Quote: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?

This was a pretty good season. Darrow set a new career high for goals and shots—rather than the solid two-way passer he’s been for eight seasons, Darrow turned into more of a shooter, and kept the strong all around game. I’m pretty content with my season. I think I have a decent chance at being a finalist for best defenseman this year (Stevens nom or riot), though I don’t expect to win. Being in the top 10 for total point shares surprised me and felt pretty good. As for next year, I hope for a few more assists. I was surprised with all the talent around Darrow in Buffalo that he had as few assists as he did. It’s hard to predict what will happen, as I think Darrow’s time in green and gold is quickly coming to a close. Wherever the next chapter leads, I hope for another strong all-around season for Darrow as the undisputed #1 defender on his team

Quote:2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
This offseason will be extra exciting, as it features the rare expansion draft! Write about how you think the expansion draft will play out, either for one or both of the expansion teams or from an SHL team's perspective.

Well, I'm one of the exposed players (and some would argue the best player among the options available), so it's a pretty exciting time! There aren't a ton of 1600+ TPE defenseman available, and even fewer with contracts beyond S55 other than me. I think this should make me a very attractive option for expansion teams. I wouldn't be surprised to be the top player taken in the expansion draft. The crop of defensemen and goalie is notably thinner than at forward, which could skew the expansion GMs to target goalie and defense early. Getting a grade A user and young player like Alexander Roach, however, might carry more value in the eyes of expansion GMs than a player in his prime. Only one of us can be taken in expansion (as hotdog will take his own player, Eko van Otter, as the second Stampede player).

Regardless on if I'm selected (I hope I am!) I think both Atlanta and Seattle will need a few years to really build a strong foundation to contend. I think one or both could compete for a playoff spot in their first year, but I don't expect either to be serious challengers for the Challenge Cup. Even with some losses, the top tier of Buffalo, Edmonton, and New Orleans likely will still be the undisputed teams to beat. Expansion teams should prioritize young players, and with the sizable crop of S52 and S53 players exposed, I expect to see many of them selected over higher TPE veterans. I don't think it'll be an all or nothing thing, though. Both teams will likely take players in both categories. In the end, I expect tig to, as he said in his podcast, focus on getting the maximum possible value from each pick. I expect at least a few backroom deals that sees expansion teams select a less optimal player in exchange for picks to build out their prospect pools.

I'm excited, are you excited?

Quote:4. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

Edmonton Blizzard are the best team to not make the Challenge Cup finals. They were a game away from winning the President's Trophy as the best team. They made bold moves to add Theo Morgan, Jon Toner, and Bo Kane to their roster this season, and it paid off with the league's best offense (4.64 goals per game) and third best defense (2.38 goals against per game). They had a 3-2 lead going into Game 6 versus New Orleans and fell apart in the end, getting outscored 5-2 and 4-3 in the series changing games. Now, Morgan, Kane, Toner, and soon-to-be SMJHL graduate Carlos Brown are all pending free agents, and exposed. Edmonton will lose at least two of those players in expansion, and possibly could see all four walk for nothing.

Quote:6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.) The world's hottest app is TikTok - which SHL or SMJHL player would have the biggest following on TikTok? What do they post there?

Ooh, that's tough. While Jean-Uhtred Ragnarsson-Tremblay is the undisputed king of Twitter, I think Augustus Wang @Ferda might have a huge following on TikTok if he took a shot. He's constantly high as shit and thinks he's funny, so he probably will have no shame as he does ridiculous things (with heavy product placement) for the lols. Gen Z's penchant for dark humor surpasses even the perpetual sadness of us Gen Y folks, so whether it's funny or so sad it's funny, the youngin's will flock... up until parents find out about Wang's penchant for the reefer and boycott to shut that shit down. This will only embolden Wanger and his flock of devotees, making him even more powerful than howdyhowdyyall and haileeandkendra combined.

Quote: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?
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?
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?
d. What is your favorite name from a player appearing in this series? Why do you like that player's name?
e. There are several animal names in this series - which of these animals is the coolest? sloth, hippo, otter, monkey, fox, kirby.

a. This is a lie. I would not call New Orleans’ defense stacked. Odelein and Claude are solid, strong players heading into their best years and Kirkby is at his pinnacle after some team hopping. Beyond that, the defense is forgettable. Imagine having three players at or above Kirkby’s level right now—that’s what Buffalo has in Selich, Darrow, and Scoop. Buffalo can pretty much have one of those three on the ice at all times. If NOLA shuts down one of them, there’s still so much more talent throughout the lineup to take the edge. Scoop-Darrow has been one of the stoutest defensive pairs in the league for three seasons now.

c. I think mental toughness will play a major part in this series. NOLA can feel free to goon it up, but that won’t intimidate the Stampede. Further, when the Specters try to change the game with a penalty, the Buffalo power play will make them pay—whether that’s through big PP goals or just running NOLA’s PK units ragged, I think BUF has the edge.

d. Viktor Marius. The dude’s been around for a good long while, and he even has a rule named after him! That’s pretty cool, and a testament to the great person behind the player @karey . Honestly, who would say anyone else? Say it with me. Go on, say it! “Veek-tore Mah-ree-uus” it slides right off the tongue! He’s had a hell of a career, and has a great name. He subverts the traditional spelling of “Victor” as he pushes toward all sorts of fun franchise records. He’s #1 in graphics and #1 in my heart.

e. Otters! Holy fook, I love otters. Foxes are cool and fun as well (their barks and laughs are precious but also HORRIFYING), but I’m going with the otter gang. Have you seen otters? Just hanging out, using rocks as tools to crack open shellfish, floating in big ol’ rafts with other otters, holding each others’ little hands? It’s precious, it’s great, and I want to swim with otters.

Quote:CW 16: Trivia (3 TPE)

VW: bigbuf