S73 VHL Awards Preview

[Matt_O 897]

 

With the S73 VHL Awards set to be awarded tomorrow night, it’s only appropriate to take a rundown of each award to see who might win each award. 

 

 

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Mike Szatkowski Trophy

This trophy goes to the player with the most points. This year, Sigard Gunnar’s otherworldly performance brought him to the top of the point list, with 119 points for the Los Angeles Stars. Hunter Hearst Helmsley finished second place with 113 for Warsaw, but it wasn’t enough to win the award.

 

Kevin Brooks Trophy

The Brooks Trophy goes to the player with the most goals, and Gunnar picks up another piece of hardware. Gunnar had a jaw-dropping 60 goals in S73, by far the most in the league. No other player was able to reach the 50 goal mark, as Brock Louth and Guy Lesieur both had the second-most goals with 46.

 

Alexander Beketov Trophy

The Beketov Trophy belongs to the assists leader in the VHL, and this year it’s none other than Lincoln Tate. Tate had the most assists in the league in S73 with an incredible 85 helpers. When Tate was drafted first overall in the S67 draft, many people thought it wasn’t a great pick, but he has proved the doubters very wrong. With multiple awards over the past few seasons, Tate adds to his collection with his second consecutive Beketov Trophy.

 

Christian Stolzchweiger Trophy 

The top rookie each year earns the Stolzchweiger Trophy, and this year has some fierce competition. Last year no rookie eclipsed the 50 point marker, but this year's rookie class saw two players make it past 72 points, averaging over a point per game. Chicago saw two rookies headline their roster, with winger Adam Syreck having 73 points and fellow winger Squirrely Dan dropping 68 points. Second overall pick Tyler Walker had an impressive rookie campaign for Malmo, with 60 points and 172 blocked shots, but only four hits all year. London also saw numerous rookie sensations take the spotlight, with Jay Jones, James Rose, and The Terrible Trivium scoring 63,63, and 62 points respectively. James Rose especially was fantastic, putting up 63 points as a defenseman alongside 186 hits and 162 blocked shots. Despite all these very strong performances, Chris Hylands finished first among all rookies with 76 points this season. Hylands will be the likely favorite, but Syreck is likely his toughest competition. Syreck had only one less goal despite taking 100 less shots, and had more hits and blocked shots. However, Hylands was -1 on the year, while Syreck was -66 and his hit totals were undoubtedly inflated due to being on an expansion team. It’s a tough call to make, but Chris Hylands is the favorite heading into awards night.

 

Nominees: Adam Syreck, Chris Hylands, James Rose

Favorite: Chris Hylands

 

Dustin Funk Trophy

This trophy goes out to the player who showed the most improvement from the previous season, and every year there is usually a ton of competition for this award. Last year there were plenty of great candidates to choose from, and this year is no different. Top scorer Sigard Gunnar improved by 39 points this year, going from your typical all-star to a superstar in the blink of an eye. Jeff Downey also had a huge breakout season, with 106 points, surpassing his previous career high of 67, while also topping his hit and blocked shots career highs. Guy Lesieur of the Dragons a @lso had a big year, with 99 points, over 40 points higher than his previous career high. Wranglers defenseman General Zod also had a breakout year, going from 14 points to 66 while also having 100 more hits than the season prior. Despite all these names, it’s best to not overthink this award and go with the man who has been the favorite since the first week of S73; Ray Sheilds. After his pedestrian rookie season where he scored only 19 points, Sheilds burst onto the scene in S73. Sheilds was one of the top point scorers in the VHL after two weeks, and even though he didn’t keep up his pace, he still finished with 85 points, a whopping 66 point increase from his rookie year. Sheilds should be the favorite to earn the Funk.

