Victory Three

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Quebec Can’t Stop…
At the time of this writing, the Quebec City Muete have extended their win streak to 27 in a row. This many wins in a row from a team is almost unheard of throughout the league’s history and has only been accomplished by some legendary teams in the league’s history. Thankfully, Quebec has Victor/Clegane on their roster so they had someone to notice that this streak was building up. With a sim looming it’s possible that the streak will be over by the time that this is published, with important games coming up against Calgary and Stockholm (the streak is doomed!). The sad part about this streak is that it’s still not enough to pass Toronto for the first place berth in the North American conference. It seems inevitable that the Legion and Muete will be battling it out in the playoffs to see which of the two teams deserves the recognition when people look back on S49, and that is certainly a reason to look forward to how the rest of the season plays out!

Recruitment continues…
With most members hammering out a point task this past week for the double PT payout, hopefully some have turned their attention to getting the recruiting going so the league can unlock its next big checkpoint for 10 new recruits. If the league can manage to get there then there will be a two million bonus to everyone’s player store accounts. That two million could be the difference for some people between getting a double prediction payout next season and a triple payout, or could help some players recover a lost million from foolish GMs trying to pay over the max rookie salary to the team’s rookies! Point is, the two million may seem small at first glance but gives everyone a nice chance to get that extra something they wanted form the store that was maybe a little too expensive. Get out there and bother some friends!

All Star Captains…
At the time of this writing, it seems that the S49 All Star Game Captains have already been selected pretty much. With a new public vote with self nominations being introduced this season, it seems that ADwyer and Victor have taken a healthy lead over the rest of the candidates. While a couple players trail Victor by a vote, it seems unlikely that he is going to lose the lead that he has which will see these two go on to be the captains in the second All Star Game. Very few players didn’t get a nice vote turn-out from the voters, so all the players who nominated themselves should be pleased that they were able to get a nice amount of votes for themselves! If not, don’t worry… it seems as though this will be the format for the ASGs going forward. Make sure to give your thoughts on the public vote format!

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All Star Rosters…
With some difficulties in finding a time to complete the live draft, the VHL All Star Game was pushed back a day or two. By the time the Magazine is released, the game should be live to the public, but for now fans are left to patiently wait during one of the biggest points of the VHL season. As Team Victor was forced to take Greg Clegane, Team ADwyer was rewarded the first-overall selection. ADwyer brought Lord Karnage on board quickly and built quite the team around him. While Karnage withered away with the horrifyingly-bad Vikings, he has been lights out since joining the Americans. Karnage with talent around him will succeed no doubt, so that makes for a strong pick. Both teams are pretty even for the game, which goes to show the change in the All Star Game format was a good call. A game between North America and Europe this season would have simply be ugly, with many omissions from the North American squad. We’ll have to see how the ADwyer v. Victor game plays out! It seems very promising.

 

Europe playoff teams…
While we’re still waiting on the official word, it seems that the teams who will move on to the European playoffs are essentially a lock. Other than Ilya Kopralkov facing many shots or Davos nose-diving despite the talent they acquired, it seems Riga and Davos will join Cologne in the post-season. This leaves out Helsinki and Stockholm who have embraced the rebuild portion of a team’s run. It seems inevitable that Davos and Riga will clash in the first round, bringing back haunting memories to many Riga fans who have seen the Reign get swept in the first round by Davos just recently. One point separates the two teams who are fighting for home advantage at the moment, but will it even matter? Despite whoever wins the conference semi-final, the Express have a much better record than their counterparts. Davos has definitely loaded up on talent, so they are certainly to make a run this post-season.

 

Buh bye Seattle…
In one of the most terrifying conferences to see the VHL in quite some time, and something had to give eventually. The team that eventually gave were the Seattle Bears, who wisely traded assets they had acquired in the off-season for pieces that can help them build to a better future. Seattle and new GM Banack did a lovely job of building a team worthy of making the playoffs in any ol’ season, but this season was not your average beast for the the North American conference. Instead of normal we have the Toronto franchise that has become a monster, the Americans who are always a force especially after recent moves, and the record-breaking Muete. It will be a clash we’ll talk about for ages, so it should come as no shock that the Seattle Bears have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

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Riga vs. Davos…
It was quite the race to the finish in the European conference with Davos really figuring out a system that worked for them. For the final sim, if Davos could find a way to beat Toronto and if Riga defeated Colgone, Davos would get the bye. It was a crazy final week that led to this with Riga falling out of the race for home ice with the Express slumping a bit too. Riga were able to defeat Cologne, but Davos came up just short, losing to Toronto in overtime. This left both Cologne and Davos at 75 points on the season, but with Cologne’s early success, they took the tie-breaker with ease. Now Davos must urn their attention to the Riga Reign. Riga and Davos have met quite a few times recently in the conference semi-final, so it’ll be interesting to see how things play out this time around. Will Davos continue their strong play? Will Riga finally win a post-season game, and potentially the series? Things in Europe are looking pretty interesting!

New York vs. Toronto…
Not as interesting as things are in the North American conference, though! New York, Toronto, and Quebec City have been the three top teams in the league and it wasn’t even close. All of these teams deserve to be number one in the league, but unfortunately they find themselves all in the same conference. This caused the Seattle Bears to start an early re-tooling session while the three giants battled it out. With Quebec breaking records, they secured their spot in the semi-final, leaving New York and Toronto to go to war. Toronto managed a record-breaking campaign as well, asserting themselves as one of the best teams to take the ice. They look to be the favourites in the series, especially following a strong win against the Americans just a couple days back (and going 7-0 in their regular season series). Anything can happen in the playoffs though.

MVP! MVP! MVP…
With the regular season coming to a close, it’s also time to start taking a look at the stats of some players to see who will be taking home the league’s awards after the playoffs are said and done with. The Scotty Campbell Trophy is most definitely drawing the most attention with possible winners with Max Molholt once again having a dominate season for the Legion. Another possible player to take this one home would have to be Greg Clegane and his stellar numbers including his 16 shutouts on the season. One can make an argument that the great numbers are only because of the team that was playing in front of him, but the same argument could be made for Molholt who had a ton of star players around to pass the puck to. There are many players deserving of tons of awards, but we’ll have to see how it all plays out. It’s going to be an exciting few weeks with the VHL!

