Victory Three

[STZ 5,360]

Victory Three
WRITTEN BY GREEN
 
This article series provides three quick talking points that the VHL community should know. It covers recent occurrences both on and off the ice, in an abbreviated fashion so those Magazine skimmers can get something quick from their read. 

Edited May 31, 2014 by STZ

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The attack…

This past couple weeks has probably been one of the busiest in VHL history as well as one of the most discouraging ones. The fact that someone (well, we have a good idea of who it was) would go out of their way in an attempt to bring down a site that is a source of entertainment for others is down-right pathetic, and there is no other way of looking at it. What’s so discouraging about this is thinking about the things that we did lose back on the other site. For example I remember Seattle’s LR having a decent amount of posts throughout the day, but now I think we have about a dozen posts in there since the new site has opened. Something is discouraging members following the move, but on the plus side we still have a site and everything will be back to normal in due time.

 

Why we’re alive…

I read a couple posts from people that declared that after the attack that it was the end of the VHL following that. There would be no way to recover everything and it was time to just give up on everything. Honestly, I thought they were right at first. I thought that there was no way that the site would come back after being locked out of the one site that was hosting everything we needed to function. Other than the nay-sayers though, the core members of this site came together to make sure that this league would continue on. A move was bound to happen after countless issues with the site prior to the attack, but the attack made it so that the move meant life-or-death for the VHL. The core members I mentioned came together, set the site up, and moved over everything we needed. And for that I give a huge thank you!

 

What now?

Well the site is functioning very well, season 35 is well underway, but something still seems to be off. To me it seems like the activity that was on the now-dead site is well above what I’ve seen on the new site. We’re definitely getting there and the effort is there to get this site back to normal condition, so I’m left wondering why it feels different. In this case I can only say that time will heal these wounds and hopefully the first magazine since the attack will help speed that up. I hope that in the upcoming weeks we’ll see that activity return to the site and that I won’t be left wondering what happened. Until next week though, let’s just relax and have a little fun. The season has begun and we’re back on track!

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Returning member effort…

One of the biggest things over the past week for us was the effort to find old members who didn’t make it to the new site. The effort made in the past week resulted in the return of Sebastian Ball, and possibly others. This is just proof of how well the effort has been from our existing members. I’ll be honest, when I saw that there were still missing members at this point, I thought there was little hope for them to return. And despite it being a small amount of members, the damage would have been substantial to the team that they were on. I would like to see the effort continue as I know there are still a few more members to find. But so far it has been great and could even bring back members that left before the move to the new site. Keep up the hard work at getting these guys back!

 

Very shocking standings…

One thing that I was definitely excited about last week was the start of the regular season, as the sim has proven that anything can happen at any time. In terms of the standings in the league at the moment though, nothing should come at a surprise. Seattle and Riga are fighting it out in the basement and Quebec sits a top of the league with a very dominate control over everything. The next closes team is the will-not-die Calgary Wranglers, four points behind them with the same amount of games played. One thing that interests me though is that the North American conference is the stronger of it and the NA. Over the next couple of weeks now will show where everything slides it. Either it be a bottom-dweller crawling to get to the top or the bottom-feeder wanting his name know out there.

 

Back to normal…

Something that I noticed this week is that it seemed slow, or to me anyway. I take that as a sign that things have calmed down around here and a sign of that things are going to be fine as they go along. Now members just have to worry about the place of our team in the standings or how our player is doing compared to whatever else a person may compare their standings or scoring to. The site definitely looks better than what it was, but just make sure that it is accessible to everyone. If problems do arise I’d like to see the members hold back a little before sicking in on the first person in charge that they see. I doubt we see any problems though, things have been great!

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Missed opening…

Back in Season 34 it was well speculated that with the New York Americans rebuilding and the Calgary Wranglers finally taking a break from competing (psych, Jason would never allow that), that the Seattle Bears would have a chance to succeed in the North American Conference, giving them an opening to challenge in the playoffs like the team has been hoping for recently. With rookies Mikey Blade and Steven Smyl making the team, the opening was there to compete, the only problem now was that the chemistry was simply not there. Going into 30 games this season the Bears sit in last in their Conference, even behind the rebuilding Americans, who probably want the spot that the Bears are occupying. So now the Bears have to dig deep and find the root of the problem, because even with their core team together now, something just isn’t clicking there.

 

The dominate three…

Speaking of the North American Conference, many VHL fans will be more than pleased to see that the main competitors minus New York will be once again fight it out come playoffs, but this time around the Toronto Legion have the shot they believe they deserved back in S34. The two other teams making up the top three are the Quebec Muete and the Calgary Wranglers. The three teams respectively are all within five points of each other, showing that no matter what matchup comes up in the playoffs, things will be up in the air. It will be interesting to see which team will be able to prevail in the matchup but until then these teams will be at each other’s throats trying to get the Conference title and possibly even the league title if things continue on this pace. Will Quebec hold on to their lead they have now? Will the Wranglers catch up? Will Toronto dominate the Conference to get revenge for barely missing out on S34?

 

The European battle…

In the European Conference there is another type of battle going on, and it’s for the last spot in the playoffs. The Cologne Express and the Vasteras Iron Eagles have been pushing for a shot in the playoffs for as long as I can remember, and with this season being a chance to get into the playoffs, it doesn’t seem that either team wants to pass over the opportunity. Both teams are tied for the final spot at the time of this article so hopefully by the time this piece is released we will see a team take control of the lead. Will it be Kameron Taylor, Reggie Dunlop, and the rest of the Express squad? Or will it be Schwarz and the rest of the Eagles? Right now I’d place my bets of the Express, but as seen in this league, anything can happen!

