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ACapitalChicago · 05-19-2020, 04:58 PM

**Ready for grading: 4,453 words**

So thanks to some more attentive users than I, I've realized that I've finally made 1 thousand posts on this site since joining last July! (It's actually going to be 1,005 with this one, but who's counting? Certainly not me.) This times well with the fact that I need to boost my bank account numbers, so I'd like to ask the SHL community to Ask Me Anything! I'm willing to take any and all questions from me as a person, to my player Joseph Weston, to my time on Montreal, Carolina, or Calgary, some of the stuff I've done on the site, or anything in general. I'm a pretty open book, so please ask away!

I had a Jeb Bush "Please ask..." meme to go here but the site hates imgur links right now.

From the Venerable Mike Izzy,

Quote:What's been the best and worst part of your SHL world during your first 1000 posts?

Oof, gonna start with the worst parts here. I haven't thought about this a lot before, but it's a good question. I think two big events come to mind, one as a player and one as an SMJHL HO intern. The first was the unfortunate series sweep the Carolina Kraken lost to the Anaheim Outlaws only a brief few seasons ago. It wasn't so much the result, but the feeling that after such a great time in Carolina that it just would end so unfortunately. I blame myself for not contributing more, but I know that the team pulled together regardless. There's so many good people in the Carolina Locker Room now that no matter what it led to a great future. The other worst event would be the time I royally screwed up the draft announcements in the SMJHL Draft. The way that the draft is handled is that there are two specific channels for GMs and HO in their discord. One is specifically picks only or you're fired, the other is announced picks only or you're fired. As it was such a hectic day, to say the least, I unfortunately failed to go off the right channel when updating the main thread picks and their order. Me being on top of the game worked against me, and by posting too quickly I ended up spoiling picks that had yet to be announced. Frankly, I felt terrible. Draft day is huge for a lot of first gens, and by spoiling the chance for GMs to announce it themselves I took a great moment away from them. Thankfully it was fixed rather quickly, but it was still a big "oops" moment I regret. But onto the best, the much better moments! The two best moments would be the night Carolina won the Four Star Cup in their inaugural season as the Kraken, and when the announcement was made I was drafted to the Calgary Dragons. The first was a wild night. After facing some two heartbreaking and brutal Play By Play defeats that deserve a story on their own, the Kraken got together in a voice call to watch the Play By Play for what would be the last game of the finals. We had it all, music, drinks, memes, dog noises, everything was perfect. That was the night Carolina's love for Terry was born even. It was an amazing night I rate highly among my experiences in the SHL, one I love so much. The other was the culmination of dozens of scouting messages between myself and Esa when trying to figure out which team I would go to in the SHL. I tried to stay quiet and not give it away, but I let out the biggest sigh of relief I'd been holding for days when the pick finally went through and Calgary drafted me. I've loved being a Dragon ever since Dragonite

and wouldn't trade it for the world! Every day in that Locker Room has been a great one, and I'm looking forward to the seasons to come!

Quote:How has it been to be a dragon?

Touched a bit upon it in the last question, but absolutely fantastic. I haven't regretted it from a second. From the all in good fun hazing, working on the draft picks with the team, poker nights, and oh god so much FOOD, I love being a Dragon. I'm really thrilled to be part of such a historic team with so much heart. Everyone on the team does so well together with each other, and the strong Alumni and prospect presence is such a bonus as well. Even though I always get my ass kicked in poker I really look forward to it each week. Everyone sticks together even in tough times, and I can't express how thankful I am to be here.

Quote:What's the future look like for Joseph Weston?

Bright. Joseph Weston may not be the most diligent or highest earner of his class, but he's still here despite everything that's been going on. Joseph Weston is thankful for the opportunity given to him by Calgary and the chance they've taken on him. Joseph Weston is looking to bump his defensive attributes up potentially, so as to be less of a liability to the team in the d-zone. He's going to take this hell of a rookie season and expand upon it, bringing pride and glory to the Dragons franchise.

From the Ever-Diligent Esa,

Quote:Congrats on 1k posts!

Thanks so much!

Quote:How did it feel to finally be up with the Dragons this season?