Nominees: Ray Sheilds, Jeff Downey, Guy Lesieur

Favorite: Ray Sheilds

 

Scott Boulet Trophy

The Boulet is handed out to the forward that plays the best two-way game. Generally, the same handful of players are in contention for this award year after year, and this year seems to follow that trend. Phil Marleau led the league in hits with 373, and Chad Magnum finished second with 371, while Markus Nygren was third with 360 hits. All three of these players finished top ten in hits the season prior. Julius Freeman, last season's Boulet winner, had 260 hits and didn’t finish in the top ten for hits this year. Hits aren’t the only metric that are taken into account, as points also play a role, and plus minus can also be a small factor. Many people dislike using plus minus as a player stat because it doesn’t really tell the true story of how well a player plays, but it can be useful sometimes, and this is one of those situations. Nygren, Magnum and Marleau all have very similar hit totals and point totals, but Nygren has a plus 8, better than both Magnum and Marleau by 5 and 6 respectively. This isn’t a big enough margin to give Nygren the edge, but Nygren played for Los Angeles, an expansion team that finished in twelfth place in S73. Nygren even being a plus player is pretty incredible, and the fact that his line all finished as plus players could win over some voters. The Boulet is always a tough award to give out, but Nygren may have the slightest of edges headed into the awards show.

 

Nominees: Chad Magnum, Phil Marleau, Markus Nygren

Favorite: Markus Nygren

 

Alexander Valiq Trophy

The league's top offensive defenseman is awarded the Valiq Trophy. Despite Condor Adrienne and Luciano Valentine's efforts this season with a stunning 90 points, as well as teammates Hulk Hogan and Berocka Sundqvist putting up 93 points each, this award is centered around two players; Jeff Downey and Lincoln Tate. Downey has had solid seasons leading up to S73, but this year he truly became a star on the blue line, with 74 assists and 32 goals for 106 points. Lincoln Tate won the Beketov Trophy with 85 assists, but he also put in 20 goals for 105 points. Only one point separates the two players, so we need to look a little deeper to try to give someone the edge. Riga was much better than Vancouver this season, which could swing the odds towards Tate. However, Tate also had Guy Sasakamoose on the blue line, who had 88 points, while Downeys best defensive partner had only 68 points, which could give Downey an edge in some voters' eyes. Tate had 10 power play goals, while Downey had 18, which led the league. These two players are practically dead even. This is most likely the hardest award to pick a favorite on, but I think the power play production and lack of another high production defenseman gives Downey a very slight edge over Tate.

 

Nominees: Jeff Downey, Lincoln Tate, Hulk Hogan

Favorite: Jeff Downey

 

Jake Wylde Trophy

The Wylde Trophy is for the league's top defensive defenseman. Warsaw defenseman Alex Bridges led the league in blocked shots with 194, and also put up 259 hits in what was an incredible year for him. The only knock for Bridges is that he played for Warsaw, which put him in a situation where he could pad those stats, which could deter potential voters. Condor Adrienne of the Nighthawks also had a great year, with 273 hits and 171 blocked shots. He also played for a better team than Bridges, and since their stats are relatively close, the fact that Bridges played for a very weak team could really hurt his chances. Erik Killinger also could get some consideration, with 250 hits and 166 blocked shots in S73. You also have the incredible seasons of Jeff Downey and Lincoln Tate. Downey had 149 hits and 138 blocked shots, while Tate had 250 hits and 130 blocked shots. This award is another tough one to give out, but it all depends on how the voters view Bridges' success; is it a result of his skill, or were his numbers heavily inflated from playing on a poor team?

 

Nominees: Alex Bridges, Lincoln Tate, Condor Adrienne

Favorite: Lincoln Tate

 

Sterling Labatte Trophy

The league's top overall defenseman takes home the Labatte, one of the most prestigious awards the league has to offer. Jeff Downey and Lincoln Tate are obvious favorites due to their offensive productions, but there are plenty of other players who deserve some consideration. Hulk Hogan and Berocka Sundqvist both had 93 points this year while also putting up good defensive numbers. Condor Adrienne had 90 points as well as defensive stats that put him in the Wylde Trophy debate, and the same can be said for Alex Bridges. Despite all these great performances by defenseman, they are overshadowed by Downey and Tate. Downey may take home the Valiq, but Tate can also take home the Wylde. The difference between Tate and Downey’s offensive totals are very slim, but the difference in their defensive numbers are much greater, which is why Lincoln Tate may have the edge.

 

Nominees: Alex Bridges, Lincoln Tate, Jeff Downey

Favorite: Lincoln Tate

 

Greg Clegane Trophy

The Clegane goes to the goaltender with the lowest goals against average, which belongs to Jacques Lafontaine for the second consecutive year. His GAA of 2.46 just barely edged out Rayz Funk and A Red Guy.

