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ArGarBarGar · 04-06-2015, 06:36 PM

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Tony Reali: We got Paige, Adande, Ryan, and MacMullan. Today on Around the Horn, we talk the SHL draft, Carl the Mountain the Renegade, the IIHF tournament, among other topics. We got 10 topics, but only one winner. This is Around the Horn!

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Reali: First up we have the man who has been on every show so far, but has not yet gotten burnt out from being on here way too much. It's Woody Paige!

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Woody Paige: Tony, you seem upset. Are you annoyed that my amazing whiles and smart analysis is keeping you on your toes? It must really be horrible to know me and my blackboard can walk up and down you.

Reali: I'll get you off the show for one segment at least. Just wait and see, Woody. Next up, he has had a bit of hiatus but he is back, it is J. A. Adande!

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J. A. Adande: I missed you guys! Should go blast on you all since I've had time to cool my gears and get back into fighting form!

Reali: Adande, I will be very surprised if that happens. Next up, he did well in his first go-round as a newcomer, let's see if he can repeat it this time! It is Bob Ryan!

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Bob Ryan: Last week was child's play. This time I am pulling out all the stops on this panel.

Reali: Don't get too cocky. Don't become the next Bomani Jones, please. And last but not least, she has won twice but continues to fight for glory! It is Jackie MacMullan!

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Jackie MacMullan: Let's keep the wins coming! Looking for win number three tonight!

Reali: We shall see.

Ryan: The only one who will need a handicap is you when you see how much I have improved since my last show.

Paige: I followed this draft intently so I know exactly what it will take to get past all of you!

Reali: Well if you haven't noticed this isn't all about the draft, so see how long that works for you. On to the first word!

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Reali: We have gone through the season 23 SHL draft, and some interesting picks in this one with a relatively weak draft year. Woody, who are the winners and losers of this one?

Paige: I'm going with the West Kendall Platoon on this one. They were able to grab the #1 TPE earner for 2nd overall in Viktor Svensson, who was able to hit 29 points on the Kelowna Knights, and was a huge staple in that team winning the Four Star Cup. Then in the next round they grabbed Slappy McDoodle, who hasn't exactly been all that much to practice but still is able to bring a work-ethic and entertainment to the team. Good picks by them in this one. Losers would have to be the Toronto North Stars. They are able to grab one of Svensson, Pergher, Alexandersen, or even Ziepins, but they draft Benson? Benson was a very meh prospect in Kelowna this year and was not even the best player on the team. 30 points and not even a point per game and they draft him first? That is horrible!

Reali: Alright, Ryan, your thoughts.

Ryan: I completely disagree about the winner of the draft. Look at one of the worst teams in the league this year, the Calgary Dragons. They are playing in a monster conference and they knew that they needed to build in order for them to get to that level. What did they do? Got a 1st rounder from the Chiefs and drafted Boychuk. They drafted Pergher with their 1st rounder, who was the 2nd best defenseman in this draft. Then they drafted Schinitinfritz Jagr, who is a very reliable center, and could possible be the best center in this draft class. Then they were able to grab other ancillary pieces to complete a huge draft in terms of gaining assets. The losers have to be the Renegades. they drafted the best winger in the first round which is fine, but then they go out and draft Vladimir Lidstrom with their West Kendall pick in the first? That guy has bust written all over him! It doesn't make sense for them to waste a first rounder on a guy who could have been dropped to the third round, to me.

Reali: Jackie?

MacMullan: I agree with Woody in that the Platoon had the best draft of the group. Svensson was a huge drop for them and while I consider that a little lucky, give them credit for not panicking and trading up to the first. That in itself proves that West Kendall has a GM that is willing to stand pat when he needs to, which is an underrated thing when it comes to general managers. Most fans expect GMs to make lots of moves to improve the team, but more moves doesn't necessarily mean the best for the team. While Woody thinks that Slappy McDoodle was the diamond in the rough for them, I would say that Goat Curry holds that distinction. Curry has shown signs of working much harder as of late, and I think in a little bit of time Curry is going to be a killer player for them, and they were able to get him in the third round! Losers gotta be the North Stars. David Benson is definitely a top 5 pick, no doubt. But I think he is probably the 5th best player, and when you have the #1 overall pick, you gotta do something better with it. This personally was not that great of a pick and I wish they had done something more with it. It seems like these kind of decisions are why the North Stars are not a very good team right now. Management needs to rework their philosophy I think.

