Interview with OTT and LVA GM

[Blazzer 759]

This is a post draft interview about the VHLM draft. Thank you to both the GMs for taking their time and answering the questions. The questions are the same for both interviews because I don't have time to create a whole new set of questions so pls excuse me. 

Enjoy

 

I: Hi DoktorFunk, over here!

DF: Yes?

I: Amy Shi here from The Hockey Times. Do you have a moment for some questions regarding the draft?

DF: Ya,sure. I’ll be happy to answer them.

I: Great! So, with the drafts settled, who in your opinion won the draft?

DF: I think Ottawa. We had an amazing draft and I'm really excited to see this team not only win but improve!

I: Great! As the GM for Ottawa, did you have any trade talks during or even after the draft?

DF: Yes, I did! I actually traded up in the draft with Halifax, and before the draft with Minnesota!

I: I see. Next up, did any pick stood out or surprised you?

DF: I was honestly surprised by all of them! Everyone has been super active and amazing so far!

I: Wow, that’s nice! In your opinion, what was the best late round snatch in the VHLM draft?

DF: I feel good about Lee Xin! He was way higher in TPE than the other people that went around him, and consider him a steal!

I: Yeah, that’s true! Hope he can help Ottawa be a better team! So, who was the best player that you picked up this draft? What made him/her the best pick?

DF: Probably Alec Volchenkov. He is an absolute beast with a 400 hockey IQ.

I: It’s not a surprise that he went 2^nd overall, he’s definitely a great addition. Lastly, how do you think Ottawa would do with a new arsenal of players in the team? Playoff bound or no?

DF: With any luck, some of the second line players this year will be our first line players next year! I think Ottawa will fare well!

I: Great, I think so too! Thank you for answering these questions and all the best to you and the Ottawa Lynx.

DF: Thank you for having me Amy!

 

Next up, we’ve got Spartan, GM of the Las Vegas Aces.

I: Hi Spartan, nice to meet you!

S: Hi Amy, I’m happy to be here!

I: Alright, shall we get started with the questions?

S: Sure thing.

I: Firstly, a very common question. Which team won the draft and what’s the reason for them winning it?

S: I'd say either Miami or Houston won. Miami picked up quite a few top prospects with the assets they were able to acquire as an expansion team, especially since they got a decent amount of Vegas players that I loved to work with last season. Houston also did really well, as they made some really good picks across the board, especially folks who were all on my draft board as well.

I: I see. Moving on, did you have any trade talks during or even after the draft with other GMs around the league?

S: Yeah, I had a few talks with GM's during the draft, and some after as well. I was able to trade for Rhynex Entertainment, a really talented center who slipped down to the 5th round. Also talked to GM's a bit about trading up or down in the 1st round, though those were casual talks that didn't result in a trade.

I: Alright. Next, did you get shocked by any picks made in the draft? Late rounds, early rounds?

S: The main pick that was a shocker was the Laine pick. There was a lot of confusion about whether he was going up or staying down, so most GM's decided not to pick him thinking he was going up. Then he went in the 5th to a stacked Miami team. Another shocking pick was Calvin Harvey dropping down in the draft and going after multiple other goalies. Luckily things worked out for him.

I: Yeah, Patrik Laine was really shocking to me too. Calvin Harvey dropping down was really unfortunate too but I’m also really happy for him. Next question?

S: Yeah, sure!

I: In your opinion, what was the best late round snatch made in the VHLM draft?

S: It's clear that it's Patrik Laine, but I'll go with Rhynex Entertainment. He's already super engaged in the VHL and is writing Media Spots, so he has a very bright future ahead of him. Very excited to have grabbed him!

I: Yes, I bet many people share the same answer with you and I’m sure Rhynex Entertainment will be a great addition. Next up, who was the best player you selected in this draft? What made him/her the best pick?

