08-31-2020, 12:29 AM(This post was last modified: 09-06-2020, 12:17 AM by Gwdjohnson.)
The job of a professional hockey player doesn't all happen on the ice--there are fan events you have to appear at, interviews before and after the games you have to do... and sometimes the media team harasses you into making dumb videos with your teammates.
Task:
Written Option: Team up with another rookie on your team (or a senddown if there are no other rookies) and ask each other at least four questions each about the past season. You get full credit if you both ask and answer four questions.
Graphics Option: Make the still-frame cover for a YouTube video of such an interview. Must include team logo, at least two renders, and a title.
Reward
4 TPE for doing the thing. (Just one of the things, not both.)
Only S55 SMJHL Rookies (S56 SHL Rookies) are eligible for this PT.
Post ISFL or PBE affiliation PTs here.
Do not claim this TPE until a post is made in the claim thread.
How did you first season go?
I think my first season went pretty well. I didn't score the amount of points that I wanted to but I was able to pick up 5 special team points which was something that I was not expecting.
Are you disappointed with a first round exit?
I honestly have really mixed feelings. Being a defense first team meant that scoring goals was something that was going to be difficult for us. Going against the 3rd best team was something that was going to be a task for us. I was hoping to steal one game off them but as seen by QCC losing to NL as handedly as they did sometimes returning talent does make enough a difference.
Do you have a rival in the league?
oh absolutely! its Colin Fuhr (@Confusion) No hockey player should own dogs that are that cute!
What was your favourite part of this season?
I think this unfortunately is a very selfish moment but my favorite part was my short handed goal. Being a defenseman we play a lot of time on the penalty kill especially when there is six of us and four spots that we have to fill Where the forwards there are 12 with 6 spots to fill. When it comes to breakouts while being short handed, they are usually manned by forwards so being a defenseman taking one to the house was something that was definitely special.
1: What was the biggest thing you learned being on an expansion team this season?
I think being on an expansion team is all about setting up for year two. As frustrating as it was to see us not as do as well, coach's talk about year two was so inticing I could see what year two will look at the end of this past season.
2: What are some off the ice moments you enjoyed most?
I enjoyed the time that me and Bane went out to pick up chicks on the strip. While both of us ended up going home with strippers, it was fun to have fans take pictures with us.
3: What do you credit the Battleborn doing better in the 2nd half of the season with?
Having a strong second goalie made practice better. As silly as it is practice like you play. When Supernaw joined us, it allowed us to really strengthen all aspects of our game because we could really practice all aspects of the game and our scrimmages were much better.
4: Favorite team ritual before every game?
My personal favorite ritual is facetiming our families before each game. While playing during quarantine we do not get to see them very often, so we made it a point to keep them with us before each game. I think it motivated us to really punch above our pay grade and will be something that I look forward to do to see my wife as much as I can
Jala Registered
S27, S29, S32 Challenge Cup Champion
Who do you think was your best defenseman partner on the team?
This season it was definitely Vili Afalava because he plays a very defensive minded game which let me free wheel a bit with the puck, but I think being paired with you would've been a lot of fun and a lot of offense. Maybe next season when I've rounded out my defense more.
Do you think your player made a bigger impact on the PP or the PK?
I spent a lot of time on the power play and I think I play well there being tied for third in PP points with Vermette. I didn't get much time on the PK but you definitely were a threat with a man down with your three points on the PK.
How did it feel to lead all NBB defenseman in points?
It's a nice feeling, I think a lot of it played off being paired with a defensive guy on the other side so I could try to create some chances. I try to focus my game around the offensive side of things so it was nice to see that paying off this year. It was a close race with you all year and I think next year will be even closer.
Which skill did you focus on the most this season to improve and do you think it helped?
I tried to round my game out this season, but I spent a lot of time trying to hone my passing skills and it paid off with 14 helpers. If there's a pass open I'll look to it and I think focusing on the drills around that really paid dividends for this year.
What were your expectations for this season since you joined a newly formed team?
I honestly had no expectation. Expansion teams are rarely competitive right away so it was all about getting better for future seasons. I wanted to contribute offensively and hopefully be somewhat decent on defense.
Since the season for QCC already ended, did you meet those expectations?
Yes, I'm happy with my first season. It was tough defensively but offensively, I got a decent amount of points. The fact that we didn't finish last makes me very proud of what we accomplished.