Reali: Alright, Adande.

Adande: I think that the North Stars are the winners, here. You people need to realize that just because they are the best player available does not mean they are the best pick for the specific team. Toronto needed a winger, and while Alexandersen looked like he would make the most sense, you have Benson who is not too far behind him. Benson was great in the combines and really made a name for himself in the media, which is why he was sought after so highly by the North Stars. He is the kind of guy who is going to make a lot of teams realize why he was drafted first. Not to mention, they were also able to get Bjorn Knutsen who is a real underrated asset in this draft class. I think people need to take a look and see what he has to offer in this upcoming season. He may be a send-down this year, but I can definitely see him making a big splash in season 24. As far as losers are concerned, I gotta go with the Dragons on this one. They were able to make a lot of picks, yes. But they wasted a pick on the Mountain when they knew that he was not going to agree to play there. Why would you bother wasting a pick on that? There are also a number of players who I think have some flash but no real substance. What is the point in drafting a lot of players when those players aren't going to make any kind of impact in the league?

Ryan: But if you want to succeed in the SHL you have to take some chances, and better to take a lot of chances now when the team is terrible than take a lot of chances when the draft picks simply are not the same caliber.

Adande: But what I am saying is they had to retool the prospect pool as it was completely barren, so they needed a lot of fresh faces to try and develop. You gotta [HORN] take risks if you want successes. They had the picks, so why not?

Reali: Alright, next topic.

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Reali: David Benson is the Season 23 draft king, being drafted 1st overall by the Toronto North Stars. I know we talked about it a little bit already, but Jackie what are your thoughts on this pick?

MacMullan: David Benson personally is not that good of a player. I think talent-wise, he is around 7th, and while I do agree that his intangibles are incredible for his age, there is no guarantee that those same intangibles will be able to carry over to the next level and make up for the lack of a talent in that player. Simply put, the North Stars had better options available to select than him, especially at 1st overall. If you are going to draft a guy who wasn't projected to go top-3 why didn't you make an effort to trade down? Personally the pick doesn't make sense and I think Benson will be a top-5 player at best from this draft class, end of story.

Reali: Adande.

Adande: Like I said before, not every team needs to go best player available. Look at the season 20 draft. People considered Garbanzo the steal of the draft because he wasn't picked 1st overall after what he had done for Montreal. But do you see Manhattan having any regrets picking up Creller? Guy was their MVP on their cup run, scoring tons of points and in general becoming an elite player right before our eyes. Just watch what Benson can do out there and you will see what Toronto saw. This guy can be a great player if you give him the shot to do so.

Reali: Woody, what say you?

Paige: I have already given an opinion on Benson, and I think that you understand my position pretty clear. They need a certain position? That's fine. But Benson over Alexandersen? That makes no sense. Alexandersen was the reason why the Falcons made it to the Four Star Cup finals in the first place, and they just ignored him? Did he have a bad combine or interview or what? I don't understand it. First overall isn't just about picking guys who you necessarily think will be the best fit for your roster. We are talking about potential franchise players who you build your team around. I think by picking a player who they want to fit in their team, they missed the entire point behind what the lottery pick is meant to do. It is meant to help the team change its direction. Basically now they will have a very good center on a team that is going nowhere.

Reali: Let's hear what you have, Ryan.

Ryan: There isn't anything particularly wrong with this pick, and I at least applaud Toronto for not just going by the book with this one. Alexandersen is a great player and should be a top right winger in the league soon, but intangibles have to count for something, here. Alexandersen simply has not shown that game-breaking ability that Benson has. Why do you think Kelowna won the cup again? Guys like Benson. That is a huge deal for scouts to see who has that killer instinct when the chips are down, and Alexandersen was outplayed by Benson in those finals.

