The biggest story so far in the SHL is the fact that the great lakes division as a whole hasn't gotten any worse, but instead gotten better. The main surprise is the fact that in just two seasons, Toronto has gone from being a team near the bottom of the league to a team now fighting for the top spot. In addition to this rise of the North Stars, the other three great lake teams of Hamilton, Buffalo, and Chicago have refused to get much worse over the course of many seasons. Going back all the way to season 53, these teams have had sustained dominance over the league and it's amazing that all three have refused to surrender those top spots for so long. One of these four great lake teams will have to break down a bit eventually, but for now, it's surprising to see so many good teams packed into just one division. We'll have to see if the division can remain this strong for the remaining two-thirds of the season.