Of all QCC defenders, you have the most points but the worst +/-. How come?
I expected to do well offensively because it's a big part of my game. On defense, the entire team struggled. Our entire defensive squad was made of rookies so we all had big responsibilities trying to stop players that were much more experienced than us. It's difficult to keep good stats when you get scored on 7, 8 times multiple games during the season. Both our defense and our goalies will be more competitive next season so it's exciting to think of what we can do in the future.
What were the feelings after eliminating the Anaheim Outlaws in the first round of the playoffs?
It was completely unexpected so it was fantastic. Being able to make such big waves this early in our franchise's history was awesome. The second round was quite humbling but no one can take away what we did in this first season.
What were your overall thoughts on the Citadelles first season and how far they made it as an expansion team?
When I was first drafted by the Citadelles, I wasn't really expecting to make a massive splash in our first year, so when we ended up beating the Anaheim Outlaws in the first round 4-2, it came as a shock and as a huge boost to my mojo. I can't wait to see what the next few seasons have in store for us.
Do you have any predictions for the Citadelles next season with the loss of Roach and the young players progressing?
Losing Roach is definitely going to be painful, but with a lot of young progressing talent, hopefully we can make up for the loss with everybody improving together and making up for the talent lost.
This season Boris Petrov took on an enforcer role, were you surprised to see him lead the league in penalty minutes, fights taken, fights won, and hits?
Honestly yes and no. Yes because I wasn't expecting to average almost 7 hits a game, and no because that is the role I wanted to be, I wanted to be the guy who set the physical tone for our team, and if getting the most hits, PIMs, and fights is the way to that role, thats the role I'll take.
For this offseason are you planning on using your TPE to lean more into this enforcer role or to balance your player by adding to different stats?
I'm going to focus less on being a brute on defense, and try to become a more rounded hockey player. I need to improve on my passing and handling, because I was one of the worst players in that aspect and had way too many giveaways. Another area of improvement that I want to focus on is getting in the way of more slapshots and one timers, I played way too much time on the ice to only get 12 blocked shots this season. Working on my +/- is also an area I want to focus on, and I'm hoping to excel across the board next season.
08-31-2020, 11:05 AM(This post was last modified: 09-06-2020, 07:35 AM by jRuutu.)
1. How did going undrafted affect your motivation for the season?
It did not affect me that much, I was fully prepared for not playing at all this year, but then I learned that you can't do all the TPE earning and just kick it without a team, so had to try and find a team as quickly as possible. That was a bit annoying, but luckily for me, things worked out in the end, I was able to join a well-run organization that has a lot of talented players in the roster.
2. Did you expect to finish 2nd (or close to 2nd) in rookie goal scoring?
In all honesty, I did not, I was hoping to score some goals but certainly not as many as I scored, so it was great to notice that I could have what it takes to be a player who can score in this league. Hopefully more of the same coming up next year!
3. How come you chose the role "garbage collector" for your player over the traditional playmaking or two way centerman?
I had and still have a picture of an aggressive/in your face type of player in my mind, not necessarily super physical, but a player who goes to the dirty areas and shovels rebounds into the net. On top of that, I want to be a player who has surprisingly good offensive abilities, especially the shot is something that I'm hoping on being some kind of trademark.
4. Did the battleborn's inaugural season meet/exceed/come short of your expectations?
I was pleased that we were able to win a solid number of games, at times even if we lost we played really good hockey against the more experienced teams, so that was nice to see. Then at times, the results were not so pretty, big, and heavy losses, which were perhaps expected, but they were still tough days at the simulation office.
Oh and almost forgot the bonus question Bonus question: Out of your teammates pick 1 to marry, 1 to fuck and 1 to kill.
That is a tough one, lets start with who I would marry first. As far as I'm considered right now - I would marry everybody in the team, but if I would have to pick just one, Chad Danger. Chad is a big boy, he could carry my cute 6´3 and 220 lbs frame around. On top of that, Danger is a poet, a man of culture, he could whisper comforting things to me when I'm feeling blue.
Who I would fuck, I'm torn before we even get to the action. Someone like Bane has a lot going for him, he wears that mask you know, which goes a long way in this scenario, but then again someone like Weaver with the strong glove hand could make for a memorable night. One of those two is high in my list.
