The San Diego Tidal have come to play in a big way in their inaugural season. Made of up of misfits and draft picks, the Tidal were coming in on the low end of total TPE. However, the Tidal have not been deterred by their supposed power level. They currently sit at 7th in the league and 3rd in their conference, and within striking distance of Colorado who are 2nd in the Conference. San Diego has their new fans on their feet and cheering often with goals raining on in. The Tidal did not have the lottery luck that Ottawa had, and they even picked second in the expansion draft and yet they still are playing so well with their skilled, if younger, squad. San Diego was not a team many thought would be in the top half of the standings when the year started, but they have been playing fantastic hockey all around.
 
So why have the Tidal climbed so high, especially when their sister team of Ottawa sits 7 spots below them in the standings? While there are certainly a multitude of reasons, we are going to take a brief look into some of the ways in which the Tidal have been able to achieve a lot with a little TPE.
 
The Biggest Way: Goals on Goals on Goals
As of writing this article, the Tidal have the third most goals in the league at 82, only behind Newfoundland and Quebec City. The Tidal play a very aggressive style that is extremely focused on their forwards. Now the Tidal still do have the lowest ranked forwards in the league TPE-wise, but they are using a “damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead” method that has such pace and enthusiasm that it overwhelms their opponents. Every member of the Tidal has CF% over 51% with the average right around 55 or 56% and the highest being above 60%. Of course, many teams have been able to counter this all or nothing strategy as the Tidal’s starter in Meo Vanbiesbrouck is struggling on the year and the Tidal have let in 75 goals so far, the most of a top 10 team and giving them a goal differential of only +7, despite their high amount of goals. Still the Tidal are making games exciting for San Diego and giving their fans a reason to pack their arena every night as they boast a home record of 6-3.
 
Building a Culture
The GMs had to build a new identity from scratch, but they have been helped by the great locker room personalities from both drafts. One of these is the reincarnation of a fantastic spirit in the SHL in Gina Pinard, and the other members of the captaincy group are new players entirely in Sam Volta and Skyler Stevens. The Tidal have an emphasis on their youth and development of players as shown in their leadership selections as all of them were recent draft picks. This eye towards the future is a promising sign of the team’s commitment to success, not only this year, but even higher highs further down the line.
 
Veteran GMing
Going into this expansion, 2 very different GMs were selected. One (Ottawa) was a newer name, but had all the credentials to show that they were capable of building a team and the ability to adapt. The other (San Diego) was an old name with a proven track record of success at the highest level. The current San Diego leadership has been able to hit the ground running with their tactics and know how to make the most of their situation. They were not given a super team off the bat via expansion, but they still are proving why they belong in the SMJHL and why they came so highly recommended. If the Tidal can continue their streaks and build, especially with their rookies, this team could challenge even the Carolina Kraken for the top spot in the Southern Conference and get an extremely favorable matchup in the first round of the playoffs. The Tidal will likely be leveling up as the season goes on and that is really bad news for everyone in the league, particularly those in the Southern Conference as they are already scary enough, but now they could be a massive threat in the seasons to come as their young players develop. With a culture that could easily be built around winning and the fans coming in droves to see them score and be entertained, the Tidal could soon become a devastating Tsunami for the league.

WC: 762