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Thread: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    My Twitter feed is down....#needanITdept
    Follow me @WHLrumourmill for rumblings from around the World Hockey League

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Interview with Ducks GM....


    How do you feel your off season went?

    I think it was a productive off season and that I improved my team from last year.
    Not by a huge margin, but enough to move the meter.
    Was able to also pick up few established players on good contracts (Ghost, Gallagher & Kadri) and some players with good potential (Kahun, Tolvanen, C.Brown, Tierney) and then some depth pieces (Saad, Orlov, B.Ryan, Anisimov)
    The draft was a wash for me, cause I barely participated, but picking up Broissoit was a nice handcuff for me.


    What do you think of my review of your team?

    16TH?! WTF!!!! lol
    Understandable though, I didn't really do anything earth shattering to my roster from a far, but I think I've put together a team that will compete for a playoff spot.
    Having doubts about Hellebuyck though, that blue line isn't looking too good.


    Did you get close to any major trades that didn’t materialize....and if so, why didn’t my sources know about it?

    I had conversations with a lot of the GM's and was involved in some capacity with a lot the bigger moves that got made.
    Was in on McDavid, had offered up a solid young player and two blue chip prospects, but ultimately it was declined.
    Ducks management is a bit tight lipped during the off season, a lot of things can turn in the drop of a hat and we didn't want to give away our hand.



    What does the 334 mean in your Dobber profile name?

    When I was in elementary school I wanted an email address that was evans316, because of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
    It wasn't available so It suggested 334 and it kind of stuck.
    I haven't thought about that in a long time, excuse me while I go relive my child hood as an adult
    https://media.giphy.com/media/nDMyoN...AuuL/giphy.gif


    How did you come up with your WHL team name?

    I'm a big Mighty Ducks movie fan, so it seemed only fitting.
    I think we all tried the triple deke in some capacity in our life time, whether it was playing shinny or in the basement, everyone wanted to be Charlie Conway.
    Screw the cake eaters!
    https://media.giphy.com/media/b7Fm4DyLWdCxi/giphy.gif


    You are the only team with a twitter handle....why do you think other teams haven’t followed suit?

    Ahead of the curve I guess?

    It's a great way to get breaking information out to our followers....wait never mind you're the only one following us, might have to have a talk with our social media department.
    We also use fancy stats, but the analytics team seems to focus a bit too much on Quebec based NHL franchises, need to watch money ball again.


    What is one real world (ie not fantasy hockey) accomplishment you are most proud of?

    I picked up playing golf last year and last week I shot a 97 and I swear to god it was the proudest moment of my life and I shouted it from the roof tops.
    The wife was not too impressed.


    What is your Stanley Cup Final prediction?


    I mean Tampa has to make it, don't they? Such a stacked team and they are going to be angry after the first round exit last year.
    I really like Vegas to come out of the West, too.

    Tampa in 4


    What is your WHL final prediction?

    I'm going Vancouver Voodoo.
    Top-end talent at every skater position and great goal tending.


    Who will win each division in the WHL?

    hmmmm tough question

    Probert - Vancouver Voodoo
    Tocchet - Manitoba Moose
    Hospodar - District-5 Ducks *homer pick*
    Semin - Dryden Eagles


    You may ask me one question....
    Hypothetically, if every WHL team with an animal in it's name had that animal dropped in a fight to the death type scenario, which animal would win?

    That may be the strangest question I have ever heard....well here goes.... the Polar Bear would eat the Muskie, the Duck would get punched out by the fighting turtle. The turtle then gets caught by the eagles talon, while the Griffin then swoops in and takes out the Eagle. Then the Griffin is taken out once it lands by the majestic Moose, who then is eaten by the Cougar, leaving a showdown between the Polar Bear vs the Cougar...my money is on the Cougar...never cross a Cougar. #expertanalysis
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  3. #1203
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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by WHLinsider View Post
    Interview with Ducks GM....

    What is your WHL final prediction?

    I'm going Vancouver Voodoo.
    Top-end talent at every skater position and great goal tending.