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Finals keeps going…
With the Toronto Legion and the Cologne Express well underway in their Finals series, many expected that it would not take long for the series to play out. Toronto made quick work of the Meute while the Express were able to eliminate the Reign to book their ticket. Simply due to the difference between the competition levels in the two conferences, it wasn’t expected that the European rep would even stand a chance against the North American rep. In Game 4 though, thanks to a solid game from Joel Jarvi, the Express were able to extend the series to five games. While it very well is possible that the series will be over by the time this article is published, it’s also very impressive from the Express to even win one game with the entire league expecting that it would not go their way whatsoever. Who knows? Maybe the dreaded 3-1 series will rear its ugly head and cause Toronto to sweat a bit!

Possible Quiet Off-Season…
With things looking the same around the league, it doesn’t seem that there is going to be much action in terms of free agency and trades coming in the off-season. The teams that were competing this season are still in good shape to make another run while the developing teams could use a bit more time before buying in to a race. VHL fans should suspect things to be a little more quiet than normal because of these things and we’ll have to find some other things o pass the time through the off weeks. With the league heading into its 50th season, it’s quite reasonable to believe that the Blue Team and Board would have something planned to keep teams busy or entertained until the next season starts.

Recruitment flop…
Even with promises that should have peaked the interest of the VHL community, the 50th season recruitment drive just never picked up the way that it was supposed to. With the age of the league continuing to climb, it’s getting more and more difficult to fin people outside the league who would like to give the league a shot. And with older members, such as Coach this most recent week, deciding that it’s time to take off after their player retires, this leaves the league in a tough spot. While the league has still been nice to give everyone their prizes still for getting to the lower tier goals, the league is still left in the blind about what the other recruitment goals could be. If you know even anyone who has a slight interest in hockey, now is the most important time to attempt getting some more people on board. With awards still left to be unlocked and some time to go before the recruits have to sign up, it makes sense to give it all and get some new blood around here!

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Season underway…
The off-season seemed to move pretty quick this time around and we’re already well underway into S50! There was a few trades in the off-season that shaped the league for the S50 campaign and we’ll have to follow closely to see what happens with the standings. New York deciding to start the rebuild process on their aging roster will be the cause of how things play out for the season. HC Davos refuse to back down following an early exit from the playoffs last time around. So far this season, Davos has been led by a stellar performance from Francis York Morgan along with some key players throughout the roster. Could Davos continue this pace and make a run to a championship this season? How will the North American conference play out with only two giant teams now? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered and they will as the season presses on!

Pay respects for S51…
Right now the total amount of prospects for the S51 VHL Entry Draft is at a sad nine prospects. No matter which way you look at it, that’s a pathetic number. But it’s not too late. If the site gets to recruiting as we should have during the S50 recruitment run, we can strengthen this draft class. One team that should most certainly be doing this for the league is the Riga Reign who quite potentially acquired the first overall pick in the Entry Draft from Stockholm for their S52 first round pick which will yield one of the second players from the first wave of the second players! Riga and the rest of the league need to focus on making this draft class much better. It’s still early and there is still time, let’s go to work!

Where art thou…
When people discuss the biggest surprise of the season some people might be quick to point out that FYM is having one of the best seasons seen by the VHL so far despite being traded TWICE in the off-season. What people seem to be forgetting is the absence of a star that we have gotten so used to seeing amongst the top players, Toronto’s Max Molholt. Despite having the most time on the ice for the team, Molholt has just been unable to get it going with the team so far this season and seemingly can’t figure it out. With 50 games of the season already passing us by, Toronto really needs to awaken their superstar if they want to beat Quebec and the rising European conference. What could Molholt do to revert back to his old self? And with Molholt not being present in the scoring leaders of the league, Toronto is desperate to find a new leader on the team. Parechkin and St. Pierre are immediately where fans look to but neither have taken to Molholt’s two points-per-game pace from S49. Is it too late for Molholt? What does that mean for the Legion?

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Tied up league…
The standings right now across the VHL is some of the closest standings that the league has ever seen. Currently, the Stockholm Vikings have fallen behind majorly. Everyone knew that was coming. What these people didn’t see coming was some of the most competitive hockey that the league has seen in seasons now. Last season, the Legion, Meute, and Americans ran away with the season as the powerhouses while the rest of North America and Europe didn’t look like they were competition that would be able to match their on-ice product. While Toronto is still a powerhouse, the Cologne Express have really started running away with their game in Europe, but Quebec, Seattle, Davos, and Helsinki all look like teams who could steal games at the moment. Sure, there is still a massive chunk of the season to go, but right now things are still exciting and the rest of the season has the potential to keep up this pace. 

Quebec falls back…
Tom Lincoln is having a phenomenal season, there is no doubt about that. The Quebec City Meute are still a threat to run away with the North American conference of course, but it seems that there is just something missing in comparison to the team that was a force to be reckoned with just a season ago. It’s not the production for Aleksi Koponen, as that is still some of the strongest play across the league, falling just short of Lincoln’s efforts. What seems to be the issue right now is the game of Greg Clegane. While Clegane is doing fine, it’s what happened last season that has expectations so high for the keeper. Instead all eyes are on Wingod and Toronto as Wingate continues to put up phenomenal numbers. While Clegane could easily turn things around, right now the lack of true depth in Quebec seems to be hurting the goalie. If the team had some more serious depth instead of just several stars, it’s possible that the work load that on Clegane would have less quality shots and result in some better results for the NA powerhouse.

Second player mania…
It seems with the confirmation of which 10 members will be allowed to create new players at the trade deadline that we have been getting lots of confirmations about who these players will be. From members claiming positions to the very countries that they will be representing with their second players, it seems that the hype train is not going to be stopped. A lot of other members who did not end up winning the first wave lottery have expressed frustrations over those who did win the lottery simply because they were not chosen. What matters most is that we are just a few weeks away from seeing how the second players affect the league. It seems those who will be getting these players are ready to go, so hopefully the league is as well once they all enter to S52 pool.

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Koenig to HoF…
Ever since making his VHL debut, the league knew that Bismarck Koenig was a special player. Early Monday morning this was solidified when the BoG declared Koenig to be the sole induction for the S49 class of the hall of fame. Koenig originally made his debut with the team that drafted him, HC Davos. This would just be one of four teams that Koenig would play for in his short career in terms of VHL standards. When Koenig moved on from Davos in a trade to the Cologne Express, his career boomed. Koenig was always reliable on the ice to put up production, but the league didn’t see his best efforts until his final season, S47. Koenig would lead the league in points with 120 and would finish his career with four different awards, including the Campbell and Slobodzian. Bismarck may never have won a Continental Cup, but he was constantly a key part of the teams he played for and certainly deserves this induction. Congratulations, Boom.

