Long Live Cologne

[Devise 4,475]

I need to write 150 words for a thing this week and I figured what better thing to write about than the REAL best expansion franchise in VHL history. The Cologne Express!  Now if your wondering who the Cologne Express are, they were one of two expansion franchises introduced into the league in Season 32. The other team, a team that still plays in the league due to garbage American bias that is destroying the sole and integrity of the very face of the best franchises ever, were the Quebec City Muete. Now don't get me wrong, Quebec is a good team, a good logo. I was not of the opinion that they should of been on the chopping block when the decision was made to go through a contraction and lose two teams. 

 

When we contracted we lost "Stockholm" in name only, as the Wranglers roster became the Vikings roster. And we also outright lost the Cologne Express, as a contraction draft was head to determine where the assets of Cologne would fall to. With that Cologne was no more, and one of the VHL's most unique and interesting franchises was simply gone. 

 

I don't know where I'm really going with this, I liked Cologne. Stockholm too for that matter. It was such a bummer that Calgary themselves weren't the ones on the axe. I know I know, we wanted to preserve history and all that. But it's crazy to me that the team that drafted O'Malley a player on the caliber of Campbell and Cornerstone is no longer in existence. Pour one out for Cologne, they deserve better. And who knows, maybe with the influx of new players the train may ride again. 

[diamond_ace 3,106]

Agreed to an extent. I don't think I ever could have cut Calgary, more than just from my personal biases, but I agree Cologne deserved better, one way or another.

[Devise 4,475]

16 minutes ago, diamond_ace said:

Agreed to an extent. I don't think I ever could have cut Calgary, more than just from my personal biases, but I agree Cologne deserved better, one way or another.

 

Yeah, sucked to see it go. Contraction isn't great for any franchise mind you, but I feel like if we were instead of in band aid mode and more practically thinking about a fair way to contract, every team would of had to been looked at. I also think having two teams come from Europe and ruining that whole synergy was kind of a bummer in hindsight as well. We did what we had to do, and I remember being on the inside of some of that as well. So i'm not really calling anyone out. 

 

But I don't know I feel like Cologne would of had some good support on the boards etc for sticking around had we done a fair vote. It's hard honestly to pick out which two would of gone if we did it a bit more democratically, or less out of necessity. 

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

If we got rid of Calgary and kept Cologne, my mission to win a cup with every (active) franchise would have been done now.

[Victor 10,534]

Based on the GM stuff I'm working on, I can see especially how it would have been a tough sell to contract Quebec over Cologne, particularly at that moment with Quebec in the midst of 4 finals in a row and Cologne run into the ground by Scott fucking Anderson (who let that happen I'll hunt you down I swear).

 

But yeah, I am aesthetically disappointed - both for the EU/NA split and removing a green team. Problem is, even if we were ever to expand again, I mean I would push for 2 European teams, but then we'd have 2 expansion teams in the same conference? So I guess conferences won't be coming back.

 

Therefore, it's time to start working public opinion in favour of a NA relocation to the EU. I'm looking at you Quebec/Seattle.

[Victor 10,534]

On a related note, why the hell did we get rid of Bratislava (possibly the most successful VHLM franchise during its existence) and who changed their logo to a lighthouse??

 

A lighthouse..... in fucking Slovakia:

 

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

There's no American bias. If anything, American teams are under represented in both the VHL and VHLM. 

[Victor 10,534]

8 minutes ago, Fire Hakstol said:

There's no American bias. If anything, American teams are under represented in both the VHL and VHLM. 

I assume he means North American bias.

[Devise 4,475]

12 hours ago, Victor said:

I assume he means North American bias.

 

@Fire Hakstol Yeah that. I'd be fine diving up the NA teams to be a more fair balance between Canada/US. But Europe getting two of it's quality franchises in terms of logo's/colors and what have you just tarnished without even a second though during contraction is a little biased. I get it, some here don't care about the Europe focus we used to have. I just felt we used to acknowledge more hockey countries, and now it's "hey look Canada and US." 

 

Perhaps the argument is those countries are more relatable to more users. But if they are hockey fans, I'm sure the diverse hockey countries other players come from. Right now only Latvia, Switzerland and Finland are represented by the main VHL. Even then, Norway has one player in the VHLM as we just expanded to, guess where another NA city in Halifax. Despite the VHLM having 3 other Canadian teams, and the one US in Vegas.

 

There are some notable hockey places missing from these lists. Sweden, most obviously. You know Peter Forsberg, Nick Lidstrom, and many other hockey legends? Russia is always an obvious hole, even though we did have that brief VHLM stint with Moscow. Czech would be another one. I'm not saying we still don't have some of that, I just think it should be fairly balanced. But we are so absolutely opposed to relocation, either GM's themselves or the league so.  What can you do but sit back and watch more NA teams keep flooding in. 

[eaglesfan036 4,583]

We need a team in Philadelphia