NO LONGER LIVE! S36 VHL/VHLM Awards Ceremony

[Victor 10,940]

With all due respect to the VHLM, there's only one reason most people are looking at this thread and that's for the VHL awards. It would be pretty bland near the end if I did this the other way around.

As you're all aware, the HC Davos Dynamo won the Continental Cup in Season 36, one season removed from a five-game, first-round exit by an almost all-rookie roster and two seasons away from the worst team in the league by a large margin. About five people, if that, predict Davos would make the finals after the Davey Jones trade and I wasn't one of them because I'm too superstitious. Alas, before I get accused of gloating, let's get to the individual awards.

[Victor 10,940]

GOOGLE HAS BEEN SPOTTED VIEWING THIS THREAD!

Image found using Google.

[Smarch 3,153]

Thank you, I was about to mention that. 

[stevo 792]

World Peace feels like he's excluded in the awards.

[Victor 10,940]

The Dustin Funk Trophy is the newest trophy in the both leagues, having been first awarded in Season 21 when it was won, for the only time, by two players; Kevyn Hesje and Joey Clarence. Not a terrible pair but greater players have won the Funk since. Perhaps some of the candidates below will grace the Hall of Fame after retiring and this will be seen as the turning point of their careers.

BAGELFACE, Eggly (VAS) - 22-37-5, .909SV%, 2.65GAA, 6SO, 1877SA - Season 35

BAGELFACE, Eggly 31-27-6, .928SV%, 2.18GAA, 8SO, 1962SA - Season 36

BROVALENKO, Sergey (SEA/DAV) - 70GP, 35G, 36A, 71P, -11, 26PIM, 67HIT, 60.78FO%, 5GWG - Season 35

BROVALENKO, Sergey 72GP, 36G, 68A, 104P, +46, 10PIM, 8HIT, 61.24FO%, 9GWG - Season 36

TORDAHL, Odin (HSK) - 72GP, 36G, 45A, 81P, +52, 116PIM, 215HIT, 6GWG - Season 35

TORDAHL, Odin 72GP, 49G, 57A, 106P, +48, 208PIM, 353HIT, 4GWG - Season 36

WEBER, Willie (HSK) - 72GP, 19G, 32A, 51P, +44, 101PIM, 180HIT, 96SB, 5GWG - Season 35

WEBER, Willie 72GP, 20G, 60A, 80P, +24, 174PIM, 207HIT, 125SB, 4GWG - Season 36

A bit surprisingly, no sophomores on this list. All four players have broken out a bit later than expected, with Weber replacing the void left by his idol Ryan Sullivan, Brovalenko and Tordahl leading the top line of an all-around improved Dynamo offense, while Bagelface was a bright spark in a depressing season for Vasteras.

[Da Trifecta 1,899]

Season 25 for Brovy?

[Victor 10,940]

And the winner of the S36 Dustin Funk Trophy is....

Vasteras' EGGLY BAGELFACE!

Goaltenders usually evolve into elite ones gradually, but Bagelface did it virtually overnight, almost single-handedly leading the Iron Eagles to a surprising playoff appearance. Almost. It wasn't left to chance in the voting for this award though, with Bagelface taking 9 votes to Brovalenko's 1.

[Victor 10,940]

Season 25 for Brovy?

[Victor 10,940]

Brovalenko returns on the ballot of the Mikka Virkkunen Trophy, awarded to the VHL's most sportsmanlike player and known colloquially as the "Pussy Award". Nonetheless, it's a trophy and its winners include Virkkunen, Phil Rafter, Markus Strauss, Pavel Koradek, the great Scotty Campbell, and many more. Not a list to scoff at.

BROVALENKO, Sergey 72GP, 36G, 68A, 104P, +46, 10PIM, 8HIT, 61.24FO%, 9GWG

KJELLBERG, Jakub 72GP, 36G, 61A, 97P, +43, 17PIM, 61HIT, 57.85FO%, 9GWG

SALMON, Chico 72GP, 35G, 46A, 81P, +38, 2PIM, 8HIT, 10GWG

VALIQ, Tomas 72GP, 18G, 65A, 83P, +43, 14PIM, 29HIT, 54.98FO%, 4GWG

It's hard to quantify sportsmanship in a sim league, but penalty minutes is usually something to go by. Activity and member reputation? Not as much. Brovalenko is joined by reigning winner Jakub Kjellberg, his teammate Chico Salmon and Valiq #3.

[Victor 10,940]

And the winner of the S36 Mikka Virkkunen Trophy is....

Toronto's CHICO SALMON!

I am proud to say I predicted this award correctly! Salmon doesn't hit much and thus doesn't make himself vulnerable to penalty calls. He didn't score much and wasn't too active so one has to wonder if Brovalenko's rep caught up to him, but 2 PIM did their job. It was a close one: 5 for Salmon, 4 for Brovy, 1 for Kjellberg.

