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Justice · 11-11-2020, 03:31 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?

This season down in Newfoundland for Renji has been a thrill. Bolstering the top 4 of the defensive core, Renji Atake managed to excel with a +16 rating. While only raking in 16 total points, Renji understood that on a strong, offensive team such as the Newfoundland Berserkers, a steady, stay at home defenseman is exactly what they needed from the aging Renji Atake. With one more season in the J, Renji will likely look to be more of a force on the defensive backend. Perhaps a bump in the ice time Renji Atake will be able to allocate will also result in a boost in offensive numbers as well, although despite being a 3 season veteran in the SMJHL, Renji remains largely untested when it comes to racking up points while simultaneously ensuring that the puck stays out of his own net. Regardless, Renji will surely be one of Newfoundland's players to watch for the upcoming season.

158 words

3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

Losers brackets are commonplace in a variety of different tournament settings, however we never see them in virtually any North American sports competitions. In other tournaments it may be ideal, for example if rounds were sudden death eliminations losers brackets allow good teams to get back into the running if they were initially eliminated due to a fluke, or other unlikely scenario. In SHL for example, this wouldn't make any sense, and may even have the opposite effect. Teams play 7 game series, this ensures that teams have 7 opportunities to prove that they're the better team and are the ones to deserve to move onto the next round. These long series render losers brackets entirely unnecessary.

117 Words

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.)

The NHL did something right when they set up in Toronto and Edmonton, and the SHL would benefit from following suit. Canada in general has had a better time handling the Corona Virus than America, so it's a no brainer to have the two bubble cities take place in that country. Western teams while find themselves lucky as Edmonton is only a few short hours of a drive away from the beautiful Canadian Rockies, something that teams moving to Toronto for the post-season would be unfortunately missing out on. Toronto isn't without it's attractions, but taking place in a pandemic the players would have difficulty keeping themselves occupied while remaining in the SHL's bubble. Edmonton in general is less congested and would allow their player visitors more freedom, as Toronto is a quite large metropolis that is certainly more crowded. Hamilton could also be a good hub city, for the same reasons as Edmonton while being a lot less crowded than Toronto is.

163 words

5. Written, 2 TPE
Write an SHL themed Haiku Sonnet (see link below) which I just learned is a real thing. The format is: Haiku Haiku Haiku Haiku Couplet

Play grinds to a halt
The buzzers ring through the rink
As Newfoundland wins

Tears sweep through the crowd
Some of joy, some of despair
But eyes weep the same

Victory marching
Parades flood through the province
Only joy remains

Players get called up
The roster looks different now
Still, victory looms

Who will lead Newfoundland now?
Next season we will find out

ill write more cbf rn

tweedledunn · 11-11-2020, 05:04 AM

16. CW TRIVIA

goodvibes

krazko · 11-11-2020, 06:27 AM

Code:
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?

This season was better than last season and Calvin was close to meeting the hopes and expectations I had set out prior to the season starting.
I would have liked to see a bit better face off % by more stability on the dot, there were plenty games where Calvin underperformed (sub 20% face off wins) but then some above the aim of 60%
Additionally, while the amount of points almost doubled and the defensive stats and results were improved across the board, I would have liked to see more stability behind. Ending on a +2 isn't bad, but it's not where I want Calvin to be.
To combat the missed goals, Calvin will be hard at work during the off season to ensure he will reach the goal of becoming one of the dominating players in the league. Primarily by increasing the physical aspect and ensure he is strong enough to carry himself and have the stamina to play through many minutes

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3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

The new playoff format that is sure to see exciting match ups early on but will become goal fests during later rounds is the top seed vs top seed!
Round 1 will see the following match-ups, by many said to be the real final!
A. Rank 1 west vs rank 1 east
B. Rank 2 west vs rank 2 east
C. Rank 3 west vs rank 3 east
D. Rank 4 west vs rank 4 east
E. Rank 5 and 6 both regions gets a by

Round 2 will then be the Winner of the rank 1 teams vs the winner of the rank 2 teams!
From above example we will see the following

A vs B
C vs D
(E) 5th vs 5th
(F) 6th vs 6th

Semi finals:
AB vs CD
E vs F

With a final
ABCD vs EF

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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.)

If the SHL was to move to a bubble cities like the NHL did in Toronto and Edmonton this past season. The bet candidates would be one of the norther cities due to the history and hockey tradition present there.
However, with the upcoming Christmas season the best place to actually be in a bubble would be the north pole.
There are very few people there, ensuring the players will not be exposed to Covid from any external source. Additionally there's already a lot of ice and this could be used to raise awareness of the shrinking ice coverage on both the poles. Further, with no spectators, the games could be played outdoors like old school hockey!
During their down time, the players could hang out with Santa Claus, help him with the presents and creating a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Once the season is over, if it's a success, the league could look to move there permanently, reducing the costs for teams by removing the requirement of expensive arenas.

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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?

I think the best team from the SMJHL to not make the final was the Maine Timbers. We had a really solid team, were in the final last season and didn't lose many players from then. We have the very solid Rikard Bjerg defensively, Kyle Sutton, Alexander Oscarsson and Victor Ball offensively (to name a few from our offensive power house). But unfortunately this season we didn't have the bounces go our way. Leo Bloomfield wasn't as hot as he was last season, We didn't score as much as we have the potential to do and we didn't live up to our defensive capabilities. In hockey that is unfortunately something that you need to be able to do to win a championship.

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13. 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.

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a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?

Both teams have a pretty stacked set off skaters. but I would have to give the edge to the Hamilton Steelhawks. They picked up Michael Scarn this season, a former Buffalo Stampede player. The Hamilton Steelhawks looks stronger overall and it feels like they have more depth than the Buffalo Stampede does. I think that the mentioned depth will play out and give them the edge.

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b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?

I do not know much about either of the team's strategies and what they have been using to be as successful as they have been during this season. With the success both teams have seen, I'm sure they will feel confident in their strategy. However, I would expect to see some movements to counter the opposing team should the possibility show itself.