Oh man was it a grind! The competition was brutal and playing on the ice but this time in the big leagues was a huge change. I was concerned about finally taking the ice for the big leagues, and working with the Dragons to create such a great season was a huge burden at first. But it got easier over time, and the hard work of previous seasons paid off as we made it as far as we did. It was a big change but one I was excited for, something I'm thrilled about and looking forward to more of!

Quote:How do you feel about your rookie year in the SHL and the rookie of the year race?

Oh don't even get me started! Too late, already going. Both myself and Alexei Rykov had absolutely fantastic seasons for our first season in the big leagues. Rykov dominated in goals and I kept up in points thanks to assists, and it was such a great tandem for our third and fourth lines. But for the rookie of the year race, that's a bit tougher. I'd like to preface this by saying I understand if Ivan Maximus wins it. He had a fantastic season himself, with both a goal and assist more than myself. However, this is also under the circumstance of having 14 Power Play Points. Both myself and Rkyov combined for less than a third of that together. In addition, both myself and Rykov are wingers compared to Maximus' center position which adds to the context. Sure Maximus had a lot of shot blocks, but he also led the rookies in Giveaways. The Corsi and Fenwick percentages also help tell the story of different lines and circumstances between these great players. I think all three of us have a decent shot at Rookie of the Season, and again I won't be surprised if Ivan Maximus wins it. But I think the race is truly a hell of a lot closer than some people may think, and I think Weston and Rykov's names deserve to be in the conversation.

Quote:What was it like playing on a line all year with Esa Parmborg and Atlas Rush? How was the chemistry out there?

Man those were some big feet to follow up on. Both Esa Parmborg and Atlas Rush already have great experience on the ice, and having to follow up on them was a huge task. It was great seeing both of them create such fantastic plays on the ice, there were a lot of times the both of them would show up in the quick PBP from FHM making great chances for the Dragons. I think the chemistry was a strong point for our line from the very beginning, and should only grow from here. I'm real excited to see how next year shakes things up!

Quote:What are a few things you learned about playing in the SHL compared to the SMJHL?

There is a huuuuuuge variety in the types of players and builds compared to the J. Part of it of course is the change from STHS to FHM, but there were so many playstyles and opponents that were difficult to face off against. I had to be crucially more aware of every aspect of the ice when playing out there, the competition was much much steeper after all. This however, was also a big plus in the end! This meant that every play made that went the right way meant oh so much more when that puck would go into the net. It took a lot of effort to get used to playing against some of the big names of the SHL, but there were also familiar ones I finally got to face off against, some even again from days in the SMJHL. For the future the biggest lesson I've learned is to stay positive and hardworking, that'll be the best way to make things work out for the Dragons.

Quote:How did your time developing in Carolina prepare your game for the SHL?

Playing in Carolina really taught me to be a team-focused player first and foremost. No matter how badly I may want individual glory, the team has to succeed first. This meant I had to make sacrifices on and off the ice to help the team in the long run. No matter what, I think this was a huge help. Even if I may get greedy on some moments or some plays, the team always came first in the end. It was a long and tough road to get to Calgary, but in the end every moment was so meaningful in Montreal and Carolina.

Quote:Is it true that your jersey was a popular seller among female fans ages 18-34?

Look, I can neither confirm nor deny the allegations regarding Joseph Weston's jersey selling well among certain demographics, but I'm happy to play for such a diverse league that all may feel welcome purchasing freely whatever jerseys they desire. Whether or not this meant certain autographed jerseys made their rounds with certain close friends and followers of the team is another entirely separate matter however. Gotta have good stick handling on and off the ice.

Quote:How do you think Kata Vilde feels about his jersey being a popular seller among female fans ages 72-90?

Kata Vilde is a hero through and through, and it makes sense that the guy who can make any save is able to help those make the saves they need most in their lives at such a crucial time.

Quote:What kind of weird superstitions, if any, did you find the Dragons veterans have in the locker room before games?