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Wozniak’s control…

With over half the season in the books, it’s time to take a look at some player stats around the league. The first thing that pops out is Michal Wozniak’s point lead over the league. After being traded to the Wranglers, Wozniak has found tons of success, putting up almost a goal-per-game average with 38 goals in 39 games. Wozniak also has 47 assists on the season, totaling 85 points. Trailing Wozniak by over ten points is a tie between Wozniak’s teammates Rybak and Marcellin who are both sitting at 74 points, evidence to the dominance by these starting players for the Wranglers. If the success of these players continues on then there is no doubt that Wozniak and the rest of the Wranglers are going to make a strong push in the playoffs. Just a week ago things were up in the air in terms of the North American conference standings, but now it seems that Calgary is well on their way to win the conference title.

 

The rookie race…

Something else that has been interesting to follow is this season’s crop of rookies. As usual in the VHL, the rookie of the year race is still anyone’s game with the competition being very close. Dan Tremblay of the Toronto Legion seems to be the favourite at the moment, putting up a very dominate 39 assists and 43 points, enough for a three point lead over Davos’ Matteo Gallo. On the goaltending side of things, the two rookies/VHLM rivals Steven Smyl and Lennox Moher are slowly adjusting to playing time in the VHL. Davos’ Moher sits at a .902 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average. Smyl with four more games played than Moher sits at .903 save percentage and a 2.85 GAA. Both goalies do not have the strongest teams in front of them are showing signs that they will be threats in seasons to come. As for challenging for rookie of the year… it doesn’t seem like a goalie will be winning it this time around.

 

Express pull ahead…

Last week when we looked over the standings in the European conference things were neck and neck between Vasteras and Cologne, but now the Express have shown that this time around, they mean serious business. After seasons of trying, Cologne seems poised to make the playoffs alongside Davos and the Titans. The question now seems to be will the Express be able to put up a fight in the playoffs? The Euro conference definitely seems like a weaker one giving Cologne the chance to succeed, and with the success this season from Kameron Taylor and Reggie Dunlop, anything is possible. We’ll have to keep a close eye on things as we head into the race for the playoffs.

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Quebec narrowly wins it…

Throughout this many members were left to speculate which team would end up taking the league title for S35. Well now that the season has come to an end, we know that Quebec has done so after winning the NA conference. Throughout the regular season, the race was close between Quebec, Calgary and Helsinki, with each team spending time at the top of the league. At one point it seemed that Calgary was going to pull away in the middle of the season, but since then things were much closer in terms of competition. The top three teams in the league all finished within four point of each other with Quebec finishing the season with 113 points, and in second Helsinki with 110 points, with Calgary finishing JUST behind them at 109. Now what will happen going into playoffs? Will Calgary outlast Toronto to fight Quebec for the NA title? Will Helsinki breeze to a championship past a rough looking competition in the Euro Conference? Or will Quebec finally capture their championship? Discuss!

 

Calgary dominate offensively…

Despite not being able to win the league and the NA conference, Calgary was able to do something else, and that was dominate the league offensively. Arguably the season MVP, Michal Wozniak scored a goal per game this season, scoring 72 in 72. Add on his 82 assists and he finishes off the season with one of the most memorable seasons that this league has seen. Calgary also had fantastic seasons from Volodymyr Rybak and Chico Salmon who both finished with over 50 goals this season. Rybak finished the season with 137 points while Salmon followed closely with 131. Clark Marcellin was a man frequently setting up these goals as he finished the season with almost 100 assists, ending up with 96.  These four players led the team as well as the entire league, showing just how dominate the Wranglers were throughout the season. Will it continue into the playoffs?

 

Super Cup applications begin…

With the first-ever Super Cup just looming around the corner the league has taken to applications to find the GMs for this historical event. Applicants are required to come up with a team name based around one of the hall of famers from times ago who do not already have awards named after them. So if you’re feeling a little on the creative side, been around the site long enough to understand just who the players are that will be making up the Super cup teams, then I definitely recommend that you put your name into the hat for this application process since this opportunity is going to come around only once. Wouldn’t you love to be the person bragging that you were one of the first Super Cup GMs?

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Quebec does it…

After six games in the VHL Finals, the Quebec City Meute were able to overcome the threat of the Helsinki Titans to win their first VHL Championship. After winning the regular season title, three points above the Titans, Quebec was poised for a strong playoff run. Quebec narrowly defeated Calgary in a seven-game series. Wesley Kellinger had a great playoff performance with 17 points in 13 games, showing potential to match Chico Salmon’s effort of 19 points in 14 games. With that one more game it’s very possible that Kellinger would’ve been able to match the performance. Kellinger was the only player to put up more than a point per game effort on the team and definitely helped lift the team to their first championship. Quebec also owes some credit to Skylar Rift who had a very solid performance in the playoffs posting a fantastic .933 save percentage. So congrats to the Quebec team for their win! Best of luck to all the teams heading into the off-season.

 

Super Cup Draft…

On Dec. 2 the first Super Cup’s draft began. The first two picks in the draft were centers that are expected to be the leaders for their team. Ethan Osborne was the first-overall selection to the Maximum Desny team. Osborne is regarded as one of the top locker room leaders of this generation and throughout the history of the league. He is also a great performer on the ice, which made him a clear first selection. Kameron Taylor who has played a leadership role with the Cologne Express throughout his career was picked by McNeil and the Steals the pick later. The first goalie, Tuomas Tukio, was selected to the Pogge Sticks with the third-overall pick. Yuri Grigorenko, Alexander Valiq and Evgeni Chekhov closed off the rest of the first round. The draft is confirmed to be going to 16 rounds now and is still going right now. Chances are if you’re reading this, your player was drafted somewhere in the draft, so make sure to go check it out!

 

Possible VHL Awards…

STHS comes with an award generator when you reach the end of the season, but we’ve never really looked at it when it comes to awards. This season though things may be different. Jardy has posted the page in the VHL League Discussion showing who would be winning what award. Now it could just be that he was showing this to the board to show that it exists or it could also be used for the official awards. If this would be used as the official awards we would see Michal Wozniak win the MVP award as expected by probably everyone. Rift would have goalie of the year and Davey Jones would win rookie of the year. This page seems to have made some pretty good choices in my eyes and could be a good option to use going forward. Maybe that’s exactly what’s planned. 