Paige: I'm sorry, was it only Benson on that Knights team? Kelowna was stacked up and down. When you have Viktor Svensson passing the puck up the ice then you are going to have an easier time making plays, end of story. Do people really think that Lukas Johnson is in the same stratosphere as Viktor Svensson? I don't think so.

Adande: We will see in the upcoming games, but Benson has proven himself to be a harder worker in the later stages of the season. While he had a stacked team with him, he was an integral part of it. I am sick of players getting flak for being part of really good teams. Ever think they may be [HORN] the reason for their being so good? Come on.

Paige: I don't think that is the [MUTE]

Reali: Horn sounded, Woody. Next up, we have Buy or Sell!

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Reali: The Manhattan Rage are Challenge Cup Champions for the first time, and as a 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. Some experts have already pegged them as the favorites to come out of the East again. Adande, are you buying or selling this?

Adande: Well you can't just give up on the defending champs this early after winning it, so I have to buy it. They have a great roster with some young talented pieces, they have a prospect who won the playoff MVP trophy in their sophomore year, they have one of the most prolific scorers in the league in Daniel Merica, and they have a top-tier goaltender who may not have to steal them games, but is clutch enough to make the saves when it matters. There is a lot to like about this team and with not a lot changing in the Eastern Conference this year I think they have to be the favorites.

Reali: Ryan.

Ryan: Buying as well. This is a team that has had one of the quickest turnarounds I have seen in a team, going from perennial lottery team to Challenge Cup Champs in a matter of a couple seasons. They made some great moves to acquire top talent, and made one of the best 1st overall picks with Tommy Creller. Have you seen him skate and pass the puck? I think he could solidify his place in the hall of fame in a matter of a few seasons with the way he is playing. He is that good.

Reali: Jackie, your thoughts.

MacMullan: I am going to sell the idea they are the favorites right at this moment. They are the team to beat in the East, and everybody knows that. However that doesn't mean they are automatically pegged to win the East again. Look at Texas. What happened to their season the year after winning twice in a row? What about Minnesota years ago? There are highs and lows to every single franchise, and those highs and lows can come very unexpectedly. They should be considered favorites to be the best team, but I am not buying that just yet. The East was wide-open between the top four teams last year and I can see the exact same thing happening again.

Reali: Woody.

Paige: Buying. Jackie, you don't win a cup with that roster of players and not get considered the favorite to win it all again. This is a team that may not have the depth of Texas or the leadership of West Kendall, but they have a lot of talent up front and on the back-end. Plus C.J. James is just now starting to show his mettle as a top goaltender. There is a lot to like about the roster and what they were able to accomplish, and we should see very soon that the team is not a one-trick pony and can easily win it all this next year. They should be considered the favorites.

MacMullan: Okay, but if you are going to rely on having to beat three teams with better records than you to win the cup, you are not going to win very often. They had the talent to win and I give them all the credit, but they were 4th in the East. If they do that again, they will not be able to win again. That's simply the facts.

Ryan: The fact is they have one of the top forward lines in the league with Merica, Brovalchuk, and Creller, a couple of the best defensemen in the league in Goody and Razin, and a goaltender who could very well be one of the best in the world very soon. That right there means you will be a favorite year-in and year-out, end of story.

MacMullan: Okay, then you have New England with McZehrl, Schenn, and Carter O'Callahan up front, and Willie Weber and Brandon Cant on defense, with Tennyson in goal. Then you have West Kendall with Ivo Willems, Zallerras Szelrchek and Jed Lloren up front and Bojo Biscuit on defense with Colin SChmidt in goal. There are plenty of teams that can brag about top talent up front, so it isn't like [HORN] Manhattan is alone in that regard.

Reali: Nice work, Jackie. Next topic.

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Reali: Rider Clitsome spoke in an interview over the offseason that he was confident he could score 34 goals next season, something we have not seen in some time. Ryan, are you buying or selling this?