Y'know, Joseph Weston isn't usually one to question the more odd things people do before games, everyone has their own quirks after all. But some things can never be unseen, and what has been seen can rarely be forgotten. So Joseph Weston will never be able to purge the sight of an unnamed Dragons player taking three gulps from a bottle of Chlorox cleaning supplies before going on to put a career high game on the boards. Whatever was in that bottle god only knows, but Joseph Weston often finds the memory vividly coming back to him when browsing the cleaning supplies aisle of the grocery store.

Quote:Does Joseph Weston have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?

Thankfully none as wild as the aforementioned chugging plan, because Joseph Weston has some level of self-preservation, however Joseph Weston does have one in particular. Joseph Weston is incredibly picky when it comes to his skates and his equipment, leading to some time-consuming rituals before the games. Weston will put on his protective gear, take it off, make a small adjustment to one single strap, put it back on, take it off, reverse the change, put it back on it again, remove it, put the change back again, put it back on, and then repeat this exact process for his upper body protection, his skates, even occasionally his stick tape which becomes a real struggle depending on the night. It takes Joseph Weston forever to get this done on the nights where it all happens at once, but hoo boy does it create an unmatchable sense of preparedness for the young Calgary forward.

Quote:I think the most important question we're all wondering here is what's your pre-game meal?

Joseph Weston may not have the titanic stomach or ever-expanding gut of some older members of the team, but he does come from a wide family of runners. This has ingrained upon him the absolute necessity of stacking up on past before games, the most important being spaghetti with pasta sauce and a side of green salad with cucumbers, carrots, and cherry tomatoes with no dressing. Weston appreciates how quick and efficient the meal can be, leaving him with plenty of time to prep his gear before a game.

From the ever clever and dedicated Slappy,

Quote:Why is Esa the worst poker player of all time?

Maaaan Esa is so bad at poker. Even if I'm not the best at it myself, and I admit that in full honesty, Esa makes me look like a damn poker genius. I think part of the issue is so many of our guys start off strong in the game, and then get immediately distracted by the talk of food. One mention of a nice kielbasa or homemade meatballs and Esa is just gone. All thoughts of poker out the window and we're focusing solely on the food conversation for the rest of the hour. I really appreciate you guys doing this, because it makes it a whole lot easier for me to not automatically come in last in each game!

Quote:If you could travel back to witness any historical event, what would it be and why?

Now this is such a good question, there are so many options here I want to choose. I'm a huge history nerd thanks to my family, so I've got a whole backlog I'd want to see. Things like Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, MLK's I Have a Dream speech, the first man on the Moon, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Capitals' first Cup win, there are so many things I'd want to see. But honestly, this question came at a real interesting time. I haven't told many people, but I lost my grandmother a couple of weeks ago. She was a big impact in my life and for my family. It's cheesy and not at all where this question was going at first, but if I got the chance I'd like to go to a few years ago before her health really started declining. It would be nice to spend a day with her playing cards like we used to and ask her about all the things I never got a chance to.

From the Ever-Kind Wumaduce,

Quote:STHS or FHM? Why?

This is a really good question, thank you for asking! I think both have their merits, to some degree. STHS worked for 50 some odd seasons, and a lot of people have great history with it. I've been lucky enough to experience both sim engines, but of the two, I would probably still take FHM. One of the biggest aspects that I appreciate the most of FHM is the expanded ability to create your player how you want them in a way that is far better than STHS. When I first came into the SHL I wanted Joseph Weston to be a player who's in the right place at the right time, but STHS didn't truly have the means to make that happen. But with FHM that idea can now be a reality, and that's just for me. There are so many people across the League who now can make their players finally the way they wanted for so long. I think overall FHM was a rough shakeup for a lot of people, but was incredibly beneficial in the long run.

Quote:Qdoba or Chipotle?

Qdoba has its merits, but I gotta go Chipotle. I haven't seen a Qdoba in forever, but I can see a Chipotle that's never quiet right outside my window. They might be stingy on portions occasionally, but it's always a solid choice for food that'll get me at least two meals with a bowl. I think Chipotle is a pick you can't go wrong with, and if Qdoba wanted to challenge that they've got a long way to go to catch up.

Quote:What's the best piece of advice you'd give to new people to sim leagues?

