VHL Headlines

[Boragina 89]

It was supposed to be a close series. It was one that would end up going six or seven games and settled by a goal or two. Instead, the Toronto Legion entered and closed out the final series of the S37 playoffs with a dominant four to nothing series win to secure the Continental Cup over the combatants from Europe, the HC Davos Dynamo.

 

Both teams had the advantageous position to start the playoffs as both earned first round byes into the second round thanks to their strong first place finishes. Davos ended up going the full seven games against the Riga Reign, with Thomas Landry scoring the eventual series winning goal just twenty two seconds into the final frame of game seven. Most would have imagined the Dynamo scoring a more decisive victory over their rivals, but a win was a win and they were off to face the champions of North America.

 

The Toronto Legion had to wait an additional couple of days for their first round opponents, the Seattle Bears. Seattle was involved in a tough battle with the Quebec City Meute, and won the series in seven. Fatigue must have settled in, because they just didn’t have enough to conquer two of the top teams in the VHL. After winning the first two games of the series, the Legion dropped both of their games in Seattle. Toronto would go on to win games five and six, including the solid four to one beat down in game six, where the only Bear goal was scored with just under four minutes remaining.

 

After a closely contested game one, which the Legion won 2-1 thanks to a power play goal by Jakub Kjellberg with four seconds to play, most saw the series continuing on that tightly played path. Toronto came out strong in game two scoring two goals quick and early en route to a 4-1 victory. The trend continued for Toronto, scoring twice in the first five minutes of game three to win the game 3-1 and take a 3-0 series stranglehold.

 

Davos finally came to life in game four, facing elimination. They would take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, before finally letting Toronto on the board with goals in the second and third frame to tie the score up at two apiece. Nothing happened in the first overtime period, so the league and its fans were set for double OT. Midway through the period, Reggie Dunlop would bury a feed from Kjellberg to send the Toronto Legion home with the Continental Cup.

 

So there we have it. We have a new home for our Cup Champions, and look forward to S38 to see if the Legion can hold up as champs or if we will celebrate new ones. The Off-season schedule has been posted so give it a look if you haven’t already! Congratulations to the Toronto Legion on their victory, and to the HC Davos Dynamo squad on a fantastic season!

[Boragina 89]

The excitement of the offseason is finally over. The World Cup of Hockey was concluded when Willie Weber notched the eventual game winning goal early in the second period as the Canadian team would wind up defeating the European conglomerate in a 3-1 affair. Anatoli Zhumbayev of Team World wound up leading the entire tournament in points thanks to a strong showing with eight goals and twenty two total points in twelve games played. Brennan McQueen of Europe though showed exactly why Team Europe wound up making it to the final, leading the tournament with 11 goals in twelve contests. Congratulations to the gold medal winning Team Canada, as well as all those who participated in the event!

 

The VHL Entry Draft is one of the biggest stories each and every year and this was not one to disappoint. As most of the league expected, Vojczek Svoboda was taken as the first overall selection in the S38 VHL Entry Draft. Svoboda will be one the players looked to as a catalyst for change in a Helsinki locker room that was effectively emptied out not too long ago. Good luck to all the draftees, and may you all have great careers!

 

There were only a few high end free agents this year, namely Tuomas Tukio and Wesley Kellinger who had both played for the Quebec City Muete last season. Kellinger was not available on the market for long, as he quickly signed a three year deal worth thirteen and a half million with the New York Americans minutes after the franchise had announced its intent to sign the high end centre. Tukio had an extremely similar mindset, also signing a deal with the Americans. Being in his last season of VHL eligibility, Tukio signed just a one year contract in hopes of winning a cup in New York.

 

The rookies are settling in their new homes in the VHL while some veteran players are also being forced back into that newly arrived sensation that some hadn’t felt since they themselves had been drafted. The season is extremely early, and it would be foolish to try and assert that any one prediction is in concrete. However, looking at the early standings, it would appear that the New York Americans are flourishing thanks to their new signings. Davos is off to an extremely good start as well. Who is going to bottom out and go for that first overall pick once their season is over? Who will win the scoring title? Who is going to be the regular season champs? Which player is going to be the biggest disappointment? There are so many questions, and so much time for answers.

 

The 39^th VHL Season is here!

[Boragina 89]

We are well underway into the 38^th VHL season and there have been a few big stories to tell. There has been complete dominance in the North American Conference coupled with a very tight playoff battle occurring in the European conference.

 

To start things off, there is no way that the league nor could its fans possibly ignore the start to the season that the New York Americans have had. They have lost just one game in regulation all season long in thirty one contests. They also have just two overtime losses which stands that clearly ahead of the rest of the league with an outstanding 28-1-2 record. They have been dominant in all areas of the game as well. Their 117 goals for is currently the top in the league, and they currently have the lowest goals against in the league. Odin Tordahl has been an extremely valuable player for the Americans as he is one of three Americans players currently in the top ten in league scoring. His leads the league in both goals (29) and points (61) and is also a leader in game winners (7) and power play point (18) proving he is a truly dominant threat for this New York club. Tuomas Tukio has been absolutely lights out for the Americans since coming over to the club this past off-season, as he is a league leader in save percentage (.934) and goals against average (1.67) along with being tied for first with six shutouts.

 

With the Cologne Express and the Helsinki Titans fighting for a lottery pick, the race for the playoffs is already essentially over. That doesn’t mean that any of the Vasteras Iron Eagles, Riga Reign or the HC Davos Dynamo can afford to take a night off. The three clubs will be in a tightly contested battle for positioning in the standings. Both the Dynamo and the Iron Eagles have had great starts, posting 23-7-0 and 22-9-0 records, respectively. Just two points separate the two clubs, but the Iron Eagles will have to hope that their defensive play that has been just slightly better than that of the Dynamo will be able to stifle the second best offense in the league. The Riga Reign have also had a good start with a 18-11-2, but they will be in tough no matter who they face in the first round, assuming they stay the course and finish 3^rd in the conference.

 

There is still a lot of hockey left to be played this season, but we already essentially have the six playoff teams already picked out. With the current favorites, the New York Americans, sitting pretty atop the league, is there a team that can knock the wind out of their sails before the season comes to a close?

[Boragina 89]

Time sure does fly, and that is especially true about the current VHL Season. We are more than half way through the season, and quickly closing in on the end of the regular season! Unlike the past couple of seasons where there has been some serious competition to get into the playoffs, it appears that we already have our six playoff combatants picked and ready to go!

 

Before we talk about that, there is a small trade to announce! The general manager of the Riga Reign, Mike Szatkowski, announced the dealings of their own S39 third round pick as well as the Seattle Bears 2^nd round pick in S40 in exchange for the recently retrained Doug Clifford. Having played exclusively at the forward position for his VHL career, Clifford will be embracing a bit of change as he will be joining the Reign blueline. It is a good move for the Reign as it gives them an extra piece without dealing away from their current depth, allowing them to maybe challenge for one of the top spots in the VHL’s European Conference.

 

Speaking of the European Conference, the race for first place will not be an easy one. Currently, HC Davos Dynamo hold the lead by just one point over the Vasteras Iron Eagles. The two clubs are vastly different in their approach to the game, as Davos is currently the second best offensive team in the league while Vasteras boasts the second best defensive game. Both clubs are going to be neck and neck throughout the rest of the season, as they each have nearly identical records. Whilst racing each other, they might now face some more competition from the Riga Reign as well. The acquisition of Clifford might be enough to boost them into the dogfight for top spot in Europe.

