S38 Super Cup

[HOF 91]

Season 38 VHL Super Cup

Following the overall success of the Season 35 event, the VHL leadership ironed out the details and after appointing a Super Cup commissioner in Mike Szatkowski, delivered a much smoother and more organised second edition. The draft was held in one day and every team made the playoffs.

Vestiquan's Best became the second Super Cup champions after defeating Going Great Heidts 2 games to 1 in the final series.

The Teams

Bentz Over & Say Matt

First-gen rookie Don Draper got his first GMing experience and would eventually take over the Helsinki Titans. He chose to represent sniper Matt Bentz, two-time top goalscorer who spent most of his career as the star and GM of the Calgary Wranglers before a cup-winning move to Davos, staying on as Calgary GM for most of the second decade.

Eggly Bagelface was about to begin his stint as the VHL's best goaltender but did not deliver here as this team's star player, who had some notable performances from Damon Tyrael, Thomas Landry, and Felix Zamora, but crashed out in the first round against Walser This Way.

Going Great Heidt's

Austin Gow, GM of the Yukon Rush and later the Calgary Wranglers, went for a legend of his team, the Riga Reign, in Layken Heidt, one of the best centers of the VHL's second generation. Heidt was the face of the relocated Reign franchise from Season 8 and led them to a maiden championship in Season 10.

Gow went for more Riga influence with his team containing Robert Gow III, Robin Gow, Slaeter Fjorsstrom, and Mike Szatkowski Jr. performing admirably in goal. Combined with a goal-scoring winger in his prime, Willem Janssen, and veteran center (another future Reign) Jakub Kjellberg, the Heidts were a clear top two team all tournament and almost stole it in the final.

The Arceholes

Once a long-serving New York Americans GM, Sam Helberg aka Streetlight went even further back in his personal history by naming his team after former Davos teammate Zach Arce, the most dangerous forward in the VHL in his prime of Seasons 12 and 13. Often Bentz's rival, he combined with him with lethal effect in the S13 cup win.

Despite some star names in the line-up like Wesley Kellinger, Matt Bentley, and Mikey Blade, it seemed Helberg's pedigree was all for naught as the Arceholes finished dead last in the regular season. Redemption came in the playoffs with a first round sweep of TicTac Boom Bullies before another sweep at the hands of the eventual champions.

TicTac Boom Bullies

Boubabi would become well-known as GM Benoit Prevost of the Stockholm Vikings but here he was a relative unknown. So was the player who inspired his team name, with Blake Beukeboom winning few individual awards but providing great consistency for seven seasons, mainly for a great Riga Reign team led by Layken Heidt.

The star of this team was a defenceman not lacking in any awards, as the Conner Low factor struck again in the regular season. Alongside 100-point regular Niklas Lindberg and the fresh Brick Wahl after a season backing up Tuomas Tukio, the Bullies went into the playoffs as a sleeper pick to win it all before the shock sweep by the Arceholes.

Vestiquan's Best

2-3 week stint for Toronto aside, Sterling Labatte has never GMed in the VHL but in one Super Cup proved he could do it. The team name was ominous as even at his worst Labatte's one-time teammate Josh Vestiquan made the playoffs every season while at his best he won 3 cups and was one of the highest-scoring players of all-time.

This team lived up to its name. Always a step ahead in the regular season, the ultimate playoff victory came with little effort. Key to success was cup-winning Davos center duo Naomi Young and Davey Jones and the rejuvenated goaltender Steven Smyl, following in Evgeni Chekhov's footsteps as an underrated netminder stealing the Super Cup show.

Walser This Way

Recruiting general and former Seattle Everblades, Helsinki Titans, and Cologne Express GM Joey Kendrick was another big name thrown into the Super Cup hat and he chose a big name to represent too. Jochen Walser's may have fallen in the all-time defencemen rankings over the years but he was still the best of his generation and reached that once sacred mark of 3 top defenceman trophies.

Walser was represented by some excellent current blue-liners like Malcom Spud and James Lefevre and had excellent goaltending in two-time champion Lennox Moher as well as elite offense with Odin Tordahl and Xin Xie Xiao. Star talent was enough to pull through the first round but they were figured out by Heidt's in the semi-final in just two games.

First Round Draftees
1. WALSER THIS WAY: RW - Odin Tordahl
2. BENTZ OVER & SAY MATT: G - Eggly Bagelface
3. GOING GREAT HEIDT'S: C - Jakub Kjellberg
4. VESTIQUAN'S BEST: G - Steven Smyl
5. THE ARCEHOLES: D - Matt Bentley
6. TICTAC BOOM BULLIES: RW - Karsten Olsen

Full draft: http://www.vhlforum.com/index.php?/topic/9652-s38-super-cup-draft/

Top Scorers
1. Naomi Young (Vestiquan) - 28
2. Willem Janssen (Heidt) - 26
3. Odin Tordahl (Walser) - 25
4. Conner Low (Beukeboom) - 21
5. Xin Xie Xiao (Walser) - 20
T6. Damon Tyrael (Bentz) - 19
T6. Jakub Kjellberg (Heidt) - 19
T8. Malcom Spud (Walser) - 18
T8. Felix Zamora (Bentz) - 18
T8. Tony Stark (Vestiquan) - 18
T8. James Lefevre (Walser) - 18

Full list: http://www.vhlsim.net/SC38/SC38-ProLeaders.html

Final Results
1. Vestiquan's Best
2. Going Great Heidt's
T3. Walser This Way
T3. The Arceholes
T5. TicTac Boom Bullies
T5. Bentz Over & Say Matt