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*Jayba1t* · 04-24-2025, 03:40 PM

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2x team spotlight sorry I couldn't fit in the title :(

Okay I'm really nostalgiamaxxing here, but after taking a year's break of grinding in the SHL, and coming back more refreshed then ever, I've come to realize the S68 Argonauts squad was possibly the greatest SHL and hockey memory there is for me to date. So why not revel in the glory and think back to good times?

S67 was the pinnacle of playoff hockey for the Seattle Argonauts. After a strong regular season performance, with a 43-19-4 record, 90 points, and a 5th place finish in the league the Argonauts were eager to get some revenge. They had been taken out in the finals in S66 by the Inferno in 6 games after a solid run through the first three rounds. It was disappointing, but they still wanted a taste of that sweet, sweet playoff dopamine again. They'd sweep the San Francisco Pride in the first round, finish the Dragons off in 6, the league-leading Aurora in 6 and finally would meet Manhattan in the finals. After a back and forth in the first six games it'd come down to the seventh. Game 7 would roll around and after a while the result was clear. Seven straight Argonaut goals, capped off by Vaseline Podcalzone's game winner would seal the deal. For the first time in franchise history, the Seattle Argonauts had won the Challenge Cup! Off a 38 point performance from playoffs MVP center Luukas Lilja, 28 points from Podcalzone and 25 from Liam Slate, the trio would combine for 13 points in Game 7 to vanquish the Rage.

Now, going into S68, the question was: would the Argos fall victim to cup hangover? The roster WAS getting one year older, and with plenty of draft capital being traded for win-now players, the only prospects that came up were Benson Fiorentini and Angry Gilmore. The start of S68 also saw some crucial supporting cast to the championship retire, so would the Argonauts weather the storm? Short answer was, absolutely.
Center Max Manning perhaps took perhaps one of the greatest leaps into elite SHL player conversation (I still think he was a PDO Merchant but regardless), with a 66 goal, 113 point season lit goal lamps on fire throughout S68. Last season's playoff MVP Lilja wasn't far behind with own very impressive 103 point season. Down the middle, the Argonauts had a wicked 1-2 punch of centers that were dynamite on offense. And of course, every center needs their trusty wingers to cycle offense. Both Manning and Lilja had plenty of support, with key players like Podcalzone, Anton Mihailov, Jimmy Wagner and Kermit Murphy pulling their weight big time. The defense battened the hatches with reliable shutdown defenseman Landon Fischermann, Daryl Urquhart and Wendolene Ramsbottom. Rookies Fiorentini and Gilmore also had no problem with the transition from the Juniors to the big stage, each playing part in providing Seattle was levels and levels of depth. Of course, the tandem of Willie Miller and Thor Odinson stopped so many flying pucks from hitting the backs of Argo nets. Defense wins championships, and goalies are the last line of defense. This incredible mix of talent, supporting pieces and astute management skyrocketed Seattle to a 54-9-3 record in S68, proving any of the doubters wrong. They had an absurd .841 winning percentage, with a +168 goal differential. Pure domination, and to nobody's surprise they finish first in the league.

Regular season success is one thing, but could they translate that to the playoffs? Oh yeah they did. The first three rounds proved to manageable, as they knocked out Los Angeles, Calgary and Chicago, in 4, 5 and 5 games respectively. Now in the finals for a third season in a row, they'd get a rematch with the Manhattan Rage. Now Manhattan, off a devastating blowout loss in Game 7 in S67 was probably looking to get revenge. Seattle held them down, taking a 3-1 lead to start but a timely Rage OT win and a shutout performance would tie the series at 3. Now, we were back to a second Game 7. Anton Harrier would put the Rage up early in Game 7, but Kermit Murphy and the Argos managed to take advantage of a Rage tripping call, converting a power play marker to tie it at 1. Now in the third, as the clock ticked down, behind a nervous Seattle crowd, Jonas Kahnwald fires a pass to Lilja, who absolutely drops a nuke and puts it home. BANG BANG BANG the Argonauts are up with 4 minutes to play. They'd really shut it down after, only allowing two Manhattan shots across the whole third. The Argonauts did it, AGAIN! The first team to go back-to-back championships in SHL FHM history! Led by their "second" line of Manning, Podcalzone and Salming, as well as all the aforementioned names were just "support" helped Argos' accomplish what no franchise (FHM) had ever.

