1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

In SMJHL I was pleased overall with how my player did before the playoffs. I typically don’t set individual player goals – though I was pleased with my 130+ blocked shots and 30 takeaways, in contrast to my line partner James LeBlond who was an immaculate passer of the puck. Overall, though, the goal for me individually is always to help lead my team to a championship, so of course I think my player came up short. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to assess exactly why we didn’t make it to the finals, as there are so many moving parts on a single line – let alone an entire team, and I’m not sure attributing disappointment to anything in particular (aside from randomness in the sim) would be productive. I think we had a fantastic squad in Anaheim and know we’ll be back for next season. Unfortunately I can’t really try to do anything better next season as I’ve been capped the last couple of seasons. [163]

5. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
What are your predictions for the upcoming IIHF or WJC tournament? What team do you think will win/surprise people/be bad/etc.?

Well naturally, my prediction for the WJC AND IIHF tournaments is a win for my native Swedes!! We have excellent players up and down the roster, and even though there are always finicky trade/transfer rules in the international tournaments, I have no doubt we’ll have an extremely competitive group of players for Team Sweden in both aspects. I suspect the usual suspects – teams like DACH, USA, Canada, and so on – will be top contenders, as there’s a tradition of success (and users from those regions) that really sets them up for success. I do think that Sweden is one of the regions that out-performs their respective users (both as a result of good management and overall quality players compared to their population). Am I a little biased? I mean maybe – but I think there’s more than just a shred of truth to what I’m saying. I suspect we (Sweden) will do well this season and have our eyes set on the championship, even against all odds. [166]

7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.) The two finals teams have decided to team up for a fundraising opportunity to benefit both cities. What noble cause will the teams decide to benefit? What sort of fundraiser will the teams hold together? How will the two teams mesh before the finals start?
At this stage in time, there are so many clearly worthy causes provided recent events related to hate crimes, difficulties with mental health, and marginalization of many non-racial minority communities. The easy choice here would be a Black Lives Matter cause, but I’d also direct our attention towards mental hygiene and preserving mental health, as one of the most frustrating trends I’ve seen as a health care provider is a sharp increase in child abuse, domestic violence, and unhealthy coping behaviors like alcoholism and other drug use. Terrifyingly, there are so many political advertisements and focus on the negatives in media that it’s not hard to develop full-blown depression while cooped up in one’s house, unable to see friends – and as a result it’s not surprising that we’ve seen an uptick in all of these behaviors. It’s hard to expect any single person to remain mentally well with what’s happened over the last several months, and I think bringing awareness to resources in communities would be integral to continued success. [170]

13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Both of these teams have stacked defenses - which team do you think has the defensive advantage in this series?
I’ve gotta go with my boys in Buffalo. I know the series is nearly over – as we’re five of seven games in – but we have many of the to defenders in the league, bar none, and they played an extremely significant role in defeating the Hamilton Steelhawks, who were no slouches (and even beat the Rage) this season. The Specters have also overall played much closer series than us. [69]
b. In the two regular season matchups, each team won once at home. Do you expect the results to reflect a home ice advantage in this series?
It’s always tough to say, because every GM pulls out unorthodox strategies for the Finals and it’s impossible to tell realistically how those strategies affect outcomes relative to the home ice advantage. I’d say over a long series – maybe a few dozen games – you’d see a significant difference if only because there would start to be a pattern to strategies. [60]
c. Based on FHM player ratings, New Orleans has higher average ratings in bravery, aggression, and fighting? Will that toughness have any impact on this series?
Well, sure. But I’m not sure that will necessarily be a positive effect. There are always considerations about ejections and lengthy penalties with high aggression and fighting, just as much as there are positive effects in terms of nabbing pucks that less physical players would not opt to go for. But the player ratings at this stage are so high that it’d be a marginal difference either way I think. [70]
e. There are several animal names in this series - which of these animals is the coolest? sloth, hippo, otter, monkey, fox, kirby.
Otters, of course. I don’t know how I feel about Kirby being relevant in this conversation, but Otters are one of my favorite animals by a long shot. They’re reasonably intelligent, adorable, and hold hands when they’re swimming on their backs together. There are sinister behaviors to many of the animals listed above – save maybe sloths, I don’t know their ecology quite as well – so I’m not sure that’s relevant in this conversation. [73]


16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.
Verification Word: vagabond