- Steelman
- superadminguy
Offline 
- From: The Wild West
- Registered: 5/19/2019
- Posts: 1,603
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
The new identity is awesome, but the new presentation is absolutely glorious. Incredible work, man. I’m digging all of this new look. Kenny C is lookin’ sharp in those new threads.
AHS Admin. Creator of the THL, PUCH, WHA: Redux and Retroliga.
- QCS
- All-Star
Offline
- From: 🌌
- Registered: 5/18/2019
- Posts: 1,838
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
Big fan of the Giants' look! Elephants are definitely underutilized in sports and the jerseys are very nice. Great work!
- MitchSwanson94
- Starter
Offline
- From: Tampa/DC
- Registered: 10/27/2020
- Posts: 105
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
Digging the Giants look
- Section30
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Minnesota
- Registered: 5/18/2019
- Posts: 2,388
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
Love the Elephant theme and uniforms for Sacramento, definitely one of the top looks in the league. I wonder if Two Towns will have an issue with the similar color scheme though.
- Thehealthiestscratch
- All-Star
Offline
- Registered: 5/30/2019
- Posts: 1,027
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
1959 WCEHL Draft
While the Giants were getting cozy in Sacramento, the West Coast league was making changes of its own to develop the league. A year prior to the first pick being called by California in this season’s draft, it was the league commissioner who set up the WCEHL Youth Upgrade Management project, better known as “YUM”.
The purpose of YUM is to relieve owners of individual scouting responsibility, creating a central group of scouts that reports back to the league. With this information, teams are able to use their own scouts to gain further knowledge on players, resulting in higher quality, more efficient draft picks. While the new department felt unexpected and rushed for many, it was only a matter of time before the uninformed selections in prior drafts started influencing the interest of fans on a local and national level.
As for the scouts themselves, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some of them have vast hockey knowledge, others are great at reading people and a number of them are flat out completely unqualified. No matter how they got to YUM, they all share one goal. Find the gem.
While you might not meet all the scouts right away, here is a rundown of what some of them found for this draft.
Tony Hitchcock brings in the most promising prospect this year with Tylenol Kitchen. Kitchen, a Las Vegas native, has accelerated his offensive capabilities ever since the Flamingos made his city their home. This skill combined with the fact that he is in the WCEHL’s backyard made the kid stick out like a sore thumb, but questions about his general mental stability have kept teams reluctant. His draft stock somehow seemed to heighten in the end when owners noticed that the prospect brought a full kitchen sink to the draft. Kitchen was quoted saying, “Found it in the dumpster on the way over. This is a nice sink”, when questioned about it. Other than Kitchen, Hitchcock also managed to find Hosea Herzog. The defensive prospect claims to be half-Amish, whatever that means. I would not question him, though, because the kid’s response might be a handshake, but instead of his hand it’s his elbow and instead of your hand it’s your chin.
The only other skaters picked in the first round of this year’s draft, despite the goalie depth not being very deep, came from Marco di Ivan, who credits his “bananaphone” for his ability to get in contact with Rent and Tentative Sutter. Other than knowing that Rent is slightly better than Tent, there isn’t much history on these two. Their value comes from the success of their six brothers playing in the NHL. No matter what happens with the two, di Ivan has been celebrated for turning the prospects away from their family tradition, and towards the WCEHL.
The rest of the field contains top goalie prospect, Humana Hamana (scouted by Willie Striker), who is almost an alien-like individual that is obsessed with rubber. Striker was lucky finding Hamana, claiming the kid as his prospect when the tattered Hamana wondered into the banquet room where the draft was being held.
From there we have Ulysses Viktorsson, who is a giant that only ever mentioned being from the middle of Lake Tahoe when he felt the will to talk. When “The Fence” was asked about Vikttorsson’s assets, the oddly named scout that looked similar to the Las Vegas GM who goes by “The House” kept mentioning the player’s cannon shot, despite him being a goalie.
Lastly, we have Richard Honker (scouted by a man who kept calling himself “The Mayor”) and Philip McKrackin (scouted by Guy Mann). Honker is generally known for his ability to produce more shots in front of his own net so he can collect a higher save total, while McKrackin is known for opting out of using a catching glove, wielding two sticks instead.
The first year of YUM is generally looked at as a success, but, despite quality scouting, the owners managed to find loopholes in a system that almost certainly should have resulted in success… Five goalies in eight picks… only can be seen on CBS, the skeptical partner of the WCEHL.
- •
Thread Starter- Thehealthiestscratch
- All-Star
Offline
- Registered: 5/30/2019
- Posts: 1,027
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
Steelman wrote:
The new identity is awesome, but the new presentation is absolutely glorious. Incredible work, man. I’m digging all of this new look. Kenny C is lookin’ sharp in those new threads.
I appreciate that! It took a lot of time, but I think the new direction was worth it.
Big fan of the Giants' look! Elephants are definitely underutilized in sports and the jerseys are very nice. Great work!