So, with such a stacked roster, how did it all come together? Let's try and dive into the head of GM Notorioustig here as see. We'll start from highest TPE to lowest, and discuss each player and the role they played in S68.

[S58] LD - Kermit Murphy (1891 TPE) @notorioustig
Acquired via: Draft, S58, 41st overall

Starting off, we have the Argos best player TPE wise. It's Canadian defenseman Kermit Murphy, who seems like he was drafted in an oddly low position, especially for a player who turned out to be his caliber. Take a closer look though, and it's GM Tig's own player. Fair enough. Murphy was the franchise defenseman that every successful needed. All across the board he'd developed into an offensive quarterback with elite playmaking ability in the offensive zone. Murphy would log the most minutes, at 22 in the regular season and over 24 in the playoffs, playing all situations for the Argos. Power play and need to tie it up? Murphy. Defend a lead? Murphy. Puck drop? Murphy. No matter how exhausting that would have been, Murphy still put up standout performances and almost went point-per-game as a defenseman. Murphy's dynamic playmaking also helped propel the Argos power play, converting on a stellar 28.6% of all man advantage opportunities. 14 goals, 50 assists and 64 points, along with 5.83 TA/GA and 107 blocks was good enough for an All-SHL 1st team nomination that season. In the playoffs he was no less impressive now going point-per-game while sporting a 21 TA/GA. All in all, a team's success starts from its leadership, and GM Tig's player sure led with his talent on the ice.

[S61] RD - Landon Fischermann (1845 TPE) @efischermann
Acquired via: Draft, S61, 10th overall

When you have one franchise defenseman secured for seasons to come, you ideally want to pair him with another cornerstone piece. Now quick flashback to Seattle, with 3 picks in the 1st round of the S61 SHL Entry Draft. They had a world of opportunity. Draft three high-end players, and they would become the building blocks of the next great championship run.

And who better than the man himself, Tig, to provide his thoughts. Hi Tig.

"While we always drafted for best player available, our #1 priority in the draft was a D based on team needs, so we were really ecstatic when Fischermann fell to us at 10. He was a complete package from day one on and off the ice and pretty much the exact type of player and person we wanted to add."

So, enter Landon Fischermann, another franchise defenseman. Two franchise d-men patrolling the blueline? No problem for either. Landon had a more well rounded defensive game, which usually meant that he'd be providing the Argos' offense with a safety net in case of any mishaps. However this isn't to say that he was any less talented offensively. Playing alongside Murphy, Fischermann would put home 16 goals, 24 assists for 40 points. A 5.71 TA/GA, 123 blocks, 71 hits and a 1.6 GA/60 showed he wasn't kidding around defensively either. For Kermit, he knew had a reliable partner to back up him in his adventures too. The American d-man was strong on his feet yet also one of the fastest skaters on the team. He'd put in a lot of work for the Argos too, as a key penalty killer on top of playing his 21 minutes a night. Fischermann was a bit more quiet offensively in the playoffs, tallying 9 points, but not to worry, he locked down the Argos' end of the ice, and allowed a team-low 1.1 GA/60. A two-way defenseman who you could count on to be responsible in his own zone was the perfect fit on the top blueline pairing. The complete package indeed.

[S61] G - Willie Miller (1494 TPE) @Sebster
Acquired via: Draft, S61, 12th overall

A brief interruption to our TPE rankings but since I'm on the topic of S61 players why not do them all. And notice this will only be one of the times I say "1st round pick" since Tig almost never hung onto any after. Defenseman like Fischermann do the defending, but they too, have another line of defense. The goaltender.