Ryan: This is an easy sell, Tony. Clitsome scored 19 goals last season. 19. That is a 15 goal difference from one year to the next. Who exactly is expecting him to do that? It's not like he has had a large amount of goals before. He had 9 the previous season. So what exactly has he done during the offseason to warrant this kind of a guarantee? This is a ridiculous article and interview if he seriously believes anything he says in this one.

Reali: Woody?

Paige: I'm going to be the crazy guy to buy this one, Tony! This guy oozes confidence, and while we haven't seen a 34 goal scorer since, I don't even know, this guy seems to have the kind of moxy that I like in a player! Who knows what will happen this season, and he may be taking some kind of drugs that are going to [MUTE]

Reali: Come on, Woody. Adande, your thoughts.

Adande: Another one who is going huge on the sell. 19 goals is not the kind of starting point that you get to when making this kind of a guarantee. Maybe if you score 30 goals. Maybe even in the mid to high-20s. But he hasn't even hit 20 yet. This is a bit puff piece by the media to get him hyped up for next season. Maybe it is an awards thing? I don't know. But the fact of the matter is he hasn't proven anything to make anyone think he has this kind of season in him, end of story.

Reali: Lay it on me, MacMullan.

MacMullan: Sell sell sell. Do I even need to make another point? Clitsome needs to take a look in the mirror and understand the type of player that he is and what he is capable of, because right now his head is right up in the clouds with him thinking he has that capability. He simply doesn't. If O'Callahan can't even score 34, what makes him think he can do it? That is a huge step up from what he is expected to score, and it would take a colossal effort by himself and his teammates for that to happen. Ridiculous. Let's also not forget that he is playing for one of the biggest free-fall teams in the league in Hamilton. Who is going to get him the puck at this rate? The team is in shambles and they are not stacked enough to draw away defensive assignments from him and give him an easier time out there.

Paige: Okay, so Hamilton had one bad year? Big whoop, guys. Next year they could just as easily make it back into the East with some of the talent they have, and nobody would be surprised.

MacMullan: I'm not even talking about Hamilton making the playoffs. I am talking about Hamilton being a team that will be good enough to not only provide Clitsome with good playmakers, but also to provide him with enough offensive-zone starts and less opposition in order to him score at a rate he has never achieved and that other forwards that are better than him have not achieved.

Adande: Also I think it needs to be noted again that he has never shown that kind of talent. I don't understand why he made that guarantee, because he is going to look really stupid after game 52 and he doesn't have even close to that number of goals. I would be surprised to see him pass 20 goals, personally.

MacMullan: Exactly. Hamilton is not going to foster that kind of scoring [HORN] clip and he shouldn't have said it.

Reali: Well, Ryan made some good points and was almost able to pass Woody in his craziness, but the champion lives to see another round of questions. Sorry, Ryan, but you are the first cut tonight.

Ryan: Well that is disappointing. I thought I was going to do really well since I made it to the finals last time.

Reali: Yeah tell that to the season 22 Steelhawks. Up next, we have the Carl Mountain, the SMJHL Expansion, and the IHF tournament. We have, the lighting round up next!

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Reali: One down, two more to go. We move on to the lightning round. First up, we discus Carl the Mountain, who wrote quite the article with his desire to go to Texas, and when it did not happened forced not one, but two trades in order to get to this team. Jackie, what do you think of this situation?

MacMullan: I honestly don't understand draftees taking this route. We saw Banananov do it last year, and now Carl the Mountain takes it one step further and forces a trade? This seems way too over the top, and I think teams are starting to lose the power in these drafts. What is to stop the top player in every single draft from doing the same thing? This will essentially turn the draft into a type of free agency, and will destroy the parity that the league strives to achieve. I think what makes this worse than the Banananov situation is he demanded to be a part of a team that is considered a contender every year. Maybe if he had some different connections to the team where he wanted to be a part of the city he grew up or with players he knew, but this seems all about being part of a contender no matter what.

Reali: Jay.

