75: What Got Us Here

[Doomsday 4,130]

Graphical guru and VHLM goaltender deliverer @Zetterberg crafted this beauty of an image.

 

July 18th, 2007. It seems like just an ordinary date, like any other in time, and perhaps it is. But for the members of the Victory Hockey League, it is the league's birthday, the day in which it officially opened its doors to the public. In a time in which sim leagues were plentiful in numbers, but short on lifespan, all the VHL has done is not only survive until the present day, but thrive. With sixteen VHL franchises, along with twelve in the VHLM, the league is bigger than ever before, with new members joining on a practically daily basis. Wrapping up our 75th season, over thirteen calendar years after VHL legends Scotty Campbell, Brett Slobodzian, and Maxim Desny first took the virtual ice, the VHL continues to produce both legendary players and unforgettable members. In commemoration of this achievement, along with a very gracious donation by @WentzKneeFan036, I've embarked on a journey to find out from longtime members of the league just what it is that keeps the VHL going, and makes it so endearing to so many. 

 

Right off the bat, one major factor for the VHL's continued success is the constant innovations made over the years. Back in 2007, many leagues made at the time were using video games as the sim engine, kind of like how the VHL All-Star Game is done using the EA NHL games currently. Except here, lines and strategies, along with player creations, updates, and edits were mainly done by a single person, with games run in real time, more often than not with results of plays and screenshots posted in a thread followed by dozens of people. I'm not going to lie, it was awesome, and incredibly engaging. But, as someone who did this for a football league, it was a lot of work, and it quickly led to burnout. Many leagues, as a result, faded away quickly. 

 

"I’m not sure a lot of people realize just how much of a trailblazer the VHL has been for its longevity," says longtime member @CowboyinAmerica. "Sim leagues had existed before the VHL started up in 2007, but they were notoriously volatile and subject to the whims of its founders/commissioners. The idea of a league going even 10 seasons would have been considered a success, 20 seasons positively ludicrous. And if you had told people at the Season 1 Draft that this thing would still be going 75 seasons later, they’d probably laugh in your face. But somehow it has, and I think that’s something to be commended."

 

At one time, your sim hockey dreams played out with the aid of graphics like this.

 

The first such innovation was the use of the text-based Simon T Hockey Simulator, as opposed to a more visual engine. With an index providing things like statistics, schedules, and player attributes in an easily accessible manner to the members that a video game simply couldn’t, it was a revolutionary change in sim leagues. However, that's not to say that STHS was unable to provide the same excitement that a more visual engine could. 

 

"I always enjoy being able to compete against others and my own expectations," continued @CowboyinAmerica. "But being able to chase what others have done for 75 seasons now really sets the VHL apart."

 

"What I enjoy most about the VHL is monitoring my player's stats and our team's success," added @flyersfan1453. "For some players, individual success was more important, and for others (most of them) team success is more important. Going for one over the other with different players keeps things fresh."

 

"When I first joined the VHL, I was very invested in tracking my own player's performance and would check every game thread to see how my team did," @WentzKneeFan036 reminisced. "Then I became a GM and at one point my favorite thing was pretty much having knowledge of every player in the VHL."

 

"I’m a huge hockey fan and always dreamed of making the NHL," @Banackock, a longtime member and General Manager with the Seattle Bears, added. "It’s cool to be part of a league with a lot of history where you can have players ranked, etc. My biggest passion in these leagues dates back to the start of the SHL and its GMing. It’s probably what’s helped me stick around these leagues."

 

Although STHS couldn't replicate watching streamed games or screenshots in game threads, it more than delivered in sparking competitive drives into the members of the VHL. However, some old hallmarks of the old leagues still existed, such as manual updating on the forums, members needing to wait until their point tasks were graded before they could be claimed, and updates only being processed once a week. However, as the members themselves can attest, the innovations didn't stop in 2007.

 

"Constant improvement has been an underrated aspect of this league's history," adds the VHL's Grand Poobah, @GustavMattias. "Internet culture has shifted more towards instant gratification and communicating solely through a forum is something that would be considered hugely outdated in this day and age. Things like the portal and (though some may not want to admit it) Discord have kept us with the times, while league policies such as an improved updating system, elimination of TPE-based grading, and a cap of 12 being reachable for all have made the league much more accessible for a newer member."

 

"At a sim level, the portal automation is such a giant relief for so many members who had to manually update everyone, manually post game threads, and all sort of work that stops members from burning out quickly," continued @WentzKneeFan036, a veteran of the VHL for many years. 

 

On an unrelated note, @gorlab's work is so profilic that it shows up on Google search results.

 

"Sim leagues have changed a lot in the last 13 seasons, the VHL included," adds Day One member @Beketov. "We’ve done our best to try and stay ahead of these changes so that we can be better off for it. Stuff like auto-6 on PT’s, the portal, etc are things we brought to the community as a whole (so far as I’m aware) and they have made multiple leagues better. You gotta evolve with the times to last this long and I think we have."