 

Not much has changed about the North American conference over the past week. The Quebec City Meute and the Calgary Wranglers are still amongst the leagues worst teams, although it seems that Quebec City knows how to lose a bit better. The top story last week about the nearly impossible start for the New York Americans has hit a bit of a snag, and to call it that is stretching the story by a lot. They have gone 13-3-0 over the past week, which is no record to be ashamed of. With a 41-4-2 overall record so far, the most goals for and the least against, the S38 New York Americans have a shot to go down as one of the greatest teams of all time. The Seattle Bears (3^rd) and the Toronto Legion have their work cut out for them. With almost no hope of gaining the no.1 seed in the NA, they will have to go through each other before having to faceoff with the juggernaut in New York.  

[Boragina 89]

There are exactly twelve games remaining for all ten teams on the schedule for the thirty-eighth VHL season. Save for official elimination of one team, the six playoff combatants have been determined. Four teams must now play out the remainder of their schedules knowing that the results are meaningless. The remaining six will have to continue to claw at the remaining points in hopes of securing themselves a better position heading into the post season. We are also just a few days removed from one of the most overlooked days on the VHL calendar, the annual trade deadline.

 

The norm in the VHL is for trades to have already materialized before the last call on team changes. The deadline is more used as a line to cross for future players of the VHL wishing to declare them eligible for the draft that won’t occur until a season and a half later. There was only two trades during the entirety of the season, with one of them being covered in last week’s issue of the mag. A few days before the deadline passed, the Seattle Bears acquired forward Tomas Valiq from the Quebec City Meute in exchange for a future draft pick (S41 2^nd). The Bears manage to acquire an extremely talened forward which should help down the stretch and into the playoffs, which Quebec picks up another piece to help out their rebuild. Valiq is a free agent at the end of this season, so it will be interesting to see his future unfold.

 

As mentioned earlier, four teams have been eliminated from the potential of winning the Continental Cup. The Quebec City Muete, Cologne Express and the Helsinki Titans all have the unwanted ‘E’ beside their names on the standings list, and the Calgary Wranglers are only holding up the inevitable without it beside theirs.  There is now only one thing these four teams will be looking forward to: a swift quick ending to the playoff run, and some luck to help them win the VHL Draft Lottery in hopes of being able to take the player that they hope will turn their struggling franchise around. There will be more information available after the conclusion of the playoffs.

 

That leaves just six teams competing for a chance at victory this season. The defending champion Toronto Legion have had an extremely successful season so far and will be looking to hold onto their title as they ride the stellar play of goaltender and playoff MVP Remy LeBeau. The New York Americans will have to hope that their extremely stellar play during the regular season will continue on to the postseason as they hope to raise the Cup for the first time since S32. The Vasteras Iron Eagles and HC Davos Dynamo have been in a tight race all season long, while the Riga Reign have managed to cruise by into the final European playoff spot. The VHL Magazine will have all of your VHL playoff coverage, so don’t forget to pick up the next issue!

[Boragina 89]

The playoff matchups are now set in stone. While it was known for a while which teams were going to compete for the Continental Cup once the regular season was concluded, the matchups and byes for the postseason are in!

 

The New York Americans and the HC Davos Dynamo managed to claim the top spot in their conference. The Americans have long since claimed the number one spot in not only the North American conference, but the entire VHL as well thanks to a spectacular season that we might never get to see again. They were nearly unstoppable offensively, with the second most goals for, and an absolute machine defensively, letting in just 126 goals all season long, less than two goals a game. Davos wasn’t slouching either, posting the second best VHL record up this season, while managing to be the top offensive team in the league. They did let in the second most amount of goals, so they will have to hope they can fix their defensive play, or hope that their offense can just carry the team. In any event, congratulations to both clubs on this years regular season success!

 

The Toronto Legion will be hosting the Seattle Bears come game one of the North American playoff race. The Legion had a very strong season, but will have to make this playoff run count as they will see long time franchise goaltender Remy LeBeau retire despite the end result of the playoffs. For the Seattle Bears, they will be in quite the uphill battle needing to go through both the Legion and the Americans en route to a VHL Finals berth. They didn’t have the offensive success like some of the other playoff bound teams, but played good enough defense to win some games. Prediction: Legion in 6

 

On the other side of the globe, the Riga Reign will be taking on the Vasteras Iron Eagles for a chance to dance with Davos in the European Conference championship game. Just two points currently separate the two clubs (with one game left apiece), but if there is one thing that separates the two teams currently it’s the offensive power of the Reign. They should finish as the third best offensive club in the league while the Iron Eagles should either be last or second last when compared to the other six playoff bound VHL teams. When you combine that with the fact that the Reign are currently the second best defensive squad in the VHL, it’s really hard to look at the series with much optimism for the Iron Eagles. Prediction: Riga in 5

 

We are just about ready for postseason action. We have a maximum of two more games left on the schedule before the Americans and the Dynamo take a few days off to rest and recharge while their competition goes at it for a chance to advance. Good luck to all six teams charging for the opportunity to win the Continental Cup!

[Boragina 89]

The first round of the VHL playoffs has come to an end and we now have two more teams to add to the eliminated list. Both the Seattle Bears and the Vasteras Iron Eagles saw their spring seasons cut short, while the Toronto Legion and the Riga Reign will move on to the next task – their respective conference finals.

 

The Toronto Legion entered their first round playoff matchup with the Bears after splitting the season series at four games apiece. However, three of their four wins did come post regulation, with two coming via the shootout. Game one of the series included a wild first period which saw seven different fights occur in less than ten minutes. The Bears would manage to claim game one of the brawl fest thanks to Karsten Olsen’s game winner early in the second period. The good times stopped fast for the Bears as they then dropped three straight games giving the Legion a three to one series lead. After managing to salvage another game in Toronto, Seattle would finally go down and lose the series four games to two after a four to nothing game six defeat. Jakub Kjellberg was the player to stop in the series, as he managed to score six goals and added eight assists in just six games played. Remy LeBeau was also solid in the series after a less than stellar opening night performance. Both players will have to continue to play at the top of their game if they hope to get past the New York Americans.

 

Much like the North American series, the battle between the Vasteras Iron Eagles and the Riga Reign during the regular season was also split four games each. Both squads managed to find a way to win in the shootout, giving us a three games to three series heading into the playoffs. The Riga Reign quickly jumped out to a two to nothing series lead, scoring both wins in front of their own fans. The home team advantage seemingly seemed to continue on as Vasteras claimed game three at home. After managing to win the first road game of the series in Vasteras, the Riga Reign knew they would have to go home and try and close out the series. Riga kept the pressure up the entire game, throwing shot after shot on Iron Eagles goaltender Eggly Bagelface, and would eventually put four goals past him en route to a 4-2 game five win. After Keiji Toriyama tied the game up just before the mid-way point of the third period, Brennan McQueen would score twice in a minute and a half to put the series away. Mike Szatkowski Jr played well against the Iron Eagles, but will need to be absolutely perfect when Riga shows up in Davos to take on the best offense in the league.

 

After an exciting first round of playoff action we are down to four teams. Who will move on for the chance to compete for the Continental Cup? Who will go home full of disappointment! Check in next week for answers to all these questions!

[Boragina 89]

These VHL playoffs have been moving by very quickly, and we have now come to a conclusion on the second round. With each conference posting identical series records in both rounds, we have finally moved on to the grand finale of the VHL playoffs. The Toronto Legion managed to upset the team that most of the VHL was already handing the Continental Cup over to at seasons end, the New York Americans. Meanwhile the HC Davos Dynamo put down the Riga Reign just as quickly as they ended their first round playoff matchup.