Second Player Drama…
Somehow despite the list not even being ready for the second wave of the second players, it seems that the members are still worked up about those who received first wave players. With the recent return of Kachur, Kachur bumped the lottery thread looking to get himself added. This sparked quite the response from a few members and once again started the debate that haunted the first wave once the lottery was done. While some have stated that it’s a good idea to have a proper mix of activity in the waves, some members have come out with much stronger opinions by already declaring the second player initiative a failure simply based on the members who won the lottery and those who did miss it. Unfortunately, that’s all part of the lottery and no one can see how this is second player first wave is going to work out. The deadline is approaching and players will have lots of time to prove themselves as worthy of being in the first wave. One thing is for sure, this spark certainly will turn into a flame yet again when the second wave lottery opens.

Quebec all in…
The Meute seem to be right in the corner right now. With most of their roster ready to leave via free agency in the off-season, it’s clearly all or nothing for Quebec City at the moment. The team made a big move with the New York Americans over the weekend, bringing in Thaddeus Humbert and Thomas Duddy to add some depth to the team. The question now is if it will be enough for the team to defeat Toronto in the post-season and whoever manages to advance from Europe. While Quebec did give up a couple of highly sought-after S52 picks, the main piece Quebec gave up here was a S51 1st. While it will be heartbreaking for the franchise to not pick up the ever elusive Continental Cup win, at least it wouldn’t have come at a high cost to get this deal done for some much needed back up.

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All Star Game…
The All Star Game is right around the corner and the eight candidates that are up for the vote have been revealed. It didn’t seem that there were too many interested in taking on the captaincy roles for this all star game, but we do have a proper mix of options. There are the veterans of the league in Kendrick, Phil, and Mr. Power with Kendrick and Devise leading the vote so far. Could the league be in for a battle between two of the older members of the league? Other options for the vote are ADwyer, everydayimbyfuglien, DT, Phil, TheLastOlympian, and Tylar. The vote seems like it’ll go to Kendrick and Devise, but ADwyer is currently tied in the vote with Devise at four votes a piece. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the vote is Phil sitting at just one vote so far. Another thing to follow is how ADwyer just narrowly beat out Kendrick in last season’s vote. Could he be voted in two seasons in a row? Is that truly fair?

Europe loads up…
Despite the threats that loom in the North American conference, the European teams will not back off. As the trade deadline approaches we saw two teams pull the triggers on deals to bring in some back up for their playoff runs. HC Davos officially brought in Bubba Nuck from Seattle for a pair of S52 2nd round picks. While Nuck will definitely offer support to Davos, it’s unlikely that he’ll top the two 2nd rounders that it cost to acquire him. With the first wave second players, everyone else is pushed back into the 2nd clearly. Then we had Cologne bring in E’twuan Delicious for a S52 2nd and 3rd. This move could be enough to get the Express to their rematch with Toronto as they’re bringing in some of the best scoring power that New York has ever seen. If he can keep up the pace with the Express, then this deal is going to look awfully fair for both teams!

Beware the Three-peat…
The Euro teams weren’t the only ones that made big moves to make sure the post-season followed their plans. New York was active in the trade market earlier in the day prior to trading Delicious when they traded Edwin Reencarnacion to the Legion in exchange for a S52 1st round pick. That 1st-round pick will most certainly mean another first waver will become an American and it’ll be quite the gamble for Toronto as they go all in with a retiring player. Edwin has been a force through the VHL for seasons now and Toronto has set themselves up to the point where they look unstoppable. It’ll be interesting to see how Quebec matches up to this insane roster, or Calgary if they make it to that point. If Toronto gets to the Finals though… it doesn’t seem like Europe stands a chance.

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Player Builds…
It seems that the next big change for the VHL is just around the corner. It was recently revealed that the BoG have been discussing possible changes to the player builds and the update scale, which would change the VHL extremely going forward. While the Board is supposedly bouncing around several ideas and suggestions, only Mr. Power came forth to share his suggestion. If Power’s proposal were to be put in place, attributes would be broken into three categories and would affect the update scale depending on where the attribute fell in the categories. While it would mean keeping more things in mind for updating, it would help get some more unique players in the league. Especially with all the second players getting ready to takeover, a change will be necessary. Make sure to go visit the thread and voice your support or even your own suggestions to help out the BoG with the changes going forward!

S51 Snooze Draft…
The VHLSC released their third edition of the S51 Entry Draft scouting Monday afternoon and the results of the recent findings were horrifying. While the 12-man class is bad enough, resulting in only one round in the upcoming draft, the results from the 12 prospects are even worse. Of the 12, only three prospects managed to get an update in, and between the three only 28 practice hours were logged. S51 is certainly up there for the worst draft in history, but S51 may be the worst of all time when this is all said and done. The draft lottery is only about a week away with the season coming to its end now, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out because not even all the lottery teams are guaranteed a solid pick from the draft! 

All-Star Game…
Team Power collided with Team Kendrick in what was probably one of the most defensive All-Star games in VHL history, but in the end it was Team Kendrick who came through with the win in the battle of the veterans. The most shocking stats of the game have to be the fact that through the entire game less than 40 shots were recored, with 19 coming from Team Kendrick and 18 from Team Power. The game was dead even through the first period, but in the second with some assistance from the terrible play of Greg Clegane, Team Kendrick was able to take off with two goals, three points from Tom Lincoln. Team Power did their best to make a comeback in the third period but it simply wasn’t enough despite goals from Maverick and Jarvi. Tom Lincoln’s hat trick performance was given the nod for player of the game and that battle that has been going on for quite some time was settled. One has to wonder how the game would’ve played out if it wasn’t for Clegane’s rough game though. With the conclusion of the ASG, the VHL will turn their sight to the final stretch of the season. Congratulations to everyone involved with S50’s All-Star Game!

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Reddit Recruitment…
The VHL has started its next attempt to bring some new faces to the league and it started with a little Sunday recruitment game to get some new eyes on the site. A post was made on Reddit and if a member upvoted and commented in the thread to help raise its placement in /r/fantasyhockey, they would receive 2TPE uncapped. This obviously can’t be done often as there would be some anger about spamming on Reddit I’m sure. Thankfully, it seems most of the members logged on to help out the league. Some may say that it’s a waste of an effort, but it’s a good start and shows that the members are willing to help (or maybe only when it benefits them, but still!). The best part about all of this is the fact that it has seemed to result in a new member. A warm VHL welcome goes out to winger Maximillian Ferrero and his agent, fatstacksofmacks! Best of luck in your VHL career and welcome to the league!

