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Vintage Hockey League News
Round 3By Matt George (SCOUTS) On Tuesday 16th April 2024 / 1:05pmThe VHL playoffs have already reached the final four. Both first place teams in each conference remain with the Lightning and Coyotes. Joining them in the final four are the fifth place Maple Leafs and the fourth place Golden Knights, and it should be noted how every division besides for the Central has a team remaining in the playoffs. EASTERN CONFERENCE Tampa Bay Lightning (1) v Toronto Maple Leafs (5) Phoenix Coyotes (1) v Vegas Golden Knights (4) EASTERN CONFERENCE WESTERN CONFERENCE Scouts still have some players to re-sign before the end of the season. Both Alex Steen and Marian Hossa remain unsigned, as does Teemu Hartikainen, Joonas Rask, Nicolas Deschamps, Eric Tangradi, and Gunnarsson as well. Paul Ladue and Teemu Pulkkinen seem to be heading to arbitration. Not re-signing Steen and Hossa would change the Scouts in big ways and could trigger a shift in how the Scouts plan thei off-season. The Scouts are also expected to see a lot of prospects advance to Wyomig or even Kansas City. s26 - Round 2By Matt George (SCOUTS) On Wednesday 10th April 2024 / 12:23pmThe playoffs opened with upsets in the New Jersey and Kansas City as both teams eliminated from the playoffs. Buffalo were given a scare by the Islanders. The Leafs got the brooms out in a sweep over the Flyers and the Bolts beat the Penguins in six. In the west, every series went the distance with the Flames, Coyotes, and Golden Knights joining the Jets in the second round. EASTERN CONFERENCE Tampa Bay Lightning (1) v Boston Bruins (6) Buffalo Sabres (2) v Toronto Maple Leafs (5) Phoenix Coyotes (1) v Winnipeg Jets (7) Vegas Golden Knights (4 v Calgary Flames (6) EASTERN CONFERENCE Springfield Thunderbirds over Hershey Bears SEVEN Rochester Americans WESTERN CONFERENCE Wyoming Cowboys over Saskatchewan Stags in SEVEN 389 New Comments26 - Round 1By Matt George (SCOUTS) On Monday 1st April 2024 / 5:45amThe VHL playoff season is upon us. There are several interesting match at the pro and farm level, including the series which might be most watched series in the first round - the Sharks vs the Flames. On the Eastern side of the VHL playoffs, the most interesting series is the Flyers vs the Maple Leafs. And, at the minor league level the series with most fanfare is the Golden Eagles vs the Stags. EASTERN CONFERENCE Tampa Bay Lightning (1) v Pittsburgh Penguins (8) Buffalo Sabres (2) v New York Islanders (7) New Jersey Devils (3) v Boston Bruins (6) Philadelphia Flyers (4) v Toronto Maple Leafs (5) Phoenix Coyotes (1) v Los Angeles Kings (8) Kansas City Scouts (2) v Winnipeg Jets (7) San Jose Sharks (3) v Calgary Flames (6) Vegas Golden Knights (4) v Detroit Red Wings (5) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EASTERN CONFERENCE Springfield Thunderbirds over PEI Senators in SIX Hershey Bears over Utica Devils in SEVEN Rochester Americans over New Haven Nighthawks in SIX WESTERN CONFERENCE Scottsdale Hatters over Indianapolis Ice in FIVE Wyoming Cowboys over Anaheim Ducks in SIX Saskatchewan Stags over Salt Lake City Golden Eagles in SEVEN 595 New Comment[INFO] And the Winner is ...By Commissioner On Friday 29th March 2024 / 8:16pmNew York Rangers have won the 2016 Entry DraftNew Comments26 - No gambling for VegasBy David Zammit (GOLDEN KNIGHTS) On Sunday 24th March 2024 / 8:48pmVegas, NV - The Vintage Hockey League’s trade deadline has well past and one of the top teams decided to sit pat. The move, or lack their of, is surprising when you look at Vegas Golden Knights General Manager David Zammit’s history since taking over the team about a decade ago. He’s always been active at the deadline either adding pieces to help his team bulk up for a run or selling off pieces to help with a retool or rebuild. One thing that’s really stuck out with Zammit’s approach I’ve noticed is he tries to deal off pending UFAs at or ahead of the deadline, especially ones that are talented. This started in his rookie season with the likes of Joe Thornton and Josef Boumedienne. It tends to only land 2nd rounders or sometimes prospects like Mason Raymond, but if your team isn’t in it to win it, what’s the point in holding the pending UFA. “I think it would be malpractice to not at least explore the idea of shipping out guys that don’t have a long-term future within your organization,” Zammit said following the deadline. “There’s a case by case basis for it, but even for the best players you have to ponder it at least.” Well he’s certainly more than pondered it. At the time he moved Thornton, he was arguably the best player in the league if not, at minimum a top five player. However, why didn’t he follow a similar approach this go around with star defenceman Alex Pietranglo? “Funny you ask, we actually had an inquiry from an Eastern Conference team about him,” he said. “Although with our team playing great this year, my ask was big because if we’re going to do damage in the playoffs, it will be because he’s playing like the best defenceman in the league.” You could also look at one of his pending UFAs that he did deal earlier in the year in Patrik Berglund. He attached him in a massive deal that landed Filppula and Kovalchuk. That trade also put the team at the cap and sort of fulfilled their needs. “I didn’t see anywhere that I needed to upgrade,” he said. “Sure I would have loved another scoring winger but we didn’t have the cap room to do it.” WC - 387 New Comments26 - All eyes on Vegas and Owen Sound for playoffsBy David Zammit (GOLDEN KNIGHTS) On Sunday 24th March 2024 / 8:47pmVegas, NV/Owen Sound, ONT - Well, well, well what do we have here… the Vintage Hockey League season is on the verge of wrapping up in the coming days and the Vegas Golden Knights franchise has to be pleased with a tremendous season at both levels. Unless things change, it appears both teams will be amongst the elite of elites in the league. Owen Sound is sitting first in the entire league, three points up with only five games remaining. While Vegas is in a dogfight for the division and president’s trophy with the Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks. The trio of teams are 1, 2, 3 in the league standings we’ll clear of anyone else. Only three points separate the formidable three, with Vegas playing Arizona next game. “I liked our chances at the AHL level coming into the season,” Vegas Golden Knights General Manager David Zammit said. “We had several key returnees and I also made sure to bolster the AHL team with lots of skill up front.” The returnees of Anderson, Copp, Grossman, Mojzis, Voynov, Bergfors, Pelech, Reddox coupled with the additions of Raymond, Goligoski, Nilsson, and Barzal have turned the team into a juggernaut. Through 78 games they have 121 points with a plus goal differentials of 95. Jump over to the otherside of things and the Golden Knights third in the league in the standings with 99 points through 79 games. It’s been a similar story at the pro level with star returnees in Pietrangelo, Stafford, Bailey. Mix that in with the key acquisition of Kesler, Filppula, Kovalchuk, and Mason and you have a very good top six with a superstar goalie. “We’ve had a few dips this season but wire-to-wire we’ve been right at the top of the standings and I’m hoping we can finally break through this postseason,” he said. WC - 312 New Comment |
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