    WHL (24-Team Daily H2H)
    Weighted Scoring: G(1),A(1),PPP(0.5),+/-(0.25), SOG/PIM/HIT/BLK(all 0.05), FOW-C(0.01)


    Braham Pietasters
    C(3): Barkov, Seguin, N.Schmaltz
    LW(3): Gaudreau, Pacioretty, Hinostroza
    RW(3): Radulov, Mantha, Dadonov
    F(3): Bailey, Thornton, Vanek
    D(6): Josi, Jones, Krug, Leddy, Ellis, Miller
    G(1): Bishop (Sparks)
    Bench: T. Wilson (RW), Boyle (C), Pirri (C), Boyd (C)
    Farm: Myers (D), Husso (G), Soderstrom (G), Petersen (G), Anderson-Dolan (C), Pilut (D), Capobianco (D), Aho (D)

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by glorybe23 View Post
    haha Andersen over Bishop was actually my tipping point.

    Between you, NLN and VV it's going to be a tight race to the top this year.
    Evansville Icemen District-5 Ducks
    LOEGM - 12 GM H2H Keeper
    G A PT SOG STA STG TRUC FOW
    W GA SV SV% SO
    WHL - 24 GM H2H Salary
    G A +/- PIM SOG PPP HIT BLK FOW
    W GA SV SO
    View Roster View Roster

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    I'm going to have to do something major to get into that conversation...

    Prepare for a sneak attack from the Hospodar division
    XGL - 16 Team, Points Dynasty League
    $114M cap, 54+ Players, Year #16 - 1st(6x): 08, 12-13, 16, 18-19

    F(9+3R): Rantanen, P Kane, Bergeron, Lindholm, Tarasenko, Kadri, Olofsson+
    R: Newhook, Perfetti+
    D(5+2R): Makar, Hronek, Dunn, Sanheim, Andersson
    R: Seider, Harley+

    G(2+1R): Price, Varly

    WHL - 24 Team Dobber League (Lake Valley Thunder) - 2020/21 Champion
    F: Aho, Bergeron, OV, Hintz, Hoffman+
    D: Hedman, Makar, Werenski, Hronek+
    G: Andersen, Lankinen, Oettinger
    R: Reichel, Timmins, Bjornfot, Cormier, Johnston+

  6. #1206
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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Spitfires GM / Commish Interview



    How do you think your off-season went?


    I think I kept the right players. Tried to focus young. Mostly, Braham/Voodoo/Nats just look "out-of-reach-strong" for what I have... and if I can't play with the big-three, time to wait for better time to strike.
    Moving Matt Murray & Sami Niku to Glasgow was best return I could get. Glasgow owns DeSmith, so the 82gp from PIT was going to be appealing for him. He is also a WPG fan... and that would be my best return on Niku.
    I'm actually very high on Nate Schmidt this year on VGK - especially with Colin Miller out. Schmidt should get PP2 time and be top two TOI D-man for a huge plus team. I could see Schmidt getting 40+pts.
    And with a rebuild, Filip Zadina is obviously a great asset, especially on LW where the WHL seems thin for elite talent.
    Also - flipping Dustin Byfuglien for the 11th overall (drafted Peyton Krebs) might be a huge steal. I feel bad for Tampere to completely lose out there. A couple other teams inquired on Buff... they should feel fortunate I rejected their offers.




    As a commish of a 24 team league, to have all GMs return you must be proud, to what do you feel is the cause of that loyal longevity?


    Oh - I can't take much credit for that. There's simply really good guys in the league. That's one of the best things about the Dobber forums... it's a great way to see the real fantasy hockey passion & activity of people.
    I pay a lot of attention to what people have to say when they post. And as we slowly added GMs... I'd ask those GMs which other GMs they thought would be great. It sounds simple, but that's a great way to build a strong community.




    What sparked you to create this league?


    I give credit to the UHL for my motivation. Since I've been on the forums, I've always really liked the personalities and discussion of that thread.
    I slowly learned a few things that were the ingredients to a dynamic hockey league... and I wanted to try to mix them all together:
    i) 24-teams with great GMs, as mentioned.
    ii) Fantrax, some $$$ rewards
    iii) A partial keeper, but not a full dynasty. The junior draft & pro re-draft really does promote trading and keep the league active in the summer. (I've had leagues that are pure dynasty that lose interest in the summer)
    iv) Rules Discussion month in May. I think this is important so that GMs know every year that we can all discuss things about the league that aren't enjoyable.
    Generally, the league is meant to let GMs have a voice... be a real part of the league future.



    What are you looking forward to most for the upcoming season?