 

The New York Americans were supposedly unbeatable. Most people around the league had them pegged as the Continental Cup champions but that was before they had to go through the Toronto Legion in the second round. Toronto had a very strong season themselves, and that play has continued on to the playoffs, as they now have an 8-4 record moving on thanks to a 4-2 series win over the Americans. Remy LeBeau was absolutely outstanding, as he limited the American offense to less than two goals a game in five of the six contests played. Now that they have stopped the second best offense in the league, is it possible for the Legion defense and LeBeau to keep up the play and snuff out the highest overall offensive team in the league?

 

Davos didn’t have to wait long for their first opponents of the VHL playoffs to emerge. The Riga Reign dispatched the Vasteras Iron Eagles quickly in a five game series before heading off to face the best team from Europe. After sweeping the first two games at home by identical 3-2 score lines, it was time to move on to Riga to see if the Dynamo could put a total stranglehold on the series. Riga would go on to win game three, before dropping game four before heading back to Davos for the showdown for their playoff lives. After giving up the early lead in the first, Brennan McQueen scored midway through the frame to tie the game at one apiece. Davos would then go on to score three powerplay goals in the second frame along with one even strength goal while adding their fifth powerplay goal of the game in the third period en route to a solid 6-1 game. Davos put on a clinic over the Reign, scoring 19 goals over the five game series, and will have to hope their offense powers continue of they hope to defeat the Toronto Legion.

 

We are a few days away from having the kings of the VHL crowned. Both the Legion and the Dynamo have played some exciting and amazing hockey over the course of the playoffs and have definitely earned their place in the finals. Now it is time for them to lace ‘em up to see who will win the Continental Cup!

[Boragina 89]

Ladies and gentlemen of the VHL, welcome to a very special edition of the VHL Magazine. Normally I would use this article to keep everyone updated with a generic overview of events past like the VHL Entry Draft or the recently concluded VHL playoffs. This week’s article will read a little differently because we are here to celebrate the 200^th Edition of the VHL Magazine. Nearly four years’ worth of Mag editions for all of the VHL members to read, share and discuss. As much as I do thank our great writing team and the two editors that have made the magazine the success that it is, everything comes down to the people who read it each and every week keeping it alive. So, as a thank you from all of here on the Magazine team, thank you for your support and let’s get to 300!

 

I’ve been lucky enough to be on the magazine team for a very long time. This isn’t my first special edition of the mag, as I have been here since roughly edition 90. I got to be a part of the 100^th edition of the mag, and it was great. The writers have all been fantastic all throughout my time here, and both of the editors that I wrote for, Ray and STZ, have been extremely understanding and great at putting out such an amazing product week after week. The mag was really one of the key pieces in keeping me around as a member as it kept me coming back week after week to see if I would get mentioned. Another big thank you to both Ray and STZ for their hard work and dedication for every single edition that they managed to put out.

 

This week’s magazine will be focusing in on the history of the VHL Magazine. Through some extremely hard work by some of our talented Mag members, we have managed to compile a nearly full 200 point list pertaining to the VHL. We have also managed to get in contact with a few of our older writers to help chip in with a few words and articles for this very special edition. Also, something I’m sure that all of our members would love to take advantage of is free TPE and that is exactly what the Magazine is promising this week with guaranteed Lotto winners for this special occasion!

 

Like I had mentioned earlier, thank you to everyone who has managed to help make the VHL Magazine a giant success. Whether you are a reader, commenter, or a writer, you have all helped to shape the Mag into what it is today, and hopefully better itself as time goes by. Enjoy the rest of the 200^th edition!

[Boragina 89]

It is finally back! One of the most exciting times in all of sports, the VHL season has finally begun! It is time for all to see their favorite teams in action for the first time since the end of last year. There are a ton of new faces in new places! Players have both moved teams via trade or through free agency, and both the fans and the players themselves I’m sure are eager to get the season underway. We also have all the fresh faced youngsters that have managed to make a name for themselves through the draft and evidently through the teams’ initial training camps and have landed themselves roster spots. Will teams do better than they did one season ago, or will they fall and do worse? Will the all-stars have the seasons that we are used to seeing, or is there finally a new crop of players ready to take the league over! It all begins now!

 

The European conference has jumped out to quite the competitive start this season, with just five points separating the first place and last place teams. The Riga Reign have managed to climb to the top of the conference with 16 points (7-2-2) through its fist eleven games of the season, led by its top two wingers, Mikey Blade and Brennan McQueen. HC Davos Dynamo and the Vasteras Iron Eagles are right up there with 14 and 15 points respectively. After handedly winning the conference a year ago, Davos is off to a bit of a slow start. Both the Cologne Express and the Helsinki Titans are on the up and up thanks to a relatively strong start. While they are currently sitting on the outside of the playoff picture with 11 points a piece and an identical 5-5-2 record, the two clubs should be able to use this and build well from within. It is hard to imagine them knocking out the three stronger clubs in Riga, Davos and Vasteras, but it is a positive step nonetheless.

 

The New York Americans find themselves in familiar territory as they currently own a two point lead on the North American conference. They currently have five players with double digits in points already, including defenseman Connor Low, who leads the team with 18. The Seattle Bears are also off to a good start to the season, with a 5-3-3 record for 13 points. The Calgary Wranglers currently hold the third and final playoff spot with 10 points through their first eleven games. Their playoff hopes might not be all that strong as they are just one point ahead of the Toronto Legion and three ahead of the Quebec City Muete while playing a similar brand of hockey. The Wranglers currently have a league worst 35 goals against, while the Meute and the Legion are tied for second worst at 34 goals.

 

From the early showing it looks like the European conference will be the stronger of the two, as their two worst teams currently beat out the third best team from the NA conference. It is still to early to predict long term standing, so we will all just have to wait and see how it plays out!

[Denver 198]

ODE TO THE CHATBOX 

by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

Communication is something every sports simulation league needs in order to survive, without a direct line of communication from member to member league activity can seem a little clunky at times more often than not. The VHL has and always will depend on the amount of time members spend on the forums, from posting to updating their activity is what keeps the VHL so great. Without a keen member base and ways to recruit hot or fresh young members to come into the fold, a league like the VHL wouldn’t have been able to withstand over forty seasons. Putting that in retrospect a bit, that’s months of hard work and dedication of the member that span into years of some of the best moments and players the VHL has ever seen. But what really keeps everybody coming back for more? One thing that comes to mind is the sense of community surrounding a certain element encoded in the site’s layout, something you either love or hate about the VHL – if  this was any other sport outside of hockey, it would’ve been considered the 12^th man as it does many wonders in keeping things fresh and exciting That’s the VHL’s very own chat box – now I know what you’re thinking, why the chat box? Well it’s the allure it has had on the league as a whole. As a chat box it serves as a direct connection to other members, from agents to general managers you can instantly connect and have a conversation with someone on the fly (but that’s basic logic, logic that doesn’t really seem to adapt well in e-sports as a whole.) It’s hard to say why, but the most successful leagues all have in common some sort of communication outside of the usual suspects of private messaging and posting up either a poll or a thread.

 

Judging from personal experience, in a very short career surrounded by a good group of guys I often felt that's the one thing that many of my previous leauges were missing. Thinking back, having something collapsed against your browser where you could see whose online could’ve been viable knowing that you wanted or needed to your point across lighting quick. Something as simple as wanting to know something or relaying info about a trade or discussing a player’s direction could’ve happened instantaneously . Even when you’re trying to discuss your displeasure, it makes total sense to make sure everybody around the table knows what’s going on. Looking back on the last few weeks of the USFL, I often feel as if with a chat box I wouldn’t have taken frustrations out in the locker room thread. Not that it was too much of an issue, but a disagreement is a disagreement and sometimes they’re better avoided for the sake of the team. But that’s another story for another day.

