Dynasty - Dinamo Riga KHL

Spurred on by the start of the Gagarin Cup Finals (although lacking Riga, we did have a great season this time round!) And also motivated by some of the other Dynasty reports going on, I decided to try one too.

Arena Riga : 10,300


TIKAI RIGA! TIKAI DINAMO!

Wilson signs as Riga GM/Head Coach
- Out of nowhere, the unknown English GM has been picked up by Riga for the upcoming season! Speaking no Latvian/Russian but English, Cantonese, some bad French and worse German, the board seem to think they've found their man. To note: Wilson has visited Riga at least, taking in a KHL game against Atlant Moscow back in 2010 - Latvian Hockey News!

Team
Riga's team is pretty 'average KHL'. They managed a good game against the Phoenix Coyotes some years back and have finished mid table every single season! They don't like to throw around the Russian gas money that is funding them, but that might change with me at the helm (I once got Liverpool into almost $1bln debt on Football Manager)

Budget $9m - 25th in KHL

Defense
Sandis Ozolins - WHO ELSE. The legendary 8, the man himself! 41 years old and still regularly tops most ice time in the KHL. Captain and leader!

Rodrigo Lavins - Another old dog of the old game! 39 years old. Not Ozolins stats wise but worthy of my AI Assistants putting him on line 1 pairing with Ozo where I'll leave him - for now.

Matt Robinson (CAN) - Soild Dman. Physical and can pass. Will likely move up and replace Lavins

Forwards
Paul Szczechura (CAN) - 92 NHL games behind him. Average all over. Not a bad thing!

Marcel Hossa (SLOVAK) - Excellent puck skills. Again average stats overwise

Herbert Vasiljevs (LATVIA) - Played in Germany for so long I think he is now German? At 37 another old dog (My preference) 50 or so NHL games in his day and above average offensive stats.

Transactions

F Herbert Vasiljevs (from Krefeld Penguins DEL for $200,000 cash) 1 year deal at $395k

Other news

Miroslav Satan signs with Atlant Region - 2 year deal at $4.8m

Dinamo Riga's very own song. Performed by Latvian artist Dzelzs Vilks

Dzelzs Vilks - Dinamo - YouTube

Update!

First 3 games are played:

vs Dinamo Minsk loss 6-5
at Medvescak Zagreb loss 8-2
at Spartak Moscow loss 2-1 - not happy with this one. Spartak are usually weak.

My assistant is playing my backup goalie as starter. He has marginally better stats so I'll leave him in for now.

Contracts
Sandis Ozolins - Offered new 1 year deal at $800k (on $500k now) refused! Wants to "test the market" at 42 next season... He could be planning a trip to the UK maybe?

Kyle Wellwood (CAN) - scouted. Obviously would be useful for my team. However my budget only is allowed me to offer $300k he wants 3 years and $800k so he won't come.

Other news

Darcy Hordichuk signs with Dinamo Minsk on a 1 year deal at $2.6m

Filip Kuba signs with Severstal Cherepovets on a 2 year deal at $2.4m

Kent Huskins signs with Admiral Vladivostok on a 2 year deal at $1m

Doug Janik signs with HC Slovan Bratislava on a 1 year deal at $1.4m

Next Game

vs CSKA Moscow! Big game in the Riga diary!

Update!

RIGA BEAT THE MEN FROM MOSCOW!

at CSKA Moscow win 2-1
-a bit of a foreign affair. Paul Szczechura getting both goals and 1st star.

vs Dynamo Moscow win 3-0
- Poor showing attendace wise at just 7,878 but a good win against one of the best teams! Martins Karums, the traitor of Riga gets some PIM minutes for the Blue men of Moscow. Paul Szczechura is on his way to get the first contract extension of the season.

Other news

Jamie Langenbrunner signs with Sibir Novosibirsk on a 2 year deal at $3.1m

Update!

So we end September on a high, albeit it, 10,000 km away in Vladivostok!

at Admiral Vladivostok win 5-1
- Vitalijs Pavlovs stealing the show, although Paul Szczechura wasn't far behind! Still playing for his extension!

Transactions

Edgars Masalskis - 2 year deal at $120k. My main Czech Goalie decided to go get injured for 3 weeks so Masalskis was intended as backup, although my staff seem to hate Tellqvist! So he's now starting.

Other news

Georgi Berdyukov - sign from SKA St. Petersburg to Spartak Moscow for $2.2m cash. Pretty big amount from Spartak. Adding to the stockpile of cash that St Petersburg have.

Wade Redden - signs with HC Lev Prague on a 2 year deal at $1.1m

So this seems us end September with a 3-7-1 9pts record and standing bottom of the Western Conference. We did however take down CSKA and Dynamo Moscow.

Leaders

Goals - Marcel Hossa with 4

Assists - Old Dog Rodrigo Lavins with 7

Points - Paul Szczehura with 10

Update!

After a slow start to the season, the boss decided to give me some time off to explore the city I now call home, so here it is:

Arrive at Riga airport


My temporary accommodation


The food situation




Nice shot of Riga and the clock tower


Russian markets


City park


In the GM box before the game


Transactions

Kaspars Daugavins - contract offered - Signed 2 year deal at $480k

Other news

Owner just told me he's happy so far and looks forward to a successful future for Riga

Edgas Masalskis - my newly signed goalie to replace my injured starter.. is injured for 2 months! and no money left to sign a replacement. Will have to finally start Tellqvist and only Tellqvist...