Adande: I don't have a problem with it, honestly. The guy is drumming up attention for the SHL, and you know what they say about publicity. It's not a huge deal because prospects do not have this kind of moxy most of the time. I would say around 99% of prospects would not go this route, and Carl the Mountain isn't even that good of a player, so what's the issue? This isn't like the top overall pick demanded a trade. He was drafted in what, the third round? Calgary took a shot at a guy who has a lot of ego and had to make a trade to lose him, and it really wasn't that big of a deal. Nobody really seems to care other than the media, and Texas has the player they wanted.

Reali: Paging Woody.

Paige: But what about the trades themselves? Calgary basically wasted a pick on them and had to get rid of him for "future considerations." We all know that means they get preference in a trade, but who knows what that will be, and what for? I mean, if you get drafted by a team, that means they think you will be able to do something in the league! Don't just say "nah screw you guys I am taking my ball and going home." Prove that you were worth that pick.

Reali: Woody, you are aware Calgary got a draft pick back in the second trade, right?

Paige: No. [MUTE]

Reali: Well done, Woody. You just got muted back to the stone age.

Adande: The thing is, Woody, Calgary took a gamble in that because they knew that they were going to take a guy who at the very best would not be with the team in two years. So why even take that risk to begin with? There were other players that were available in that. The only reason it was an issue to begin with is Calgary made it an issue, which forced a couple trades to happen. This is just the media being the media.

Paige: Is that so? Well the problem is that Calgary was the worst team in the league this year, and now they are getting the 3rd round draft pick of a team that has been considered the favorites to make it out of the West! What kind of fair trade is that? Calgary is getting a later pick than they should have gotten, and it is coming in a draft year that will have a ton of goalies and not all that much in substance up front, which is what they need desperately. It's completely unfair [HORN] that Calgary got screwed because of the arrogance of one guy who isn't even that good!

Reali: Good back and forth. Alright, next topic.

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Reali: With the amount of exposure the SHL has been getting, and the investments that multiple Board of Directors have been providing to the league, there have been talks of expansion to compensate for more potential prospects. Jay, do you think this is something that we will see soon, later, or never?

Adande: I have no idea, really. I am glad to see that management in the SHL is trying to do more to get more players in the league, but this seems like a very premature discussion. We just saw one of the weakest drafts in SHL history in terms of depth, and S24 is not looking a heck of a lot better except for all the goalies that are available. I don't think we will see any kind of expansion for at least two more years. There just isn't the demand for it yet, especially when some locker rooms don't appear to be that active as it is.

Reali: Woody.

Paige: I am banking on them doing it next year! They have created a media campaign that should last for many years, and with that campaign the league will be getting so much exposure you are going to see tons of young kids playing hockey, increasing the talent pool even further. I think in a couple years you will see tons of inner-city kids playing hockey instead of basketball.

Reali: Woody, are you serious?

Paige: Why not? They are saying that hockey is the new basketball, and with the media campaign that you just don't see in other sports, they will be able to become the premier sport in the entire North American continen[MUTE]

Reali: Don't even finish that sentence. Jackie, please save me from Woody.

MacMullan: Expansion is not going to happen for awhile, if ever. There simply isn't enough of a demand, and the SHL has been tapped out in many of the places where they have been recruiting players. Where else are they going to get them from? I think if they aren't going to go all the way with an advertising campaign, they won't be able to get the type of players they are looking for. We aren't just looking at window-watchers, we are talking about people who will go in the store and buy the products that the SHL are selling. They just aren't there yet, and like Jay said, the SMJHL has had a problem with players in the locker room being active, and we have seen a couple drafts where most of the picks are pretty much busts already. Other than a couple players, can you even think of anyone on the S22 draft class that is still making waves in terms of performance? I can think of two. I think we saw the depth of S20 and just expected that all the time, but the fact of the matter is that won't happen every year, and that was a once-in-a-generation type of draft.

Paige: Once in a generation? But what about S21? There are a ton of players in huge positions from that class. You even have a S21 draftee winning the playoff MVP already. To think that the SMJHL can't grab enough players to create the same kind of draft is silly, in my opinion. They are almost ready to see that, and if you saw the type of goaltenders that will be available in S24, you would agree with me on that one.