"Miller was trending up in the draft rankings and I had an inkling that he wasn't going to make it to our next pick at 20, and having really enjoyed our conversations and not having a goalie of the future, we decided to pull the trigger on someone who went on to be one of the best playoff performers of all time and a great locker room presence."

Amazing, now two picks into the first round, Tig's got defense, and goaltending set. The vision is for Fischermann and Miller patrol the Seattle's zone for many, many seasons. The Swedish goaltender, from draft day was primed to become THE goaltender for the Seattle Argonaut, and he did exactly that as he moved his way up from the J. Miller played in 48 games in S68, with 4 shutouts across those outings. He posted a 2.36 GAA, .901 save percentage and rated out fairly well with a 68 goalie rating. In the playoffs, Miller took the reins and just ran with the starter's net, starting in all 21 games. He elevated his play up to 4 shutouts in those appearances, along with an absurd 1.78 GAA and .924 save percentage. Defense won the Argonauts a championship and Miller 100% did his part to ensure that, stepping up and shutting down scoring threats left and right. Clean with his movements along the ice, Miller was quick to also track the puck and ensure rebounds weren't spilling everywhere. For his efforts he would be recognized the Mike Honcho and a Razov playoffs MVP nomination, only for a teammate to win, who was...

[S61] C - Max Manning (1814 TPE) @Jayba1t
Acquired via: Draft, S61, 20th overall

*flashback* Okay, so now you've got your blueline locked down for the foreseeable future and you've got one more pick coming up in the S61 first round. Maybe time to go get a center now? Now you've potentially got three premier players, in one draft, who'll develop, play games together and find that all important chemistry.

"Once a draft gets into the teens, projections get really tough and with our next pick at #20, we were keeping an eye on our shortlist. We were very lucky in that the next name on our list after Miller stayed available until we were on the clock, and as excited as we were then I don't think anyone could have expected the career we saw from Max Manning as a guy that just squeaked into the 1st round. We knew he would be a stud, but the way his peak seasons meshed perfectly with the team reaching the height of its contending window could not have worked out better. He made me look smart, that's for sure."

Would you look at that its me. Very kind words from GM Tig here but as discussed I believe he was a PDO Merchant. Anyways when I asked him, did he intend to C-D-G in one draft, he plainly stated: "I didn't go in with an intention of drafting once at each position, it just kind of turned out that way. It certainly worked out better than we could have reasonably expected."

The final piece to the S61 puzzle, was Canadian center Max Manning. Now I'm sure we've discussed my S68 play more than enough, but to quickly summarize, a 66 goal, 47 assist and 113 point was the best offensive season the league had ever seen, up to that point. Despite always considering himself a playmaker at heart, Manning was able to find the back of the net extremely efficiently, scoring at a 26% clip on 250 shots. He'd play the most minutes as a forward, and by virtue of being so dominant offensively, he was also on ice for only 1.6 GA/60. Aside from really benefitting from the PDO, Manning was almost unstoppable on the PP. His even strength numbers don't look the most impressive but the power play was what carried him to a "generational" season. He'd win a whole host awards, including the MacDonald, Karpotsov, Khan, Richan, Razov and an All-SHL 1st team nomination. The Argonauts would be led by the center in the playoffs with 34 points in their 21 games. Now for a multitude of reasons he popped off, but I'll highlight his extraordinary vision for the ice. He knew what to do, with or without the puck.

And one final comment from Tig here:

"All of those guys had very different roles that were vital to the back to back championships. Miller obviously carried the load in net and Manning was the crown jewel of an offensive powerhouse, but Fischermann excelled in a role where he needed to create an advantage against opposing teams' weaker players and he feasted on them. We were fortunate enough to have two high end guys ahead of him in the batting order taking away a lot of the tough competition, but the way that Landon was able to drive positive goal differential in that depth role gave us a massive competitive advantage as it meant we were winning shifts no matter who was on the ice. There were no soft spots for the other team to capitalize on and while the other two certainly captured more in terms of accolades, we don't win without any of those three.