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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?

By definition all of these lakes are great. That’s why they are called the Great Lakes. Being a european and given my lack of knowledge of the area in which the lakes are, I have chosen to follow the earlier mentioned logic, the greatest of the Great Lakes must thus be the Superior Great Lake.

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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)

It’s so hard to just pick one user! There are a lot of great people in all the locker rooms I'm part of. It would be fun to meet Zema, who has involved me a lot in the site. But alos Ace as he's always looked after me in New England. But any of the great people in Maine or Sweden would also be fun to meet!

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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: Hobbes

TPE 3 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 4 = 17

TomHanks · 11-11-2020, 08:38 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?

This season was a bit of a mixed bag for old Jakob. There were some serious highlights stats wise. I was fourth in the league in takeaways with fourty-three, and second in that stat for defenders which is cool to see. While it’s not really notable to make this distinction, but I was the best left defender in the league in terms of takeaways since Mathias Seger was the only defender who performed better. I also finished second in the league in blocked shots with a career high 220. I was hoping to break 200 again in shots blocked so smashing past that with 220 is very exciting. I know this is kind of a weird stat and I don’t fully understand how it works, but I was second in the league in defensive game rating with 89, which shows at the very least I’m doing something right defensively. On the more negative side, up until this season I had been hovering near the top in hits, but I fell all the way down to 29th in the league in that stat. Need to work on laying into people this offseason.

3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

Alrighty so here’s my plan, strap in, because it is a dumb one. Regular season schmegular season it doesn’t matter. There’s no such thing as seeding anymore. If you lose out the season you don’t guarantee first overall pick, so now you don’t guarantee yourself the easiest games. Instead, we go with a full lottery system. The first and second seeds in the regular season pull one another? Sounds like an exciting early series. Two last place teams draw a series? Looks like we’re going to give an underdog a better chance at a run. Doesn’t matter. I know what you’re thinking. Why would the 12th place team in the regular season have the same chances as the 1st place team? Because I said so.

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.)

If you ask me, the NHL lacks vision when it comes to making a bubble. A populous city in Canada where there’s the chance to spread the deadly virus? Preposterous. “But Tom, it worked so well!” But what if it didn’t, hmm? Ever think of that? The plan for the SHL is much more elegant and better thought out. Playoffs in the Antarctic. Antarctic rather than arctic because let’s not chance running into some polar bears while trying to avoid death. We’d just have to bring boards to make rinks since the whole place is made of ice, so you can play all sorts of hockey games at once. Plus, it’s completely isolated. AND we’d be able to raise awareness for climate change issues and the ice caps melting while we’re there. It’s an absolute win. Accommodation could prove somewhat tricky, but hockey players are resilient. I’m sure tents will suffice and will not affect their ability to play one bit. It’s like having an ice bath after every game.

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?

Best SHL team to not make the finals this season is easily Calgary. They had to be considered solid favourites going into the playoffs after the regular season campaign they put together. Winning the western conference with 80 points, good for second best in the league. Arguably the best centers in the league with their first and second line of Batsbak and Parmborg. Consistently the best +/- ratings in the league other than Hamilton who aren’t eligible to be in this discussion. And then they go into the playoffs and get absolutely spanked by a team that had more than double their losses in the regular season. Truly a disappointing collapse.

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?

Oh boys and girls I don’t think you’re ready for how much Czechia is Bestia. I’m predicting Czechia doesn’t drop a game all tournament. Just keeps running the table all the way to the gold medal. Being a Tampa player, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to win so this one we have to take full advantage of. Between coach Kane’s game planning along with Alaska and our stellar roster of absolute top lads, this team is ready to go. The other team I’m going to back is Great Britain. When I joined the league, Britain wasn’t exactly a powerhouse, but they have some great guys and are in a position to compete right away. Jimmy Slothface, while seemingly regressing despite being at a higher TPE level, has simply been conserving his energy during the season in preparation for the IIHF. Any time you asked yourself, why isn’t Jimmy performing, it’s because he didn’t want to tire himself out to put up bare points in this tournament.

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.

PIMs

RomanesEuntDomus · 11-11-2020, 08:40 AM

Quote: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?

Overall I would say I was pretty disappointed by my on-ice performance this season. After finishing the STHS-era with a career year and then also starting strong into the FHM-chapter, this season marked the first real down year I had in quite a while. For the first time in a long while I wasn't the scoring leader for my team and barely made it to 40 points, and particularly the first half of the season was not good. The season in general was a transition year for the Panthers and maybe myself as well... New management, new linemates, a new approach to things, it probably takes a while to get adjusted to that. Things started to go a lot better for me personally in the later weeks of the season after finding some great chemistry with recent acquisition Jimmy Slothface so if that can continue into next year then I am not worried.

Quote: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.)

One interesting option for the playoff bubble would be to get the hell out of North America for this and go to a continent that actually has it's shit together somewhat in regards to the Covid response. Up until a few weeks ago I would have advertised for Europe and maybe even my native Germany here but that ship has sailed with a recent uptick in cases here as well and the country going into "Lockdown Light". So why not take this opportunity to introduce the SHL to a completely new market and set up the playoff bubble in Asia? Many of the countries there, like South Korea, have done great in terms of the virus response so they would be very safe options, while at the same time providing the SHL with an opportunity to expand their market, gain new fans even without visitors in the arenas, and advertise for the sport in general. Many sports leagues have tried to expand into Asian markets in the past but more often than not it was through pointless PR stunts - this time it would actually be something with substance.

Quote: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.

