Well, after having such a prolific season in S54, I was a little bit disappointed to see how Rocco performed in S55. By most standards, it was not a bad season. Rocco was able to put up more than half a point per game, but it didn't come anywhere close to last season's 47 point, nearly point per game output. However, I did see an improvement in Rocco's defensive game, as he was able to lead the Knights in shots blocked as a centre. I think I would contribute a little bit of the difference to favourable circumstances last season. We had two world class SMJHL defencemen that probably made our top line a bit luckier. Next season, Rocco will be debuting in the SHL with the Minnesota Chiefs, so I'll look to improve his stats and gun for a Jesster Trophy! I'll look to improve his defensive and offensive IQ and improve his physical attributes, specifically face offs and stamina.


I'll write from the perspective of my SHL team, the Minnesota Chiefs, just because I'm not super well versed in what the expansion draft process will be, but I've read some discussions surrounding our team and think I know enough to discuss it. Considering we aren't exactly a powerhouse at the moment, it is unlikely that we'll be hit super hard by the draft. We have a couple of young prospects that are available, like my draft class mate Seppara Borro. Unfortunately, I could see him getting shipped to one of the expansion teams through the draft. However, we have one of the better goal stoppers in the league in Markus Tegernako, so we will just need to find a new backup going forward. In all honesty, I can't see any of our exposed skaters getting chosen in the draft, and my next choice for us to lose would be our other backstopper, Kasperi Braulin. I think this would mean we'd want to search for a next goalie in this draft; but hey, what do I know?


Personally, I feel like we should keep the SHL domestic for the time being, but that is probably just because I'm a dude from little Southwestern Ontario that likes being able to relate to the teams that he sees on this website. However, I can absolutely understand the appeal of European teams from other perspectives, as the VHL has been doing for a long time. It would give European users the sense of relation that I feel with most of our teams and would probably attract a new demographic to the site, as the European user base could grow because of the expansion.


I think that Mitchell van der Heijden would have a pretty substantial following on TikTok. This player had a lot of experience playing in the SMJHL as an older player, so I'm sure he has a lot of pretty crazy stories and saved videos from his stint in Anchorage. I know he has some weird ones for sure from my time in the SMJHL playing against the Armada, as I've spoken to most of his teammates while on the ice and gotten an idea of what kind of things the guy is into. Furthermore, he's a pretty funny user that is very knowledgeable about current internet trends and memes, so I'm sure he'd be able to relate to the audience on TikTok.


c. I think that toughness generally does have an impact on how games go. In this series in particular, I think it will give New Orleans a bit of an edge because it will allow them to wear the Buffalo team down throughout the game. Mental toughness is important in the SHL, and we'll see how Buffalo's mental toughness fares against the physical toughness of this New Orleans team.

d. Personally, I am a big fan of Eko von Otter. I've always thought the Otters were super cute animals, especially in those pictures where they're floating down the river holding hands together. Because of this, I think that Eko has the title of best name and will likely lead his team to namely success.

e. So lets discuss the merits of our candidates here, no? The sloth is a pretty dope animal, but it's pretty damn slow, which knocks it down a couple of pegs in the coolness category. A hippo is enormous and a beautiful sight in nature, but would probably kill you if you came close to it. Otters were discussed above, and are pretty dope. However, I don't think any of them eclipse the godly Kirby. Kirby is too much of a weapon to ever be beat by a normal animal. Therefore, Kirby is the coolest animal.

merrygoround