Finally, who would I kill? If I'm completely honest it changes depending on who has been feeding me with nice passes, some of the players in the team do not pass to me all the time, I would be lying if I said that it does not annoy me, but lately Tanjiro Kamado has been getting on my last nerve. He has a habit of yelling ´comments´ when I happen to miss the net, he yells stuff like: Ayyyy, oooooo, yeooo. With his deep Italian accent, I can hear those even if he is sitting on the bench. He would be top of my list now.
1. Did you meet your individual goals this season?
Yes and no, If I remember correctly I hoped to score 10 goals this year, that goal I did end up reaching, but I was not as dynamic and dangerous overall. At times I struggled a lot, which resulted in me getting put into a smaller role. I wanted to be consistent and fight for powerplay role, but I was not able to do that. Hopefully next year is different and I can take the next step and play on same level every game!
2. How did you enjoy being a player on an expansion team in their first season in the league?
I enjoyed it! Historical season and something that only very few were able to experience. Sure it was not all sunshine full year, but once we were able to win couple games everybody knew were heading towards the right direction. We could have won few more games maybe, but most important thing is that the group is moving forward.
3. Who do you think was the most underrated player on the team?
I'll say players like Afalava and Bane, both defenders did not put up a ton of points, but they worked extremely hard in the defensive end. Afalava the only player who was able to get over 100 hits and Bane was only 1 hit from that same milestone, that physicality combined to blocking shots and facing tough matchups in our end is the reason why I think they are underrated. Players like that never get too much love!
4. How much success can the team have next season?
I think we are going to have a better year, that is for sure. All these active players steadily improving, would not surprise me if we get close to 25-30 wins range, I think that would be a fair goal. Especially if other teams around the league will lose some of their older players to SHL. Tough predict in a way, but I'm confident that next year will be a good one for Nevada and for the players.
Q: With the first season in the books, are there any specific moment(s) from the season that are memorable or left an impression with you?
A: Honestly this whole season was really memorable and I loved every minute of it thanks to my teammates. I think my favourite moment was after game 6 against Anaheim, the whole Discord just went crazy that we were moving on to round 2, when at the beginning of the season there was jokes that we would go 0-50.
Q: What skill or talent are you looking to expand on in the offseason?
A: There's not really one thing that I'm looking to focus too heavily on. I am gonna work on my stamina a bit since it looks like I could take over as starter next season, but I also want to work on my blocker, glove, positioning, rebound, recovery, low shots, and reflexes. Of course I won't be able to get around to all of this in the offseason alone but by the end of next season these are what I want to have worked more on.
Q: Are there any regrets from the last season? Any games that stick out in the back of your mind that you wish went differently?
A: I wouldn't say regrets, but I kinda started falling apart at the last quarter of the season. I'm glad that this didn't carry over into the playoffs but those last 5-7 games or so definitely hurt my stats.
Q: Now that you are draft eligible, is there an SHL team that you really want to be drafted by?
A: There's no team in particular that I'm really hoping drafts me, wherever I end up I'll be happy. I will say that it would be cool being drafted by one of the expansion teams though since I like the idea of starting with a franchise with no history and building our own, that's one of the things that attracted me to sign with Quebec in the first place.
1. Thoughts on the season, did it go like you expected?
Yeah it pretty well went as expected record wise, but as my first season on the site it was a lot of fun, I found myself very engaged and it was really nice to see such an active and positive locker room
2. What team/forward group was the most annoying to play against when looking at it from goalies perspective?
The Kelowna knights just for their absolute horrid goal horn could not stand being scored on in their barn.
3. What part of your own game this year pleases you the most?
Probably my ability to bounce back from a bad game, it seemed if I got pulled one game I would come back and dominate the next.
4. What is the most important lesson you learned during the long season?
That rest is super important. I was a little over worked (not complaining about the ice time, that shit feels good) and my inconsistency showed through because of it I feel.
Bonus Question:
@Jearim and @Nokazoa, our GMs, if you and those two management team members would take part in the TV show ´Naked and afraid´, how would that experience go? Who would survive the longest, who would struggle the most etc
And just like that I don't feel so "fearless" anymore, I have no doubt @Jearim would lead us through the wilderness but @Nokazoa's dick jokes could cause me to struggle with shame
1. First of all, how was your regular season from an individual perspective? Any highlights or disappointments?
Since this was the first season for not only myself, but also for QCC, there were tons of great highlights to remember. Our team’s first win, which also happened to be my best game of the season was definitely a big one, as well as finally scoring my first goal 29 games into the season. In terms of disappointments, putting up a record of 0W 7L (0-11 including playoffs) against Newfoundland wasn’t the greatest, but it only stands out because we were able to beat every other team at least once which was a great feat to accomplish.