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12 Days of Christmas…

For the holiday season, the blue team has decided to roll out probably one of the most interactive giveaways I’ve seen. With each day that passes getting us closer to the holidays, we have seen a hint posted up in the thread for this giveaway. These hints lead members around the website in an attempt to find a word that is in red text. Members must PM a special VHLSanta account and give the answer to that days hints. The more correct answers the member sends in over these 12 days, the better their prize will be at the end of giveaway. So far the giveaway has been met with a positive response, unless finding the answer actually takes work, in which case most of the forum (myself included) will just rage about how difficult it is. By the time the mag is released this giveaway may be closed, so I hope you all enjoyed and that everyone got some good prizes. It was nice to see a challenge in a giveaway, and hopefully this is a sign that we’ll be seeing more giveaways like this in the upcoming seasons.

 

Super Cup set…

Probably not the smoothest start to the off-season that was expected… the inaugural Super Cup draft took approx. 15 days to complete from start to finish. There were many problems with activity throughout with GMs not being on at the same time and by the end of it many of the members seemed to have the same idea in one way or another. In two seasons for the second Super Cup draft, there is going to need better organizing. The length of the draft definitely took away from the interest people had in the event. So next time a live draft would definitely benefit the Cup. As there is only six teams it shouldn’t be that difficult to find a time that works for all of the managers involved. Any way to make sure that the draft does not last around 15 days again will make it so much better.

 

Toronto GM Change…

Earlier this week, Sandro decided that he would be stepping down from his position as the Toronto Legion GM, and that Edgar would be taking over in his place. Sandro was the first VHL GM that I had, back when he drafted Wolfe in S27. Sandro led a great LR while I was around and I’ve often heard that it did not die down seasons later. It’s a shame that Toronto could not get to a championship win, but you definitely made them into strong contenders. Thank you for your hard work! Of course, best of luck to Edgar going forward with the team. With his big presence on the site though, I know he’ll have no problems taking over from where Sandro left off.

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Another chapter written…

Every off-season it seems that many members most look forward to the VHL Entry Draft. Well on Dec. 22 the S36 VHL Entry Draft took place. The first three picks in the draft seemed to be set in stone with Xin Xei Xao, Godavari Yumalatopinto, and Robin Gow. Seattle opened up the draft with many assuming that they would go with XXX in hopes to spark up the offense on the team, but instead the team opted for defense when they selected Yumalatopinto, grabbing a player who they believed would add more to the team. Riga Reign then followed with the first of their first-round selections and surprised most of the VHL when they selected Robin Gow. Gow is a very respectable pick and will turn out to be one great player for the Reign, but throughout the season XXX and God were regarded as the top two prospects. The Americans were more than happy to select XXX with the third-overall pick to close off the top three.

 

Free Agency opens…

Alongside the draft was the other main part of the off-season with free agency discussions opening up. There are some very good players on the market with the likes of Odin Tordahl, Chico Salmon, and Felix Zamora all hitting the market. Toronto, Seattle, and Vasteras made offers to the main three that hit the market, each team looking to add one more piece to their teams that would help with possible championship runs. At the time of this writing there were no official signings yet but with many offers already posted it’s likely that we’ll be seeing some signings very soon. Free agency has the power to turn the league around if certain players go to the same team. Just look at reigning Continental Champions Quebec City! It will certainly be interesting to see where players end up this FA period.

 

Super Cup playoffs…

20 games have now been played by every team and we have the top four teams who will battle it out in the tournament-style playoffs coming up. Unfortunately for The Reynaud Raid and Maximum Desny, they were both eliminated from contention of the playoffs being the only two teams who ended the round robin with a below. 500 win percentage. Now the Super Cup will see McNeil and the Steals, Pogge Sticks, Shirokov Not Stirred, and The McCreath Eaters battle it out for the first Super Cup title. Right now the favourites to win seem to be the Steals who had the most wins throughout the regular play with 13 wins. This sim though has proven to pull some odd results, which I know will come up again, so who knows? Best of luck to all the remaining teams!

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Free Agency…

The Free Agency period certainly seemed longer this off-season. And with Season 36 underway, we are going to take a look at how the big three FAs are doing with their new (in two cases) teams. The first player we shall focus on is Teemu Lehtinen, who made it seem like over a couple days of free agency would be moving away from Toronto. It seems that management got through to the player eventually and Lehtinen chose that he would remain with the team going into the future. Since Season 36 began, Lehtinen has given plenty of reasons for management and Toronto faithful to be excited about this re-signing. Lehtinen, despite being a second-line player for the team, is one of the team’s top scorers. With four goals and ten points in eight games, Lehtinen has definitely provided proof that Toronto may give some of the favourites a challenge for the Continental Cup this season.

 

Odin Tordahl…

Tordahl seemed to be the free agent most sought after this off-season. Despite some problems with Toronto at the beginning of his career, Tordahl is regarded as one of the top locker room members of the league, warming up to just about everyone. Tordahl has also proven to be fantastic on the ice. Throughout free agency it seemed that Tordahl would be re-signing in Helsinki, but ended up making the jump to HC Davos, a team looking to become a threat in the European conference for seasons to come. Since signing, Tordahl has easily been one of Davos’ top defensive players, dishing out 39 hits in eight games. Tordahl has spent plenty of time in the penalty box due to his physical play. Despite that, he has also proven to be an offensive threat on the ice putting up 10 points in eight games. If he stays on this pace, signing Tordahl will be more than a success for Davos.

 

Felix Zamora…

Many teams seemed to believe that they had a shot at signing Zamora throughout the off-season. Prior to the signing period, Seattle even traded for negotiation rights to the player. Zamora seemed to be considering all options for a long period of time, and at the end of it all he decided to go after the goal of winning a championship and signed with Quebec City, a team already well known for their roster and a team that was the center of attention involving free agency awhile ago. Zamora was placed on a line with Kellinger and Grigorenko, two players that are more than capable of putting points on the board, but since the line was made, Zamora has just not seen much success. Averaging 30 minutes per game, Zomara has put up no goals and four assists this season. The Meute still dominate the NA Conference, so despite Zamora’s average performance thus far, it does not seem to be concern for Quebec management. 