Didn't we have this question before, with some of the same teams being involved even, or why am I having a deja-vu here? In any case, my concession special would be the for the Hamilton Steelhawks and their arena and in honor of their recent contributions to the SHL and particularly the switch to STHS. I would call it the "It's totally not cheating if there isn't a rule against it" Special and it would reward all fans who come up with creative ways to swindle their way out of having to pay for stuff, and record themselves while doing so, with points that can be traded in for cool team merchandise. Going full Karen on a poor underpaid concession worker because the food isn't as advertised until he gives it to you for free just so you leave him alone? Check. Distracting your buddy by pointing to some hot girl in the crowd while secretely switching your half-empty beer with this untouched one? Check. Stealing a jersey out of the store when nobody is looking? *buzzer sound* Nooooope! Have you forgotten that there can't be a distinct law against it as there is for stealing? You're gonna have to get a bit more creative than that!

Quote:13. 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.
a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?
b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?
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?
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)

1. Can you really argue with the results the Steelhawks have had this season? No matter how good Buffalo has been in the past and on their road to the finals, the Steelhawks are the team to beat and that is due to their incredible group of skaters, which is headlined by freshly minted Superstar Theo Morgan and supplemented by veteran leaders such as the retiring Robert Phelps .
2. I would expect both teams to take rather different approaches her. Buffalo I think will try to be as flexible as possible, rely a lot on test-simming and adjusting on the fly to deal with all adversities that might be coming their way. They didn't have the best season but adjusted as it went on so I'd expect them to do the same these playoffs, if necessary. Hamilton on the other hand has been so dominant for such a long time that I would just expect them to stick to their guns as much as possible.
3. Uhm... Yeah, well... Ehm... Okay I kinda feel like a student now who forgot to study for an important test. I'm kinda tempted to go for superior here as the easy cop-out just because of the name but I think I'm gonna take Lake Erie since the Buffalo Sabres are the team that brought me to the NHL and I remain a fan of them through this day, no matter their struggles.
4. I would of course choose my boy Theo Morgan, who I already had a friendly rivalry going with while we were still teammates in LA, and who I have met up with online for some video gaming since. We would probably do a lot of the same if we meet up in real life and try to get the most out of Apex' new crossplay function.

Quote: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: Blue

***Ace*** · 11-11-2020, 09:46 AM

TOTAL TPE – 16 TPE

TASK ONE – 3 TPE
I have to say, the Pack got weaker as we continued to embrace the re-tool. I was flying high, I was nominated for a McBride Trophy in S55, I actually managed to win the Jesster, and I had already tucked away an IIHF Gold, WJC Gold and a Four Star Cup into my trophy cabinet in my short, short career with Frans Eller. It was only natural that there would be some regression in my performance and the teams performance. New England still performed admirably however, we returned to the postseason where Eller stole a game or two from the heavily favored Edmonton Blizzard. I won’t say that Eller’s performance disappointed me, but I wasn’t going to be nominated for the McBride every season. Next season I think I will work on a few things regarding Eller’s mobility to see if we can notch a few more shutouts. I was woefully behind on that statistical category.

TASK 2 – 3 TPE
Selfish vote here. It was S49. I was on a triumphant rise as the GM of the Wolfpack, and coming off of a powerful Presidents Trophy season, propelled forward by the MVP caliber performance of Wolfpack goaltender Johannes Leitner. It was rich – the former Edmonton Blizzard Co-GM who jumped ship to manage his own team against his former team. The New England Wolfpack were heavily favored in the series, some predictions even indicated a sweep was likely. They were more correct than they knew, only that the sweep went in the other direction. The wheels didn’t just fall off, they were rocket propelled off of the wagon and the Blizzard went laughing to the bank as they dealt a painful blow to me and my team’s hopes. That Wolfpack core roster didn’t come close to repeating that successful season, and we were forced to enter another rebuild, which would also find themselves falling short with.

CW TRIVIA – 3 TPE
Verification word: tpes

TASK 4 – 3 TPE
Welcome to the Boston bubble! Boston is a city rich in history and sports lore. It was founded in 1630 and as of 2010 had approximately 617,000 residents. It played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and is home to many prestigious universities and facilities of higher learning such as MIT, Harvard University, Berkelee College of Music and more. In the bubble here in Boston you will be using the Warrior Ice Arena, practice facility of the New England Wolfpack, the Boston Garden, where most of the games will be played, and Walter Brown Arena. There are ample opportunities to ensure all teams within the bubble get the required on ice practice time. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and that’s why all of our hotels within the bubble offer the finest in fresh lobster and clam chowder. Wash it down with our local craft brews (we have more than Sam Adams). Players in the Boston bubble should have a grand old time while we hunker down and wait for this whole thing to blow over.

TASK 7 – 3 TPE
Oh, Canada. Our home and native land. Except for Frans Eller, who neither calls Canada home, nor lives there. It doesn’t stop him from sliding that red, black and white sweater with the triumphant as fuck Maple Leaf on the front of his chest. Eller has already captured an IIHF Gold and WJC Gold in his international career, and with this roster that Canada has assembled, we’re as well equipped as ever to return to the top of the podium with gold hanging around our necks. I really expect a breakout IIHF performance by Hamilton Steelhawks’ forward Dick Clapper. The time of Ola Wagstrom is over. I expect Japan to be a force to be reckoned with yet again, and the British team who ousted us last season are no slouches either. It will be intriguing to see how this season’s tourney shakes out. Let’s bring home the Canadian bacon, Canada! Canada

Task 13C – 1 TPE
You ask which of the great lakes are the greatest. I fear that this discussion is quite simple – all of the lakes are named quite aptly. Huron, Erie, Ontario, Michigan… but only one of these lakes are called Lake Superior. This simply makes this single lake the most superior of them all, and therefore, the Greatest of the Great Lakes.

***KaleSalad*** · 11-11-2020, 11:50 AM

Code 1: Reflection on season (3TPE):

This year the timber came up short and to a disappointing end of the season. Nathan Thomas ended with 50 games played and 22 PTS. Though he has had more success then the past seasons as an individual it was not the success he was truly looking for. He wanted to be able to step up more and contribute more offensively so when the team was struggling for points that he could blow the game wide open. He also did not contribute to the powerplay as much as he had hoped only registering two power play points over the course of the season. Nathan needed to step up more on a team that had a great chance of going all the way this year. However, like the rest of the team it appears that he came up short this year and underachieved. He will have this offseason to reflect and get back to it before he takes to training camp next year!