MacMullan: Okay, and other than the goaltenders, who do you have? A couple of wingers and defenseman and basically nothing else. There are like 15 or so active players. That is a horrible draft considering we haven't even hit the SMJHL draft yet. Maybe wait a year for the media to actually get something going before making assumptions?

Adande: We have already seen a lot of increased activity due to the media, though. I would agree we aren't ready to talk about it, yet. But then again, we are already seeing it pay some dividends, and when it grows and the SHL becomes a household name, you will definitely see an influx in talent, I think. I just don't [HORN] know when that will be, exactly.

Reali: Very good, very good. Alright, next topic.

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Reali: The IIHF is starting to get heated up, as we have the Canadians, the Swedes, and the Latvians left in the tournament. We should see the Sweden/Latvia game some time tomorrow, so we have some time to speculate. Of these three, who is the favorite team, Woody?

Paige: Team Sweden all the way! If my Americans cannot make it, I am going to go for the boys in gold and blue! Those are some great colors! Don't forget that during the tournament they led the entire group in shots for and shots against, which is huge considering who they were matched up for in the division. Yeah, they had to squeak in, but they were able to beat the high-powered Finns and reach the final four once again. You people seem to forget that they made it to the gold-medal game last year, and were one shot away from winning it against the powerhouse Canadians!

Reali: Jackie.

MacMullan: I think that Canada has to be the favorite going in. They won last year, they did it in convincing fashion on most games, and they were able to edge Germany out of a tightly contested game which was probably their biggest challenge of the tournament. I think from now on it is smooth sailing. Yes, they needed overtime to beat Sweden in the finals last year, but they just dominated in shots and went up against a wall in FourFour. This year, if they play Sweden again, they won't have to worry about FourFour being a wall, and with them leading in goals for, they are not going to be stopped offensively. Latvia could be a challenge, but they have a history of doing well in terms of talent but not making it all the way when the chips were down. There is a reason they call it Canada's game. This is theirs to lose.

Reali: Adande, lay it on me.

Adande: I'm going to be contrarian and go with Latvia. Sweden has been a shell of last year's team despite making it to the final four, and they have not had to face this kind of Latvian team before. The Latvians are an underrated squad, and while they have not been able to dominate any real categories, they are still a top dog in this tournament and a team to beat. Look at some of their contributions. They have the 2nd top goal scorer in Pettyfer, two of the top 5 best +/- players, and the top player in power play goals. They have players who are able to contribute at the right times when it matters. Intangibles are the best way to determine which team will go all the way, and tangibly they have the best intangibles.

Paige: But what about points per 20 minutes? Canada has the top player, while Sweden has the third best player. Latvia's best player is 10th with 1.09 points per 20. Is that really good to you? That shows me you have a lot of minutes dedicated to your best players without them being able to provide the higher points expected of them. Sweden has that, and FourFour has been able to be a wall the last couple of games, so don't expect to see FourFour in the same type of form that he was during the tournament. The fact they were able to survive without FourFour playing his best says a lot about what kind of team they are.

MacMullan: Canada was 2nd in the tournament, first in goals scored, with a huge list of top-tier players up and down the line-up. They can field a B team that would beat most teams in this tournament, so what can Sweden or Latvia do to oppose them? Canada will roll through the finals and beat whoever they have to face next. End of story.

Adande: If Canada is so good, why couldn't they finish in first place? Latvia is a hell of a team, and I know when they win tonight they will not need to do it in overtime like Canada did. Just you watch what happens. Latvia will win the gold and it is a long-time coming.

MacMullan: Booo.

Paige: Booo [HORN]

Reali: Alright, you both get some minuses for those clever retorts. Man, are we in 2nd grade, here?

Paige: We aren't? [MUTE]

Reali: Well Woody, you can have fun in 2nd grade as you are the second cut of the show. Maybe you should tone down the crazy and get to the actual points made? That may help you next time.

Paige: Hey now, I have won this show twice, tied in first!

Reali: Yes, and now Jackie has a chance to pull ahead here. We started with four, but now there are only two left. They will enter the showdown to determine the final winner!