2. In playoffs your plus-minus rating was +0 even though in regular season it was -29. How on earth you were able to boost that stat line even though Quebec faced only good teams in playoffs? That seems amazing improvement. Are you a playoff warrior who is at his best in tough situations?
Although I’d love to consider myself a playoff warrior, I think the +/- stats you see here are just a result of great defense and goaltending from our team and a bit of lucky sampling. In the regular season we gave up an average of 4 goals per game, but we brought that down to 3.2 in the playoffs (or 2.7 if you exclude game 2 against NL), which allowed for fewer opportunities for me to put up a negative +/-.
3. Were you surprised how well Quebec played in playoffs as an underdog?
Absolutely. Seeing all the other underdogs getting swept in the first round showed us how easy it is for teams with a stronger regular season to keep their momentum up and steamroll a playoff series. We had some extremely clutch performances by Mat Smith in games 3 and 4 to give us the series lead and were lucky enough to see enough scoring from all our lines to produce an average of 3.5 goals per game in the first round instead of the average of 1.5 that we put up against Anaheim in the regular season.
4. Any early thoughts about next season? In which stat categories you would like to get better numbers?
I’m already feeling very optimistic for next season and am happy with the upward trend that both myself and the team are moving in. I think the area I need to get better in is definitely 5v5 scoring. This season I scored 50% of my points on special teams which was by far the highest percentage of all players on QCC, so seeing some more points at even strength next season would be nice.
1. What were your goals and expectations entering Season 55? Do you think that you were able to meet them?
My goals this season were to try not to be an anchor on the back end of such a star studded team, and also to see if I could score 20 points in my first season as a dman. I hit 15 points with 6 goals (leading all beserker defencemen!) and 9 assists, and I am still very pleased with that, as that was all generated 5v5 as Jonas was not part of special teams this season. Jonas also had extremely good advanced stats this season, so I am happy to see that he was a positive influence on the team whenever he was on the ice.
2. You had a great rookie season where you found the back of the net six times and put up 15 points on the 3rd blue line unit. What do you think contributed to this tremendous success?
I think a lot of the success came from Jonas playing with such great players around him, feeding him the puck and finishing chances that he created. Elias Kierkegaard was also a fantastic defensive partner!
3. With many players on the Berserkers likely to graduate to the SHL next season, you are probably going to find yourself in a much more significant position for Season 56, likely in the top 4 of defenders. How do you plan to adjust to this possibility?
While I envision Jonas being an offensive defenceman in the future, I will definitely continue to make him a pretty balanced player overall to make sure he can handle the stiffer competition that he might end up facing.
4. What are your goals for next season?
Next season I'm aiming for the stars again and hoping for 25 points from the back end, hopefully with better stats and slightly increased ice time, as well as perhaps time on the powerplay, I can reach it. Also hoping to continue being a max earner and stay as active as I have benn when it comes to TPE.
08-31-2020, 02:21 PMKeven Wrote: Questions provided by @Salming
1. First of all, how was your regular season from an individual perspective? Any highlights or disappointments?
Since this was the first season for not only myself, but also for QCC, there were tons of great highlights to remember. Our team’s first win, which also happened to be my best game of the season was definitely a big one, as well as finally scoring my first goal 29 games into the season. In terms of disappointments, putting up a record of 0W 7L (0-11 including playoffs) against Newfoundland wasn’t the greatest, but it only stands out because we were able to beat every other team at least once which was a great feat to accomplish.
2. In playoffs your plus-minus rating was +0 even though in regular season it was -29. How on earth you were able to boost that stat line even though Quebec faced only good teams in playoffs? That seems amazing improvement. Are you a playoff warrior who is at his best in tough situations?
Although I’d love to consider myself a playoff warrior, I think the +/- stats you see here are just a result of great defense and goaltending from our team and a bit of lucky sampling. In the regular season we gave up an average of 4 goals per game, but we brought that down to 3.2 in the playoffs (or 2.7 if you exclude game 2 against NL), which allowed for fewer opportunities for me to put up a negative +/-.