 

Aidan Shaw Trophy

The Shaw Trophy is for the league's top goaltender. Jacques Lafontaine and Greg Eagles both had great seasons, but not good enough to earn serious consideration most likely. Lafontaine won the Clegane, but his .917 save percentage is too low to get votes, and while Eagles had a .920 save percentage and 2.54 GAA, it’s just a little behind the two frontrunners for the Shaw, which are Rayz Funk and A Red Guy. Funk has surprisingly never won the Shaw, but has put up some great seasons, and this year was one of his best. With a 2.48 GAA and a .921 GAA, as well as six shutouts, Funk was one of the top two goalies this year. The other goalie in question is the Americans netminder A Red Guy, who got a lot of votes for most outstanding player. He had a 2.51 GAA and a .928 save percentage in what was a career year for him. He also had eight shutouts, the most in the league in S73 and the most he’s had in a single season. A Red Guy likely has the edge over Funk but it certainly isn’t an easy decision.

 

Nominees: Greg Eagles, Rayz Funk, A Red Guy

Favorite: A Red Guy

 

Daisuke Kanou Trophy

The Kanou goes to the playoff MVP, and this year it couldn’t be an easier choice. Hats off to Scott Greene’s 22 points in 19 games, as well as Berocka Sundqvists 20 points, but Rayz Funk is without a doubt the Kanou winner this season. That brings his Kanou total to four, which is the record for most all time, beating out the one and only Daisuke Kanou, who won three in his career. Funk also broke the record for most playoff wins in a career this postseason, as he guided the Bears to a 3-1 comeback over the Wranglers in the conference finals before taking down the Titans in six. Funk’s .936 save percentage is nearly the best mark of his playoff career, while his goals against average of 2.04 is the second lowest through all of his postseason runs. The argument can be made that no player or goalie in VHL history raises their game more than Rayz Funk does in the playoffs. Perhaps in the future, this award will be named the Rayz Funk Trophy, although that is a bit unlikely. Funk should easily win his fourth Kanou of his career on awards night.

 

Nominees: Rayz Funk, Berocka Sundqvist, Scott Greene

Favorite: Rayz Funk

 

Scotty Campbell Trophy

Nicknamed after the league's greatest player, the Scotty Campbell Trophy goes out to the league's MVP. It is always difficult to pick favorites for this award. A Red Guy is the first player that jumps off the page, as his league best eight shutouts and .928 save percentage helped guide the Americans to 43 wins and fifth place in the league, despite not having a top 15 scorer this season. RJ Jubis for Calgary also can get some recognition with 99 points, which helped Calgary secure the second seed in the North American Conference. Perhaps Scott Greene gets some consideration as the top scorer on Seattle with 105 points this year with 75 assists. Lincoln Tate could also get some recognition for Riga, as their top scorer and one of the best defenseman in the league. Picking players as nominees for this award is really difficult, but I think the lack of a real stand out candidate really boosts A Red Guys chances. 

 

Nominees: Scott Greene, A Red Guy, Lincoln Tate

Favorite: A Red Guy

 

Thank you to those who read VSN’s S73 VHL Award Preview! Good luck to all players that are in the running for an award!

 

Spoiler

 @Big Mac @Jubis @.sniffuM @DoktorFunk @Tate  @Spade18 @Advantage @Rayzor_7 @Berocka @jacobaa19 @Hylands @MattyIce @der meister @TTtheT @SlapshotDragon @Greg_Di @JeffD @TXC @OrbitingDeath @Alex Bridges @Peace @Kekzkrieg @Phil @Corco @Devise @Zetterberg @KC15

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Matt_O

[JigglyGumballs 1,056]

Yo where the fuck is LAS G???

[Big Mac 310]

6 hours ago, JigglyGumballs said:

Yo where the fuck is LAS G???

They just don’t understand, LAS G had 0 Goals allowed.

[NotAVHLM-GM 1,858]

Good luck to all nominees, nice to see several Malmo people in the running

[FrostBeard 2,049]

Great stuffs, I think you can make really strong case for Condor Adrienne to get Wylde. Also, Sheilds for Dustin Funk is a really good bet as he did amazingly. 

[mattyIceman 1,207]

Hylands for ROTY?

 

Nah...(sorry dude)

 

Rose for ROTY!

[Spade18 1,305]

52 minutes ago, MattyIce said:

Hylands for ROTY?

 

Nah...(sorry dude)

 

Rose  SYRECK for ROTY!

 I gochu fam