So nonchalant Tig, it "just happened" to work out to back-to-back championships. ABSOLUTE cinema in my opinion. One cornerstone at each position. Now, what are players were there to pair along with them? S61 interruption over, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

[S56] LD - Jonas Kahnwald (1770 TPE) @Festinator
[S57] LW - Luukas Lilja (1702 TPE) @retuperkele
[S53] RW - Jimmy Wagner (1408 TPE) @sve7en
Acquired via: Trade, from LAP

We have a trade to announce and its.. Whoa Tig slow down here you traded for 3 elite players at once!?!?

*flashback* It's S66 and the Argonauts have just lost to the Atlanta Inferno in 7. Heartbreak for the team, oh so close to winning it all. However Tig is no mood for weeping, as literally 4 days later he straight away he pulls the trigger on a blockbuster (and I don't use this word lightly). The haul going the other way is nothing to be glanced over. Bavel Pure, Edward Williams, Yngve Simonsson, Dee Centerman IV, Seattle's S67 1st, S68 1st, S69 1st, S71 1st and S69 2nd are all headed out. In total that's four 1sts, a 2nd and four other roster players. You might ask, why not the S70 1st then, might as well right?. But we'll get to what that was used for later. (Spoiler: there's more trades than this.) Now that is a butt load of assets, many of them that could one day become SHL superstars. But for Tig and the Argos, the time to they had to win was now, and what better way to do so than with not one, not two but three quality players from the Panthers.

Jonas Kahnwald, a German left defender, was yet ANOTHER defender that Seattle could added to their game-changing D-corps of Murphy and Fischermann. Although not very tall he made up for it with his well-rounded and creative offensive play. Also brought on to be a workhorse, he played around 22 minutes in the regular season, while teaming up with Murphy to absolutely rip through penalty killers. He masqueraded as the team's number two or three defenseman but in reality Kahnwald could absolutely run his own pairing. Because of the Argos depth though he was able to take a step back in some duties compared to this LAP days. 18 goals, 33 assists and 51 points was good for "only" 10th in team scoring, really underscoring how deep the Seattle roster was. A near 8 TA/GA is nothing to scoff at either. Even behind Murphy on the depth charts, Kahnwald still managed a All-SHL 3rd team nomination. He made the absolute best of a "supporting" role, and while other teams were trotting out more marginal skaters, Kahnwald absolutely made a difference for the Argonauts on their backend and would be a steady presence in the playoffs too.

Next up we have Luukas Lilja. With this acquisition the team brought in Lilja who was older but also more developed, and he easily proved the acquisition to be worth. Coming off a 107 point season, he posts an nearly identical S67 with the Argonauts. And not to out do himself there, but S68 is a 102 point season featuring 40 goals and 62 assists. And this is on the wing. THREE straight, back-to-back-to-back seasons with 100+ points, and in S68 recorded a team high 4.7 GF/60. I mean with production like that you give up anything. Lilja was also physically involved, getting in 126 hits. Now with that in mind, consider Manning who just awoken untapped potential with 113 points, who's the "second-line" center on this team. Absolutely terrifying for opposing offenses. On the power play, Manning and Lilja played together on the same unit and played off each other so well. Lilja was great at moving around the ice but also could pull a fast one on opposing defenses if they weren't paying attention. The playoffs MVP of S67 came in clutch again by scoring the GAME WINNER of the S68 championship that cemented the Argonauts dynasty. For his excellence, he was awarded an All-SHL 2nd team nomination.