WC: 162

Code 4: Playoff Bubble (3TPE):

If the SHL had to set up a bubble the optimal place to have it would be Tampa Bay. Why? Because location location location! The weather is always gorgeous and they have so much to offer there. The hotels with amazing views that anyone would feel like it is a vacation off the ice while working towards the championship. They hotels also have amazing pools and swim up bars for players to rest and relax post game! Tampa also has the ocean and river which would allow players to get out on the water and do some fishing or jet skiing around as long as they kept the social distancing from others. They would also be able to schedule things like going to the NFL stadium to get some other outdoor activities. Depending on the time of year they may even be able to catch an NFL game in their own teams own sky box! Tampa would be a great place the players would enjoy for a bubble playoff!

WC: 169

Code 6: Best team not to make Finals (2TPE)

The best team not to make the finals has to be the Maine Timber in the SMJHL. After going to the finals in Season 55 there were high hopes for the Timber in S56. They were able to add a couple new strong players as well had a great returning core of vets that should have been top of the league this year. Especially behind the stellar goaltending of Bloomy who was back for his final season in the SJMHL. Needless to say with all the star power and a very good group of top 4 defenseman it was a disappointing end to fall in the second round of the playoffs.

WC: 111

Code 13. 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. (3TPE)

A:The way that Hamilton has lit the lamp this post season it is safe to say that the Steelhawks have a better roster of skaters. They have been playing to a whole new level which has propelled them to the finals this year vs Buffalo. I think it is safe to say we will get more of the same from them against Buffalo and make it a quick series! (WC: 69)

B: Looking at the tactics of both these teams I think for at least part of the series they will stick to what got them here with their tactics. Of course the first game or two will be feeling each other out and that will likely determine what ends up changing for their tactics, if they even do change, in order to get the advantage in the series. (WC: 67)

C. I think this season proves that the Great Lakes division was the strongest this year. However this isn’t always the case like every year new teams seem to step up and compete at a new level or have gone through a rebuild and finally are hitting stride. This year shows that two great teams from their division have stuck to the process and become successful this year. (WC: 67)

Code14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)

With Hamilton winning the championship this year I think it is easy to say that Theo Morgan is one of the top choices for MVP. Sure you could probably choose 2 or 3 players that have really helped the team a lot this playoffs like Dick Clapper and A Jobin but Theo Morgan stepped up the most. He contributed 14 goals and 9 assists for 23 points in 18 playoff games. That is a playoffs run that will not be forgotten by any Hamilton fan or by Theo himself! Hamilton used it high power scoring to make it through almost every series and Theo was one of the main players to really step up and contribute and help them bring home the championship.

WC:123

Code 16: Trivia (3TPE)
Nacho

MrStennett · 11-11-2020, 12:07 PM

1. ISFL UW (3/16)

rum_ham · 11-11-2020, 02:52 PM

1. I was fairly happy with my S56 season. Something that has frustrated me a bit as my junior career has progressed is that my points productions has pretty much stayed the same the entire time. I think I had 25 points as a defenseman in my rookie season and thought I was going to blow up as I gained more TPE. Unfortunately I've hovered around 25 points every season I've been in Juniors so far. I've been trying to build a Quarterback-style offensive Defenseman, so I had hoped to contribute more offensively to the Crows. Some positives, however, were that after shuffling my build around I had one of the best defensive seasons I've ever had. I think my played simmed well in a two-way capacity. It was nice to be able to contribute on both ends of the ice. So I guess, overall, I had a pretty good season, but wish I was able to contribute more on the offensive side. I've got one more season left in STL before making the jump to the Cudas so hopefully we can nail this draft and tear it up next year Scarecrows

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6. Not really surprised about the teams that met in the SMJHL finals or that VAN ended up winning it all, but after beating us in the first round, I was rooting for the Timber to make a good run at the cup. Obviously I would have rather won that series, but after battling with them I thought it would have been nice to see them go further. I think they had the depth to pull off some upsets, plus they've got my former (and maybe future Ninja

) D partner and captain, Elwulf Jericson. The past few seasons after STL got knocked out I had absolutely no preference as to who I wanted to win the 4-Star, but this season I was rooting hard for Jeric to make a good run before being called up to the big leagues next season.
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c.The best great lake is the wonderful Lake Erie. It’s a swift 5 hour drive from my city, so it’s the Great Lake that I have visited the most throughout my life. I’ve had the wonderful privilege of visiting all of the Great Lakes, but Lake Erie reminds me of the lovely Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, which is an amazing park located on a peninsula surrounded by Lake Erie. 72 words

d.I have a tie between two players I’d like to meet. Due to their St. Louis connections and the plethora of wonderful times I’ve shared with them in the locker room, I would love to meet Elizabeth Doyle and Aron Hernadivic. Hanging out with both of them in the locker room has been a good time. 56 words
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16. pipe camp
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(16/16)

DELIRIVM · 11-11-2020, 03:08 PM

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?

The year that Daniil Nikiforov had would have to rank among the best a young prospect could have. Finishing out his career a year early by winning the SMJHL scoring race and taking home a Four Star Cup. Nothing really could be better. I had set goals to become one of the better players in the SMJHL and to win a cup with Vancouver before moving up to play for Baltimore. Not only did I meet these goals but excelled in the process. I finished the S56 SMJHL season as the leagues top scorer, one of the premier players, and someone who might have a chance at the Lindsay Trophy. And more importantly I finished the year with a win in the Four Star Championship with my Whalers brethren and sistren. Next season will be a season of growth as a 2nd liner in the SHL. I will get to join a fellow rookie in Lord Raiden and an aging near retirement forward in Mikulak. My goals for the next season are just to be a contributor and continue my growth!

[181 Words]

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.)