 

But, for league historian @Victor, among many others, one change stands above the rest: the Portal.

 

"The portal is the biggest change for changing the way the die-hard users interact with the league," @Victor stated, "but also making it more accessible to the more chilled members. It's one of many revolutions in the VHL's long and storied history."

 

The introduction of the VHL Portal was a true game changer. No longer did updaters need to manually scour through player threads and point tasks to approve them, all it took was the press of a button. Better yet, the TPE now went directly to the player, who could immediately apply the TPE, which now no longer needed to be manually done with the file. Trades, signings, and cuts could now be done with the portal as well, with training camp and practice facility points now claimable with the press of a button to boot. The ease of access granted by the portal was instrumental to the continued success of the VHL, but what does it take to last over 13 years and 75 seasons?

 

"The dedication of (the VHL's) core members," answered @tfong succinctly. "At one time the VHL had only a handful of members left."

 

"The members are what has helped the league survive," elaborated @sterling, an original member from 2007. "I was in charge of some of our most unsteady times and I’m very surprised how the league has evolved. The members are what make the league."

 

VHL community hockey? We'll see what the future has in store.

 

It's hardly a surprise to hear that, as without strong and consistent support from members, nothing can last forever. But, as @diamond_ace explains, what started as a hockey sim league has grown to be so much more. 

 

"Honestly, it's gotten less and less about the hockey anymore, and more about the personal relationships between the people in the league," he revealed. "There are a lot of people here I consider friends, and a few I'm even close enough to that I'll be inviting them to my wedding - you don't develop those sorts of relationships just anywhere."

 

"This is one of very few places in my life where I feel comfortable expressing my true feelings and personality, and one of very few where I feel that I will not be judged for being who I am," added @GustavMattias. "Of course, we're only talking about words on a computer screen, but my time in this league and the people I've met here have had a giant positive effect on my own mental health, and I can say entirely honestly that I have zero regrets about joining."

 

Along with the league itself, the community itself has grown as well. Digging into older posts of times' past will reveal a much different, brasher place. Many things, from many members, that simply wouldn't fly today. As @tfong attested, "Old VHL was more abrasive and insensitive." Today, however, that's not the case. 

 

"The fact that we could raise close to $4000 for charity speaks to where the league has come," says @sterling about the growth of the community. 

 

"At a community level, I don't think these donation and charity auction drives would have been so successful, say, 7 years ago," elaborates @WentzKneeFan036 on the community's growth. "I think it's an awesome thing to see now."

 

"The community comes together to find a way," explains @Banackock. "I think the best one is realizing it’s the internet, not to look into things too much and just be kind to one another. A lot of people put incredible work into this place in so many different ways."

 

Perhaps the best new tradition in the VHL is the annual VHL Charity Drive, which has been a rousing success thus far.

 

Growth in the community has also led to perhaps the secret to the lasting success of the VHL, as @Victor so masterfully explains:

 

"Longevity of the VHL is definitely the people though, not the sim. The simmers, the admins, the countless mods, GMs, updaters who put in so many hours into the league and making it better for everyone else, not just themselves, but also just everyone buying into the idea and giving their time and energy, however little or much, to this hobby. We wouldn't be here with 3-4 loyal guys, we need the 100+ and even more now to keep going."

 

"Hard work is the honest answer," replied @CowboyinAmerica when asked about the league's lasting power. "It’s worthwhile to take a step back occasionally and take a look at just how much goes into making things run as smoothly as possible. And especially given that it’s often a labor of love without getting much in return, I’m always thankful for the people who are willing to put in the time to make this place special."

 

In short, the VHL hasn't just built a successful sim league, it has also built a true community. It began as just another sim league, but it has grown to be so much more. 

 

"I think there’s a real sense of community here," adds @sterling. "I’ve seen the league change a lot through the years. Members come and go, but the basic premise of the league and the solid leadership is what makes the community. You’ve got reliable sims and good members doing their jobs to keep the ship afloat."

 

As it turns out, it's hardly a unique viewpoint around the VHL.

 

"The VHL has always been about community first for me, that hasn’t changed in 13 years," @Beketov continued. "Yeah the games are fun to look at and stuff, but ultimately they are meaningless numbers on a page. As cheesy as it sounds, I’ve made more friendships on this site than I have Hall of Fame players, and I enjoy the former far more."

 

"In a cliche," @Victor summarized, "I enjoy the people and the interactions, and that's why I keep coming back in."

 

The Victory Hockey League: 75 seasons strong, and more to come!

 

To dwell on Victor's statement… coming back. It's a common theme here in the VHL, in a variety of ways. Members coming back from hiatuses to rejoin the league. The league itself surviving the dark ages of the 50's and coming back to reach perhaps it's highest point ever. Recreating another player to come back for another career. We live in a world filled with change, the VHL itself not immune to that. Members have aged, moved on with their lives. Some return, some do not. Others have grown to become pillars of our community. But for more than one member that I interviewed, the VHL was a source of stability for them in this ever-changing world which we live in.