    I'm most excited to see if Braham can repeat. I think it's the strongest team the league has ever seen. He's very keenly built it was great value contracts. He's a lock for top 3... it'll be all about seeing if he can hold his ground in playoffs.




    Who do you predict will be the WHL division winners?


    Tier I: Braham (#1), Tier II: Moose (#5), Tier III: Oshawa (#8), Tier IV: Dryden (#12)



    What would be a May rule change you’d like to see?


    Well, I'm on board with goalie-scoring-change. It's hard because everybody knows they don't like the big negative single games. It's the same as every kid knowing they don't like licking their triple-scoop ice-cream and having it fall on the ground. Well, you get around to seriously telling those kids that maybe a single-scoop ice-cream will be less likely to fall on the ground... and then they realize that maybe they prefer the triple-scoop and should just deal with knowing it sucks and will happen every once in a while. We have several smart GMs. I think we may need a number-collective of 4-5 minds to grind it out together so the numbers work for all goaltenders under a proposed system.



    Have any of Bergeron, Giroux, Pavelski requested a trade?


    They know they'll probably be moved. But it's a good lockerroom. They haven't demanded a trade, but they are all willing to go to a good contender with a solid lockerroom. Spits are open for offers!!!



    Which WHL GM would you most like to have a beer with?


    Probably Juoko-Pouko over in Finland. Hockey is such a great game... but it's always fun meeting people from really far-away lands and seeing what things we have in common and what subjects we differ on.
    I'd also buy the beers since I traded Byfuglien to him. Probably 4 or 5 rounds I owe him.



    Who is your NHL Stanley Cup Final prediction?


    Vegas, I think, is super strong. I think they could trade for a big vet-D, maybe even AP of STL. Out of the East, I think TB will come thru this year. They'll be better & differently prepared for playoffs.
    I like Vegas to take it though. What a story that would be.



    Who do you predict for the WHL Championship Final?


    Give me Braham to repeat... over the Moose. I'm impressed with the Moose off-season. I think he made very keen moves. His kids will be in full groove by March, peaking at the right time.




    Question for the Insider....
    I love your twitter account. What emojis are your favourite that best-represent a team... and which ones do you still feel you want to upgrade?


    I think my faves would be Kiss, Polar Bears, Fighting Turtles or Generals, although Victoria was a tough one to come up with. For an upgrade....it would be nice to actually have a Moose emoji....
    Follow me @WHLrumourmill for rumblings from around the World Hockey League

  7. #1207
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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    WHL GM Summit in Finland?
    Evansville Icemen District-5 Ducks
    LOEGM - 12 GM H2H Keeper
    G A PT SOG STA STG TRUC FOW
    W GA SV SV% SO
    WHL - 24 GM H2H Salary
    G A +/- PIM SOG PPP HIT BLK FOW
    W GA SV SO
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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by evans334 View Post
    WHL GM Summit in Finland?
    Now you talking - see what you can do Joukko - how much room you got?
    Piranha Hockey League est 1990 - Oakley Doakley's - 16 teams
    Pts only W=2 OL=1 SO=3 Auction Draft

    WHL - est 2016 Expansion - Glasgow Kiss - 24 teams
    25 pro players / 10 minor league players
    G,A,+/-,PPP,SOG,Hits,Blk,PIM,FOW, W,Sv,GA,SHO


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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    For a brief moment I let my mind wander and I thought of the 24 WHL GMs sitting together at a Finnish Liiga game enjoying a few local beers and JP's hospitality. #candreamscometrue?
    WHL - 24tm multicast salary partial keeper
    19 Active / 6 Reserve / 15 Minors
    3C/3LW/3RW/3F/6D/1G
    Skaters: G/ A/ +/- /PIM/SOG/PPP/Hit/Blk/FOW-C
    Goalies: GS/W/OL/GAA/SV%/SV/SHO/ShL/A

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by Pit Bulls View Post
    For a brief moment I let my mind wander and I thought of the 24 WHL GMs sitting together at a Finnish Liiga game enjoying a few local beers and JP's hospitality. #candreamscometrue?
    Did you forget someone....?
    Follow me @WHLrumourmill for rumblings from around the World Hockey League