Seeing the SHL mapped out it would make sense that a centralized location. Chicago would probably be the best location to hold the bubble. Not only would it be a city that takes the pandemic more seriously than a lot of other locations, it would also be a centralized hub that many teams could play in. There are two stadiums that could be used for this as well. The Arena where the Syndicate play in and the one that the Blackhawks call home. As the SHL seems to run on a schedule that is opposite of the SHL, there is the possibility that we could run Eastern Conference games in the Syndicate Arena while playing the Western Conference games could be played in the Blackhawk's stadium. With a rotating schedule throughout the week we should be able to fit in multiple games for each team. Especially as the SHL has fewer teams than other leagues. The players would focus mainly on hockey and be relegated to their bubble restaurants and keeping themselves safe.

[173 Words]

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?

I think we're going to see a very hotly contested IIHF this tournament. A lot of really good teams and the depth of the SHL has contributed a lot of really good players. I think that we will see a fight between Canada, the United States, Czechia, and Great Britain for the medals this season. I believe that Czechia comes in with a chip on their shoulder and wanting to prove they can achieve that gold medal. They have brought home a good amount of hardware in the last few years but they need to finish this IIHF with a gold medal to show they really are who they think they are. Other than that I think people who have performed well in the previous SHL season will be the big names in the tournament. We'll see someone like Theo Morgan really shine in this years IIHF. Either way it's going to be a very competitive IIHF and we'll all be in for a real treat!

[166 Words]

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.

The Hamilton Steelhawks have seen a real opportunity with the new Hamilton and Cheese Sandwich. On this sandwhich is sliced Jambon d'Auvergne, a large slice of Stilton blue-veined cheese, and a Steelhawks dyed steel colored mustard. The sandwich will only be run during these playoffs and will be sold at a staggering price of $30 to those in the stands. With the lack of people in the stadiums the Steelhawks of banking on selling more expensive items during the playoff series. The Hamilton and Cheese will be prepared by renowned Hamilton born chef Paul Rodgers Rodrigues Linden. The sandwich is offered on a bed of microgreens with a large tooth pick featuring a "Go Steelhawks" flag sticking up out of the bread. The bread is a marbled rye with sesame seed crusts. Each sandwich will be specially delivered to the diner with a side of hand cut spiral french fries with truffle oil. Each purchase of the Hamilton and Cheese will donate $5 to the Covid Recovery Fund in Hamilton, Ontario.

[171 Words]

13. 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.

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)

From my time in the Vancouver Whalers locker room and interacting with multiple Hamilton users, my choice would be Theo Morgan/RM. Dude is cool as shit and really humble for being one of the better players in the league. He is someone who I think I would get along with quite well in person. One of the more laid back people on the site. I think we'd probably just smoke and watch hockey. The kind of friends I look for are the types that don't need complex shit going on to just have a good time.

[97 Words]

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: DELLY

Total TPE: 16/16

JayWhy · 11-11-2020, 03:11 PM

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?

This was a great season ultimately for Jax, only hitting the 50 point threshold for the second time in his career thanks to the help of Austin Roenick on his wing and the steady improvement of Phineas Gold on his other side. While I didn't get much time on special teams, I was still able to be effective in 5v5 and ultimately carried most of my points from there. My only disappointment is in my relative skill to my teammates, as I age I'm obviously slowing down, and it shows in my corsi for relative being a -2.0. However, this was my best offensive season since S53, and is also my best defensive season in spite of playing with weaker defensive players, holding a GA/60 of 2.3. While it mostly comes in thanks to the improved chemistry and the offensive firepower on my wings, I was able to show I can still contribute and lead a line, so it's a big success. This has definitely been my best season in a while, and shows well for how I age.

Quote:Word Count: 180

2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Of the 10 most recent finals series, which do you think is the most memorable and why? Which will be remembered in history as the best/most important/most memorable series or victory? S46: BUF over NOLA, S47: WKP over CGY, S48: BUF over WPG, S49: EDM over NEW, S50: CGY over TBB, S51: HAM over EDM, S52: MAN over SFP, S53: HAM over EDM, S54: NOLA over HAM, S55: BUF over NOLA.

For myself personally, it would be the S52 series, as it's the one that capped off all of my hard work with a Challenge Cup. It also had an incredible story that was a decade in the making, as the teams who committed to rebuilds and were the top two in the draft for S43 end up ten seasons later hitting the ice one on one, with the turncoat Luke Thomason being one of the key players having been drafted by the Pride and playing for the Rage at the time. It was two teams being led by cores that started at the same time, hitting their primes and meeting one on one in what was their ultimate goal, with one team who had consistent successes in their time and the other consistent failings. It was a storybook ending, in some ways, and something that ultimately solidified the Rage and Pride rivalry as a legitimate success.

Quote:Word Count: 156

3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

For the record, this would be extremely fun. For starters, we're going to allow for the first seed to play the 12th seed right out of the gate. It will go 1v12, 2v11, 3v10, 4v9, 5v8, 6v7 to start. The winners will then be given the ability to claim 1 player from the losing team to utilize moving forward. The second round allows us to have 3 games per side, but then we have 3 teams. This is where things get fun, by random draw, one team will receive a bye, but only for two games. The team in the lead after two games will then be given a bye for another two games, if the teams are tied it becomes a random draw yet again. Once the next two games are done, the team that has not received a bye will receive a 2 game bye as well. This continues until 2 teams have received 4 losses, leaving us with one team to move on to the Finals. The teams meeting in the finals will then compete, but considering the amount of games they just played in the conference finals, they will carry over any wins in excess of 4 from that round to the Finals to then compete in a best of 9, possibly best of 11, series. This will be fascinating, as the teams have also added at minimum four additional players and will have games in hand moving into the Finals in which they may only need one or two wins in order to win the whole thing. It would be hilarious.

Quote:Word Count: 266

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.)