 

Through VHL’s apparent blackout of the chat box, I come to realize that the chat box is one of few things that should be considered the lifeblood of the league. Without the chat box, I doubt as many people would communicate outside of actual threads and locker room scenarios. That’s why I deeply respect the VHL for having something so simple as a chat box, if it hadn’t been for the chat box and certain members approaching me I don’t think I would’ve stuck around past the season 40 Draft. So here’s me giving a round of applause for the chat box returning, I doubt the site would be as fun or interesting screenshot material without you. 

Edited October 26, 2014 by Denver

[Denver 198]

PAST VERSUS PRESENT 

by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

You’ve laughed, you’ve cried, you’ve cheered, and you’ve possibly thrown your laptop against the wall out of sure frustration. Somehow you’ve managed to crawl your way to the top of the mountain; you’re a premier player in the VHL after some said you wouldn’t amount of anything. The build you’re using is hours of media spots, season training and fan 950’s and you’ve seen yourself at an all time high, even if you weren’t leading the league in scoring you’ve solidified yourself as the captain of your team – nobody can stop you and you’ve got your mastery at your finger tips – you’ve wrecked the voting for off-season awards,  and of course you’ve made it through a grueling 8 season career and you can finally retire king of the ice – you’ve managed to have a lot of moments on the ice, from the time you racked up a ridiculous amount of penalty minutes fighting to being on the Olympic team not to mention the dynasty like cup wins you were a part of with your team. All these are given scenarios, history that seems to keep the VHL interesting.  

 

History can be a double-edged sword through, you can shine through history or you can be doomed to repeat it. In the VHL there isn’t much to worry about seeing as those who have deep history have stories to tell, while others not so much. That’s not to say they (those down ridden teams) haven’t taken the necessary approach to improve on previous years missing the playoffs or being ousted in the first round. In a way it’s a rite of passage, you claw and pull yourself to the top piling up an amount of TPE suitable to get you where you want or need to be. Overall as your player performs to his best, his merits are rewarded for the time you’ve spent hovering over him like a hawk. In an ever evolving league like the VHL, it almost safe to assume that one false step or missed point naturally spells the end of a magical run. Teams are often improving off previous mistakes or showing that they have very little flaws (here’s looking at you New York Americans.) For some reason, while this may be good to most people it’s a very freighting thing to those just coming into the league.

 

For weeks there’s been this never ending debate being fought on two fronts. The first is when enough is enough in the VHLM, as some players seem to want to play extra years to pad what most see as meaningless stats. “What’s the point in staying in the VHLM, the VHL is the main event?” that’s direct and to the point, some members have reasons for slumming it. Be it that they don’t feel they’re game is complete, they want to win a VHLM cup or help a team out by dominating or even my favorite they don’t meet the TPE requirements met to be considered “called up” whatever the case it’s starting to create a power vacuum vicariously through the VHLM by and that’s another headline all to itself. The second issue is history and for some reason there’s a lot of it. In certain standards if you were to take the VHL and place it side by side next to an actual hockey league, you’d get the equivalent of two great hockey leagues where the VHL would easily shine on its own merits. Dynasties have been witnessed, teams have come from behind, and the impossible has been made possible.

 

“Back in Season (insert number here)” is a phrase that seems to be a common theme amongst most podcasts, threads, media spots to the point where history seems like it’s an added an advantage, an equipped skill that can only be wielded by select few whenever logic happens to aspire to be. Instead of awe inspiring, it becomes an unfriendly game of intimidation. To a prospect or a waiver pick up looking to get his feet wet in the VHLM or continue onto a season after making amazing forward progress. There seems to be a weird gray area as to where history should be celebrated, and where it could almost come off as if it were vilified. 2,000 TPE is an amazing accomplishment, but when you start off with nothing other than the fat zero at the end of your update thread it feels like you’re committing years to something that’s an impossible feat. In ways it almost makes the VHL look top heavy where it doesn’t matter if the teams really successful or going into a rebuilding year. 

 

New members are either going to adapt to hearing about these players and try to mimic their builds or they’re going to be highly likely to shutdown and not respond as well, and in all likelihood leave the VHL before they get anywhere. In a league like the VHL where the members are the lifeblood, there’s a fine line to walk in the sand when it comes to this as a hot button issue. Subjectively there’s no right or wrong way to handle it, either you’re impressed or you’re not quite as impressed. Dare I say there’s a certain balance between having an ego and showing humility that needs to be reached without coming grips that some expectations in the league are just too far great to meet by today’s standards. One thing is for certain, today’s VHL is always growing, and one question that comes to mind is if there is room for the future within the maturity?

Edited October 30, 2014 by Denver

[Denver 198]

THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN

by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

Arguably one of the most celebrated seasons in VHL history is drawing to a close; teams are fighting neck and neck trying to clinch a playoff spot in the late going as they’re hopes of contention rely on them winning a laundry list of games just t make it in. The mission that started over the span of a 72 game season is reaching its climax, seven grueling games against two evenly matched teams will happen more than once, as we all wait to see the dust that surrounds whoever takes the . It’s a dog fight from start to finish, as teams quest to either win their first cup or continue the lineage of a dynasty that’s continuing their winning ways or restarting again – the boys are never short of being back in town – but there happens to be one question that seemingly has no answer: What if the VHL Season 40 Champions took on the VHLM for all the bragging rights? I know it sounds crazy, it shouldn’t be done because the gap in talent. From stats to attributes, even TPE numbers seem a little farfetched as you really think about it. Right now teams like the Wild, Watchmen and Storm seem to be as good or as equal as the Americans, Meute or maybe even the Express. That might not be an accurate representation of the standings right now, but those are teams who could very well all go deep into the playoffs without question. All teams mentioned have found what works on either the VHL or VHLM side of things, they’ve managed to keep their guys healthy and from each and every facet of a game there isn’t a player on the team who hasn’t pulled their weight. Trading seemed to be interesting this past season, trading Jamie Hill and Jody 3 Moons were weird moves on paper seeing as they were both playing well in their own rights.  The playoffs aren’t too far from around the corner and it’s very interesting to see so many sacrifices being made in the name for a championship. it’ll be very interesting to see how most of the trades shake out, and either add to or away from a team’s playoff push in the long run.

Without turning this idea into a long and drawn out opinion piece, the VHLM although not as flashy or direct as the VHL rightfully has a charm all its own. Not many can or will ever admit that what most VHLM teams outside of ‘unknown player’ are made of are key pieces that are either the future of the VHL or competent enough to land on a cup team or two anywhere at any time for the next eight seasons.  In a way these players could single handedly give any VHL team trouble if the ‘all-VHLM’ team was constructed right, not only are TPE and builds taken into consideration I’d like to think that you’d have to rank each player from both the VHL and the VHLM championship accordingly and put them in key positions on the ice they could flourish.

A game between the most active VHL and VHLM players is an interesting dynamic, it would stir up a lot of heat between two championship teams, the players, and even the GMs. It also might actually be entertaining watching inside jokes and insults fly within reason in Fan950s and Media Spots ensuing. The VHLM is not a threat, but an interesting look at the future of most championship caliber teams who are looking to these prospects to make an impact sooner or later.

