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jRuutu · 11-07-2020, 06:04 AM

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?

I had a solid year, 35 points in 50 games is more than in the previous season, I was able to get a lot more assists for example, so that shows that I have improved as a player, I'm not just a shooter anymore. The physicality improved as well, I had the most hits in the league with 254! I was not expecting a number like that, same goes for the penalty minutes, I had 142 penalty minutes, but I'd say the aggressive role still fits my playing style, I have the tools to be aggressive with and without the puck.

The main factor behind the better season is me improving as a player and working hard over the summer, but also getting to play in a big role is a crucial factor, the importance of a big role is something that can not be underestimated as I had over 10 points on the powerplay alone. Next season the goal is to take fewer penalty minutes, if and when I hopefully do that I should be near point per game pace, which would be awesome. (185)

4. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
If the SHL needed to set up a playoff bubble (like the NHL did in Edmonton/Toronto or the NBA in Orlando), which city would be the best candidate to host as the hub city? What would the players do during their time in a playoff bubble? (For graphic option, make an advertisement [like a pamphlet/brochure] in support of a specific city as the hub city and highlighting the reasons why.)

Well, this is a tough one. I have never lived in Buffalo or in Hamilton, and if I understood the bubble rules correctly the players are not running around in the cities doing whatever? The life in the bubble is pretty much taking it easy at the hotel and hockey at the arena either in practice or while playing? If that is the case, I'd pick the city that has room for the teams, need big hotels, and since the teams and players have money to burn - high-quality hotels.

Living in a hotel during these tough times is not easy, so size is not just about being able to fit a lot of people under one roof, but also making sure the players/staff have room to move and keep their distance. Then comes everything else from eating and transportation between the hotel to the arena, etc. What the players do in the bubble could be reading, listening to music, playing video games, watching TV/movies, and sleeping. Nothing too exciting, but I guess it helps to create some chemistry within the teams as they go through that experience together. (189)

6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

Nevada Battleborn, the team has an elite-level defense group with players who can do both defend and play with the puck. The two goalies can both win games on their own. The forward core in front of the defense is not bad either, not too many league-leading scorers maybe, but 12 different players had at least 20 points in the regular-season games. Simply put, Nevada had enough skill in the roster to win it all. The reason why it was not meant to be was the league rules, the league is afraid that active players and teams come to the top too fast, the 350 TPE mark you have to stay at as a second-year junior was perhaps the biggest reason why Nevada did not make it into the finals. (130)

7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

One team that I'm expecting to do well is Finland. Last year was not a good tournament as Finland won only two games, but this year things will be different. Old players like Ensio Kalju are not there anymore, which means younger players like Watt and Barkov will get even bigger roles in the blueline. Tactically as the roster keeps getting younger the system also changes, so purely as a result Finland will be a bit of a mystery for many, that opens the opportunity surprise the teams that might have a bit more skill in their roster.

If I look at the whole tournament, I'm sure teams like the USA, Japan, Canada, and Great Britain will once again have solid tournaments as they have a lot of great players who want to win and play for their countries. Japan player Monkey D. Luffy has been on fire this year again, so he is one player that I'm expecting to offer a lot of exciting moments to all IIHF fans. Look for Team Finland goalie Harry Carpet to stand on his head again, last year he faced the most shots but if and when Finland is ready to play this year - he can be a difference-maker. (200)

8. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min. if written)
The arenas in Buffalo and Hamilton want to make sure they're pulling out all the stops on the big stage. Help the concessions department of one of these two teams develop a new product, with marketing specifically pertaining to this finals series, to be sold at the arena during the finals. Describe the product and the marketing in 150 words or create a promotional poster showing the product, its name, the price, etc.

Hamilton Steelhawks are always looking to gain an edge over the competition, the concessions department is no different. This year the Hamilton marketing team has decided to do something different as they have put together a magazine that is handed out at the arena for free! After browsing the magazine the customers can decide if they want to pay something for it when they get home. (Instructions can be found in the magazine.) The magazine focuses mostly on the final series between Hamilton and Buffalo with interviews and articles related to both teams - typical hockey magazine in that sense.

However, at the end of the magazine in the hopes of getting younger people to come watch the games, the marketing team added the answers to thousands of math problems/questions from grades one to twelve, those might come in handy during the exam week.

Somebody might be wondering if the magazine is a smart idea, isn't it a waste of resources, etc? Do not worry the Steelhawks have considered the environment, the magazine itself is made from extremely thin paper, so if you want you can use it as toilet paper! (180)

3. 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.

c. These two teams hail from the Great Lakes Division. Which of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) do you think is the Greatest and why?
Superior, in this case the clue is in the name - Superior is the greatest. There is nothing you can not do in lake Superior, you can enjoy the view by climbing to higher ground, you can just walk around at the beach and of course the opportunities to do something with a boat or other water vehicles are endless. (60)

d. If, once it is safe to do so, you had to go hang out in person with one of the users on Buffalo/Hamilton, who would you hang out with and what would you do? (if you pick gabe you get -1 tpe)

I have always built Finnish players in this league, one man has been running the Finnish national team for years and years, that man is WannabeFinn. He would be one person I'd like to meet, not because I have something to say to him, but I want to offer him the traditional Finnish discussion experience where we talk for few minutes and then sit in silence thinking what was the reason to meet face to face when we could have just done this in the phone or online somehow. (85)

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: indexesnotworking

= 16 TPE

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