VHL S71 Top 25 Players, Part 4: 10-6

[Doomsday 4,130]

 

VHL Top 25 Players

 

Part 4: 10-6

 

It's zero hour for the new VHL season, the Commissioner's Cup is in full swing, the indexes are currently nowhere in sight… all is right in the world. But even better, it's time for our Top Ten in the VHL Top 25 Players! Featuring a mainstay at forward and some defensive stalwarts in and out of the crease, we're truly entering the realm of the VHL's elite now. Find out who @FrostBeard, @Doomsday, @Erik Summers, @McWolf and @Mr_Hatter deemed worthy for this elite ranking below!

 

10. Apollo Hackett, D

 

Among the most effective physical defensemen in the league. Apollo Hacket has always been true to his brand of hitting hard and asking questions later. Starting in the VHLM with the Saskatoon Wild, Hackett nearly reached the 100 hit mark in only 43 games. That offseason, he was drafted 16th overall by the Riga Reign, where he has played ever since. When your late-second round pick becomes part of the top ten players in the league, you know you got a steal. Today, Apollo leads one of the best defensive cores we’ve seen in some time. In recent seasons, the Reign has had several rosters that were considered cup contenders but have come up just short each time. And, while it is difficult to keep a team’s cup window open for a long stretch, Hackett is a veteran who just keeps getting better with age. In Riga’s most successful recent season, we saw a very different style of play from Apollo. Despite still being very physical, he was more disciplined and only took 110 PIMs. He also played a more offensively minded game with a career-high 16 goals. It will be interesting to watch and see which Apollo Hackett shows up this season.

- Erik Summers

 

9. Finn Davison, G

A goaltender already playing for his 3rd team, you might think we are talking about a player who is at best a back-up goaltender. In this case, we are looking at the fabulous Finn Davison of Riga Reign. His rise to fame could be attributed to excellence we saw when he was a goaltender on the HC Davos Dynamo. A lot of ups and downs and yet, in S67 and S68 he proved to be one of the better goaltenders in the league at the time. His game in S68 awarded him with both Clegane and Shaw trophies. Last season, S70 for him was an interesting one, he joined a team in Riga that had a lot of potential with many older stars that are well known around the league. Finn was able to lead his team to the playoffs and help them fight for the European Conference title. He posted a great statline and showed that he has all the tools necessary to be a goalie that any contending team can count on. All throughout his career, Finn has been a solid choice and will remain as that next season. The question we have to rise is this - can Finn Davison end his career on a season that would earn him another Clegane and Shaw. In my eyes, it is more than possible so we shall have to see how Mr. Davison will do next season and if he will be able to dominate. 

- Frostbeard

 

8. Greg Eagles, G

 

The career of Greg Eagles is one that has been marked with professionalism, sportsmanship, class, and of course, steadily improving netminding skills. Beginning his VHL career in Season 67 as the 19th overall selection of the Vancouver Wolves, Eagles quickly realized the zenith of the VHL with a Continental Cup victory, although he was serving as Ismond Kingfisher's back-up. Eagles didn't need to wait long to become the starter, however, as he played in 66 games in Season 68. Winning 31 of them, he recorded a .902 save percentage, with goals allowed average of 2.84 and two shutouts. However, a critical error by General Manager Keaton Louth in failing to play the backup goalie in 8 games meant Eagles had to sit on the bench for the first two games of the series, which Vancouver split with Calgary. Despite a .927 save percentage, Eagles and the Wolves lost in seven games to the Wranglers. Determined to go further, Eagles' next season was a tremendous improvement. Winning 44 games in 64 appearances, Vancouver made the playoffs again, defeating the Toronto Legion in seven games. However, the Semi-Finals saw Eagles and the Wolves lose to the eventual repeat champion Seattle Bears. Despite Vancouver adding rookie goalie Jimmy Spyro in Season 70, Eagles continued to elevate his play. Serving as a proud mentor for the rookie, Eagles won 37 games, with a .923 save percentage, 2.15 GAA and nine shutouts. However, disaster struck in the playoffs, where the Season 70 Aidan Shaw and Greg Clegane Trophy winner was shelled by the Seattle Bears. Jimmy Spyro even was given the start in the decisive Game Five, marking a grim ending to a fantastic season for Eagles. Will Eagles recover from his disappointing playoff performance to get the Wolves back to the finals and win a Continental Cup of his own? Based on his lofty rating, VSN certainly believes Greg Eagles can do it. 

