foolproof.

 

With the type of seasons that Season 40's rookies are having (Tyrone Williams, where'd you come from?), now the potential exists for an even more explosive batch of rookies in Season 41. Not that the next batch in Season 42 will be any less inhibited by not having a quadruples week. 

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, which will give 200% effort for 25 TPE a week. He enjoys waiting a millennia for matches in the Master Chief lobby, kicking evildoers in the dick and thanking all the veterans for the righteous things they've done.

 

Bolded Quote: The dream of having prospects that have had the same opportunities to get the same TPE is impossible.

[Doomsday 4,043]

The Stockholm Redemption

 

Well, it finally happened. After seasons of wishing, months of speculation and a season of uncertainty, a 3-2 victory over the HC Davos Dynamo finally spelled the end of the Vasteras Iron Eagles. Unquestionably the most despised and hated team throughout the Victory Hockey League, the franchise is already moving into Stockholm for Season 41. Whether you sided with tradition or not, it matters not. The Iron Eagles are gone, more than likely for good this time. No amount of complaining will change this now, not with the Vikings the newest kid of the block. No doubt about it, the Stockholm Vikings will have one primary goal in mind for Season 41: redemption.

 

Some player agents have gone on record saying that their clients would never play for the Vasteras Iron Eagles. However, although the soul of the Iron Eagles will always remain with the Vikings, the re-branding allows for a clean slate and a fresh start for a team that desperately needs one. Perhaps now Benoit Prevost will be able to lure free agents to provide the final pieces and be able to keep pride instilled the team to create long-term loyalty and commitments. But in all honesty, Prevost could work his tail off and it won't mean a thing if the agents don't back their words and support this new team. It's unfortunate, but the ideal thought isn't always the truth.

 

For a team with the seemingly cursed history that Stockholm has had, it will take more than internal work to break the bad blood. Leaders will arise and make the Vikings a desired destination... but as I said before, the ideal thought isn't the truth. Truth is, Stockholm will forever be Vasteras unless the community drops the stigma against them. If agents still refuse to allow their clients to play for Stockholm, the entire move, the entire rebranding will be useless. If the community at large continues their beef with Stockholm as if they were a red and yellow Vasteras on board a Viking longship, then that is all the team will ever be. If the VHL seeks to truly be rid of Vasteras, then Stockholm must not be treated as such. 

 

The pieces are falling into place over in Stockholm. Prevost clearly knows what he's doing and has the knowledge to build a contender. They've got super rookie Tyrone Williams at left wing, along with another talented winger in Rami Jakobssen on track to be on the roster for next season. Two great defensive prospects in Lord Karnage and Wesley Matthews are making the leap to the VHL in Season 41 and they hold two of the first four picks in the upcoming draft. Stockholm likely won't be gunning for a Continental Cup next year, but they'll be out for redemption. However, that aspect falls onto you, the reader. Step it up and bury the Vasteras hatred, for they are gone. But now you must step up your game and support Stockholm as a viable playing site, lest we begin the cycle all over again.

 

 

Jethro Novacek is a writer for the VHL Magazine, which is preparing to add some some weight for the holidays. He enjoys a nice stromboli, takin' it to the streets and shopping for ties with Eric Lindros.

 

Bolded Quote: Stockholm will forever be Vasteras unless the community drops the stigma against them.