3. Were you surprised how well Quebec played in playoffs as an underdog?
Absolutely. Seeing all the other underdogs getting swept in the first round showed us how easy it is for teams with a stronger regular season to keep their momentum up and steamroll a playoff series. We had some extremely clutch performances by Mat Smith in games 3 and 4 to give us the series lead and were lucky enough to see enough scoring from all our lines to produce an average of 3.5 goals per game in the first round instead of the average of 1.5 that we put up against Anaheim in the regular season.
4. Any early thoughts about next season? In which stat categories you would like to get better numbers?
I’m already feeling very optimistic for next season and am happy with the upward trend that both myself and the team are moving in. I think the area I need to get better in is definitely 5v5 scoring. This season I scored 50% of my points on special teams which was by far the highest percentage of all players on QCC, so seeing some more points at even strength next season would be nice.
1. What were your expectations as a rookie coming into this season? Were those expectations met? My only goal was to play every game and I managed to succeed in that task. I would have been happy to play all season in 4th line with 11-12 minutes per night but in the end I was promoted to third line with my regular linemates Zach Dolphin and Jst Maro so I could say expectations were more than met because I played about 14 minutes per game during the end of regular season and playoffs.
2. Despite not being able to play in pre-season, you were able to play a full 50 game regular season and also all 10 playoff games. What do you think went better for you, the regular season or playoffs? This is a tough question. In regular season I was the seventh best in scoring without PP time at all (50gp 6+12=18). However, in playoffs I was tied second in scoring one point behind Stan Q Next. 0,5 points per game with 13:42 TOI is exactly what I am trying to bring to the table in my even strength specialist role nowadays but maybe I am still a little bit more happy about my regular season performance because like I said I started from 4th line, played "only" 12:57 per night as an average and put almost still 20 points on the scoresheet.
3. Which of your specific stats are you most and least proud of this season? I am definitely most proud of my plus-minus rating which was only -7 in regular season in 50 games in an expansion team. It was the third best number in our team but Wright (+3) played only five games and Karjalainen (-6) 30 games. From those who played 50 games, best number behind mine -7 was -13 by Tres Sombreros. Of course I played easier minutes than our best players but as an two-way forward I am very proud of my debut season's plus-minus rating. I was also able to get points in seven games in a row at one point which is probably a franchise-record at the moment. That is another unforgettable think from my rookie season. On the other hand, I am least proud of scoring only six goals even though my shooting accuracy is 13 and shooting range 10. I shot on goal only 55 times so shooting percentage was decent 10.91% but I need to shoot much more on next season. Also my defensive game rating was only 49 in regular season which I want to improve to at least 55 next year.
4. Over the course of the season you've become the 5th highest TPE rookie on the team behind some very highly drafted players such as Beranek, Maximov and T. Petrov. Do you feel any pressure to perform better because of this? This is something I haven't followed so closely but thanks for bringing it up. I enjoy pressure situations and being a TOP player in any team so instead of nervousness I feel excitement and can't wait the next season. I am trying to continue bringing some secondary scoring from middle lines.
What were your thoughts when you were drafted by one of the expansion teams?
As a complete rookie I didn't really know what to expect in this league at all. I was very exited to see me get drafted and once I saw that Quebec is expansion team I knew it will be a tough season. When I saw my teammates I thought we can only grow since most of us were rookies. With good training rewards should come.
Have your opinion changed at all?
Not really. Season was tough, It had ups and downs, over 10 games losing streak was difficult pill to swallow. But I was very glad to see my teammates training hard and gaining lots of TPE. First reward for good training came at the end of regular season, 10th place not just leaving behind second expansion team but also Detroit. Biggest reward was surprise elimination of Anaheim in first round of playoffs.
What are you the most proud of in your first season in the SMJHL?
As a center I am most proud of my faceoff win percentage which is well above 50%. I am also very satisfied with my performance in first round of playoffs, getting 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in six games.
Comparing your regular season and playoff performances, are you satisfied with your progression?
Yes, I am satisfied with my progression. I improved all aspects of my game and also physical skills. My performances got more stable towards the end of regular season and as I mentioned before my performance in first round of playoffs was big morale booster for me.
Gwdjohnson![[Image: Gabe-lights.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/853563288988942356/1023840211416928318/Gabe-lights.png)
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Bonus question: Out of your teammates pick 1 to marry, 1 to fuck and 1 to kill.![[Image: Mat10Man.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Mat10Man.gif)
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