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?

Individually, Adam Barron had an... okay season. More points than last season, but less than the year before. I was thrilled to see my +/- climb from the year prior, that was a nice improvement. Maybe it's unfair to expect my player to play better defense when I tend to spend most of my TPE in the offensive category, but for an offensive defenseman I think I have pretty good defensive attributes.
I was thrilled to win gold with Team Canada. I really felt that in the past several seasons we'd been unlucky not to medal, and finally Canada has taken its rightful spot at the top of the pecking order. The Jets missing the playoffs again hurts, but we have a young squad that's just getting into gear, so while it stings to still be waiting for my first ever SHL playoff game, I'm very hopeful moving forward.
Before next season, I'm hoping to have some stronger fundamentals: agility, balance, and strength are all targets to improve before S56. I'm hoping that the Jets can sneak that 4th playoff spot in the West, but only time will tell. ■

[189 words, +3 TPE]

Quote:3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
It's too late for this go-around of expansion, so hypothetically - should there be SHL franchises in other continents? I saw some interesting European proposals in the PT. Should these - or proposals for any other continent that's not North America - become a reality in the SHL?

I want to say no, since I think having the SHL be comprised of NA teams like the NHL makes the most sense to me in terms of general flavor. But at the same time, I understand why someone would answer yes.
The world is becoming more and more connected, and intercontinental travel has grown more trivial with every passing technological advancement in transportation. Is it really that out of this world to have teams based on another continent? Especially when you consider that this is all fake and the exhaustion of travel is something that’s not simulated in-engine.
I’m a member of the Grass Roots Soccer League, where there are teams based in both Europe and the Americas. On the one hand, it seems odd to me to have such far-off clubs competing in the same league, especially when there are just six of them total (Casper, Key West, Mexico City, Paris, Warsaw, Malta). But then maybe soccer is something that has a more international appeal in the first place.
Professional hockey, in my mind, is centered on the North American continent. There are leagues in Europe and Asia, but the NHL is the foremost among them all, and as long as the SHL is using the NHL as a basis of inspiration, then I think it makes the most sense to keep its expansion teams in NA as well. ■

[231 words, +2 TPE]

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?

I am absolutely blown away by the fact that the Blizzard haven't made the finals. Fair enough that the Specters gave them all they could handle in the Western Conference Finals, but when you look at that roster, it boggles the mind that they didn't have what it takes to move on.
In net, Emiko Spektor should be more than talented enough to hold the line. They have a few studs on the blue line in McIntyre, Scholz, and Finn-Rhys. Theo Morgan is, in my opinion, the league’s most capable goal scorer. Julio Tokolosh is just coming off a season that saw him nominated for league MVP, and Kane, Pepperoni, Boivin, Truong, and Forty-One all round out one of the league’s best top-6. ■

[123 words, +2 TPE]

Quote: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.?

In the interest of positivity, I’d rather focus on teams I expect to do well.
Japan: Monkey D. Luffy and Daniel Smeb are at their peak right now, as proven by their performances in the S55 regular season for Buffalo and Chicago respectively. They have an up and coming defense with Zizagooney, Dayudie, Ren, Owens, and Sato. Westbroek joins Luffy and D. Smeb as an offensive weapon that can hang with any other nation’s best forwards.
Great Britain: A lot of S46 players on their roster, who are playing their peak season right now. Cloutier, Slothface, Brian, Zheng, Morgan… an insane amount of TPE at their disposal. Rex Kirkby is getting gray in the beard but just had one of his best seasons for the Specters and I’m expecting him to dominate yet again for Team GB. And finally, Luca Del Vecchio is coming into his own between the pipes. They have a well-rounded squad and I’m expecting them to reach the semis at the very least.
Canada: It’s really sad to see that Robert Phelps has played his last game for Team Canada at the IIHF level… but last year’s gold medal win was one hell of a way to go out. I’m assuming Chicago’s Ryan Shepard will step in for the wily veteran, and after a great season with the Syndicate, he’ll be looking to put his mark on international hockey once again. Canada remains one of the younger teams at the tournament, and I’m very excited to see if we can win again as reigning champions. ■

[259 words, +3 TPE]

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?
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?

a) Buffalo, for sure. They have better defenders, and more of them. Odelein III, Claude, Smyth and Kirkby are no slouches but I think the high-end talent of Selich, Darrow, Scoop, and Wang edge them out. Fair play to Rex Kirkby though, I think he has a chance of taking home the Anton Razov for Playoff MVP should the Specters win the Challenge Cup.
c) Maybe it should, but I don’t think toughness really has any extra benefit in FHM. In fact, it might have the opposite effect: a higher aggression means a player is more willing to use physicality to get their way, meaning they go for a hit or trip instead of a stick check or zoning out their opponent. Fighting is great and all… until one of your top players is sitting in the box for 5 minutes, all for a momentum boost that may not even exist. Bravery, I assume, is a positive stat across the board, though I think in the end this series won’t be decided by physical play, but rather who can frustrate the other team’s offense with a greater efficiency.
d) I like alliteration in names, so for that reason I think the name Mika Mayfield sounds the best. But I'm also partial towards players that have a distinct theme, like Jimmy Slothface and Eko van Otter. It's cool to imagine an otter taking the ice in the case of the latter, or a player with the work ethic of a sloth in the former. ■

[A) 63 words ... C) 123 words ... D) 64 words ... +3 TPE]

Quote: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: blimpdiving

[Form completed, +3 TPE]