 

"The VHL has been a constant in my life through high school, college, and now adulting in the real word," stated the monetary funder of this article, @WentzKneeFan036.  "While I don't spend quite as much time on it as I used to, I would definitely consider it a significant personal loss if it were to just poof and vanish for some reason. That and also Gustav's Town of Salem games have been sooo much fun!"

 

Editor's Note: He's not wrong, Gustav does a phenomenal job with these games and they're a lot of fun, as long as you don't trust a word Eagles says. Consider joining the next one if you haven't played yet!

 

"It’s hard to put into words really," added @Beketov, bringing us back on topic. "The VHL has been the most stable thing in my life for 13 years, as weird as that is. I joined Day 1 as a teenager going into grade 11. Since then, I graduated high school, went to and graduated from university, moved back home, got a job, moved out of my parents place, got married, moved out of province, bought a house, and had a kid. That’s a lot of change but the one constant has been the VHL. It’s activity hasn’t necessarily been this high the entire time, though I did my best to keep mine up, but it’s always been present. The league brings a lot of people from a lot of walks of life together based on this one silly little hobby of ours and I’ve absolutely loved bringing it back from the brink to its highest point yet. I’m not saying being blue is easy, it’s often not, but helping this thing I have loved, that has always been there for me, grow into the best version of itself has been phenomenal."

 

Wrapping up, while there are many things that have made it possible for the VHL to reach 75 seasons, the biggest constant that keeps it going can be summarized in one word: community. The VHL grew to be more than just a sim league, it became a community of people across the world with a common love for hockey and bettering each other. Between growing contributions to charitable organizations and movements, increased acceptance of diversification and assisting with increasing knowledge of and helping improve mental health, this has come far beyond just ranting and raving over Simon T's Hockey Simulator, and before we all know it, we're going to be celebrating the 100th season of the Victory Hockey League. 

 

A special thank you goes out to @tfong , @CowboyinAmerica, @Victor, @Beketov, @flyersfan1453, @Banackock,  @diamond_ace , @WentzKneeFan036, @GustavMattias, and @sterling for their time and patience with completing this article, and their knowledge of what makes the VHL so special. Another thank you goes out to @Zetterberg, who made the gorgeous banner for this article. @WentzKneeFan036 gets another thank you for his donation and idda that led to the creation of this article. Lastly, a big thank you goes out to you, the reader. You're a valued member of our community, and you are a part of the biggest reason why the VHL is such a special place and will continue to be.

[Gustav 6,407]

David

[eaglesfan036 4,602]

10/10 would read again. And I don’t know a thing about artsy fartsy but that top graphic is pretty dope

[Banackock 8,045]

Awesome. Always enjoy your articles!

[BOOM 8,745]

I have nothing to say that could adequately describe the quality of this article. Nothing. 

 

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Article needs to go on the front page of the portal, pinned on discord, and highlighted on the forum.

[animal74 1,809]

Wow! @Doomsday you've done it again. Thanks for displaying in words what I'm sure so many of us feel about the VHL. As an early member who took a ten-year hiatus, I'm thrilled at what the league has become and I'm so happy to once again be a part of it. Kudos to all the leadership and hard-working members for being amazing! This should be shared through the league's social media channels as well. 

Edited January 30, 2021 by animal74

[Beketov 9,025]

8 hours ago, Doomsday said:

Sim leagues have changed a lot in the last 13 seasons, the VHL included,"

Did I really say 13 seasons instead of 13 years? Stupid past Bek.

 

Seriously though, great read, as I expected it would be. Looking forward to your S100 celebration

[Doomsday 4,130]

2 hours ago, Beketov said:

Did I really say 13 seasons instead of 13 years? Stupid past Bek.

 

Seriously though, great read, as I expected it would be. Looking forward to your S100 celebration

 

If it makes you feel better, I didn't catch it either. 

[fromtheinside 1,290]

this is probably the best writeup I've seen since joining, and there's been some good ones. Amazing job Dooms

 

[stevo 792]

this article should be voiced and read by @Phil

[Phil 5,119]

12 hours ago, stevo said:

this article should be voiced and read by @Phil

I think you know what Rock Bottom #12  is going to be then...

[stevo 792]

7 hours ago, Phil said:

I think you know what Rock Bottom #12  is going to be then...

tag me when you post it

[Devise 4,475]

Great write up and read, apologies I never got back to you in the inquiries for this @Doomsday as I was flush in post playoff livesim vacation bliss.  This is seriously one of the best VSN articles though and if your looking for a good read on why the league has been around this long it's pretty much all here. It's will wild to log on and see how large this place has become, and how many pockets of friendships as @diamond_ace was saying exist. It's like watching some niche high school club with like 20 people in it and a passionate group of leaders evolve into a whole damn high school of people with various things all going at once. It used to feel like we had to work so hard to convert first gens into the types of members who could one day help grow this league, take on the roles we needed them to etc. Now there are so many passionate members people are fighting for league positions. That we somehow have been able to keep up as the league has grown has been crazy honestly.