While this is one of the boring answers in a way, the easiest is the west being in Edmonton for sure. It's a big city with a deep, rich history in the SHL of success and major drawing power. They would be ecstatic to bring in something like this and repay everything the SHL has brought them. In the East is the more difficult situation. While Toronto is a logical option as well, I think it should go somewhere that has a recent history of success as well. This is where we could explore options like Chicago or Manhattan, but those hubs also could have difficulties with a good set up of entertainment while covid continues to spike as well. I think in this case, I would set up in the Buffalo area instead. While they aren't the best in terms of entertainment, they're near the Canadian border and something where we can manage family time potentially easier. It's a place that has a history of great success in the SHL, and has plenty of space to be able to manage the necessary border for the the bubble.

Quote:Word Count: 188

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?

I think this is fairly obvious. While I'd love to say Manhattan got screwed here, it's just the situation of FHM, we're somehow always a step behind even when we're a step ahead. Between Chicago or Calgary is the debate, and Chicago is easily ahead of Calgary to my eye and the best team guaranteed. Unfortunately, they just hit the wall with a bad match-up. Chicago was just behind Hamilton as the clear best team, and had the best scoring and defense combination. They had weaknesses, no doubt, but they were easily set up to be the biggest challenge in the playoffs. It's unfortunate, but it just proves the talent of the teams in the Finals to be able to make it by such a tough challenge.

Quote:Word Count: 127

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.

HoursOnHold

An old man's dream ended. A young man's vision of the future opened wide. Young men have visions, old men have dreams. But the place for old men to dream is beside the fire.

Thanks to Jackson, Copenhagen, and Harry Hans!

GOING DOWN IN STYLE. TOAST4LYFE

***yosh*** · 11-11-2020, 03:18 PM

1. Written, 3 TPE WC: 151
Well, Vaseline Podcalzone’s sophomore season with the Newfoundland Berserkers turned out to be a huge step up from his relatively lackluster rookie season. As a refresher, in his rookie season Podcalzone put up 2 goals and 8 points playing pretty much exclusively on the 4th line of a stacked championship winning Berserkers roster. However, with many of the key pieces of that Four Star Cup winning team getting called up to the big stage of the SHL, Podcalzone found himself filling in the top 6 minutes for the most part of the season. Podcalzone delivered big time, putting up 11 goals and 28 points while playing nearly 10 minutes per game more compared to his rookie season. The increased ice time and Podcalzone’s natural player growth contributed to this big season, but Podcalzone cannot ease off the breaks here when he enters his third season with the Berserkers in Season 57.

3. Written, 2 TPE WC: 125
Well, the easiest way to cause chaos with a playoff bracket is a wild, 11-way round robin tournament to kick off the playoffs. To begin, seeding will be determined based off of regular season standings, and every team will play each other once, good for a total of 11 games in the first leg of the tournament. After that, the top 8 teams from the round robin will play each other in standard bracket format best of 7, in order to determine the final 4 teams. And from there we shall go back into our round robin format just for the heck of it. If we really wanted to spice things up, the finals will be played in a best of 7 series as well.

4. Written, 3 TPE WC: 172
In order to form a bubble city, the SHL or SMJHL must select a city that is able to stay far away from any diseases or outside influence. A small town such as St. John’s, Newfoundland, for example, could help significantly in the cause, as they can easily ward off the arena and a few of the nearby hotels to create a temporary bubble city. A big part as well is that Newfoundland really isn’t known for its fantastic night life, so you won’t have players trying to sneak out to get in on the clubbing or go out for some late night pizza or sushi.

Newfoundland also has some really state of the art practice facilities, even though it’s meant to house a SMJHL team. I would expect the arena operations staff to be very accommodating on the situation and assuming that all quarantine protocols are handled correctly for players upon entry of the bubble, I do not expect there to be even a single COVID case during the post season.

6. Written, 2 TPE WC: 123

Well, the Carolina Kraken were a regular season powerhouse in the eastern conference. Took home the regular season title as the best team in the East, had a lot going right for them. With the Berserkers having had a few of their players graduated, the Kraken could genuinely capitalize on this opportunity to win another Four Star Cup. They were doing very well for themselves in the post season up until the semi-finals, where they encountered the even greater powerhouse in the Vancouver Whalers. In a world where seeding wasn’t as messy, chances are they’d line up to play the Berserkers or the Armada in the Eastern Conference Finals, where I believe they would have fared better and likely had made the finals.

7. Written, 3 TPE WC: 162

Well, I believe that Team Russia would probably fare pretty well in the IIHF. Granted, I must humbly admit that I am not that well versed with what goes on in the international simulation hockey landscape, and for the most par this belief definitely has some homerism factored into it.

The big powerhouses for this tournament will certainly be the United States and Canada. Given that these countries are definitely the ones that produce a fair amount of hockey players, it’s reasonable to believe that they will likely fare well. However, I I believe that Japan will be a powerhouse as well in this tournament. There are a bunch of star players on that Japanese team looking to pack some damage during this tournament, such as Martijn Westbroek, who put up a clean 40 goals in the regular season for Chicago on top of a dominant 70 point season. Either way, the stage is set for a fun tournament of international hockey.

8. Written, 3 TPE WC: 195

Well, let’s play into each city's strengths. As we’re all sure, Buffalo is known for one thing: their buffalo chicken wings! Easy, fried chicken wings can easily be baked and bathed in a spicy buffalo sauce. Then, since buffalo milk makes mozzarella cheese, we can sprinkle on some mozzarella on top of the wings, or make a special mozzarella based dipping sauce, because blue cheese just doesn’t feel nearly compelling as a mozzarella dip. So there you have it, buffalo wings with buffalo sauce with a side of mozzarella dip. As for Hamilton, this is about as easy as it gets. Hamilton is known for producing a lot of ham, so we can serve a huge ham for groups of 10, or other ham related dishes. Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, ham pizza, you name it, they’ll have it. To make it easier for folks to enjoy a little bit of everything, the newest menu item will be a tasting platter featuring a single slice of pizza, half of a ham pizza, and some carved out ham meat. It’ll run you a good $25, but that’s just the pure economics of running a concession stand.