 

This isn’t saying that the VHLM would overtake the VHL, the VHLM could very much lose the game due to how most players in the VHL are already at their peak or slowly reaching it through accumulating enough practice hours to be considered ‘true’ professionals of the sport. Still, there’s a part of me who would love to see Thomas O’Malley and Mason Richardson standing across the ice from Jody 3 Moons and Sachimo Zoidberg or even Cristophe Klose and Loyd Light (without sounding like a complete homer.) To me this pipedream is the perfect way to wrap up crowning two champions of two different yet equally important seasons, celebrating not only the VHL as a whole but also the VHLM and the entire community. 40 straight seasons without waiver  is a huge accomplishment in its own right when you come to think about it, it’s something that hasn’t really been seen in many leagues out there. Who wouldn’t want bragging rights between the minors and pros? However this is only one teeming opinion, put out there and I for one definitely would endorse something like that happening in the near future.

Edited November 10, 2014 by Denver

[Denver 198]

AN INTERESTING SEASON

by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

The VHL’s 40^th Anniversary has been one of the most coveted seasons of the VHL in recent memory from the playoffs to the off-season moves, taking a look back at this season shouldn’t be hard to pick a particular moment that you either liked or disliked about the season. With the regular season over, it’s finally time for players and teams to get their hands dirty. Forget about the hardships and misgivings of the regular season, any mistakes made in the regular season pale in comparison to the mistakes in the playoffs. One missed blocked shot from a goal or a unneeded penalty could actually go either way every team in the VHL that’s a part of the playoffs is in search of winning the 40^th season out right, not only is a team crowned champion but winning a championship on the anniversary of a league that’s been around 40 seasons in nothing short of impressive (same could be said for the VHLM.) Now’s the time to strike while the iron is the hottest, it should be interesting to see how the Playoffs turn out, as teams are trying to couple determination and prowess into a win.

 

Once the Playoffs finish up though, it’s all eyes on the Season 41 draftees. After a season 40 draft that has been held up as ‘the best draft in recent’ memory. It’s time for the Season 41 prospects to join the ranks, already it’s going to be a scenario seeing the bottom half of the season 40 draft emerge as the better players in the VHLM (if they haven’t been called up to the main roster) names that were called last year but not put to use in the VHL have a chance to put their best foot forward, starting their careers as rookies or continuing to work hard in the VHLM until they can rejoin their draft destinations. Right now, with the idea of TPE inflation looming around like a dark cloud it should be interesting to see if or when players make the jump they can contribute. A lot of players just finishing up successful rookie campaigns like Thomas O’Malley, Mason Richardson, and Tyler Cote (just to name a few) most of them are already natural superstars, but are they the only ones? It’ll be interesting to see who joins those guys in the next few seasons.

 

On the other hand its already hard to deal with a team that’s going through location, it’s common knowledge about the distain for the Vasteras Iron Eagles. It spawned a catch phrase that most people utter without regard “F**K Vasteras” is almost like a culture movement the way people throw it out there. At the same time, it’s easier to sympathize with the idea that nobody likes the brand identity or the team. So relocation is pretty much the only option, you can’t have a league who alienates themselves from the possibility of being on a team or within a locker room of an unfavorable team. The move to Stockholm comes in two parts, first the VHL is returning to Stockholm for the first time since its inception – it has been a ‘winning’ franchise on the basis of making the playoffs – what makes for an interesting idea is if Stockholm’s “Vikings” are able to land good players in the draft and free agency and actually make a run at a playoff next season. Already on paper that might look somewhat dysfunctional giving how temperamental a ‘rebuild’ can be either the team gels well and the rebuild is smooth and easy or there are seasons upon seasons of work to do.  Stockholm’s success primarily hinges on what type of players they can get and how savvy of a GM is at leading a team towards the future. One thing that shouldn’t happen is that you shouldn’t count out the Stockholm Vikings who are standing in the ashes of the Vasteras Iron Eagles.

 

All in all this season has been one for the record books, even with rookies knocking on the door of history the members of the VHL should all rejoice that the league has lasted as long as it has. Here is to 40 straight seasons of great hockey actions, and to the many many seasons of hockey still left to be played. For the playoff teams, good luck trying to reach the finals. To those who are looking to parlay defeat in the wake of success, don’t give up and keep plugging away because the VHL is one place – anything can truly happen at any given moment. 

[Denver 198]

MAGICAL GAME SEVENS

by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

The VHL playoffs are in full swing as the opening round of the Playoffs did not disappoint - while the New York Americans in the North American Conference awaited the winner between the Calgary Wranglers and the Quebec City Meute, meanwhile in the European Conference the Express were raring to go against the winner of the Titans and Reign. Both series went to seven games, unprecedented in the opening round in any major support. What’s really telling is how close and competitively back and forth both series were. Seven games is no easy feat and either taking a team to seven or beating the team after seven has to be really methodical and well planned out, it really has to come down to formative judgment and precise game planning.  In a way it’s slightly historic the way the four teams in the opening round battled back n’ forth. In the Wranglers case it’s about being able to turn around previous mishaps and show the depth of a rebuild everybody hoped would succeed slowly but surely in the playoffs. Goals were scored, and the Wranglers seem to have the Meute’s number where everybody least expected it. It’s hard to say there is a member of the VHL who saw that coming, but it was nice to see a team who’s odds were so heavily stacked against them overcome a team that should’ve t least given the Americans a run for their money, if not just entertain the idea they could reach the North American semi-final unscathed.

 

On the other hand you’ve got two teams who were pretty much neck and neck behind one another all season, the Titans are and have been proving their questionable decisions in the front office are paying off, they aren’t rebuilding but they’ve been building on a future vision they’ve seen from season 39 and it’s starting to take shape. Not only do they have great prospects, they’ve managed to keep their team active and ready for the playoffs. The same could be said for the Reign; they’ve done a number on teams and are looking to be in rare form. It was only a matter of time before went head-to-head for what matters most. The most intruding thing happened to be that the Reign weathered the storm so to speak, they’d found a way to only allow three games (same as the Wranglers against the Meute) and right now headed into the second round, they’ve got added momentum going into the second round.

 

The determination from all the teams involved headed into the second round is second to none. The Americans really want to solely show themselves as the most successful franchise out right; the Wranglers want to return to a dominant form showing they can muscle against one of the North American’s most successful team. The Express also have something to prove, they’ve all been wanting to bring a cup back not only for the Express, but they want the victory to show that even a lukewarm franchise can turn heads every once in awhile. As for the Reign, they want to show that Riga’s storied history isn’t worth forgetting and that they’ve been there before. Round two ushers in an interesting predicament no matter the score or direction the series might take a turn for, whoever ends up winning sets the table for a VHL Cup Final for its time. There isn’t a bad team out of the four remaining; it can clearly go either way for any of the teams from the start of the 1^st down to the final 3^rd period horn. 

[Denver 198]

HAIL TO THE REIGN

by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

The Playoffs are over your Season 40 champions are the Riga Reign. Nobody saw it coming out of training camp. That the Reign had a bond and a mission to go beyond 72 games of the regular season and capture the Cup. They might not have been the biggest, the fastest or even the favored team going into their series with the New York Americans. At the same time, it’s almost as if they made history on two different fronts and made it look effortlessly as they cruised to this cup win. There wasn’t a moment where one person said to themselves “We think the Reign have this cup outright” Instead they had to prove it from the get go. Now giving credit where credit is due, the New York Americans are an amazing team who’ve outright put dominance ahead of winning cups – maybe that’s why they’re so successful? They’ve been playing like they’ve been there before for several seasons and were looking to capitalize on feasting upon the North American Conference. A conference might I add not many people had faith in this year (and still as the next season gets underway once again they will be the ‘force’ to be reckoned with) however, wouldn’t the dynamic change just even the slightest of bits? Riga proved they wanted this cup more than any other cup in previous VHL Finals. Not only were the wins cutthroats, but they really showed how much power a group of guys could display within a few flicks of the wrist.