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Reali: In a very surprising decision, Alonzo Garbanzo was selected as the General Manager of the struggling Montreal Impact. Jackie, what do you think of this decision?

MacMullan: I think it is great, honestly. He was a top player for them and is a guy really dedicated to the organization, so I can absolutely see why they think he will be able to succeed there and bring Montreal back to the promised land.

Adande: I think they had better options available, and they got way too entrenched in the "former team" aspect of it. What about Satan? He was a much better candidate and if they were looking for new blood he would have done a much better job with it.

Reali: Point to Jackie. Jay, gotta give me a bit more to work with, here.

<div align="center"> [Image: around%20the%20horn%20image9_zpsvydhcvih.png]

[Image: around%20the%20horn%20image9_zpsvydhcvih.png]

</div>

Reali: With Manhattan winning the Challenge Cup, the East has started to prove itself in the conference wars. Adande, who will be the dominant SHL conference in five years?

Adande: In five years the East is going to start to prove itself in a big way. Minnesota is getting better because of the draft. Manhattan is getting better because of the draft. New England is getting better. West Kendall is getting much better. In the West you see Los Angeles getting better and Texas getting better, but there really isn't the kind of depth up from in the West.

MacMullan: Give me the Western Conference, here. Texas is Texas, and I believe that the West is a much tougher conference in general, which is why you saw the Dragons flame out so quickly. If they were in the East, they may not have been a playoff team, but they sure would have put up a bigger fight.

Reali: Point to Adande.

<div align="center"> [Image: around%20the%20horn%20image10_zpsfeeyqeix.png]

[Image: around%20the%20horn%20image10_zpsfeeyqeix.png]

</div>

Reali: Kelowna wins another Four-Star Cup in convincing fashion, and have proven themselves as a very good team as of late. Jackie, are they now the class of the SMJHL?

MacMullan: I think they are the class of the SMJHL just because the West itself is the class of the SMJHL. When is the last time an Eastern team was consistently good at anything? Maybe Montreal? St. Louis won a cup but they are back to the basement with Montreal. It's all about Kelowna and Vancouver right now.

Adande: I think you can only call a team a class of the league in one year, and for S24 they are not that. They have won twice in a row, but so did Vancouver and they are no longer that kind of team any longer. The SMJHL is such a crapshoot that they need to prove it each and every year if they want to continue to hold that title.

Reali: Point and the win to J.A. Adande, his first win of Around the Horn!

Adande: The Easter season has come and gone, and we have seen some serious activity levels reach a peak with the recent Easter Egg hunt. The BoD was so into it, they ended up doing a second hunt due to the activity. If we keep seeing more and more activity here, then I think the SHL may become one of the best leagues in the entire nation. However you gotta make sure that management has a good head on its shoulders, or else that positive publicity is going to turn into the type of publicity that can kill a league: no publicity at all.

Ryan: Well, one of these days I am going to get it in this one. Just gotta get back to training camp.

Paige: Just pass me the ball, Ryan. I'll score all the touchdowns for you and you can get the assist. I can't let Jackie pull ahead of me next show.

MacMullan: Yeah that's if you are on it. Don't forget Tony has been gunning for you all series.

Paige: He wouldn't do that to me.

Ryan: I hear Blackistone misses you guys. Jones, too.

Adande: I think Bomani retired after he predicted Pentecost would be a bust and you guys only put him on there one time after that.

Paige: Makes sense.

Ryan: You don't think Bomani would come back here if he was called to be on the next show? Hell I would give him my spot just to see him rant and rave again.

Reali: If Woody is on next show and not Bomani, I will probably quit this show. Putting it on the line, now. Haha. And that will do it folks, thanks for comin' around we are on a 23 and a half hour break. We'll see ya tomorrow.

Code:
6477 words

Alonzo Garbanzo Final Tallies (Among Defensemen):
2nd in Goals (208), All-Time Assists Leader (765)*, All-Time Points Leader (973), 3rd in Hits (2587), All-Time Blocked Shots Leader (1882)*
*All-Time Leader Among All Skaters
Player Profile | Update Thread
[Image: IeEV7Iv.png]

Merica · 04-06-2015, 06:47 PM

The one thing that MacMullan failed to realize when he pointed out that New England and West Kendall also have great top end players, is that unlike them, Manhattan didn't choke in the playoffs the past two seasons. So no, they really aren't that much alike.