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VHLM Discussions…

For the past week we have seen some very solid feedback on what needs to be done to increase the percentage of new members who stick with the site past the junior season. It seemed that many are concerned with the fact that there just hasn’t been much communication between some of the GMs and their players. VHLM teams suffer from the few active members on the team so one of the things being discussed was possibly removing two teams from the league. Which two teams would be cut though would take some serious discussions. Mostly revolving around which GMs have not been keeping up with the rest of the pack. Of course, for this to even be possible this means the VHLM would require a new simmer and a different index entirely, which is something that I’m completely for. It could result in more in-depth reporting for the players and better involvement. Of course, less teams mean more actives per team too, which is something that was desperately needed.

 

Conflict Arises…

From the discussions though there also seemed to be a ton of conflict that arose from it. Mostly between Kendrick and Fever. From the get go Kendrick took to the offense calling out Fever and myself, the two GMs who didn’t claim players from waivers to help our teams suck more. The experience for possible waiver claims would’ve probably sucked but that was no proper excuse. I’ll admit when I saw Kendrick throwing myself under a bus I was angered by it, but chose just to go about my business. Fever on the other hand seemed to take great offense and even brought up the possibility of Kendrick tampering free agents, which was discussed earlier. I expected something to come from these wild claims by the publication of the issue, but nothing has so far. Will we see something come of the claims? I am looking forward to seeing so.

 

VHLM Cuts Commish…

Very recently InstantRockstar was removed from his position as VHLM commish as, according to IR, the league has decided to go back to the one commish approach for the VHLM. With the changes coming I suppose it makes sense to cut back on staff, but I could not find any details on why this decision was made. It has been clear that the commish team has slacked somewhat through the season, but to place blame on one commish over the other confuses me. Why IR instead of Corco? Why not both and bring in new life who can see through these upcoming changes? Hopefully we will get some answers over the next few days, as all we have right now is one angered ex-commish and many unanswered questions. 

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Halfway there…

We’re just about at the mid-point of the season now folks. The very exciting time where… really nothing happens. About now every season we see the activity sort of take a dip with nothing much going on other than the usual. So here I am begging for someone to start declaring how they hate so-and-so or how this league is going to die. For the love of god, something! On the plus side however, the second-annual Member Madness is ready to take place with the drawings for the brackets taking place early Monday morning. Now members will get to see how well they are liked compared to others. A grand popularity contest for everyone to enjoy! Of course, not all things are quiet. In the sim we have seen some odd trends begin to show in the North American conference, and that is what we are going to take a look at now…

 

The Legion domination…

Heading into the season, anyone that said the Meute weren’t going to dominate the North American conference and the league were considered delusional. The team had one of the most solid rosters in all of the league after grabbing a big name from free agency while holding together the team that had a fantastic run last season which resulted in a championship win. However, halfway through the season we are seeing something that wasn’t considered, and that is the Toronto Legion are actually leading the Meute in points for the lead in the conference. This could be due to Toronto’s domination in the defensive zone, letting in an average of 1.76 goals against. That’s a whole .24 ahead of Quebec which is pretty impressive at this point of the season. If the Legion can keep this up, they may just hold their lead on the conference.

 

Woe is Seattle…

Also heading into this season in the North American conference, Seattle was expected to finally make the playoffs after seasons upon seasons of rebuilding. The Bears had to compete with the Americans and Wranglers for the third spot in the playoffs, two teams who were looked at as if they had no chance of competing with the built up Seattle team. The offense coming from the Bears however has been lackluster to say the least, and the goaltending from Steven Smyl has been even worse. These two factors were more than enough to keep Seattle out of playoffs, trailing the Americans by three points at the moment. If the Bears cannot find a way to spark either the offense or the goaltending, then we may just see Seattle falter out of playoffs once again, which would be more than disappointing to fans at this point.

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Traveling Toriyama…

It seems that every time an outbreak of trades happens in the league, Keiji Toriyama finds a new home. This time however, the returning for the traveling player nearly broke the bank. The Americans shipped off Toriyama and New York’s S37 fourth rounder off to Vasteras in return for Vasteras’ first rounder in S37, Helsinki’s S37 third rounder, Vasteras’ third rounder in S38 and players Damien Sandow and Guido Schwarz Esq. It seems that Corco and Vasteras believe that Toriyama could be the difference maker for them when it comes to make a solid run in the playoffs, but will it be enough to get them to the championship? I don’t believe so. Giving up on one of the strongest drafts in recent memory for an attempted run seems ridiculous in my mind, and while Vasteras has hope in the European conference, I just don’t see them making it past whatever North American team makes it to the final.

 

Retiring Rift…

An announcement sent shockwaves through the VHL earlier this week when Quebec City goaltender Skylar Rift announced that S37 would be the last he would play. Rift, drafted in S31, had up until S39 until it would be time to retire, which is why it came as a surprise to most members. Rift made quite the name for himself when he chose to leave the Calgary Wranglers to test free agency. Rift was expected to lead Calgary for seasons to come heading into his retirement following a trade from New York. Rift then chose to sign in Quebec City. Since then Rift has been up there for the top goaltender in the league, and his leave following this season will force Quebec into making a move if they want to stay competing at the top of the league.

 

The Milestone…

Congratulations to the magazine for reaching its 175th edition with this issue. I have been writing since around the 100 milestone and it has been a great run since then. While we have seen a change in management, I think that some of the finest work that has ever been written for the Mag can be found in the most recent issue. I think heading into the next 25 issues you will be treated to some of the finest writing and stories, as there are some great ideas. Look forward to some great theme magazines that will be coming in the future and hopefully some god damn lottery winners. To celebrate this milestone with the staff, feel free to share some of your favourite moments in the Mag once it is posted!

