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?

Honestly, my performance my rookie season left a lot on the table so there was nowhere to go really but up. That being said I was pretty pleased with my numbers from this season. I ended up pretty high in the league leader boards for faceoff percentage. It’s not much compared to goals and assists but contributing to team stats was always the goal going into this league. I was also able to drastically improve my offensive production from last season. A lot of this had to do with the chance to be on the same line as some really talented playmakers. This next season I’m hoping to improve on the score sheet while also reducing some of the giveaways that plagued me this past season. Total play time per game will likely go up now that I’m on the first line which will likely help with improving some of these stats.

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?

Yes absolutely. It’s about time that the SHL expands across the Atlantic. I feel that there are a lot of really great markets that could be tapped into. Also I think it will provide a larger pipeline for international players to enter the league. I think that a team in Paris would do pretty well. It’s central-ish location in Europe and a large population would provide a strong foothold as the first expansion team across the pond.  In the future I think that teams in cities like Copenhagen and Hamburg would be successful. All these cities have a lot of history and culture and could use something as important as an SHL team.

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?

Either the Carolina Kraken or the Kelowna Knights could have made the finals this season. Both teams have fantastic goaltending and solid depth on both offense and defense. Carolina were the defending champs this season and didn’t lose many players to the SHL so naturally they had a pretty good shot of making the finals again this season. With veterans Jimmy Wagner and Dwight Knight, Carolina brought a level of grit and physicality that helped them have a deep playoff run. We may have not seen the knights in the finals this year but I’m sure they’ll make another deep playoff run next season. This team has a lot of talent returning next season so I wont be surprised to see them go all the way next season.

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.?

This WJC is actually a more interesting one for me as this time around I will be GMing for one of the teams participating. This would be my first time GMing so there’s a lot to learn in not a ton of time but I’m looking forward to the challenge. That being said I feel pretty confident with Team World this year.  Compared to countries like the US, Canada and Sweden we have a pretty limited pool of players to pull from but players that we do have are all high caliber. I think that what we bring to the table is a level of physicality that other teams may have a tough time matching up against. And even if we don’t win I think that teams wont look forward to playing us. I think that Team World will surprise a lot of people like the plucky band of misfits that we are.

7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.) The two finals teams have decided to team up for a fundraising opportunity to benefit both cities. What noble cause will the teams decide to benefit? What sort of fundraiser will the teams hold together? How will the two teams mesh before the finals start?

With both the Carolina and Maine having somewhat naturey mascots I think it would be fitting for the teams to team up to support an environmental cause. Kind of like the mayors from both super bowl cities wagering things native to their cities, these two teams would each volunteer for a charity associated with the other team. In this situation the Timber would spend a day or two cleaning trash off the beaches of Maine and teaching youth about marine conservation. The Kraken would in turn spend the same amount of time planting trees and teaching youth about the effects of deforestation and habitat removal. The teams would then come together for one big conservation workshop/ volunteer event in junction with youth groups from both regions. I think this would teach the next generation that while rivalry and competition are fine, it is even more important to be able to collaborate with people that you may not necessarily get along with.