Great article! Always love these.

Dmoushey_31 · 04-06-2015, 06:55 PM

These are always some of my favorite articles on here.

Great job. Cheers

BigTittySmitty · 04-06-2015, 07:10 PM

Good read but some facts to correct:

- Alexandersen was the TPE leader going into the draft with Benson behind him
- Alexandersen declared he would not be interested in playing for Toronto in the media, he'd do 3 seasons but wouldn't extend
- Benson is viewed more as a center than a winger for most in this draft which was one of Toronto's biggest pressing needs as their centers are weak. Look to Benson to slot in Toronto's 2c spot in the future

***Nike*** · 04-06-2015, 07:23 PM

Around the horn so solid! Fuck bob Ryan tho

BucKo_916 · 04-06-2015, 07:26 PM

Nice read, loved the layout

ArGarBarGar · 04-06-2015, 07:30 PM

Quote:Originally posted by BigTittySmitty@Apr 6 2015, 06:10 PM
Good read but some facts to correct:

- Alexandersen was the TPE leader going into the draft with Benson behind him
- Alexandersen declared he would not be interested in playing for Toronto in the media, he'd do 3 seasons but wouldn't extend
- Benson is viewed more as a center than a winger for most in this draft which was one of Toronto's biggest pressing needs as their centers are weak. Look to Benson to slot in Toronto's 2c spot in the future

Yeah I went off the latest scouting report which was a little outdated.

Alonzo Garbanzo Final Tallies (Among Defensemen):
2nd in Goals (208), All-Time Assists Leader (765)*, All-Time Points Leader (973), 3rd in Hits (2587), All-Time Blocked Shots Leader (1882)*
*All-Time Leader Among All Skaters
Player Profile | Update Thread
[Image: IeEV7Iv.png]

Schultzy · 04-06-2015, 10:19 PM

My favorite media series. Bowdown

Thanks for the mentions :wub: and good luck trying to stop me Tongue

GoodLeftUndone · 04-07-2015, 03:09 AM

Quote:Originally posted by BigTittySmitty@Apr 6 2015, 06:10 PM
Good read but some facts to correct:

- Alexandersen was the TPE leader going into the draft with Benson behind him
- Alexandersen declared he would not be interested in playing for Toronto in the media, he'd do 3 seasons but wouldn't extend
- Benson is viewed more as a center than a winger for most in this draft which was one of Toronto's biggest pressing needs as their centers are weak. Look to Benson to slot in Toronto's 2c spot in the future

Good read, seem to get a lot of flak for going first overall in your article but don't worry Toronto didn't waste their pick you'll see Wink

vbottas17 · 04-07-2015, 03:17 AM

Nice read, Kelowna is definitely the class of the SMJHL Smile

~~gorlab~~ · 04-07-2015, 04:11 AM

MacMullan my boy

Carl · 04-08-2015, 12:00 AM

wow nice I'm famous

diamond_ace · 04-08-2015, 02:46 AM

Always liked Adande on these things (the real show as well), good to see him get one.

RomanesEuntDomus · 04-09-2015, 05:35 PM

Nice read as always, looking forward to more Riot-themed discussions in the future though :D

ArGarBarGar · 04-09-2015, 07:10 PM

Quote:Originally posted by RomanesEuntDomus@Apr 9 2015, 04:35 PM
Nice read as always, looking forward to more Riot-themed discussions in the future though :D

Make some more splashes instead of being so consistent, then! :ph34r:

Alonzo Garbanzo Final Tallies (Among Defensemen):
2nd in Goals (208), All-Time Assists Leader (765)*, All-Time Points Leader (973), 3rd in Hits (2587), All-Time Blocked Shots Leader (1882)*
*All-Time Leader Among All Skaters
Player Profile | Update Thread
[Image: IeEV7Iv.png]

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