Blues · 11-11-2020, 03:18 PM

Code:
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?

Rocco Berni did about as well as I should've expected him to do, but I expected a little bit more from him as he came out of the SMJHL after four seasons. I was able to claim one milestone with the faceoff percentage, and that was actually the big bright spot in Rocco's season. Throughout the regular season, he consistently was in the top three for faceoff percentage and actually held the lead for a good while. I can probably attribute it to the lower TPE total that he had throughout most of the season as I've just recently reached about 1050 TPE. I'll try to increase my offensive stats a little more for next season, as I feel that I'll be able to produce more consistently if I focus of technical skills rather than physical skills. Passing and shooting stats will probably be the most important to upgrade, as I already have a solid Offensive Read stat.

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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.)

I think that Minnesota would be a fantastic place to set up a playoff bubble for the SHL. It is a hockey hotbed and as far as I know (I haven't done much research and don't live in the United States) COVID is not running amok. The Monarch's facilities are top notch and among the best in league, as regularly noted by other players. Furthermore, the Monarchs have a young core that is on the rise and could create some excitement in hockey. It could be great marketing for the SHL. If we were to set up in the big ol' Twin Cities, there would be lots of snow sports and activities to take part in. For the science enthusiasts of the SHL, we could check out the wonderful Science Museum of Minnesota AND the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory! Obviously, I would suggest that the home team gets an automatic entry into the playoffs, just so the home fans can have a rooting interest!

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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?

I laid it out in my predictions for the IIHF tournament, but I expect the United States to do very well every season. Being a Canadian in real life, it does really pain me to say that, but it seems like the Americans are able to field a strong team of players every season. I also think that the Canadians will do well and will medal, but they will likely fall to the American delegation. Russia also usually has a strong showing, along with the squad from the United Kingdom. Apparently in the SHL, the United Kingdom is a hockey hotbed. Maybe it is telling the future for real life, and we'll see some Tony Hand style players in the coming years! I hope the Switzerland can make a bit of a splash this season, as we've never really excelled in the IIHF tournaments, but this could be the year that we make our first big move!

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13. 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.

a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?

b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?

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?

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)

a. I think that Hamilton has the better set of skaters on paper. With perennial superstars who have excelled for many seasons in the league, like Aaron Wilson and Theo Morgan, the Steelhawks have a pretty great team on paper. Wilson has been a force for a while and Morgan put up ridiculous numbers this past season.

b. I think that it is too early to make any predictions like that, but we'll have to take a look at how each team is doing after the first two games. If someone goes up 2-0 in the series, it may be time to swap up some matchups or change some player roles. Hamilton was much better offensively and defensively this season, so Buffalo may have to shift to a more defensive strategy to succeed.

c. I think that Lake Huron is the absolute greatest of the Great Lakes. There are so many nice places along the banks of the lake, such as Tobermory, Grand Bend, and Goderich. The water is also much nicer than the water in lakes in more heavily populated areas, like Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

d. I want to make sure I note that I'm not choosing Gabe. I need my TPE. I would like to hang out with Finn, as we've both been around the league since S19 with our original players and I think he's a really funny dude. We chatted a bit back then, but haven't talked in a while, so I'd love to catch up and see what's up with him.

Code:
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.

shippingyourfoot

*CptSquall* · 11-11-2020, 04:22 PM

Code:
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?

After a step back in his sophomore season, Ruslan made HUGE strides to get back to the kind of player he came up as. Notching yet another 30 point season on the top line of the up and coming Toronto North Stars. This was helped both by an increased shooting percentage (5.88% in S55 vs 12.40% in S56) and fewer penalty minutes (41 in S55 vs 24 in S56). He had a career high 121 Shots and his 3rd straight 100 hit season as the power forward in the combo. With more young, gifted players and a massive trade that brought in top end defenceman Adam Barron from Winnipeg, Toronto, and by extension Ruslan, can expect to have a MUCH better season. As the defence gets better one can expect the plus minus to improve. As it improves, i could see Ruslan and the Stars notching more points as they spend less time hemmed into their own zone to allow them to really shine.

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2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Of the 10 most recent finals series, which do you think is the most memorable and why? Which will be remembered in history as the best/most important/most memorable series or victory? S46: BUF over NOLA, S47: WKP over CGY, S48: BUF over WPG, S49: EDM over NEW, S50: CGY over TBB, S51: HAM over EDM, S52: MAN over SFP, S53: HAM over EDM, S54: NOLA over HAM, S55: BUF over NOLA.

It should come as no surprise that, will all the options out there, it comes down to two for me. When you think about it, who are the common denominators over this last decade of SHL Hockey? Buffalo is there three times, with their three cups. Edmonton is up there three times as well. Hamilton is there three times in the last five years alone. New Orleans is up there thrice as well including back to back these last two seasons. While seeing the same top teams up there gives hope that one can build successful contenders, to a neutral fan it can get boring. Calgary vs Tampa Bay was exciting because it was the Barracuda's first big run and felt like a big deal. My pick though, is S52's Clash between the Manhattan Rage and San Francisco Pride. Why? I'll tell ya, you had a solid team in New York that looked and played like they could go, but werent odds on favorites at the beginning of the playoffs. On the other side you had a STRONG San Fran team that had never won a playoff series powering their way into the finals. It was shiny, it was new, it was refeshing, and i loved every minute of it.

Code:
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.)

When it comes picking out hub cities, we want a few things. You want somewhere where the cases are not spiraling out of control. You want a popular, big money location, and finally the players would want somewhere where there are the best amenities. Now we have the same cities as the NHL used and they do fit many of the bills. But honestly, SHL Toronto is not the same as NHL Toronto. I also have the benefit of being able to use theoretical Covid figures to pick my cities. So where do we go? In my opinion we want places with fantastic food, not too expensive, moderate weather, and SHL Playoff relevant. My picks are Manhattan and Texas in the west. Why? Texas Barbecue, large amount of space, showcasing a young playoff team that doesnt get the light that Calgary, Edmonton, and New Orleans tend to get. The Rage get the nod because its New York FREAKING City! They get upstaged as a team by Buffalo and Hamilton in the east. Sure its expensive but how can you be bored in the Big Apple?