S: I'd say that it would be Onde Sandstorm, Fonzi's player. He was the most established player that we picked in the draft, and he's already a great leader in the locker room. His skill and talent is also undeniable, so he's going to be a player a lot of young guys on the team will be looking up to!

I: Nothing beats a great leader in your locker room. Great! Last but not least, Lastly, how do you think the Ottawa Lynx will do during the next season? Would they be in the playoffs or no?

S: I think Ottawa can be a top 4 team this year. They have a really good core with top centers, top defensemen, and a top goalie. They also did really well with the depth picks in the draft, picking James St. Louis, Lee Xin, and Kevin Sterk, all of who the LVA staff had decently high on our draft boards as well. We wish them the best in Ottawa this season! I think the team will do well!

I: Great, I absolutely appreciate this. Thank you and all the best in the future, Spartan!!

S: No worries, thank you for having me.  

 

 

People mentioned: @DoktorFunk@Spartan@PatrikLaine@Rhynex Entertainment@SirRupertBarnes@fonziGG@TenZi@Nick Kirkpatrick@Mrpenguin30

 1002 words, claiming for week ending 2/8 and 9/8

Edited July 21, 2020 by Blazzer

[Spartan 4,531]

Appreciate the chance to be interviewed by such an esteemed reporter! Love the work  

[Blazzer 759]

3 minutes ago, Spartan said:

Appreciate the chance to be interviewed by such an esteemed reporter! Love the work  

Thank you so much Spartan!

 

[Rhynex Entertainment 487]

Amazing work Blazzer! With two interviews in one none-the-less! Great structure and format for the conversations. Could avoid repeatedly stating "Alright", Next", "I see"; sometimes may sound like you aren't engaged with feelings of boredom during the interviews. Thanks for the shout out! Good job! Keep up the good work!  8/10

Edited July 19, 2020 by Rhynex Entertainment

[Blazzer 759]

51 minutes ago, Rhynex Entertainment said:

Amazing work Blazzer! With two interviews in one none-the-less! Great structure and format for the conversations. Could avoid repeatedly stating "Alright", Next", "I see"; sometimes may sound like you aren't engaged with feelings of boredom during the interviews. Thanks for the shout out! Good job! Keep up the good work! 

My first time writing an interview so thanks for the tips! 

[Laine 1,361]

[Blazzer 759]

Claiming Week 1

[Blazzer 759]

Claiming week 2

[Plate 386]

Review

Welcome to this edition of Plate makes you a better writer. Where I make a review that is far too long and could be a .com in all of itself. Firstly, I wish there were more interviews in the league. You might get two or three a week. Kind of sad. I'm glad you went out and did one! I'll be talking a bit about question quality, and the overall flow and format of your post. 

 

The best interviewers, a good example being Nardwuar, do a ton of research before they interview someone. I'm not expecting you to go bust your guts over a point task. A little probing of the locker room and getting insider information is a great way to throw GMs off guard. I know the context of the interview was shortly after the draft so the questions were very topical overall. 

 

As for the flow and formatting, it was good and made sense. However, it was a little basic and there was a missed opportunity to make it way more appealing to the eye. People have a really easy time associating colour to things. You could have set the interviewer to a certain colour, and then give DF and S their own colours. It would break up the blocky text look a bit. You also could have put in some headers before the interview to make it a bit more clear who the interviewee was before it started. I'll give an example on how the whole thing could have played out: 

 

Doktor Funk

I: Hi DoktorFunk, over here!

DF: Yes?

I: Amy Shi here from The Hockey Times. Do you have a moment for some questions regarding the draft?

DF: Ya,sure. I’ll be happy to answer them.
 

Notice how it's easier to distinguish who's talking? That's just my suggestion. Overall you did a great job and I can't wait to see more of your work! 

 

Score

Content 8/10 Get some deeper questions but they were fine at the time.

Flow: 6/10 Was a little hard to follow who was talking at points. 

Format: 7/10 Just add a header and a bit of colour to make things stand out.