 

If you were to break it down game by game you’d have to give the early edge to Riga for being as forthcoming with their intentions of putting away a dynasty by serving up a bit of  home cooking. The scores were close, but didn’t really tell much of a story. You had to go within the stats to see how the game was being fought; Riga’s first game was won by a single shot and a single point above the Americans. This led to another close and gut wrenching performance in the second, but this time they were able to show the American’s a bit of their determination by hammering in three goals to one and it appeared that the American’s were sent into panic mode. The third game seemed a little closer than the previous game, of course Riga won that and it seemed like smooth sailing…that was until they met the American’s of the past season who were just sending howitzer like shots reigning down on goalies all season. They were shut out and outshot and by a wide margin and if experts were watching, it was almost as if the Reign were sick.

 

The rest was pretty much history as two top teams in the VHL battled it out for supremacy in the final game. The Americans were looked to extend it and they fell short as the Reign with a sobering performance, even if there was no final goal scored in the third period. Slaeter Fjorsstrom is a hero; he at least had the wherewithal to actually score at the last possible minute. Riga could now rest easy as their mission was complete, they could breathe a sigh of relief and the fans could now rejoice that their team, the club that they believed heavily in for so many nail biting games had once again returned to the throne of hockey for the world to see.

 

No sooner as the last fan made their exit and the Reign began to party the next season was already started, even before the World Cup of Hockey dropped the puck the Reign were marked with a target on their back, not to mention a clock until Season 41 began. For now, the Reign are the better of the two. There are no winners or losers in trying to decipher what happens next as the Reign will have to try to return as champions. History’s not always so kind to champions although some would like to say otherwise, it’s going to be tough, people are going to have to scratch and claw back to the top of the mountain from whence they came all over again. Even with the talk of winning another or turning into a dynasty. The Reign as a team will have to validate themselves within themselves, returning to the basics in order to avoid having to overcome other obstacles such as egos or players apparent need to want to go beyond the roles that brought them to the dance. They should be cautious and beware the other ten teams, there are four other teams in their conference that would love nothing more than to see the Riga Reign meet with an unfortunate string of mishaps going into the next season. As for the Americans, they for sure are going to be the favored as previously stated. They’ll run the gambit, without having to ride the lighting so to speak…the question remains as to what they’ll do IF run into a chance rematch in Season 41.

 

As of right now though, that doesn’t really matter. All Hail the Riga Reign, they’re your Kings of the VHL for Season 40. 

Edited November 30, 2014 by Denver

[STZ 5,360]

Great work as always, thanks man!

[Denver 198]

SEASONS GRETTINGS
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer
 

‘Tis the Season for VHL Hockey as Season 41 is finally starting to roll its way upon us. Gone is the historic vibe of 40 seasons past and the celebration of having been successful this long. Replacing that vibe is a theme of both War and success as teams who were playoff contenders last season try to come back from sudden defeat in the playoffs, moves have been made, and the players aren’t all alright. Free Agency saw some shakeups and now seems like the perfect time to knock off the previous seasons champions the Riga Reign. The Reign themselves have a lot of work cut out for them, it seems as the European Conference has beefed itself up in terms of competition. Favorites like the Cologne Express are looking to erase an embarrassing showing in the playoffs last season, Thomas O’Malley wants to improve on a somewhat indifferent season and lead his team to victory. Davos looks primed and ready to flex their muscles at the same time, they’ve somewhat been embarking on a weird process of rebuilding where a rebuilding isn’t exactly necessary but they’ve retooled a few spots to where they might be as interesting as the team name suggests this season. As for the Helsinki Titans they look to be the biggest wildcard thus far in the European Conference, not only did they do away with several young players a Naomi Young rejoins the team to wreak havoc on a conference that seemingly gets stronger by the day. Then there’s the newly relocated Stockholm Vikings, they’ve already gotten under peoples skin for securing so many young picks in this past draft and already are looking like a headache in terms of draft depth. Time will only tell if the ashes of Vasteras will or will not haunt a team that seems to be on the right track.

 

As for the North American Conference, the runners up the New York Americans are out for blood so to speak. The Reign defeated a once powerful machine; again all signs seem to point like the American’s climb to the top will be one to watch this season. The Calgary Wranglers shocked most of the VHL when they came to the playoffs and did some damage, of course their run was short lived it really made the saying ‘anything can happen in the VHL’ ring true. The Seattle Bears are still trying to find the chemistry for them to become a threat, meanwhile the Toronto Legion are looking to make good on a few promises that were made with a very interstellar season 40 draft and they keep building on an empire that seems not so far away. As far as the Quebec City Meute, Sergey Brovalenko has made trades that the normal General Manager would’ve turned down or inched away from.

 

In retrospect at the moment anything is possible. The VHL’s teams are all out vying for the chance to raise the cup at the end of the season; an interesting thing to watch will be how certain rivalries will be renewed or started and how the previous season has no baring at how many stars are trying to become breakout for their teams. By any estimation this might be one of the best seasons the VHL has seen, even though that has been said about the previous season as historic 40 seasons sounds this is the season where young guns finally go at it as the top of the VHLMs prospects finally get to encounter their VHL prospects and the age old question of “who really wants it?” gets answered. Hockey is back. It’s time to put up or shut up. 

[Denver 198]

Emergence of the Rookie
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer
 
At first glance, there aren’t many positions in hockey that seem to translate well from the draft to the VHLM and finally getting into the VHL. To a large degree, most if not all of the prospects embarking on their rookie seasons have to rely on the idea that they can expect to become marginal at best. There are just far too many stars on several of the VHL’s acclaimed franchises to meet the demand for scoring, defense, and points getting. Comparing the situation from the beginning to the VHL until now there has been a constant evolution of how rookies impact the franchises their drafted to sometimes they work out, other times often than not they don’t. They don’t always play on the best lines if they’re lucky they go from 1^st line in the VHLM to 2^nd or 3^rd in the VHL and it’s obvious having a defender who can defend, a forward who can play two ways and deliver the points effectively is a major consideration for how well effective they can be, but being open to supply their teammates with quality shooting and passing. That’s where skill comes into play and it isn’t always easy learning a position surrounded by talent.
 
Yet, from top to bottom, rookies in the VHL tend to have it the toughest – or, at least, the lengthiest – transitional periods coming into the VHL. From an analytical standpoint, it takes a rookie exactly two seasons on average to impact a team. Little by little, each season it seems that these rookies progress even further into fully functional professional players. Then again, by the same token there are some rookies who go above and beyond expectations and have exceptional seasons. To really look at this at a distance it would be easy to compare Thomas O’Malley’s and Mason Richardson’s seasons against one another as teammates as members of the Express, another variable could be the season that Tyrone Williams had for the newly minted Vikings (then the Eagles.) They all had seasons to remember and they all seem to come from a plateau no rookie currently should be able to reach. Just looking back just a season ago O’Malley and Richardson were a ready one-two punch headed to the Express. Not only were they viable by nature, they were pretty much a lock for incredible seasons. This season the same anomaly is happening once again, this time though, both Brady Stropko and Rami Jakobbson are becoming the ones to watch straight out of the draft. Storpko is leading his entire team with 18 points currently and has the third best shot percentage on the team, he also has racked in several hits putting him the second most imposing player on the team. As a wing that’s great and it seems to be helping his cause to becoming the best rookie this season.  
 