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Trade Deadline Passes…

With every season that passes in this league, the trade deadline seems to be getting less and less notable. Something that is regarded as one of the best days in the calendar year for the NHL is nothing more than minor deals for us here in the VHL, so what is the problem? Most GMs start negotiating well before the trade deadline draws near to make sure that deals are done with, as there is always that chance that someone can’t get online to confirm a deal on the deadline which would ruin days of negotiating. If the deadline was changed from a day to a period of two or three days that the league could hype up as a media thing or something, that might draw more attention and give more excitement to the members who are looking to the day as hopefully something that gives members to talk about.

 

Intense Playoff Race…

This season has seen two stories playing out that will be decided in the upcoming sims. The first, in the North American conference, is Seattle versus New York. At the beginning of the season Seattle was expected to cruise their way to the playoffs, well ahead of the Americans, but the surprise of the season came when Seattle faltered, not being able to find chemistry. New York pulled well ahead, but just now, riding a two-game win streak with New York losing three straight, Seattle has pulled ahead. Can they stay there? For the sake of their fan base, they hope. The other big story is one that has been going for seasons and seasons in the Euro conference, Vasteras versus Cologne. The Iron Eagles have been led by the magnificent performance in net by Eggly Bagelface, who leads the league in save percentage, but will it be enough to hold off the Express? The Express are one point out of playoffs, right behind Vasteras. With Vasteras suffering three straight loses, the opportunity is there for the Express to get into the playoffs in this last little rush.

 

VHL GM Interest…

In an effort to make finding new VHL GMs whenever required, the Blue Team has opened up an interest thread for all of those members who want to express their dream of becoming a big league GM. So far we have seen many members state that in the future they would love the opportunity, so it seems that if a GM were to step down in the future, the league would not have to look far to find a replacement. So is this the end of the days where the retiring GM would be able to declare his successor? Will we see the Blue Team or Board of Governors making the decisions now? It will certainly be interesting to see. Regardless, if you’re looking to have that job someday, make sure to PM one of the Commishes! 

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The calm before the storm…

For the week right before VHL playoffs are set to begin, the forums are pretty quiet in terms of news-worthy things going on. There hasn’t been much conflict between teams despite two very close races for the last couple spots in the playoffs. I’m hoping this just means when the playoffs begin we will see some of the greatest activity from the members, because these slow periods are just brutal to get through. Sure we have media to keep us busy as well as the member madness stuff, but that’s not really much in terms of activity. So come on guys! With two games left in the season we need to get the posts pumping out! Show some support for the teams that you most want to see in the playoffs or shoot off some jeers for the team full of members that you just can’t stand. I don’t really care, just post anything please!

 

Graphic grader hirings…

As we see every few weeks, there are more hirings going on in the VHL, and this time it is one of the coveted grader positions. While applications opened on the 5th and apparently closed by the 7th, there have still been no hirings. If you believe that you could handle grading and have an experience in graphics then this could be quite the position for you. Grader positions are known to lead to advancements through the site if you can prove that you can handle some responsibility, so consider that when applying. It will also mean that you will get a higher TPE income through the week which can help you LOADS. It’s definitely something that every graphics maker should consider, as even some of the veteran members of the site are trying to get the position! Best of luck to those who apply.

 

Playoffs prediction…

With just two to four games to go for the teams, I think it’s an appropriate time to make predictions for the upcoming playoffs. It’s safe to assume that the Express will claim the last spot in the European conference, but I do not believe that they will be able to topple the Titans. I expect Helsinki to win the first series in five games. The Dynamo and Titans will make one hell of a Euro final, and I think the Titans will make one last run to the finals, and I believe the series will go seven games. In the North American conference I’ll believe that Seattle pulls through and makes it to the playoffs, only to lose in six games to Quebec City. Quebec will play Toronto in the NA finals and lost in five games. Toronto has been on fire. Then in the finals between Toronto and Helsinki I believe we’ll see the Legion win it all, just based on how strong the team has been recently. Series to go six games. Let me know what your predictions are!

[Toast 887]

The playoffs…

In case you missed it, the Cologne Express’ goal to make a statement in the playoffs was dashed by the Helsinki Titans, who proved in the four-game sweep that they were not going to mess around whatsoever. In what could be one of the last chances that Helsinki has at a championship with the roster that has made them one of the most dominate teams in the league, there is no doubt that Davos is going to have to pull out all the stops if they want to stop the roaring Titans. On the other side of things, Seattle and Quebec took an unexpected turn of events. Quebec was expected to dominate Seattle much like Helsinki did with Cologne, but the Bears managed to turn things around after two very disappointing showings in games one and two. The Bears won three straight, getting all the momentum on their side following a four overtime war with the Meute. Quebec managed to pull through once cornered though and now the series is going the distance. Will Seattle actually be able to pull through and ruin Quebec’s plans of yet another championship?

 

Incoming changes…

Over the past couple of weeks there have been hints around the site that there could be a few changes coming to the VHL in the off-season. Changes in the off-season are something we have come used to recently, so it shouldn’t be too surprising. We’re looking at a couple major changes this time around though. Could we see a few GMs step down from their positions? Kendrick has said often that he would leave Cologne after this season and it seems a replacement is ready to take over. In a turn of events though, it seems that long-time Helsinki manager Mitch Higgins may also step down. It would explain why Helsinki is looking to make one last run in these playoffs. Could we also see a move of a team? The failure of Vasteras has officials talking.

 

The mystery job…

In another round of VHLM GM applications, returning member Seth announced that he would not be applying after he received an unknown job. Seth was considered a favourite for GM and when he was over-looked in the Saskatoon hiring, there was an outcry. So what is this unknown job? Seth refuses to speak on it. ''I cannot confirm or deny the speculation on any specific job I may land,” Seth said when contacted. “However, I am eagerly looking forward to the opportunity, and anticipate an announcement once the VHL playoffs are concluded.'' With the rumors that Higgins may be stepping down, it’s assumed that Tukio would be shipped off to another team. With Helsinki missing a goalie to take over as GM it makes sense that Seth would step in to lead Helsinki into a new era. It’d certainly be interesting to see a man who applied for a GM position with the VHLM instantly acquire a spot as a coveted VHL GM. It seems we’ll find out once the playoffs are out of the way!