I'm so glad you asked this, because it's really simple. DO NOT BURN YOURSELF OUT. It's really easy and incredibly tempting to jump on every possible opportunity available to you at the start of your new career. There's tons of opportunity here just in the SHL, there's internships, media, jobs, and so much to do all on top of growing your character. However, if you aren't smart about it, when your enthusiasm spree fades away and you're trying to settle into a more stable rhythm it'll be impossible to keep up. Plus, life still goes on outside the League no matter what happens inside. At any moment an unexpected circumstance can tear you away from the League, even at the worst or best of times. This doesn't mean never jump at an opportunity though, absolutely not that at all. Instead, you should just be cautious and realistically aware of what you can do in the League. There are too many rising stars who look so promising, but burn out in a few short months because they joined multiple obligations for the League all at once.

Quote:What's your proudest moment been in the league?

Individually, the proudest moment has been one of my first playoff games with the Montreal Militia. I was going through the motions of feeling like a burden to the team, feeling like I don't contribute to anything, it was a pretty unpleasant time. And then in the playoffs, I had an absolutely massive game, multiple goals and big assists, First Star performance, it was the exact thing I needed at the time. The locker room popped off and it was a great night that went on to be a big part of the Militia's Four Star Cup win in the end. But for that game and that night, that was the moment that really kept me in the SHL.

From the New Dragon leafsftw1967,

Quote:What is the legacy you would like to build for Joseph Weston throughout his SHL career?

Good question, thanks for asking! While I would love for Joseph Weston to build an All-Star career through great teamwork, this also comes with the understanding that I want Weston to be a team-first focus in the end. Every pass, every shot, every goal, all should be based on the focus of bringing glory to the Calgary Dragons. Even if I want to be selfish at times and focus on achieving certain individual goals like Rookie of the Season or a goal scoring record, at the end of the day the best legacy to leave behind is one that remembers the efforts of the team as a whole.

From the Incredibly Talented, Creative, and Handsome sve7en,

Quote:How does it feel getting to draft yourself reincarnate into 4 more seasons with the Kraken?

I'm gonna be honest I can't tell if you mean my future player or if you're referencing the legend known as Jimmy Wagner. If you're talking about me, man I cannot wait to put the Kraken orange on again in the future. But, I also really hope you're talking about the future SHL legend Jimmy Wagner, because few single individuals ever had such a massive positive impact on a team the way Jimmy Wagner has. That draft was a whole crazy time on its own between real life stuff and managing the Kraken positions, and to have such a massive franchise player come to the Kraken has been amazing. It's been nothing short of awe inspiring to watch you grow as your journey in the SHL continues. You play fantastically on the ice and you've carved yourself quite the niche off the ice. So to answer your question, fucking awesome.

Quote:What's your favorite aspect of the site outside of the locker rooms?

Damn, Locker Rooms are easily one of the best parts. I think besides the locker rooms, what I really enjoy about the site would have to be the people. No matter what, the people are what keep me coming back and wanting to keep staying here despite whatever happens. The people make the media, they crack the jokes, they're all the reason I like being here so much. There are so many people I'd want to thank if I got into it here, that it would easily add another few thousand words to this media.

Quote:Churches or Bojangles?

Y'all motherfuckers sleeping on Harold's Chicken. Come to Chicago sometime, it's cultural over here. Highly recommended, we can take a whole tour on Chicago food like Portillo's, Lou Malnati's, Oven Grinder, Vito and Nick's, Rainbow Cone, we got so much to see and eat. So worth it.

From the Brilliant Mastermind bluesfan55,

Quote:what are your thoughts on the nugg?

So apparently there's a whole big history of the nugg on the site? People hate it or love it, and someone even managed to destroy the first version of it? I'll be honest, I don't know the full history or story behind the nugg. But what I do know is that it's a fun server to be in that cracks a lot of jokes, and it has a lot of younger and passionate members of the site in it. I really enjoy the random late night voice calls in there, the pew pew invitations, the NHL all stars games. I think it's a great time all around

Quote:favorite moment in a kraken uniform that IS NOT winning a cup?