Calgary vs. Quebec…
At the beginning of the season not too many people saw Calgary in the spot that they are right now. With New York just starting a rebuild and Seattle seemingly rising, the Wranglers were on the outside. Now they have their first shot since starting their rebuild. They will be taking on North American Goliaths in the Meute, who will be looking to end this series as quickly as possible. The winner will advance to take on Toronto, the league’s Victory Cup winner of the season. Quebec have had another strong season and it seems inevitable that they will eliminate the Wranglers in quick fashion in the first round, but Calgary does have hope. With some stellar play from the new face, Ariel Weinstein, the Wranglers could maybe just do it! Keep a close eye on this series, because there are some Cinderella vibes coming from Calgary right now.

Davos vs. Reign…
Talking about Cinderella stories, how about a revisit to the surprising result from last season’s playoffs? Despite the talent difference between the two teams, the Riga Reign were able to eliminate HC Davos despite expectations from around the league. Will it happen again? The Riga roster is slowly developing as expected, but Davos went out and spent their bank account to make sure that they got their guys for a proper run this time. Bringing in Francis York Morgan and Jorma Ruutu has really done something for the point production in Davos, and the young defense in Riga looks like it will have trouble going against these regular season stars led by the always-controversial Sir William Covington III.If Riga wants to see a repeat of last season’s result, they are going to need to dig deep and find their game early on. They have multiple wins over the Legion and the Express, but can they make a run through a series? That remains to be answered. Round one of the VHL Playoffs has kicked off, and already we have some phenomenal storylines to follow.

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300 Editions…
Rather than the usual approach to the Victory 3 feature, we will instead be touching on one point through this entire article that definitely deserves to be mentioned. The VHL Magazine will be hitting 300 editions with this edition being released, which is simply incredible all things considered. While the VHL has been around for 50 seasons now, the Magazine has gone far and beyond everything that it was expected to accomplish.

When this whole thing started, who would have seen the Magazine lasting for over 6/7 years now with the editions coming out constantly throughout each of the seasons? While the Magazine has seen many members participate with their various columns and contributions over the seasons, the well put-together product has always been a constant for us. We have covered everything from cosmetic changes to the hard news of the league that generates discussion every time these seem to be released. 

The person that really deserves lots of the credit is the editor of the Magazine. While this person has changed through our 300 editions, the work ethic and effort from each of these members has always been the same to make sure that the members receive a top-quality piece of work during the week. While the Magazine has been around for so long and perhaps is over-looked by some members, it really gives some people a nice reminder about the league news when things start to slow down in the middle of the week. While the writers put in their work to get these pieces delivered, and the graphic designers handle our cosmetics, it’s the Editor who puts all of our work together. These guys make sure that everything is presented nicely and keep the ship on its course and definitely deserve some acknowledgment for their work. 

Of course, the writers and graphic designers throughout these years all deserve their credit as well. Everyone who has come up with the idea for a piece or series or column all deserve their rightful credit as well, because without those first few parties their would be no Editorial, By the Numbers, or headline pieces. As we continue to work, new pieces have been created and more new work will continue to be made going forward. The Magazine has acted as a platform for these pieces to be created, and that’s fantastic.

Of course, the ones who definitely need most of the credit are all of you who make sure to read these Magazines each time we get one out. From DT’s signature first post to the discussion that everyone has. Even if it’s simply to stop by to check out our lottery, all of you have made it possible for the Magazine to get this far in it’s run. While our platform here continues to change with every step, for us to even reach this goal is fantastic. We will continue to work on making the Magazine better and better going forward, but for now… thanks to everyone for everything.

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Threepeat…
Considering everything over the past three seasons, the Toronto Legion have defied the odds and broken history. In a moment that will be talked about for seasons down the road, the Legion were able to find a way to defeat HC Davos after the Finals went to the deciding seventh game to see what would happen. The victory makes Toronto the first team to accomplish winning the Continental Cup three times in a row. From building a spectacular team from the ground up, GM Molholt has done something that no one GM has ever done or probably will. Toronto found a solid core they could rely on each and every run and found the supporting pieces that got them there each time. Now, the team appears to be on its last legs with some of the roster set to test free agency or retire in the near future. It may be in Toronto’s best interest to get working on a plan to attempt this record again, which would require much of the same building blocks as when they started seasons ago. For now though, congratulations to the Legion for doing what many thought was the impossible.

NY Shake Up…
In some news that was certainly surprising to some, New York general manager Ron Dayne III announced that he would be stepping down from his position. Taking his place is a familiar face to not only the league, but the New York front office as well, Ryan Power. Dayne III stated the reason for his leave from office was due to the Americans not making the post-season for the first time in several seasons after thrilling battles with North America’s best. New York is certainly set up in great position for Power’s take over with eight picks in the upcoming highly-touted S52 VHL Entry Draft. Power has a lot of experience in the general manager position as well as various other spots through the league, so it should be expected that New York is in good hands. As a final action for his reign, Dayne III retired the jersey of long-time captain Jorma Ruutu, who led the Americans for much of Dayne III’s stint. Congratulations to all.

World Cup begins…
This off-season is expected to be a bit longer than the average off-season, but it’s all for a good reason as the World Cup is ready to go yet again. With teams being led by some of the most proved general managers through the league, competition will be at an all time high for the historical S50 World Cup. Commissioner ADwyer has been hard at work to get everything organized and has even offered up extra articles to keep players interested as the games get set up. It’s looking like it will be another thrilling tournament, and with some interesting roster choices from some teams, who knows how things will play out? Make sure to keep your eyes on the World Cup games this off-season as everything VHL-related unfolds!

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Team World Gold…
Against all the odds, Team World has found its way to dominance over the World Cup. When the tournament began, Team World looked to be one of the most confusing teams. This was to the point of where the team selected a S52 VHL Entry Draft prospect to play simply to fill its roster. Through strong play from Biggu Kyanon and Ariel Weinstein, the team was able to overcome all of the challenges they faced and knocked off Team Europe in the final of the spectacle. While Team World was able to overcome the odds, team United States was also able to pull off a big victory in the Bronze Medal game to bring home a medal as well. Personal awards were also handed out to conclude the tournament with Jordan Maverick being the big winner after a breakout season, taking home both the top forward award and tournament MVP. Biggu Kyanon was named top defender, Hans Wingate was named top goalie, and Apollo Skye was named breakout star to wrap up the personal awards. ADwyer did a fantastic job as commissioner this season, so make sure to thank him for a successful World Cup!