[Toast 887]

Finals decided…

The second round was pretty dramatic. Many members had their favourite teams and were cheering for all four teams, but in the end, Davos and Toronto were able to defeat their opposition. Davos has had a magnificent season after seasons of rebuilding, so it’s nice to see it all come together in the end of it all. Will that be enough to surpass the super Toronto squad however? Toronto’s Remy LeBeau has been a player to watch in the playoffs. While like all goalies he has had his struggles, he has also see tons of success. LeBeau is considered the reason that Toronto won game one, but his performance in game two may be the reason that Toronto lost as well. If LeBeau can keep it together in the next few games then I believe the Legion will be able to pull off the long awaited Continental Cup victory.

 

The end of an era (Helsinki)…

For the longest time, the Helsinki Titans have been a powerhouse In the European conference. Since GM Higgins took over, the team has constantly been on the rise. Ethan Osborne is regarded as one of the best players, winning multiple awards throughout his career. Anatoli Zhubayev, Tyler Owens, Tuomas Tukio, Naomi Young and Willie Weber make up the well-rounded roster, but it seems that Helsinki is preparing for a rebuild. Higgins seemed to hint at it following the loss in the second round so we’ll have to see. Would Helsinki trade their full roster for picks for the future and start over again. Will Higgins stay on-board for another attempt at the Cup? We’ll have to keep an eye on it over the off-season as I expect there are quite a few changes coming to the Titans, even if the league isn’t ready to see those changes.

 

The end of an era (Quebec)…

After being eliminated in the second round, Quebec lost the key piece to its franchise, Skylar Rift. The goaltender had led the Meute to their first championship and has been a leader in the locker room and around the league. There are also many player agents within the organization who are deciding that there time is up with the league. Kyle and Squinty are among those who are taking a break, and with that it just goes to show that the team is falling apart at this point. Koradek may be able to salvage the team with a couple of moves but it’s certainly going to be a challenge for him. Will Quebec be able to pull through the threat to ruin the super powerhouse in the North American conference? This is going to be another storyline to follow throughout the off-season!

[Toast 887]

GM Changes…

This off-season we saw many changes to teams either it be through the draft or the off-season trades, but something that not many people expected was all of the GM changes. Cologne switched up the GMs when Kendrick stepped down after a pretty successful run, handing over the reins to David Collier, who has been with the team for many seasons. Although he may not have been a VHLM GM prior to this, I have known him for quite some time and know he’ll be great for the position. Another change happened in Quebec City, one that many members didn’t see coming. Frank will be taking over as the new GM, and as he proved last time he was in charge of a team, he can turn them into champions once again. Then finally, the one that seemed to be happening without a doubt… Higgins stepped down from Helsinki GM. Higgins created an era there and it’s only fitting that STZ takes over to lead them to the next era. Best of luck to all of the new GMs!

 

Pre-season closes…

Sunday night saw all of the long-awaited pre-season come to an end with some hints of what is to come this season. Toronto, who are expected to give quite the push for a championship this season, didn’t have the best pre-season as goaltender Remy LeBeau tried to shake off the cobwebs from the off-season. The Seattle Bears, who added quite a bit of talent this off-season, went 4-0 in the pre-season, dominating other teams offensively. Could this mean that Seattle takes the spot on top of the NA Conference like they wanted? Many goalies who are considered to be the top of the league did not play especially well, showing that once again, it’s truly unknown what we’re going to see in the regular season this year. Last season was all about Bagelface’s turn around… so who will lead this season?

 

Retirements…

This pre-season we saw quite a few players announce that this upcoming season will be their last. These retirements will certainly change up the league going for. Ethan Osborne, arguably one of the top players of his generation will be stepping aside to focus on his position as the new Titans GM. Certainly the league will be missing him going forward. Sergey Brovalenko, regarded as one of the most popular players around the league, is also taking a step back, but will continue his career as an agent. We also saw one of Quebec’s strongest forwards, Roberto Martucci, announce that this would be his last season as well. There was also Gregory Glass and Damien Sandow. Make sure to keep an eye on these players this season to see how their farewell tours shape out!

[Toast 887]

Season of the goalie…

So far this season, one thing has been proven and that is the fact that every team seems to have a goalie that is capable of leading them to the playoffs. Not one goalie is below a .900 save percentage right now, and many games are being determined by just one goal. So what is it that has changed this season that has made these goalies that much better on the ice? Unless there have been some touches made on the sim it seems that the only thing that has changed is that some teams have bulked up on their defense. It’s going to take awhile to see if there is a way for teams to get their offense rolling, but so far early on the season it seems that the whole season is going to be a challenge for the league as teams try to solve these fantastic defenses.

 

The month of fantasy…

One thing that comes with the month of March is the fantasy zone gets quite the boost. MLB is right around the corner now and the MLB Fantasy leagues are starting with drafts already. Another thing is the March Madness brackets that promise fun for everyone no matter of their knowledge with college basketball. The brackets give everyone the opportunity to bring in quite the bonus of TPE and those baseball leagues will turn into a great bonus two seasons down the road. Make sure to apply to the leagues now if there is room or even express your interest, because this is an opportunity that every member should be fighting for. These leagues always promise payouts that can sometimes be better than the usual predict-whatevers going on for the league games, and there is no better month than March to find these leagues.

 

The Recruiting Team…

Once again the league is looking to get the Recruiting League running. The one thing that it’s going to need first is a strong leader. Early Sunday morning job applications were opened for this position promising a pay of 2TPE a week if the member is obviously doing some work for it. That’s quite the payout for members who are looking for it right now. The team will have to go to various websites hoping to bring in new members. With the success of recent first gen sign-ups, the pressure will be on for this to come up with new ways to bring in those new members. It would also be great to see the site’s social media accounts being used more frequently. Something the new leader could offer to bring to the board? With that kind of pay-out, it’s clear that the leader will have to be quite the motivated individual. Best of luck to those who apply!