Really tough question, that's a good one! One more stretched out series of events was as our last season as the Montreal Militia drew to a close. A lot of teams began sending out scouting messages, so the Kraken teammates began discussing who was doing or saying what together, cracking jokes and whatnot. It was interesting to really see where people went compared to what they were saying about teams, I know a lot of guys got real happy with where they were drafted and that was great! The other was also over a period of time, basically over the entirety of my time in the J. Early on sloth would post every TPE opportunity for us in the LR to help us out as new guys, and over time I started helping out with this. What started out as just a post here or there every now and then became a regular thing for me as new guys started coming into the team. Eventually, this would also transition to a new player taking over, as sve7en started posting them more and more frequently in just the same manner I had. Looking back on it it was such a gradual change that it was hard to notice in the moment, but it's been such a net positive for the team.

Quote:have you ever thought about possibly applying for a GM, co-GM, or IIHF head spot if given the chance to?

This thought has crossed my mind, it's a huge possibility with the way the League has been growing that there would be opportunities to do so. I've come close to applying to positions in the past like for USA WJC, but part of me is very hesitant to do so. Part of the issue is time, with the future being so uncertain it can be very hard to justify taking a position that requires, in my opinion, at least several months worth of commitment. Stability is a big part of being in such a critical position and I don't want to risk not having that for a team. Plus, it's a difficult issue of not having any experience in such matters. Even if I were to take a co- position for a team to help out while learning the ropes, frankly I don't know if I have the ambition to then take that experience and use it to gain a full position in my own right. I've seen the demanding responsibilities necessary for a GM or other high leadership position, and frankly that's not something that I'm ready to deal with anytime soon.

I'm going to call it there on the questions and answering, I would like to thank Mike Izzy, Esa, Slappy, wumaduce, leafsftw, sve7en, and bluesfan for the questions, and the League as a whole for this great opportunity. It's been a great first 1k posts, and here's to 1k more!

S66 Damian Littleton

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DeletedAtUserRequest · 05-19-2020, 05:34 PM

What’s been the best part and worst part of your SHL world during your first 1000 posts?

How has it been to be a dragon?

What’s the future look like for Joseph Weston?

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Steelhead77 · 05-19-2020, 05:36 PM

Congrats on 1k posts!

Also Congrats on a great rookie season of 10 goals and 29 points!

How did it feel to finally be up with the Dragons this season?

How do you feel about your rookie year in the SHL and the rookie of the year race?

What was it like playing on a line all year with Esa Parmborg and Atlas Rush? How was the chemistry out there?

What are a few things you learned about playing in the SHL compared to the SMJHL?

How did your time developing in Carolina prepare your game for the SHL?

Is it true that your jersey was a popular seller among female fans ages 18-34?

How do you think Kata Vilde feels about his jersey being a popular seller among female fans ages 72-90?

What kind of weird superstitions, if any, did you find the Dragons veterans have in the locker room before games?

Does Joseph Weston have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?

I think the most important question we're all wondering here is what's your pre-game meal?

---> ParmBorg Highlights <---

#1 All-Time SHL Goal & Point Scorer
- First 2,000 TPE Player in SHL History -
- First 400 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- Only 500 Goal Scorer in SHL History -
- First GM to Win 5 & 6 Challenge Cups -
Esa Anrikkanen Award - SMJHL ROY - Est. S34
Vidrik Onoprienko Award Winner - S45

Dragonite

Slappydoodle · 05-19-2020, 06:08 PM

Why is Esa the worst poker player of all time?

If you could travel back to witness any historical event, what would it be and why?

ACapitalChicago · 05-19-2020, 09:01 PM

Updated through here, shameless bump, @'s will come when final version is out

S66 Damian Littleton

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wumaduce · 05-19-2020, 09:04 PM

STHS or FHM? Why?

Qdoba or Chipotle?

What's the best piece of advice you'd give to new people to sim leagues?

What's your proudest moment been in the league?

**leafsftw1967** · 05-19-2020, 11:00 PM

What is the legacy you would like to build for Joseph Weston throughout his SHL career?