[Victor 10,940]

The ballot of the Grimm Jonsson Trophy, the VHL's top leader, usually has less names, but forgetfulness increased its size and it includes six of the league's ten captains. That said, can you make a case against any of them? All six were and are vocal representatives of their teams in all facets, leading by example on and off the ice.

BALL JR., Sebastian

LANDRY, Thomas

LEBEAU, Remy

LOW, Conner

OSBORNE, Ethan

TAYLOR, Kameron

[Victor 10,940]

And the winner, or in fact, winners of the S36 Grimm Jonsson Trophy are....

An unprecedented quartet of THOMAS LANDRY, CONNER LOW, ETHAN OSBORNE, AND KAMERON TAYLOR!

My fault for not limiting the ballot? Maybe. But really, does either of the four not deserve it? Landry and Low broke through as leaders this season for young, active teams, while Osborne and Taylor were pre-season favourites and now 4th- and 2nd-time winners respectively. Prediction points galore!

[STZ 5,360]

lol wtf..

[Victor 10,940]

From leading players to leading General Managers. The David Knight Trophy is often a hotly contested trophy but this season was limited to just three candidates by the Board of Governors. There is one thing you can always expect: the two finalists' GM to feature.

Chris Miller

Tyler Edgar

Victor Alfredsson

Alongside myself and Edgar, both of whom made moves to secure a finals appearance, if Chris Miller of the New York Americans. He has built a promising team in little time, which, like for myself in S35, garners early recognition. The only non-finalist GM winner of the award, however, was back in Season 1.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

There was a time I was 2nd for the top leader. What am I doing wrong?

[Higgins 3,618]

We demand a revote!!! oh it's top leader? nvm

[Victor 10,940]

There was a time I was 2nd for the top leader. What am I doing wrong?

Technically speaking, you were 2nd now too.

or 5th

[Victor 10,940]

And the winner of the S36 David Knight Trophy is....

Davos' VICTOR ALFREDSSON!

I had to announce Alexander Chershenko winning some awards two seasons back but it didn't feel as awkward. Someone else should do it. Anyone? OK.

FYI, Alfredsson isn't my real name. Victor is.

Uh, 6 votes to Chris' 2, which is interesting. Edgar got 1 and we had a write-in candidate, which is allowed btw, in Joey Kendrick of Cologne, who did a good job getting value in a mid-season sale.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

Technically speaking, you were 2nd now too.

or 5th

 

I'll take the 5th this time

[Victor 10,940]

Onto the big individual awards then. The Scott Boulet Trophy was up for grabs going into the season with David Smalling having retired in Season 34 and last season's winner Volodymyr Rybak followed him shortly after.

In the end, this appears to be a two-man battle between Odin Tordahl and Anatoli Zhumbayev. Both could become the next great two-way forward and both have a strong case to deliver the first blow. They are joined by an elite group of forwards but ones unlikely to spring a surprise.

CLIFFORD, Doug 72GP, 41G, 52A, 93P, +44, 109PIM, 247HIT, 139HTT, 7GWG

KELLINGER, Wesley 72GP, 37G, 62A, 99P, +38, 104PIM, 242HIT, 242HTT, 62.42FO%, 5GWG

LANDRY, Thomas 72GP, 23G, 58A, 81P, +33, 141PIM, 348HIT, 178HTT, 5GWG

TORDAHL, Odin 72GP, 49G, 57A, 106P, +48, 208PIM, 353HIT, 187HTT, 4GWG

ZHUMBAYEV, Anatoli 72GP, 48G, 76A, 124P, +45, 131PIM, 264HIT, 244HTT, 8GWG

[Victor 10,940]

I'll take the 5th this time

#corcotradenegotiations

[Victor 10,940]

And the winner of the S36 Scott Boulet Trophy is....

Davos' ODIN TORDAHL!

A convincing victory, 8 votes to Zhumbayev's 2. Tordahl is just entering his prime as the league's premier checking forward so things should only get brighter, albeit it remains to be seen how he fill fit on a young New York Americans squad.

Now seems like a great time to once again thank Boom for his work in Davos for the one season he was here. The free agent signing last off-season will likely go down as the turning point of the rebuild.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

Congrats Boom, both you and Zhumbayev were deserving but you got the lead on him this year

[Victor 10,940]

Remember when I mentioned Chris building a promising New York team? Well here is why.

LOW, Conner 72GP, 19G, 64A, 83P, +11, 188PIM, 288HIT, 178SB, 1GWG

WAHL, Brick 25-34-5, .911SV%, 3.23GAA, 2SO, 2355SA

XIAO, Xin Xie 72GP, 29G, 43A, 72P, +12, 151PIM, 366HIT, 6GWG

Yeah, all the candidates on the top rookie (Christian Stolzschweiger/Stolzy Trophy) ballot are Americans. You could make a case for any of them, though Conner Low is definitely a favourite based on his performance as a defenceman.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

#TeamLow