In Jakobbson’s case, he’s doing virtually the parallel, he’s got 19 points at the moment which is only a point better than Strokpo’s and he’s the second on his team in terms of shooting, not to mention his his hits are also glaring and he’s also a wing. You’d be very hard pressed to compare them to either O’Malley or Richardson, maybe even Williams but they’re on pace to doing great things well within the limits of them being on the team. This all begs the question, are we done seeing Rookie’s emerge or are we just getting started seeing rookie’s step up to the plate for their franchises in question? Right now that remains to be seen, it’s a very magical, yet very interesting thing to really breakdown or even debate in a public space. However, like we here at the VHL Magazine you best rest assured we’ll be watching and keeping up with every up and down as it comes. 

[Denver 198]

RISE OF THE NEXT GENERATION
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

Where have all the Superstars gone? That’s the one million dollar question that’s sparking interest everywhere. It’s exactly what the VHL magazine wants to know. At the moment there seemed to be an interesting uprising of players who’ve been waiting in the wings, guys who were roleplayers for their VHL clubs are finally starting to emerge, further interesting is how many rookies are stepping out from behind the ‘supposed’ rookie struggle. Call it blind dumb luck or some type of higher power as guys you wouldn’t have given a second glance as being an impact for their team, actually are and they’re getting really good at making a note to show everybody how good they are becoming.

 

As the VHL becomes progressively younger the game seems ushers in an interesting prospect of taking a hit in terms of goals scored and stats garnered over an entire season. This isn’t saying gone are the days of seeing a high scoring game or a player dominate an entire time, but it could become rare on the occasion that the steady up rise of players becoming better and better as seasons progress continues being an on-going trend. The rookies are adjusting well for the most part, much better than the previous season, and even those who aren’t on the VHL ice this season (here’s looking at you VHLM) are showing they’ve got what it takes to play at the next level. The top half of the VHLM looks like they could be line-ready by the end of the season, ushering an interesting increase in younger talent to be excited for in the pre season, but what does this mean for older players who aren’t exactly in the twilight of their careers? It’s just going to be interesting seeing them maintain their position, they can’t hold it forever and it seems like younger players are starting fresher and fresher on the TPE scale and climbing it in less time that it took those ‘big names’ to get.

 

Not every “old guy” is going to go out without a fight, however, it seems to be an interesting idea to see a young guy come in and uproot a cornerstone of a club from time to time. It hasn’t exactly happened yet, but it could. The future is looking very bright, and while that seems like a problem special events may or may not become more meaningful take the World Cup for example. The World Cup this year was as interesting is ever, how interesting would it be if it was completely held with a younger core of guys helming their countries hopes for any type of metal?

 

The next generation of VHL player seems like only a concept that’s slowly but surely growing into a very mindful reality. As more retirees happen to retire to wrap up careers that had a range of success, we should see an increase of nods for players gain admittance to the hall of fame. Cup wins is another area it should effect as the next generation should be the biggest chance of rebuilding clubs or clubs who’ve made the playoffs regularly to win, now’s a perfect time to draft smart and draft with dynasties in mind. No matter how hard it may appear for them to happen, back-to-back wins might be nice…but winning four or five seasons plus is making a statement.  

Edited December 22, 2014 by Denver

[Denver 198]

THE IDEAL PHOTO FINISH
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

The VHL’s 41^st season seems to be winding down and the playoffs are drawing near, twenty-something games left and it appears that the VHL’s in for yet another exciting finish. Teams like the Helsinki Titans and the New York Americans are doing well; they’ve both have an assumed monkey on their shoulder as the Quebec Meute and Cologne Express give little to no separation atop of the standings. The Meute are only six points behind the Americans in the North American Conference, meanwhile the Express are evened up with the Titans. From a playoff perspective, that’s huge considering that teams headed into the playoffs ahead of the cutoff point always have room to exchange places in the standings more often than not. What’s even more interesting is if the Meute were to overtake the Americans and the same happened to the Titans, of course there has to be something that happens for that to ever be a case – fatigued rosters and a little bit of luck for example – could be what brings this race even closer, even though its’ as close as it’s going to get on paper.

 

For those who seem like they’re on the outside looking in of this four team scramble for dominance, the best thing to do would be to play it cool and make it into the playoffs. From there, they could actually do more damage if they were going to go ahead and play any of these teams. The momentum in knocking them out of the playoffs in seven games should be more than enough motivation; it’s a huge factor considering how last year’s playoffs turned out for the Reign and they’re complete return to form as they played some of the best hockey all year. The Reign made it hard for anybody not to notice how they completely staved off any negativity around their team. As for how the playoffs play out, it should be interesting to see how the Wranglers fair (if they manage to maintain their pace) and if the Reign are just playing it safe to come out and attack.

 

More importantly it should be interesting to see how the New York Americans regroup after being thwarted in the end. They were a heavily favored team last season, they played pretty well, and they seemed to have just about everybody’s number up until they needed win the cup the most. That should sting, it should be a heavily reminder to the rest of the league that the Americans are human and can make a mistake or two. As for the Meute, they were exited early and forced to look at the blackboard for help. They’ve retooled in many positions like most of the teams in VHL, they’ve managed to handle some of the brunt of heckling for their trades. Now’s the time they need to come up big, and they need to prove these trades weren’t done in vain.

 

The Playoffs should be interesting to watch, the biggest topic to take away shouldn’t only be who raises the cup this year but who’s already making plans to make lots of noise headed into the 42^nd season (here’s looking at you Stockholm.) 

[Denver 198]

ACTIVITY RISING?
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

The VHL playoffs are inching forward with yet another round of games in the books. As teams fight for playoff position, it seems like we’re pushing forward game by game to everyone’s favorite time of the season—The Playoffs. Some spots are decided, while others are still having yet to be determined, some races are tight while others are all but over. On the surface this looks like business as usual, but something that’s been plaguing the league in its entirety has to be the dip or lack thereof in activity for the last few weeks. For starters we here at the VHL had the holidays, the new year, while most members either have a job or go to school or do both, it’s an interesting thing to really think about and how it could activity take a hit.

 

Addressing the hit in activity can actually help the league grow closer; not addressing it pretty much wouldn’t do anything. From a certain non-conforming perspective, it’s easy as getting back to normalcy by going whatever activity entails and keeping it as business-as-usual as one could keep it. To go in and attract either new member or give current members yet another incentive to stick around, while the wear and tear of the season seems to stem from the updating and keeping a player updated in the sim. While updating a player is effortless, it can become mind numbing when you’re seeing no results or your team isn’t exactly keeping up with other teams that are stacked or good enough to cause several headaches down the road.

 

If activity played any factor in the playoffs, some teams might fare better than others. Hard to say who would be an early exit and who might take it all the way, but that’s more of a thing for people who are into playing with the idea of ‘what ifs’ to decide. The future of the VHL also comes to mind, not that this is exactly a problem you need to solve right away it would be nice to have that same balance you’ve had in previous seasons near the end of one of the most interesting seasons yet and the start of the most anticipated playoffs yet.

 

Not many newcomers might stick around through a rough spot, that’s just common sense, and at times we’ve got to remind ourselves keep up for the sake of keeping up. Sometimes it’s good to reel someone back in from inactivity or boredom. The VHL is always been known for being cutting edge and forward thinking, even with the slight decrease in activity the VHL will have an answer for it soon enough and it’ll further push the VHL into the future and on the cusp of being the number one hockey sim around. 