***sve7en*** · 05-20-2020, 12:29 AM

How does it feel getting to draft yourself reincarnate into 4 more seasons with the Kraken?

What's your favorite aspect of the site outside of the locker rooms?

Churches or Bojangles?

ACapitalChicago · 05-20-2020, 06:30 PM

Updated through here, one last bump

S66 Damian Littleton

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***bluesfan55*** · 05-20-2020, 07:10 PM

hi acc

what are your thoughts on the nugg?
favorite moment in a kraken uniform that IS NOT winning a cup?
have you ever thought about possibly applying for a GM, co-GM, or IIHF head spot if given the chance to?

ty to @High Stick King @EvilAllBran and @Ragnar for the sigs

*thiefofcheese* · 05-21-2020, 12:45 AM

05-19-2020, 04:58 PMACapitalChicago Wrote: Oh don't even get me started! Too late, already going. Both myself and Alexei Rykov had absolutely fantastic seasons for our first season in the big leagues. Rykov dominated in goals and I kept up in points thanks to assists, and it was such a great tandem for our third and fourth lines. But for the rookie of the year race, that's a bit tougher. I'd like to preface this by saying I understand if Ivan Maximus wins it. He had a fantastic season himself, with both a goal and assist more than myself. However, this is also under the circumstance of having 14 Power Play Points. Both myself and Rkyov combined for less than a third of that together. In addition, both myself and Rykov are wingers compared to Maximus' center position which adds to the context. Sure Maximus had a lot of shot blocks, but he also led the rookies in Giveaways. The Corsi and Fenwick percentages also help tell the story of different lines and circumstances between these great players. I think all three of us have a decent shot at Rookie of the Season, and again I won't be surprised if Ivan Maximus wins it. But I think the race is truly a hell of a lot closer than some people may think, and I think Weston and Rykov's names deserve to be in the conversation.

I love you man, but gotta consider how much TPE is lost to Faceoffs for centers? That's a considerable disadvantage to being a center when it comes to stats when so much goes to a non-scoring or defensive attribute.

That being said - I really do think it'll be a tight race and any one of us has a very real shot at it.

S50 clearly rocks!

ACapitalChicago · 05-21-2020, 08:56 AM

05-21-2020, 12:45 AMthiefofcheese Wrote:
05-19-2020, 04:58 PMACapitalChicago Wrote: Oh don't even get me started! Too late, already going. Both myself and Alexei Rykov had absolutely fantastic seasons for our first season in the big leagues. Rykov dominated in goals and I kept up in points thanks to assists, and it was such a great tandem for our third and fourth lines. But for the rookie of the year race, that's a bit tougher. I'd like to preface this by saying I understand if Ivan Maximus wins it. He had a fantastic season himself, with both a goal and assist more than myself. However, this is also under the circumstance of having 14 Power Play Points. Both myself and Rkyov combined for less than a third of that together. In addition, both myself and Rykov are wingers compared to Maximus' center position which adds to the context. Sure Maximus had a lot of shot blocks, but he also led the rookies in Giveaways. The Corsi and Fenwick percentages also help tell the story of different lines and circumstances between these great players. I think all three of us have a decent shot at Rookie of the Season, and again I won't be surprised if Ivan Maximus wins it. But I think the race is truly a hell of a lot closer than some people may think, and I think Weston and Rykov's names deserve to be in the conversation.

I love you man, but gotta consider how much TPE is lost to Faceoffs for centers? That's a considerable disadvantage to being a center when it comes to stats when so much goes to a non-scoring or defensive attribute.

That being said - I really do think it'll be a tight race and any one of us has a very real shot at it.

S50 clearly rocks!

I do mean no disrespect at all, again I'm calling it now that you get it. Especially after the votes already came out. But while TPE to Faceoffs is a valid concern so is TOI. Ivan Maximus managed an average of 24:34 TOI compared to Rykov's 17:04 and Weston's 17:06. PPTOI and SHTOI also are similarly disproportionate, as Maximus had 3:27 and 1:32 respectively compared to 0:46/0:03 and 0:07 and 0:02 for Rykov and Weston.

S66 Damian Littleton

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