Tony Martensson signs with Dinamo Minsk from SKA St Petersburg for $2.2m cash on a $830k 1 year deal.

Update!

Only 3 games into October but a big win at home:

vs Salavat Yulayev UFA 7-2
- Paul Szczechura with a 4 point game. 3 G 1 A

Transactions

Maris Jucers (LATVIA) 26 year old, not really known Goalie. Had to sign and put me over $1m over budget on Free agents. I now wish for now more goalie injuries please.

Roman Vasiljevs (RUS) 23 year old Forward out of the VHL (aka Russian AHL) signs with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on a 1 year $620k deal! from Dynamo Balashikha He's obviously quite happy about that.
**Real photos by the way from my Riga trip in 2010!**

Update!

*Apologies for the erratic updating, some things I just feel need to be told! if its too much for anybody reading on tell me!*

It just HAD TO HAPPEN...

Roman Vasiljevs, Neftekhimiks newest star signing from the VHL - has the game of his life in his debut against me! 3 point game and 1st star to take them over me.

at Neftekhimik loss 5-4

Other news

Andrei Kuteikin moves to Salavat Yulayev UFA from SKA St Petersburg for $2.2m cash on a 1 year entry level deal at $745k.

Interestingly SKA seem to be making a lot of money from these cash trades. They have got Kovalchuk on a $10m deal so this might be why? Or just shrewd business!

Steve Sullivan - NHL veteran signs with AK Bars on a 2 year deal at $2.7m

Pavel Kubina signs with Torpedo Nizhniy Novgorod on a 2 year deal at $2.1m

More news on SKA St Petersburg

SKA sell Kevin Dallman to Dynamo Moscow for another $2.2m and bring in ex NHLer Scott Nichol on a 2 year deal at $1.4m.

SKA currently have the biggest KHL payroll at $36m and still have $20m left for Free agent signings!

Update!

We near the end of October and the biggest game in the Riga diary comes up:

at SKA St Petersburg win 4-1
- A full house in Putins captial! Paul Szczechura, the hero of Riga with another big game! Looks like he's found his level and home!

Other news

Patrick Geering (SWISS) 23 year old D man from ZSC Lions in the Swiss NLA joins CSKA Moscow for $2.1m cash on a 1 year $900k deal. He looks ace. My scout picked him up right after too.

Dinamo Minsk Head Coach Alexander Andriyevsky has just been warned - according to the media - that his job will be up if he doesn't improve. Minsk currently sit bottom of the Western Conference with a 7-14-0 record.

Update!

So October ends. Not a bad month I don't think. We sit 12th in the Western Conference with a 9-10-4 record. The board tell me again that they are pleased so far, October month I went 6-2-3.

Herberts Vasiljevs has just gotten injured for 9 months!! and with his age 37, I might just have to let him go

Tellqvist, my back up Swedish goalie who my coaching staff hated, well they wavier'd him and AK Bars picked him up. I don't really mind as he wasn't being used but still, I didnt know they'd done that til it popped up!

[Alessandro]

Go on go on go on
Too bad that these transfers happen at crazy money, though...

Originally Posted by Alessandro

Go on go on go on
Too bad that these transfers happen at crazy money, though...

Yes there is a lot of cash transfers going on! But luckily the players being bought for stupid amounts are being used by the teams. No randomly sending them to the minors or anything like that.

Enjoying it though. The game has come a long way since the start, that's for sure! I think I'm more excited to see what SKA do though. They have so much money available and are sitting mid table right now... and if Kolvalchuk stays with them for the full 4 years or if they let him go!

Baltic Sports Exclusive!

For immediate release:

Herbert Vasiljevs, said to be a favorite of GM Wilson, has been released from his contract with immediate effect. Vasiljevs, a veteran of the German DEL, was brought in to Wilson's team to add vital experience amongst the younger Latvian players. However at 37, and currently out for an expected 9 months, Wilson felt it wasn't worth it. It is believed the released has cost Riga around $350k.

Quick update!

Herbert Vasiljevs, despite being injured for 9 months and cut from my team... Signs with Dynamo Moscow on a 2 year deal at $620k!

[geckon]

Originally Posted by Garethw87

Quick update!

Herbert Vasiljevs, despite being injured for 9 months and cut from my team... Signs with Dynamo Moscow on a 2 year deal at $620k!

It shows you as a bad GM. You should have traded Vasiljevs to Dynamo and get something in return

Originally Posted by geckon

It shows you as a bad GM. You should have traded Vasiljevs to Dynamo and get something in return

Hahaha!

Being 37 years old and out for the rest of the season and some of the next, I didn't think he'd be worth so much

[Bigby Wolf]

Heh, so a player who is injured for 9 months still has some worth to another team!

In my league, the Bruins just traded Marc Savard who is injured for another 224 months - they got a 4th round pick for him!

Hmm - to exploit the bug or not.....?

Originally Posted by Bigby Wolf

Heh, so a player who is injured for 9 months still has some worth to another team!

In my league, the Bruins just traded Marc Savard who is injured for another 224 months - they got a 4th round pick for him!

Hmm - to exploit the bug or not.....?

Haha! I think we will need some self discipline when it comes to injured players

So I make it to October, but I am going to put this on hold for a while. Which is a shame because I am enjoying the game.

Reason be I am using a beta update and a few strange things have stated to happen with the player signings. I'd rather not ruin the game with loads of these happening so I will report them and wait for the update to be released fully then carry on!