GMs move on…
In some surprising news for the week, both Toronto and Helsinki announced that general managers Molholt and Daniel would be moving on from their positions with no long-term replacement plans set in stone yet. Daniel was able to bring in Dadonov and set Helsinki up for a run through Europe, but was unfortunately never able to execute. He was well respected through the league however and will be missed. Molholt of course will forever be known for being able to build a team that was able to win the Continental Championship three times in a row, which is a feat that will likely never be matched again. Also in North America, GM Brovy stepped down from his Quebec position and handed the position back to GM Frank, who swiftly dealt GM Brovy’s player, Tom Lincoln, to the Cologne Express. The front office positions of the VHL have definitely be shaken up, and the way the league plays out going forward has surely changed as well.

S51 is underway…
After a long off-season filled with World Cup nonsense and all the other various off-season stuff, S51 is officially underway for the VHL. Pre-season fortunately went by so quickly that it seems it never happened, and now the teams are ready to compete for another season. As it stands right now six games into the season, two teams remain undefeated. Both the Toronto Legion and Calgary Wranglers of the NA division are refusing to back down as fans get more and more excited towards an inevitable collision between the teams. Other than these two teams, other teams through the league are looking for ways to get things rolling. This little preview gives us a taste of how things could possibly play out for the rest of the season, but will it follow this pattern? We’ll have to find out.

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Simple start…
Before the league’s regular season got underway, everyone had to do the season predictions as always. The one common thing between all of these predictions was that the league predicted that two specific teams would be meeting in the Finals, with the Riga Reign representing the European conference while the Calgary Wranglers would represent the North American group. The similarities between the teams make it seem that they were set for this course all along. For seasons prior to the previous off-season, both Riga and Calgary spent their time building up a solid young core and then in the off-season when the hottest free agency market hit? Both of these teams were ready to claim their rewards. While Calgary did get the ‘Helsinki Three’ and Tyson Kohler, Riga was able to pick up every profile name otherwise. So far this season, Calgary has been unstoppable, and with Sandro Clegane in net, Riga has been matching them goal for goal. If things keep on this pace, it looks like lots of people are going to be happy about their season predictions…

Dominate performers…
On that note, it also brings up something funny about the S51 sim going on. We’re used to seeing a couple dominate players take a lead early in the season or a goalie posting some logic-breaking numbers, but this season we’re seeing more than a handful of amazing performances across the league. Both Aleksi Koponen and Black Velvet for Calgary are at a 2PPG pace, with Koponen slightly edging out Black. Sir William Covington III and Shawn Muller have apparently formed an unbreakable bond as their numbers have exploded since their move from Davos to Riga, as both are just barely under the same pace set by the Wranglers. Tyson Kohler leads the league in goals, with 21 in 22 games… almost a goal per game! Then, in some sort of fantasy realm… a Clegane Bowl looks more and more believable with Greg clegane having a career year with Toronto while Sandro Clegane has put up five shutouts already with the Riga Reign in just 14 games. The Cleganes are leading the league between the pipes. This season is off to a crazy start and we can only hope that it continues this way for the rest of the way.

VHL GMs needed…
In some more important news, the league is in desperate need of some VHL general managers. After both Molholt and Daniel decided to step aside, there needs to be a new duo to step forward. The league appears to be in no rush to make this decision as the regular season plays out with Toronto and Helsinki both comfortable with their spots going forward. Being a general manager is quite the commitment. While there are slower periods throughout the season like the rest of the league, you must always be on your toes looking for ways to improve your squad. The rewards when they come make it all worth it though… so if you’re seeking some new thrills in the VHL, make sure to send a personal message to Draper saying so! Best of luck, candidates.

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The teams might be comfortable with no GM..... but some of the players aren't.

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League update…
Through 38 games played, the Calgary Wranglers have shown that they are far and ahead the best team in the league with their mere five losses on the season. Only three of those have come in regulation time as well. The Wranglers have been almost unstoppable while other strong teams in the league have all hit slumps now and then already. Is it safe to just call for the Wranglers Continental Cup win already? It seems like the Victory Cup is in grasp already. If the team’s performance is not enough proof, there is also the play of center Aleksi Koponen, who is the only player in the league who is still chasing the two points per game mark with his 75 points through his 38 games. Strong play can be seen all across the league though with Toronto’s Greg Clegane dominating the league from the crease, while the two-way play from Parechkin has been simply phenomenal. Riga’s Sir William Covington III has also been carrying the offense for his team as well. While the season is just passed the half way mark, it seems that how the rest of the season will play out is already pretty clear. Who knows though, anything could happen in this next half, and if the first was anything to give us an idea of what’s to come? This will go down as a phenomenal season.

The Phenomenal Draft…
The S52 Draft is still in the eyes of many members as the first wave of the second-wave players keep up the work to raise their draft stocks in the upcoming super draft. The VHL has also seen a surge of newer members joining up as well thanks to the efforts of the recruitment squad and everyone who has brought in some players. According to the last VHLSC scouting report (which can be found in its usual spot), there are 13 active draftees updating their players and several more who are worthy of note as the second wave players. Who knows how things are going to play out going through the rest of the season? Really, anyone of the draft crop that we have seen could be a worthy number one overall pick, but that decision will come down to whichever general manager ends up with the number one pick of course. Hopefully the prospects will keep up the great work in hopes of climbing the VHLSC mock draft!

Tidbits…
Some little need-to-know things around the league at the moment. There seems to be a revival in the works as the Victory Wrestling Federation is flirting with a return after the recent release of 2K’s WWE 2K17. Following the success of the previous run, this would be a welcome addition to the quiet forum. And news has broken out of the commissioner’s office with some legal action to come against Commissioner Donald Draper? The rumor has it that Commissioner Draper fondles young boys. Facts have yet to be brought forward for these accusations. See the VHL Index page for more information! 

