The Victor Dream Team

[Victor 11,039]

What a brilliant theme week. I can combine it with an idea I had earlier and go on a signature ego trip. How, you may ask? Well, the minimum dream team requirement is 3 forwards, 2 defencemen, and 1 goalie. With my former players I meet this criteria + now have 2 additional goalies. Plus, I wanted to rank my players in a while. Let's go.

 

1. Alexander Chershenko

First on the teamsheet is this absolute rockstar of a hockey player. Chershenko was the most fun I had with a player, for a multitude of reasons including a couple exceptional locker rooms in Calgary and New York and it being during my activity peak as I became commissioner towards to end of his career. But the player's success certainly helped. Chershenko picked up trophies pretty much every season, was an all-time great scorer, scored a cup-winning goal in Game 7, got a VHLM award named after him, and is very comfortable in the title of best playoff skater outside Scotty Campbell. Having 3 centers in my arsenal means I have to push two out on the wings and although they were all good in the face-off circle, Chershenko will take the honour without a doubt.

 

2. Greg Clegane

Clegane on the other hand is a perfect example of the weird karmic justice handed out by Simon's sim engine. I was at my least active with Clegane, disappearing for large chunks of 3 of his seasons, while he went on to be the best regular season goalie of all time. It would be a lie to say I missed out on enjoyment though, with a very entertaining back-to-back championship to start his career, my first and to date only foray into free agency, and of course the epic battle that was CLEGANEBOWL, the S51 finals which had no right to live up to the hype bestowed upon it by Jardy and myself, yet did exactly that. Clegane was no slouch in the playoffs it should be said, just not as reliable as Chershenko.

 

3. Podrick Cast

His 174-point season almost certainly was the catalyst to me completing my comeback to the league and ultimately finding the energy to GM an expansion franchise. That entire first half of his career with Riga really helped me rekindle my love for the VHL and his career points pace had me hoping he could actually eclipse Chershenko. Unfortunately, things took a bit of a nosedive after S64, although S67 was still good fun, but instead I had to refocus my enthusiasm on Moscow and playing up the Cast-Thompson rivalry. That was a pretty unique experience and probably what pushes Cast above my third center.

 

4. Lars Berger

This was a career about a lot of unfulfilled expectations and entirely my fault for expecting too much. Or was I? Berger was the first ever player to hit 1,100 TPE and I'm not sure anyone else in his time had 1,000, but fell just short of scoring awards, instead picking up 3 Boulets – the classic hits over goals dilemma. In a similar pattern to Cast as well, Berger peaked in the first half of his career, with all 3 cups (including one triple overtime cup winner), one of which (S18 Calgary) remains the most excited I'll ever be about opening a VHL result. Ironically, Berger actually has more career points than both Chershenko and Cast, but still felt a bit disappointing in the end and ultimately why I made another center straight after.

 

5. Matt Bentley

Right, that's all my forwards out of the way, leaving us with the real disappointments. I was again lucky in that Bentley's worst seasons were overshadowed by GM success as he was a key part of a very enjoyable young Davos team which went to four straight finals. However, after taking one for the team early on, as Bentley became one the Dynamo's stars it became mildly more irritating that he kept on being outdone by some guy called Conner Low. Bentley did ultimately win two Labattes and make the Hall of Fame as well as being my only player to never miss the playoffs, and actually looks good statistically in hindsight. However, my quest for perfection could never be satisfied by this one.

 

6. Vase Trikamaki

My first player, the only one to go less than 8 seasons, who was clearly the least talented I had (in TPE, statistically, just in general). Yet Trikamaki couldn't disappoint me because back then I didn't set myself high standards. The fact he won a cup with the team he was drafted to and then got a top goalie award means I really couldn't ask for more. Plus, by the end of Trikamaki's career I was a GM and gaining recognition in the league. A fine backup for Clegane, at least until he's hopefully surpassed by Rasputin.

 

7. Vladimir Pavlov

This fraud is actually having a good season to end his career to make me feel bad about putting him last. No, my decision is final, you don't dump so much TPA into 1 and a half point-per-game seasons. Pavlov peaked in S70 as part of an unreal 1-2 punch with Smitty and even then, every Moscow player in S70 was unstoppable. The only thing salvaging his career is that GMing Moscow has been great fun, although that is also the reason he is a defenceman.... Never making a defenceman again, especially now that I have a complete pairing for my dream team.

 

So, the roster therefore is:

Podrick Cast – Alexander Chershenko – Lars Berger

Matt Bentley – Vladimir Pavlov

Greg Clegane

(Backup: Vase Trikamaki)

 

I believe that's about 8,000 TPE there (don't quote me on the math, I did it in my head just then). Truly elite stuff of dreams with one nightmare (Pavlov). Bring it on VHL, I don't need anyone else.

 

Tagging everyone mentioned in this article:

@Victor

[Victor 11,039]

Just over 1,000 words god I'm so good at this.

[gregreg 930]

What a shit group

 

[Smarch 3,196]

I once made a player better than Victor. 

 

That's going on the old tombstone. 

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

i beat victor in a finals, in the cleganebowl no less.

[eaglesfan036 4,605]

Victor is the GOAT member