- Doomsday

 

7.  Rayz Funk, G

 

Enter Rayz Funk, the highest ranking goalie on our TPA charts and the highest ranked goalie in this list; for good reason. Since being drafted second overall in the S67 VHL Entry Draft, Funk has accumulated some serious accolades. Rayz took home the Stolzschweiger in his rookie season, coming into the league as a starter with an impressive .913 SV% through 65 games played. Despite never winning the Shaw or Clegane trophies, marking regular season success, Funk has his back to back Daisuke Kanou trophies for playoff MVP to dry his tears, earned along with back to back Continental Cups for his Seattle Bears in S68 and S69. In these two campaigns, Funk truly put the team on his back and helped bring the cup home, with an impressive .935 SV% in S68 and a .924 SV% in S69. All said, across his three seasons in which the Bears have made the playoffs, Funk has a cool .927 SV% in playoff matches, which is remarkably consistent for a player just now entering his prime. He has a truly clutch hand. With many seasons still ahead, Funk looks poised to take the majority of goalie awards in the near future, or at the very least be a strong competitor. Despite a slight downturn in last regular season’s performance, he still managed a .916 SV% with a 2.42 GAA, a respectable statline. This season, Funk will look to improve upon this performance and return to his prior form that saw the Bears so dominant in seasons past. - Mr_Hatter

 

6. Acyd Burn, RW

 

Just outside the top 5, we have a big riser compared to our rankings last season, as Acyd Burn goes from 13th to 6th. The longtime Seattle Bear benefits from a change of scenery, combined with a cleanup of his act and the retirement of a couple of players ahead of him to jump up to #6 in our rankings. In fact, after playing the first 4 seasons of his career on the American Pacific Coast, the right-winger was traded to the Malmo Nighthawks during the last offseason. He appears to be the team’s most offensively skilled forward, as he’ll be joining Phil Marleau and Aleksander Rodriguez when they try to bring the Swedish franchise back in the playoffs, after a season where nothing seemed to work. Burn worked hard throughout the last offseason as he’ll try to hit less and spend less time in the penalty box, compared to last season (201 hits, 93 penalty minutes). It’s not a bad decision for the former 7th overall draft pick, as he’s definitely skilled enough with the puck to concentrate on this aspect of the game. With Marleau, Rodriguez, Jerry Garcia and Condor Adrienne all capable physical players, Malmo really needed finesse players more than another power forward racking up penalties, which is exactly what Burn brings. Look for him to exceed his previous career marks of 36 goals and 80 points, and maybe give the league’s stars a run for their money, in the races for the Mike Szatkowski and the Kevin Brooks trophies.

- McWolf

 

 

There you have it, VHL! Tomorrow not only brings us to the official beginning of Season 72, but to the end of the VHL Top 25 Players, with the final five players of our rankings. Who's going to get that elusive top ranking? What player got action from a performing primate? Stay tuned for the series finale tomorrow!

 

Players Mentioned: @Renomitsu, @Poptart, @Greg_Di, @Spade18, @Beaviss, @Spyro, @Rayzor_7, @Acydburn, @Phil, @Jtv123, @GustavMattias, @OrbitingDeath

[Jubis 1,348]

Waiting to see if my player bypasses top 20 and goes straight to top 5 with my 40 point season 

[Enorama 2,038]

34 minutes ago, Doomsday said:

the indexes are currently nowhere in sight…

 

The index was uploaded yesterday

[Rayzor_7 741]

Can't complain about jumping 7 spots, though top 5 would be nicer.

[Doomsday 4,130]

3 minutes ago, Enorama said:

 

The index was uploaded yesterday

 

Never let the facts get in the way of a good joke.