[Toast 887]

The sim is broken…

As Greg would say. Judging by how the teams looked prior to the season it seemed pretty clear how things were going to play out. When does STHS ever follow through with what seems to be destined to happen though? Seattle, a team who is much higher than other teams in terms of overall, can’t even get over a .500 record. Seattle sits far out of the North American playoff spot in a season that they were supposed to be on top in. Riga and New York, two teams who are still young, are doing way better off than Seattle despite not having a talented roster. No matter the players, lines, or strategies Seattle tries, it’s just not working. Something is going to have to dramatically change as we head towards the mid-way point of the season or there is just no chance that the Bears will see the post-season.

 

Farewell tour…

Despite it being Sergey Brovalenko’s final season in the league, he is making quite the argument for league MVP at this point. He leads all skaters in points with 43 through his 26 points. Another interesting stat so far for the aging player is that he holds 0 PIM through those games, which is quite the impressive feat that only few players in this league can still say they have. Brovy’s 64.6 per cent faceoff success definitely is helping out Davos as well. Despite Kesler getting a ton of shit throughout the site no one can deny right now that his player is being dominate. If this keeps up Brovalenko will part the VHL with hopefully more than a few trophies. Kesler is going to have quite the mark to live up to when Wolf shows up. I’m sure because of Brovy’s success that Wolf’s stock is also rising.

 

Jobs/TPE everywhere…

The league is in search for another Graphics Grader it seems, with applications being posted up Sunday night. The life of a grader is one that requires quite some time, but it’s somewhere to start if you’re looking to get a higher-ranked job in the future. Many of the league’s best started out as a grader at one point. Or if you’re just interested in graphics, this could also be for you! Don’t go too hard on people though, we don’t need anymore arguments about how tough graphics grades are to get. Speaking of graphics, the Recruitment Crew is in search for a graphic artist! Apps have been going since Saturday though, so make sure to apply ASAP! As for some free TPE, the Recruitment Crew is offering 1TPE for displaying the VHL Ad sig on another forum you post on. You can use the sig on multiple forums of course, but may only claim one a week. Thread regarding this can be found in the Recruiting Central forum.

[Toast 887]

Trade deadline…

Well folks, it’s that time of the season again. The trade deadline always has such promise going into it, but usually the most that members can expect from it is a couple minor deals from GMs hoping to make the day not a complete dud. Well, this time? EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT. Sunday afternoon we saw a rumor pop up that the Express would consider moving Kameron Taylor and Malcom Spud, two players that have given Cologne the chance they needed to make the playoffs for seasons. With the Express’ hopes of making it this season, it was clear that things needed to be changed. While it was the one deal at the time of this writing, it was a blockbuster! Cologne traded Taylor, Spud, and Guido Schwarz Esq. to Riga for Riga’s first in S38 and S39 and a S39 2nd. This is just the first part of the deal, with the second part coming in the off-season accordingly. I believe that we’ll see the Express getting more in return, because this was a massive deal! Seems like a good deal for both teams at the moment. What do you all think is the second half of the deal?

 

Breaking records…

Now, I don’t usually use this mag piece to complain about things revolving my team and my player… actually, I do that every week. This one is special though. After trying so hard to turn Smyl into a capable goalie, I’ve finally done it. I have broken a record with my own player (I believe)! Man, it feels so good. Yep, it’s just absolutely fantastic when I see that Smyl let in six god damn goals on 12 shots against. I have made fun of goalies who have put up anything below a .800 save percentage, but I have NEVER seen something that horrible. It’s embarrassing and down-right disappointing to be performing this bad. At least there is the fact that Smyl will go down in history as one of the poorest active players to take the ice? Send your offers in to Seattle soon people, it doesn’t look like Smyl will be sticking around much longer.

 

VHLM GM position…

The spot for Saskatoon’s head GM position has opened up in the middle of the season, and there is a call out there for new members to apply. The VHLM GM position is a great opportunity for members to prove that they have what it takes to become a good GM in the future. It has led to a VHL GM position in some cases as long as you can prove you know how to win it all. So if you’re active, new, and have been looking for a way to break into the fun world of VHL jobs, well here is your chance. Make sure to apply ASAP as I doubt that applications will be remaining open for awhile. The position will need to be filled quickly as the Wild prepare for their playoff run. 

[Toast 887]

Greg steps aside…

This was definitely the news of the week and wasn’t seen coming by many. Recently Greg’s life had become more busy than expected and he had taken an L.O.A. from the site to get things back together. Bushito and other Bears were handling things in Seattle while he was away but last week things were made official, Greg would be stepping down and Bush would take over the team. Greg’s so many seasons with Seattle is incredible just by itself. He has led the team with players, and brought the team to championships as the GM. It’s a legacy truly worth of the hall of fame. So behalf of everyone on Seattle and hopefully the rest of the site, thank you for all of your hard work Greg. As he stepped down as GM, he also announced that Sound would be retiring with him. As it’s his wishes, it will be respected. Now Seattle just has to hope that they can give their legend a proper send off…

 

Standings update…

On that note, we are coming up on the end of the season this week. There are 12 more game days to sim at the time of this writing, meaning that the regular season will wrap up this upcoming weekend. The European conference is already locked up with Davos holding a clear lead heading into their last six games. Both Vasteras and Riga are on dominate win streaks at four and six respectively. All that needs to be seen now is just who will make it into the playoffs. The North American conference is still trying to figure things out. All season we have seen Seattle trail New York for that third position, and just now they are gaining ground. With Bushito taking over the lines seem energized, though that could also be credited to a kinder schedule. Toronto and Quebec seem to be locks for the playoffs barring any six game losing streaks. It seems the thing to watch now is New York and Seattle, who will take on each other in the last game of the season.

 

Grader position open…

This seems to be a common occurrence for the site, but another grader position has opened up for those interested. The position was posted last Saturday and will probably close as soon as possible, so make sure to get your application in quickly if you’re interested. While the work is difficult considering you have to keep up with it every few days, it is very rewarding for those looking for that extra pay. It could also be the spotlight that newer members need to prove that they can handle the responsibility of holding a position in the site. Many start off as graders and this may be your chance to get on the right path.