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Quote Originally Posted by WHLinsider View Post
    Did you forget someone....?
    In my best imitation of Elaine from Seinfeld "no, I mentioned the 24 GMs"
    WHL - 24tm multicast salary partial keeper
    19 Active / 6 Reserve / 15 Minors
    3C/3LW/3RW/3F/6D/1G
    Skaters: G/ A/ +/- /PIM/SOG/PPP/Hit/Blk/FOW-C
    Goalies: GS/W/OL/GAA/SV%/SV/SHO/ShL/A

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    About to see a #Moose trade with the Generals...
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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    #moose got some props from the #spits. thanks Peng

    WHL - World Hockey League (24 Team - Daily H2H)

    Maine Moose 2021-2022

    2019 WHL GM of the Year #Supersoft

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Thank you to Eagles GM for today’s interview....


    What interests/hobbies do you have outside of fantasy hockey?


    I am a sports guy in general. Follow mainly NHL, NBA and NFL. Also do coaching with volleyball and basketball and play a bunch of rec sports. Big workout guy as well, so lots of study into different regimens, healthy living, diet, etc.




    What is your most memorable hockey moment, as a player or as a fan.


    It’s either Eberle’s tying goal in the world juniors where Gord Miller’s great call was ruined by Pierre McGuire.


    “Can you believe what we just saw!” -Gord Miller, rhetorically.
    “I can.” -Pierre McGuire, oblivious.


    Or it’s Crosby’s golden goal at the 2010 Olympics.


    “IGGY!”


    I can remember exactly where I was and who I was with for those two landmarks.




    What’s your day job and how did you decide to pursue that career?


    I work as a wildland firefighter. I got into thinking I’d work one or two years to pay off my student loans before pursuing something in my field of study but fell in love with the job and all of its perks. I stick with it because it is physically demanding and exhilarating. I love that it has a team component (we work in crews of four) and provides a lot of autonomy and responsibility (as a crew leader I am in charge of my general day to day, structuring training plans, etc. and am responsible for the strategy and tactics for extinguishing small-medium sized fires). I also think that it is healthy that I am forced into isolated parts of the world where I get a reprieve from technology and have such meaningful, engaging work that I get away from the world and all of its problems, it is extremely meditative and grounding. There is no better feeling than returning from an arduous two-week fire tour and rediscovering the little conveniences of the world you had been taking for granted, like how flat everything in a city is! I also enjoy that it provides me with paid travel opportunities and that I am travelling with a purpose (I hate travelling without a purpose).




    What made you choose “Eagles” as your team name?


    When I signed up there was already a Fort Frances Muskies in the league so I figured it would be fun to re-engage with the rivalry from my high school days. Of course, it hasn’t been much of a rivalry as we have mostly just engaged in a battle for lottery positioning. That said, “Squish the fish!”




    When do you expect the Eagles will be a WHL championship contender?


    It’s possible that the team won’t get there. Look at the top contenders in the league and they’ve got at least five stars, and a FP/G producer at nearly every position. The Eagles have maybe three stars and still have roughly half a roster comprised of waiver fodder. If you go back through the records, you can see the trades that pushed these top teams to that higher level and if you talk trade with them, you know that they aren’t going to stop trying to win every trade so either every GM is going to figure that out or the bar will keep raising higher. That’s not a complaint, it’s just reality.
    With the right amount of lottery luck, good drafting, and timely adds the Eagles can get into the playoffs next season, but that’s a lot of maybes. More likely Dryden will be waiting a few years before any kind of celebration.




    What one player would you put into the hockey hall of fame that isn’t already in, and why?


    I assume what you are really asking is about the player who has been eligible for years but has been passed over. I’d lean Mogilny on that one. He was a star in the 90’s but never in much contention for best of the best, but more for the barriers he broke defecting from Russia and hitting it big. But honestly, the Hall of Fame doesn't interest me too much. It's become more of the Hall of Good.

    Follow me @WHLrumourmill for rumblings from around the World Hockey League

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    Default Re: WHL (World Hockey League) - Settings / Inaug.Draft / Discussion

    Twitter question time...WHL GMs asking other WHL GMs....


    “Why do you start with such lowball offers, I don’t have days to negotiate”?


    Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. And if taken literally, every WHL GM better duck because Loch has been avoiding throwing any trade offers to save up his arm for this rock throwing opportunity.




    “Where did you get your start writing hockey columns?”