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Helsinki Blows Up…
Under temporary management, the Helsinki Titans have decided that it’s time to take a new crack at the rebuild thing as they have traded away essentially the entire roster. The handful of stars that Helsinki had found their way to the Quebec City Meute, who took advantage of the market to bring in Dmitri Dadonov, Kendrick Cole, and Thor Odinsson. Acquiring those three immediately puts them with the best in North America as Toronto should be on its way to a rebuild of its own soon. It certainly came at a cost though with Helsinki receiving a handful of valuable picks. Seattle’s S52 first and second round picks went to Helsinki, and both those picks could end up being lottery picks if Quebec goes on a stretch of wins from this trade. Helsinki also received Cologne’s S53 first round pick and Quebec’s S53 second round pick in the deal. Shayne Gow was also dealt to Seattle by Helsinki, in return for a meaningless S52 3rd and Davos’ S53 second round pick. As Gow prepares for free agency, it seems to be a desperate move to at least get something in return for the young player. Interim general manager Mitch Higgins has certainly received some criticism for the second deal. However, Helsinki finds themselves in a nice spot going forward.

 

All Star Game…
The All Star Game is confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, the 23rd. Players are still coming forward to put their names in the hat for the right to be captain, but one choice for captains already seems clear to the Victory 3 staff. Sandro Clegane and Greg Clegane have been on a collision course since they stepped foot in the league, and while we may see the legendary #CleganeBowl take place with the Continental Cup on the line, the VHL has the opportunity to make sure that this happens at the S51 All Star Game, and blowing this opportunity would surely be a mistake. Both goalies are arguable the top of the league right now and could give the league something to really enjoy if given the opportunity to lead these teams. When the time comes, VHL… make it happen.

 

Jericho returns…
With new members not really being a thing over the past couple of weeks, there was a nice surprise on Thursday when former member Jericho made a sudden return after presumably being encouraged by his close friends on the site. He also announced that he would be leading off the S53 draft class with his create on Monday’s trade deadline, and one can only assume that due to his history with the VHL that many teams will be looking to acquire him through the draft if they have the chance. Expect Stockholm or New York to start up a hit squad that will target any GM from an opposing team threatening to draft the new generation Jericho player! From the VHL Magazine staff, welcome back to the league!

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All Star Delay…
With many members hammering out their point tasks for the All Star doubles week, it came with unfortunate news that the game would be delayed for a week, allowing the league to sort things out with everything going on. On Wednesday it was announced that KingRobbie and der meister would be the captains for this edition of the All Star game with the draft to come within the next few days, setting the game for the weekend. While it is disappointing that the game had to be pushed back slightly, it really doesn’t matter if it happens right on the trade deadline. This gives everyone more than enough time to cash in on the extra points and allows those with two players to get the bonus for both of their guys if they weren’t aware of the bonus last week. Now the league just waits to see how the draft plays out while the board decides on which players should partake in the all star game festivities. Keep a close eye on the VHL to stay updated with all the all star game news!

VHLM turmoil…
The VHLM seemed to be chugging along just fine for the first half of the season, but there is no denying it right now. The league is in turmoil. With new commissioner Toast running around with absolutely no idea what he’s doing inevitably and commissioner Flyers being busy with life and general other things, it seems that the league has taken quite the hit over the past few weeks. From transactions piling up to updating issues, it might be time for the league to find some new member who can help rebuild the league into a power house. While very few not involved with the league may have noticed anything is even wrong (because lol VHLM, right?), there are some issues to be addressed without a doubt. We’ll see how things play out going through the last bit of the season.

Clegane approaching record…
Sandro Clegane of the Riga Reign has been working hard all season after riding the bench to start it all off. With just a few games left in the season, the veteran goalie finds himself approaching the single season shutout record. Currently, Clegane sits at 18 shutouts while just one more would tie him with CAL G’s efforts 20 seasons ago when he posted 19 shutouts with the Calgary Wranglers. Oddly enough, both goalies are represented by the Jardy player agency, showing how talented the agency is at finding young goalies with high potential and making sure they reach those points. It will be interesting to see if Clegane’s fantastic performance this season will be enough to make sure that the Reign get their bye to the European conference final. Riga has faced some easy competition in Europe with Stockholm, Helsinki, and Davos, but a record is a record and if Clegane can play strong in the final stretch his name will be in the record books for quite some time. Take that, Greg Clegane.

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All Star Game…
After what seemed like delay after delay, the VHL fans got to see the S51 All Star Game at the end of last weekend where Sir William Covington III’s Team Cocaine narrowly got away with the 6-5 win against der meister’s team that was named after himself. Team Cocaine controlled the offense for most of the game, making sure to fire on every chance that they had. Max Molholt and Tom Lincoln were both able to put up two goals while the rest of the team mostly put up good numbers as well. It was Team der meister’s goalies that caused this game to go all the way to the shootout as both Ariel Weinstein and Atticus von Braxton had amazing performances, only letting one puck in each. In the shootout it was Molholt adding on another moment on top of his points to secure the win for his team and first star honours. The All Star Game was a good time and provided a little break from the VHL regular season action as the season prepared to close.

Davos takes it…
Despite a terrible stretch to end the season, HC Davos was able to find their way back to the post-season despite a weaker roster than the one that almost got it done last season. A 1-8-1 record for their last 10 games was still enough to hold off the Helsinki Titans, who will see the season end earlier than expected for them. Davos will now be taking on the Cologne Express and are expected to lose the series quite quickly, but who knows how it could all play out? Davos management breathes a sigh of relief as well, having traded their S52 first round pick long ago. Had the team missed the playoffs and saw Stockholm with a lottery pick in the epic draft, there would be answers demanded from the fans. Now Davos looks to capitalize on the chance given to them and turn things around after how their season ended. Over in the North American conference, Seattle will be taking on Toronto in the first round to determine who will go on to face the favourites, the Wranglers. The first round certainly offers some excitement!

S52 Off-season…
After the playoffs are said and done though, the VHL has one of the most incredible off-seasons to look forward to as it will start off with a draft that is set to change the future of the league when the first set of second players will be drafted to their pro teams. The Entry Draft is one of the deepest ones in terms of talent as of recent memory. Late Friday before the playoffs began, Riga’s Sir William Covington III confirmed that he would test free agency for the third season in a row. He is set to be joined by a good crop of last season’s free agency wave as well, which could make for another shuffle amongst the league. We’re looking forward to seeing how that all unfolds!

