While writing this deep dive I took some inspiration from expansion deep dives written by Ace and FourFour. After reading through their deep dives, and with the SHL expansion happening this upcoming off-season, I wanted to explore a different type of expansion. What if instead of adding teams we added a whole new league? In this deep dive I am going to introduce you to a new league structure and outline what I believe the benefits would be.

My fellow SHLers, let me introduce you to my idea for the SMHL (Simulation Minor Hockey League). The vision is adding a tier in between the SHL and the SMJHL. Where this would differ from the SMJHL is that all SMHL teams would be affiliated with an SHL team. Making it more in line with the real life NHL and AHL relationship. This would make for some unique possibilities for the league as well as members looking to become management.

The idea would be that 1st season players would still start in the SMJHL and then be drafted by an SHL team. The player would remain in the SMJHL for 1 more season while their TPE cap is still 350. After that season the SHL team can choose to bring them up to the SHL, have them play in the SMHL, or keep them in the SMJHL for another season. There would still be a four season cap on playing in the SMJHL as you wouldn't be eligible for the SMHL until your TPE cap was 425. Once in the SMHL for a full season you're no longer eligible to return to the SMJHL. Also, for inactive replacement SHL teams would have to call up someone from their SMHL team first before signing someone as a replacement. A player then could be signed to the SMHL team as a replacement for the inactive player and would have to spend at least a week in the SMHL before being allowed to be called up.

One of the more unique things happens to be my favorite part of the AHL. I'd love to see our member's creativity in coming up with teams for smaller towns within a certain proximity to the SHL teams. I'm talking about the Lehigh Valley, Hershey, Utica, and Bridgeport-type places that AHL teams call home.  Having our members come up with branding for the small towns close to SHL teams would be fun and also limit the possibility of cross-over with SMJHL and SHL markets.

This would present a great opportunity for a different style of management as well. Maybe they aren't SMHL GMs and instead called "Coaches" since they don't have control over their roster. However, they'd be tasked with keeping their locker room healthy and running the teams tactics. Would be a fun challenge for people looking to run a team but maybe not having as much time to invest as it takes to work the trade phones and sign free agents. Would be a valuable position for SHL GMs to fill as well as this Coach would function sort of like a Scout as well. They can fill in the SHL GMs on who is staying active, who is max earning, who is making money, and even who is good in the locker room for their SHL team.

One last potential benefit I'd like to talk about is potentially extending a character's career. As a player starts regressing they could potentially be sent down to the SMHL to continue playing if they don't want to retire their player quite yet and want to keep the character going. I think about players that might have friends who's player is on a different time line, maybe the want to wait to retire to sync up recreates or something of that nature. Having the SMHL for players to go and play in would help with this.

There you have it, my proposal for a new tier in the SHL. I hope you enjoyed the reading and I hope you will leave thoughts in the comments for feel free to drop me a message on Discord to let me know what you think.


(692 Words)

Approved for +5 TPE @Flyerfan9988 .

Making it eligible for the double spheal:

Double Spheal

Wander my friends, wander with me. Like the mist on the green mountain, moving eternally.
Despite our weariness, we'll follow the road over hill and valleys, to the end of the journey

Le monde n'est qu'une scène. Il vaut mieux rire que pleurer, car le rire est le propre de l'homme.
Riez de tout cela, ne vous inquiétez pas. Profitons d'aujourd'hui