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13. 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.

a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?

b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?

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?

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)

A. This is a difficult question to answer as both the Buffalo Stampede and Hamilton Steelhawks boast an amazing array of time tested skaters and very deep lineups. One one hand, Hammy has more 2000 TPE players, on the other BUF has more TPE overall. The Steelhawks are a well oiled machine that has been powering through the season. The defending champs are more of a rugged and tenacious bunch that always find ways to make it through. For this season, i like Hamilton's roster more as it has been winning a lot more often this season and i think has what it takes. Overall though, and it has shown this last decade, the Stamps have one constantly powerful roster that never seems to dip in quality.

B. Any coach/GM/strategist worth their salt has to be flexible during a series to look to match what they can do. It's not as simple as find ways to improve each of your team's stats and skills on the fly. Things that can be done with weekly updates as much as tactics. In the playoffs its all about beating who your matched up to. You are shuffling line combos, tactics, player's roles at times just to give you the higher odds to win the one or two games per sim. Adjusting and re adjusting to each change. Think of it like a dance. Each group looking to predict what the other will do next and how to offset it.

C. You know, they say save the best for last. Out of all the lakes, which one never gets name dropped. Well lets dive in a bit. Americans will talk up Lake Michigan like its the only one, and Lake Erie is their other favorite. Canadians focus on Lake Ontario and neither group neglects the always popular, large, and well known Lake Superior. She never gives up her dead you know. But i'll wager the most interesting, and therefore Greatest lake, is Lake Huron. She would be a researcher's dream as it is almost never talked about and i bet has fantastic stories just lurking in those murky waters.

D. Honestly, i'd like to shoot the shit with @WannabeFinn guy who has been around for a while and, in our short interactions both on site and discord is a cool enough guy to hang around with. What we would do? I dont know, probably grab a beer, maybe wings and shit. Talk about hockey, OSRS and whatever else seems to flow.

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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.

SUBMIT TRIVIA ANSWERS HERE

Verification word: Squally

Moreorless89 · 11-11-2020, 04:33 PM

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.

More is less

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?

Well, I Luffy Richard, dominated this season like I have never dominated before! I basically doubled up all of my offensive stats and was the best fourth liner in the entire league. I can say that because I might be the only maxed out fourth liner in the league. On any other team I am a first or second liner, but I was the depth that propelled the Whalers to the best season we have ever had. I need to toot my own horn now because I am gonna get wrecked in the SHL. But for one glorious season, Luffy Richard was the best Luffy in the J. I almost had thirty freaking points, which was basically my entire points total for the previous three seasons. I don’t know if anyone had a turnaround season like I have, but I should be the poster boy of what fun you can have if you stay somewhat active and talk to the boys and girls in the locker room. If I had been this active my entire career, I would give the Other Luffy a run for his money.

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, have you heard the story of Brent Underwood? He bought an abandoned mining town and has been fixing it up. I asked him to add a couple of rinks and two hotels, and boom we got ourselves a bubble city that has only had one person living in it for like two years. I mean, it'll be rough because it'll be lacking in amenities, but we’re hockey players, I’m sure we can survive as those brave miners survived back during the gold rush. Cerro Gordo, California is the name of the town by the way. It’ll be glorious. No hot water, all of our food out of a can, puppet shows until he can get the cable running...or like any sort of television. Most of the power will be going to the rinks after all, but it’ll be great! We can have all kinds of fun in an abandoned minor town where the nearest sign of civilization can’t even be seen with a telescope. Hell yeah Cerro Gordo bubble city!

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?

Well, this is going to be a biased answer, but let me crystal clear that the Kraken sure gave the Whalers a run for their money. I should know, I was part of that series. It was a bloodbath. Blunt Man was using cheat codes or something because he felt like a brick wall, like the great wall, like the wall of insecurities that will have me staying with my parents until i am forty-five. Seriously, he played great and it was frustrating at times. If the Whalers weren’t the stacked team they are, they had a real solid chance at the cup. Great series guys! It was a pleasure to compete against you.

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.

I got two words for you Buffalo! Buffalo Chips! Think about all the possibilities for marketing and mockery! Not only will you be viewed as insane, gross, and confused, you will be known as the people who saved the Buffalo! That is because for every bag of Buffalo Chips you sell, a portion goes to conservation efforts for those majestic American beasts. They will come in a variety of flavors such as dill pickle, limon, ranch, Cholula hot sauce: What a line up! There will also be a nacho version of Buffalo Chips where you will provide the greatest cheeses known to man! Especially the delicious aged smoked cheddar. Smoke your Buffalo Chips to fuel your game! Come on, the marketing writes itself. I am giving you some premo free marketing ideas here. Millions of dollars worth of ideas! The prices shall be reasonable, because you want lots of free publicity for all the money you are giving to conservation efforts across the nation. Plus you could sell little Buffalos that poop out chips. Step aside pooping moose! There is a new ungulate in town!

14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

Congratulations Buffalo on once again being the champions of the greatest league that has ever simmed a simulation about the game of hockey, played on skates, on ice, and with a puck. Your welcome non-sport fans for that in-depth explanation on what this league is. But if you didn’t know, why are you reading these random ramblings? Anyways, Monkey D. Luffy played a hell of a series. Real hall of fame material that kid is. And the reason I’m projection you as the MVP is because, I Luffy Richard, will one day claim the title as best Luffy the league has ever seen! And I want it to be as hard as possible, so he has to have a stacked resume so that I can claim that crown. And what a great series it was, Seven game triple overtime?? Insane. Also I wrote this early and will not be editing my answer if I’m wrong.

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