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The 3-1 lead…
The playoffs are well underway if anyone hasn’t noticed. The conference finals are everything but what was expected with the Calgary Wranglers and Riga Reign both struggling with their breaks, falling 3-1 in their respective series against the Toronto Legion and the Cologne Express. What exactly is it that went wrong with the two teams that were expected to go on a serious run? Through the season, despite who Calgary played, they made it look easy. It was to the point where it looked like the team would very well win eight games straight to secure the Continental Cup. In Europe, Riga and Cologne went back and forth all season but it seemed that the Reign has the edge when it came to it. Now, it looks like the two conference regular season champions will not even make it to the Finals this season. Either it be the strong play from Skovgaard in Cologne or Parechkin in Toronto, both teams seem to have solved the two giants that have been an issue all season long. Because of this, the VHL is in turmoil and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

VHLM Commissioner applications…
The VHLM is in need of a new commissioner. Recently, Flyersfan decided that it was time to call it quits which leaves poor Toast to deal with everything that is going on. It’s obvious to everyone around the league that the most recent season wasn’t the best with the lack of activity, direction, and all sorts of other issues. Going into this off-season, it seems that the minor league is preparing itself for some form of a contraction, and they will be in need of a member to step forward and help out with the work load that is to come with the off-season. So far it seems the only serious applications have come from former commissioner Eaglesfan and Robbie, so there is still time to put your name in the hat if you are interested. Make sure to check out the posting in the job applications forum.

VHL relocation…
It seems that the board of the VHL is gearing themselves up for a couple relocations. With failing hockey markets and teams seemingly falling off in terms of prestige, it would be the perfect time for some VHL teams to find new homes. This is why the rumor mill is swirling. It’s not secret that HC Davos may be moving to Russia in the near future, but now it seems that the Riga Reign are in trouble as well. With the fading market in Latvia and the lack of Latvian players, it makes sense for the Reign to seek a new home. A team in North America is also in trouble as one of the newest teams, the Quebec City Meute could possibly be moving to a bigger American market such as Chicago to show support for the growing market in the U.S.. If any of this were to happen, look to the off-season for signs of it because you can be sure that league officials are certainly in discussion about the locations of the teams.

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The shocking result…
Everyone in the league expected the Calgary Wranglers to walk right through the playoffs and walk away the new Continental Champions. What actually happened though was unbelievable. If you were to tell anyone that you saw the Toronto Legion eliminating the Wranglers in five games in their series, there is not a single person that would’ve believed you. Yet, that’s exactly what happened. A team that steamrolled that competition all regular season and had one of the best off-seasons in recent memory were made to look like a fraction of themselves. And now, Calgary’s franchise is in shambles as the free agents they signed return to the free agency class looking for potential new homes. Calgary was in shock, the VHL was in shock, it was crazy. Toronto have a strong chance at making the four-peat a legitimate thing as they are set to take on the winners of the European conference final.

The incredible comeback…
As Calgary fell far behind in their series, so did their European counterparts, the Riga Reign. When Calgary scooped up the Helsinki Three in free agency, players left out responded by signing with the Reign in the European conference. While Riga’s season wasn’t as pretty as Calgary’s, they still won the European regular season title. Then the series with Cologne happened. Quickly, a familiar curse formed with Riga falling 2-0 in the series, hinting at a possible sweep. Riga was able to win game three to stay alive, but Cologne took game four as well, bringing the series to 3-1. Cologne constantly out-shot Riga and looked like the better team on the ice time and time again. It was in crunch time when Riga finally went to work. Moving Pietro Maximoff to the first line with Sir William Covington and Shawn Muller might have saved the Reign as the kid clicked with the veterans, easily leading their team to a win in a lose-and-go-home scenario. Riga would lock down and end up going all the way to game seven, where they won the series a booked a date with the history breakers.

Man in Green…
While the VHL continues to pump out stories left and right through these playoffs, the VHLM are going through their playoffs steadily as well. One thing that has distracted some viewers though is just who will be the next VHLM Commissioner? The roulette of officials continued when playoffs started with the announcement that Flyersfan would be stepping down. This led to the league approaching a former commissioner to step in and help lead the league. Smarch will be returning as a member of the green team and will help lead the league through an off-season that is set to be an absolute game-changer to not just the minor league, but the VHL as well. Make sure to keep your eyes everywhere this off-season as we see what changes are in store for the league.

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Three and done…
The Toronto Legion seemed to be on the cusp of winning four Continental Cups in a row, but the Riga Reign were able to put an end to the reign of terror. In their Continental Finals series, the Riga Reign saw themselves fall 3-2 in the series after winning the first two games, but after strong performances from Pietro Maximoff and Sandro Clegane, Riga was able to make a miraculous comeback for the second time in the post-season. With Riga’s return to the Continental Cup, Toronto sees their dreams for four-in-a-row fall flat, but will any team be able to match their history-breaking franchise? It’s likely not. However, Riga fans can celebrate as the championship returns to Latvia for the first time in almost a decade and the team puts an end to an ugly curse that has haunted the team for quite some time. While Riga was able to win it all in S51, it seems that things are already completely changing for the league’s landscape in S52.

North American dominance…
Where have we seen this before? From Calgary re-signing their stars who were all expected to test Free Agency, to New York being the go-to destination for wildcard free agents, and Toronto/Quebec still trying to compete despite the odds against them, North America has proved to be the go-to location for the best VHL action. Some of the league is understandably furious with the players who continue to go to the North American conference, but things seem to have fallen right into place for these franchises. From New York’s lottery blessing, to Calgary’s will-not-die attitude, and Toronto’s recent history… free agents were drawn to these teams. Lots of questions surround these teams however. Will they be able to win it all with the rosters they have assembled? Who has the best shot of taking the conference seasons down the road after how things played out? Just what will happen going forward? Lots to watch this season… keep your eye on North America!

Failure in East…
Make sure to ignore the European conference though. With all of the free agents signing in North America, the European conference looks like they are taking a break for S52. Only the Riga Reign and Cologne Express will be posting rosters who are worthy of even being discussed. Cologne did not have free agnecy work their way once again with seemingly all free agents choosing to ignore GM Harbinson’s pleas for players to go his way. In fact, he even lost face of the franchise in Phil Hamilton. Over in Riga, things are not looking any better. While the team was able to bring back Sandro Clegane and Shawn Muller, the team lost Jeff Hamilton and Sir William Covington to free agency, meaning the team will be in trouble for the future season. The European conference is in one of its worst states in history, and things are not looking up anywhere across that conference.