I got so pissed when I remembered Tufts University was a thing. Guess I am just going to have to erase them from reality in this universe.
Digging the Giants look
I'm digging your look!
Love the Elephant theme and uniforms for Sacramento, definitely one of the top looks in the league. I wonder if Two Towns will have an issue with the similar color scheme though.
And the elephant love you. Zamboni is too distracted by the actual league, but it might be something that is addressed when things settle down for him... so it is entirely possible it never gets addressed based on what Zamboni has gone through so far.
- •
Thread Starter- ThisIsFine
- All-Star
Offline
- From: The Local Taco Bell
- Registered: 6/23/2019
- Posts: 944
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
Imagine saying your name is “Tylenol Kitchen” in a job interview.
AHSylum Inmate
- Section30
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Minnesota
- Registered: 5/18/2019
- Posts: 2,388
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
Love the hockey card graphics, something tells me this Honker kid is gonna be something special... Always trust The Mayor
- Steelman
- superadminguy
Offline
- From: The Wild West
- Registered: 5/19/2019
- Posts: 1,603
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
This Hitchcock fellow must really know his stuff. It'll be fun to see if Kitchen can live up to his billing and what happens with Herzog. The hockey cards look fantastic! Nice work.
AHS Admin. Creator of the THL, PUCH, WHA: Redux and Retroliga.
- Thehealthiestscratch
- All-Star
Offline
- Registered: 5/30/2019
- Posts: 1,027
Re: West Coast Elite Hockey League
Imagine saying your name is “Tylenol Kitchen” in a job interview.
That is why you distract them by bringing a sink.
Love the hockey card graphics, something tells me this Honker kid is gonna be something special... Always trust The Mayor
Thanks! They are really fun. The change has made me want to constantly design again. As for Honker, going sixth overall is always promising... but he did also have two goalies taken before him. In a very goalie heavy league. Where even backup goalies are making more than average.... I'll be back, I have to go punish FM7 for being silly, again.
This Hitchcock fellow must really know his stuff. It'll be fun to see if Kitchen can live up to his billing and what happens with Herzog. The hockey cards look fantastic! Nice work.
Hitchcock is solid, but his biggest weakness is literally getting on a soapbox to lobby for himself in congested public areas. Also, thank you! I am happy the cards are a hit.
Sacramento, eh! Looks like I have a new favorite team. I just find it great that my favorite person will be managing them!
Oh my, it seems we have our first public fan of SACk! My must be from the city because Irwin has made some enemies during his time in the United States. Residents of Sacramento would die for him and his zoo, though.
Enough small talk. Let's make like a banana and blow this pop stand!
WCEHL 1959 Offseason Events
Free Agency
A calm off-season would follow the storm that was last year’s free agency window. The player market offered very little, and those who even thought about testing the waters ended up resigning with the teams they played for. The winner of free agency would be Marty Shaver, who finally earned his paycheck after years of playing like a star on a rookie salary. Las Vegas would bet their future on the 23-year-old, agreeing to shell out a staggering $102,000 a year over the next five seasons. To guarantee the “Big Spender” award, Vegas would also resign their captain, Al Stone, for four more years at $55,000.
Salt Lake would continue their efforts to keep their core together, giving both Trevor Fitzgerald and Brian Stephens a comfy contract that combines for an additional $103,000 going towards payroll each year.
Other notable signings include Joe Benoit, who decided he was happy in Long Beach if it meant he would earn $63,000 a year, and Shawn Urbair. Urbair will take a substantial pay cut after a poor performance last season. Despite the negative change, Urbair still gets the last laugh considering he remains a partial owner of the Grizzlies.
Trades
Only thing worth mentioning in this department was San Diego’s ability to send players not worth naming to Arizona in exchange for Collin Decowski, who is a very solid defenseman for only being in the league a couple years. The 22-year-old is guaranteed to make an immediate impact for the Canners.
Retirements
Brian McCoal’s retirement ends the West Coast Hockey League’s infancy era, and it is bittersweet. McCoal saw the growth of the WCEHL with his own eyes, participating in the first three Magnum Finals all while supporting the league’s poster boy, Anastasio Moran. Over McCoal’s six-year career he collected 46 goals and 98 assists in 217 regular season games. Although his season contributions were impressive, McCoal was better known for being a playoff player, earning 20 points in 26 playoff games. Unfortunately, his efforts would only earn him one Magnum with the Earthquakes during the league’s 1955-56 season.
When asked for words regarding McCoal retiring, Moran responded with, "He's like the dad I definitely had... oh no, I forgot Fathers Day".
Author's Comment: McCoal was mentioned quite a few times, but I don't feel like it was enough for readers to know his impact. I was constantly seeing his name all the time while in the sim. His retirement news put a lump in my throat. Highly likely that McCoal is in the inaugural class of whatever equivalent this god forsaken league has for a Hall of Fame when the time comes.
- •
Thread Starter