[Toast 887]

Bears pull it off…

It took until the last game of the season, but the Seattle Bears managed to sneak into the playoffs in dramatic fashion. Seattle has gone through a lot this season including their long-time general manager Greg. The New York Americans were up by one point heading in to the final showdown, so Seattle needed a regulation victory to guarantee their spot in the playoffs. Sebastian Ball Jr. was the go-to guy for Seattle for the past couple seasons so it was only fitting to see him get the game winning goal in the final game. Now with Ethan Osborne and Zack Sound playing in their last few games, Seattle is hoping that their run in the playoffs will be one to remember. They will be going against the team they faced last season in the first round, the Quebec City Meute. Will the Bears be able to overcome Tukio and the rest of the team?

 

Free Easter TPE…

There hasn’t been much in terms of giveaways this season for those looking for the extra TPE, but Jardy handed out 3TPE free to everyone on the site. If you haven’t seen the notice on the new indicator (comes up just above the chat bar), the TPE can be located in the Announcements section of the forum. Apart from the TPE given out for Victator’s birthday a couple weeks ago, this is one of the few moments that free TPE has been handed out to the members this season. It makes sense though with the big Christmas giveaway being enough to supply everyone who participated for this whole season. There has been lots going on in the fantasy zone as well, so make sure to keep your eyes on there going forward. If not, complain and demand a double week or something. I’m sure the Blues would comply!

 

Titans set for draft…

The S38 VHL Entry Draft lottery took place Sunday night and saw the Titans, who closed the season with six big wins, ended up with the first-overall pick. They also ended up with third overall which belonged to New York before it was traded to Helsinki. With two top three picks Helsinki is well set for their rebuild for a new era. Calgary ended up with second overall as they look to get out of the hole that they have been in for a few seasons now. Finally Cologne ended up with the fourth-overall pick following their reconstruction. The Entry Draft is really heating up now with quite a few quality players available in the higher picks as per usual. What we don’t know though is just how these picks will play out. Best of luck to the three teams! 

[Toast 887]

Taylor leading the Reign…

Riga has been in control of the European conference since the playoffs began. In six games they were able to defeat a Vasteras team that seemed like they could beat Riga and at the time of this writing they hold a 3-2 lead over Davos who showed during the regular season that they were the biggest threat this season. So can Riga pull it off and win it all? If Kameron Taylor keeps up his play then they certainly have that chance. Through 11 games in the playoffs Taylor has 14 assists and 19 points, enough to give him the lead over the league. His 29 minutes on ice per game average is one of the lowest amongst the top scorers in the playoffs. Mikey Blade also deserves to be acknowledged with his success through the playoffs. He had eight goals and 16 points. If the first line continues to find success, Riga will be quite the threat going forward.

 

Osborne making a final stand…

The Seattle Bears didn’t appear to be a threat going into the playoffs. They just narrowly made it into the playoffs and were almost eliminated by Quebec who were expected to make quick work of the Bears. Through some strong play though, the Bears were able to get away with the series win after seven games. Like Riga, Seattle have had quite a few players step it up for playoff action, but there is one player who is taking the spotlight. Ethan Osborne, who is playing his final games in the league, just trails Taylor for the playoff point lead. Osborne has 11 assists and 18 points through 12 games. Osborne specifically has been showing up in Seattle’s current series against Toronto. Seven of Osborne’s point total came in games three and four against the Legion. If Seattle wants to continue on their Cinderella run they’re going to need Osborne to continue with his hot play.

 

World Cup gearing up…

With the off-season drawing near, the search is on for a commissioner for the World Cup. The job has been posted in the Job Interviews section and offers 10 uncapped TPE (If you split duties with a partner you get 5 each) as there is quite a bit of work that goes into the commissioner position. Once the commissioner is found and things are beginning to move along, the search for some World Cup GMs will begin. Will you want to represent your country in the quest to win gold? Following an off-season where there wasn’t much for the off-season, it’s expected that players and league officials will be more than excited to see some off-season hockey. Make sure to apply for positions as they become available!

[STZ 5,360]

So with Toast taking over the Power Poll, I didn’t want to lose this article to the Magazine. Considering I’m an overall great guy, I figure why not temporarily just fill in, until we hire a new person. With that being said here is the top three topics in the world of the VHL.

 

World Cup and Snub Tournament

 

With this off-season, arrives the VHL World Cup. This is where our league is divided by their countries and the leftovers are pooled into a Mercenary team. As a true testament to the talent in this league, there has been a secondary tournament for prospects and players who have yet to be assigned to a World Cup team. What makes this even more interesting is that there will be a draft to determine the “Snub Tournament” teams. This is a unique off-season as prospects will actually be playing against VHL caliber players, giving General Managers the kind of draft insight they normally would never get elsewise.

 

Toronto Wins

 

This has been a story covered in a number of articles, but we have to mention it. Not only did the Legion win but they did in quick fashion sweeping the Davos Dynamo in four games. Many people saw this being a series that would go six or seven games, but they were wrong. What this really shows is the unpredictability of the VHL. The other consequences of this playoff run is that it has put some perspective into the future of the Seattle Bears and Quebec City Meute who now need to consider what their immediate future in the league is, and the role they will now play in the playoff picture for seasons to come.

 

Draft Day Approaches

 

The day where prospects finally find a VHL home is very close. While the draft order was set with helsinki solidifying their picks at 1st and 3rd overall, Calgary at 2nd overall, and Cologne at 4th overall, there’s some big rumours circulating that the order could change leading up to the draft. Mock Drafts have players going in all sorts of orders, but it all depends on the teams who are picking. Helsinki, Calgary and Cologne all are in a rebuilding phase, but it will be interesting to see the GM philosophy come out when we see who gets drafted where. For more prospect details please visit the VHL Draft Rankings section of the forum!

 

For my 590