    I got my start at the tail end of my time at the Western University. My major (biology, with specialization in genetics) wasn’t nearly as entertaining as the bar scene, rec sports and fantasy hockey, so I spent most of my time on the latter three instead of going to class. I often wonder what might have happened had I stumbled upon something more useful but just as engaging as fantasy hockey but nonetheless, the second I was signed up for my first league, it was all that I care about and I had to be the best. That led me to DobberHockey, and eventually the forums. Thousands of posts and many leagues later, I had put in my 10,000 hours and was ready to dabble with some writing. Eventually, Dobber was looking to fill some spots on his staff and I put forth a piece. It wasn’t particularly good but was thoughtful and engaging enough to win me a weekly column. Those “Cage Match” columns weren’t that good either, but I improved and was dependable enough that Dobber asked me to help fill in for Jeff Angus once he was ready to move on.




    “How does the WHL stack up compared to your other fantasy leagues?”


    It’s probably the best league I am currently in, but I’m also in the UHL which I understand the WHL was inspired by. The UHL is great and is close to it’s 10th season but has seen so much turnover and has lost a lot of the key contributors that made it special. I like that the WHL has found a way to make the most of the ugly site that is Fantrax’s user-interface, and a lot of that credit goes to the commissioner group who keep things well organized and structured. In particular, taking the time to keep the records and league history up to date makes things special. We have a lot of that in the UHL as well, but most of that is located on a separate web forum, instead of the Fantrax league page. That forces a lot of redundancy. It also hurt the UHL when we lost the managers responsible for building the off-host forum, so it has become a shell of itself. I also love the system in place for discussing rules in the WHL. Not only are the rules in place the most logical and sustainable that I’ve seen from a keeper league, but the formality of rules discussion keeps things progressing towards perfection. Most any other keeper league I’ve been in couldn’t survive beyond 2-3 years, a lot of that owning to poor league design/rules, poor commissioner oversite, or just poor manager selection causing too much turnover. I am curious to see where the WHL is at once it approaches 10 years. A lot of league health is dependent on retaining quality managers and what I see here is a positive feedback loop. Because the league is so healthy, good managers stick around, which keeps the league healthy. What I like most about the WHL is that it has best solved the problem that every league faces surrounding manager malaise when it comes to pass that their team isn’t competitive. By putting every team in some tier of playoffs and having them fight for lottery positioning every team has some incentive to compete. I still don’t think the WHL is perfect on this front, but it is so much better than any other league.

    - - - Updated - - -




    “Best story you have meeting an NHL player”?


    Best story I have is from when Dustin Byfuglien paid a visit to the local watering hole a few years back. We know that Byfuglien and fitness don’t exactly go hand in hand and this being deep in the summer months I swear he was well above 300 lbs. So, he shows up with a small entourage, decked out in a bright pink polo so large he looked more like an unfortunate couch than a man. I wasn’t there when he first arrived, but it didn’t take long before I received a stream of messages, so I had to go see this for myself. Sure enough, when I arrive, there’s Byfuglien standing out among the fray, looking like an entire flock of flamingos, with all the best local talent taking a run at him. At some point in the night one of the local tough guys has pounded back enough liquid courage to take a run at Byfuglien. Despite our best efforts to convince him otherwise Randy picks himself up and starts his march across the bar. Tall and confident, Randy strides swiftly past the pool tables and towards the corner tables where Byfuglien is holding court. Upon setting eyes on Dustin the big pink dog, Randy’s pace slows, his shoulders slump, and then abruptly he does an about face. “Too big,” says Randy, “He’s way too big.” And thank goodness, because I was not prepared to see a man die at the hands of off-brand Barney.




    You may now ask me one question....


    It is clear that you started the insider account to help drum up interest and engagement within the WHL and I would say that has been successful. What else is the WHL missing to drive engagement?


    I would say the WHL didn’t need me to drum up interest/engagement, it was already as close as you get to a perfect fantasy league, I was simply hunting for a job when saw the league didn’t have an Insider and jumped at the opportunity. Having said that, to directly answer your question, I have pondered if some form of weekly or monthly article (in some capacity similar to the daily ramblings) would be a fun new engagement enhancer.


    Or could simply just do an annual GM (and Insider) trip to Vegas to stimulate engagement....

    Follow me @WHLrumourmill for rumblings from around the World Hockey League

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