[Denver 198]

THE FUTURE IN MIND
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

A week ago the Victory Hockey League underwent a transformation of sorts. Then Commissioner Victor announced he was leaving his post, the announcement came with the naming several members to the blue team. All of them noteworthy in their own right, all of them have been an active part of the league since they began their tenure. For as much guff as the Blue Team gets on the regular basis for overstepping or not doing enough, the appointments look really strong headed into the next several seasons. How or where do we go as a league from here? The answers pretty simple. Upwards and onwards, with Victor taking a smaller role this brings more attention to the league as a whole as more people will feel empowered to want to help shape the league into something, if anything Draper and the crew being welcomed additions not only brings a fresh incentive to those who don’t have a job within the league to go out there and push for one. Maybe one day through activity and actually contributing to the league, they could be considered. Another outlook is that these are fresh minds who don’t have or share the same Stigma most Blue Team members have had to endure.

 

In other words the Blue Team is due for some kudos, by design a few well thought and well placed ideas here or there could certainly bring a level of activity to the VHL that the VHL has ever seen, or in this case hasn’t seen for the past several months. It’s more than just changing a couple of rules, it’s a joint effort by everyone all the way around the table from members to those who’ve got some say at the table come the off-season behind closed doors.

 

The VHL is evolving, its evolution doesn’t end when games are simmed and players are updated. It’s starting to look like the VHL’s model can only grow and improve as we usher in a new era as new commissioners take the helm. Hopefully they do some good, provide a new perspective to something that’s gone from active to stagnant the past couple weeks. The Playoffs and the Super Cup are also reasons to be excited, not to mention the possibility of a Live VHL and VHLM draft lotteries on the horizon. In Season 42 we all should put into the VHL what we expect to get out of it, every little bit helps, and it’s high time we keep the future in mind. So as a member of the community you don’t have to go too out of your way to see the VHL’s effort in making the league the best there is to offer. 

[Denver 198]

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer
 
The New York Americans are you’re VHL Champions for its 41st season. After a grueling defeat at the hands of the season 40 champion Riga Reign, the Americans have finally rid themselves of the monkey on their back. Without question the Americans played hockey and added to the lore of the North American Conferences utter domination this season and played to an old adage if it ‘ain’t broke don’t fix it’ The Americans have stuck to what works best for them and they’ve shown that the Reign’s win last year was one of promise and not one of lack of excitement. Looking back on the previous season’s playoffs, a lot of other teams either expanded upon what made them great or took a hit in terms of playoff performance. Not always do we see a team go into the playoffs playing slightly behind themselves only to shine in the playoffs not to mention vice versa. From top to bottom this playoff didn’t disappoint, it was more of an affair than last year by far – a minor detail for those of you at home crunching stats.

The First round played on the idea of whose team leaving the regular season was ready for all seven games, we didn’t get there but we saw some interesting storylines that came as a shock. Calgary fell to Quebec within five games and that really didn’t surprise anyone, the Meute improved upon their stance for last year by actually closing the Wranglers in five games only adding more evidence that the team would show promise in the coming seasons. Take nothing away from the Wranglers though you’ve got to be going something right if you’re landing in the playoffs or a consecutive season. In Hindsight they were able to snatch a game away from the Meute, it wasn’t a complete besmirching on account that they at least lost to the team they beat the previous playoffs. What was mirrored though was something that happened in the Second round, both teams only put up a single game against the current champions.

Like the American’s this season, the previous seasons champions were in wait. They actually shared the advantage the Express seemed to have spun out somewhere and lost as many games not to have secured the bye. What was questionable was the performance the Reign put on the Express last season, four straight games without reply. This year the Express won a game and showed sparks of life, something you can bet they’re slowly going to build upon for the next season or two. As for the Titans, they really put together an interesting appearance furthering the notion that they were beginning to look like a playoff team, they went through two rounds this year and met a similar fate just being edged out by two games.

The outlook of both the North American and European Conferences is that they’ve had some setbacks, some larger than others but with seventy-two games worth of excitement and only seven games to prove yourself worthy of some hardware it can get a little dicey out there. The Ice may fly at goalies, but this isn’t something to worry about as the VHL has consistency in its playoff picture. If Teams like the Legion, Bears, Vikings, and Dynamo want to compete they’ll have to significantly change how they acquire pieces. Its start to look like an arms race in terms of depth and talent coming out of the second to third rounds of the draft. This is not a memo to be sent out, telling GMs VHL wide that they are screwing up. But if we’re seeing consistency in the amount of teams that make the playoffs, teams with multiple appearances for seasons straight, it makes you start to wonder. Then again, this all could change next season or the season thereafter. A team at the bottom could rise to the top and that’s the true beauty of the VHL.

The Finals didn’t disappoint, we’ve seen in time and time again it’s a story that goes back and forth. Last year the Reign asserted themselves against the Americans, the Americans this year kept a firm grasp on the pulse of the finals from the first game. 4-1 of last year’s final became 4-3 in favor of the Americans. It was ‘team’ kinda win, an affair procreated by the standard the New York Americans have asserted. In any other sport, they’re the team that can do nothing wrong. They make all the right moves off and on the ice, they prepare well and keep you guessing in terms of what may or may not come next. Hate them all you want, they’ve done American Hockey proud (even if they aren’t predominantly American by trait.) This opens doors for things like the next World Cup, heck, even the Super Cup that’s weeks away because everybody would love to have played with at least one champion on their team. It’s neither here or there what type of complexity it places on the All-Star game and it’s voting, but it should be interesting to see how the off-season festivities, and it’s moves play out ahead of next season.

Congratulations to the New York Americans, not only have you resorted faith in your fans but you’ve also managed to show that you’re the team to beat in the VHL. Always be cautious losers almost always learn from their mistakes.
 

[Denver 198]

HOCKEY TIME!
by Denver - VHL Headline Writer

 

We’re Back! The 42^nd season of the VHL is here. Fans across the VHL can rejoice as their favorite franchises return to the war room in search of a Continental Cup. The New York Americans are the hunted as they’re striving for a successful consecutive season, meanwhile the Riga Reign think it’s “Payback time!” following their eventual defeat in the playoffs last season, of course there will be a lot of emotions on the ice for the Reign as they envision each and every game they play on the ice season as if they’re playing the Americans themselves. Also on the ice we’re going to see a lot of interesting storylines play out, as certain teams are on the upswing either acquiring pieces through the draft or signing key pieces in hopes of building a winning franchise. This crop of players might be the most interesting to watch, most of all look like they could swear they’d make an impact. Of course, it’ll be interesting to see how award winners return to form throughout the season. Most winners look to be in a position to repeat, but anything can happen when it comes to VHL Awards Season.

 

New GMs are debuting, the most recent GM changes seem to be really good ones as certain VHLM GMs are making their debuts across the VHL this season. You can tell that they all want to prove they belong amongst the VHL’s elite – all franchise involved want to prove that their GM is going to either right the wrong of the ship or at least continue the steady stream of success left in the wake of the previous GM – Without playing favorites its easy to see that the Executive of the Year award might change hands, it also might go to a VHLMer who’s done pretty well for themselves. It should be an interesting hot button issue to really follow for the rest of the season.

 

Last but not Least you’ve got the Rookies; all of them have made strides in the VHLM or were VHL ready at the time of the draft and are ready to make an impact on behalf of their team. All of them want to succeed the successes of guys like Zoidberg, 3 Moons, O’Malley, and of course Richardson. Bismarck Koenig is the front runner to run away with the award this season, a slew of rookies are standing in his way. Names like Sinclair, Strauss, Demko, and Roy III. Safe to say that there should be a lot of excitement from them this season, it’s sure race to the top of the VHL for any rookie looking towards a breakout season.

 

Certain teams are on the verge of climbing out of the depths of playoff obscurity and others are becoming stronger than last season in hopes of finally slaying the beast known as the Playoffs. Then there’s the Reign and the Americans, while its too early to call for a rematch it should be interesting to see these two teams interact on a  regular season capacity as they go on to try to mirror their successes of last season.