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Surprise first place…
Almost 20 games into the season, which team did you think would be in lead of the entire league? If we polled the members before the season began, I’m sure we would have seen a bunch of predictions for all of the North American teams who sport some very talented rosters. Here we are at the 17-game mark though, and the team in first place is the Cologne Express! Cologne has torn it up all season long, and even started the season off by storming to a 10-0 record, reaching general manager Greg Harbinson’s goal of a 10-win season very quickly. While the Express’ lead may only be one point on the New York Americans, it’s still impressive to see a European team leading after all the hype that has gone into the North American conference. Many will argue that it’s because of the weaker competition that Cologne faces, but they are still the standings leaders and that achievement cannot be ignored.

Changing of the guard…
Over in the crease, things are looking a little different compared to last season. Last season ended up being the story of the long-awaited CleganeBowl, which resulted in some of the greatest play we have seen from goalies in VHL history. This season though, we don’t see Greg and Sandro at the top of the league. Instead, we find a new group of keepers who are trying to change where the spotlight shines. The top efforts belonging to Cologne’s Dmitri Dadonov who is sitting at 94.3 save percentage and one of the best goals-against-average in the league with 1.88. Another standout has to be the Seattle Bear’s Jakab Holik with a league-leading GAA at 1.60 and a 92.7 save percentage, arguably keeping the Bears ahead of the competition in the NA conference with his strong play. Another shout-out definitely has to go out to New York’s Ilya Kopralkov with his terrible 88.8 save percentage. However, New York is still finding tons of ways to win, so we’re seeing quite the even play from goalies in the VHL!

Will Toronto rebuild…
Another question surrounding the VHL right now is just what will become of the Toronto Legion? Following the unsuccessful run for the fourth Continental Championship in a row, the team was expected to rebuild. However, with some free agency luck the team opted to go for it once again, but the issue with this is that Toronto simply does not have any depth. Instead, the team features some of the best stars in the game, but it’s not enough to get it done. Toronto finds themselves falling further and further back in the North American standings, and it’s not certain that they’ll be able to turn it around. Clearly, GM Molholt must have deals planned for trade deadline to acquire some depth, but will the damage have been done at that point? What a crazy conference this is…

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Seattle surging…
Last week we covered the powerhouse teams in the North America and things are developing quite a bit as we get hints on how the rest of the season will play out. Almost 30 games into the season, the Seattle Bears are sitting pretty on top of the division with only three regulation losses throughout the entire season so far. Calgary trails closely with few losses as well with New York keeping pace with their heavy scoring. Toronto is falling back in the race, but is only two wins behind the Americans. Quebec City is simply out of the competition right now. So, will Seattle be able to hold on to their lead and keep their run going into the post-season? Obviously it is too early to give a solid prediction on that, but the team is definitely having an impressive run at the moment. Keep an eye of the conference to see what happens when these giant teams collide! So far there has been some outstanding games.

Cologne Express derail…
After such a phenomenal start to the season for the Cologne Express, they seem to be falling back to reality. Of their past 10 games, the Express have found themselves as the losers seven times. Considering the team went undefeated in the first 10 games of the season, it’s surprising to see them struggling. The Riga Reign have forged ahead, being led by young upstart Pietro Maximoff. It seems clear as day to everyone that either Riga or Cologne will be taking a trip to the Finals for their certain doom. Or, could we see a Cinderella story appear in the VHL again and the underdog will reign victorious in the Finals? It has happened before, but it seems unrealistic this season. Regardless, that is what these teams will be using as motivation as we press on to the second half of the season.

Prepare for deals…
Mentioning the powerhouse teams in North America and the teams that are just kind of trucking along in Europe, it seems that we’ll be seeing more deals soon. North American teams are going to be looking to pick up whatever they can and there is considerable talent still leftover in Europe, looking to join the war. With some cap room, Seattle could upgrade any position. Toronto is clearly building up towards buying the farm off a team, and it just now seems like it’s a matter of when, not if. There is going to be a game-changing move soon enough, there is no doubt about it. It’s just going to be a case of which team is the one to do it. Another possibility is seeing one of the North American teams fall out of the race and Riga or Cologne loading up on talent to take on whichever team it might be in the Finals. There is still a lot of time for this season and a lot of questions to be answered, so let’s keep an eye out for possible transactions over the next couple weeks!

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Trade Deadline…
With the timing lining up so perfectly, how could they not? Earlier on last week it was announced that the VHL’s trade deadline would be taking place on Christmas night, with many VHL teams hoping that they could get some Christmas gifts that they have been hoping for all season long. However, not many general managers turned up for the always active trade deadline (right? Right…). As expected, Toronto were the big players of the day trading a couple of picks to bring in the expected depth. John Sleeman highlights their acquisition as the Cologne Express have fallen far from the point they were at when the season had started, so it makes sense that they would at least get a piece they can use for the retiring Sleeman. Calgary also picked up some more depth from the Titans and made it clear that they were not going to slip back either. So instead of one of the North American teams stepping back as I predicted a few weeks ago, instead we see the big four staying put and improving a bit. It’s going to certainly be a very exciting end to the season in the North American conference but who knows how everything is going to play out? We’ll see in the coming last couple weeks of the season!

 

Controversial Holiday…
The VHL also announced that there would be an expected Christmas giveaway. Members were given the task of searching through the forums for some gifts that Santa left behind. Upon finding the four gifts and personal messaging Draper, members would be allowed to choose one gift for a gift from the VHL later on. On top of that members were given a free doubles week that was allowed to be redeemed over the two holiday weeks, ending on the New Year. However, due to some unfortunate wording, some members did not complete a point task for Christmas night assuming that they were given a free 12TPE rather than doing a point task and having that doubled, as was meant to be implied. Due to this, those who did not complete a point task were frustrated within reason and outraged. Headquarters was surrounded and many members hurled anger at those responsible, Draper and Higgins, the league’s Blue Team. It was quite the battle that eventually ended with the announcement that the event would be extended a week into January to make it up to those who missed a deadline. That wasn’t enough for some though…

 

Draper Found Dead…
When the dust settled and the angry mob dispersed, the corpse of beloved Commissioner Draper was found in the middle of the crowd. It is believed that Draped succumbed to heartbreak upon seeing the VHL member-base turn on him so quickly at a time of the year regarded for good spirits. An unknown man, Will, was the first to react and ran over to Draper, but quickly pronounced Draper’s death. Due to his quick reaction, Will has been awarded with the vacant VHL Commissioner spot and will be our new leader. Ripperoni pepperoni, Draper. Lead us to greatness, Will.