Finally, we have grizzled veteran Jimmy Wagner. As one of the older players on the team Wagner would bring a slate of experience, especially in the playoffs. He and the others involved in the trade all were a part of the Panthers S65 championship so the hope was that they could provide that final oomph to get Seattle over the edge. I say "grizzled veteran" like it's a role or depth guy but the Austrian winger still had a lot to give for the Argos. A 30 goal season, topped off with a point-per-game showing, on the third line, was critical in really providing ANOTHER layer of depth on top of their lethal top two lines. Wagner was still very skilled on offense and easily could cycle the puck for some pressure, play off his linemates and generate some secondary scoring. He didn't get that many minutes in, but for the ones that coach would send them out for, he absolutely did. And that playoff experience and "knows how to win" mentality really shined through, with a near point-per-game playoffs too. Depth is often overlooked amidst the chaos and noise of winning but Wagner's skill and hustle would be more than appreciated.

What a trade by Tig. Absolutely no stretch to say that this trade was a key that cemented the Argonauts' runs. Three quality players, who all made the team better, stronger and deeper. Next up we've got two OG Argonauts. There, from day one. They were the ones who first stepped on the aboard the new franchise that was Seattle. They saw the franchise its at dawn, and now, were hoping to see the decades long commitment pay off. Unfortunately no Tig insights here since I didn't want him writing all the media for me.

[S56] LW - Vaseline Podcalzone (1733 TPE) @yosh
Acquired via: Draft, S56, 23rd overall

Oh captain my captain. The Russian winger was a force to be reckoned with as a power forward but an amazing player off the ice too. He embodied everything it meant to be an Argonaut, bringing the passion and energy with his play. One of the OG Argonauts, this season had to have been a long time coming. On one wing of Max Manning Podcalzone would be feeding him breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert, to the tune of 56 assists and 86 points, third on the team. A huge part to Manning's success, Podcalzone was a steady and reliable winger that was well-rounded offensively, and most importantly, knew how to play to Manning's strengths too. Is Manning on another PDO bender? Quick pass him the puck. He'll find some way to put it home. And aside from the scoring there was the physicality, grit and defense. 152 hits was a team high, and with well-timed hits, Podcalzone knew how get his teammates on the ice and on the bench riled up. It was like a second wind blew through the whole team when Podcalzone laid the BOOM! A 1.4 GA/60 was also the lowest on the team. He would also go second in team scoring in the playoffs, where his rough-around-the-edges game shined through even more. A true captain, through and through.

[S56] RW - William Salming (1664 TPE) @Salming
Acquired via: Draft, S56, 44th overall

If Podcalzone embodied passion and energy, finnish winger William Salming would be commitment and dedication. The other OG Argonaut on this team, Salming took pride in his two-way game that provided so many linemates over the years with reliable and trusty defense, especially if others were less than detailed defensively. The other winger to Max Manning, Salming similarily to Podcalzone would be putting pucks on Manning's tape. This came at the expense of his own goals and shots, which he only tallied 8 and 96 respectively. 53 assists still made his season good for 61 points though. And through all of this Salming was still committed to sound defense. He'd tie Podcalzone in hits with 152, providing twice the BOOM for the line, and also nearly managed an even TA/GA. Salming was also the go to guy for penalty killing as coaches really trusted defensive instincts. His reads were sharp and he'd know how to force opponents off the puck in tons of crafty ways. The playoffs saw the dominance of the SMP line as he too also recorded a point-per-game stat line through the 21 games. Defense is always underappreciated, but teammates and management knew the way he played, made a huge impact on the ice, even if not on the scoresheet directly.

[S62] LD - Wendolene Ramsbottom (1572 TPE) @JuOSu
Acquired via: Draft, S62, 23rd overall

Now if Salming was the foundation that was the forwards' offensive success, Ramsbottom would be that of defense. The British left defenseman would anchor the pairing with rookie Angry Gilmore (to be discussed later), and would play a key role in the team's penalty kill as well getting many important defensive zone deployments. She was a fearless defender and prolific shot blocker, recording team high 166 blocks. 166 less shots a goalie would have to face, and something the goalies would always appreciate. Ramsbottom would also chip in offense, providing 6 goals, 28 assists and 34 points. But that was the cherry on top, as shutdown defense was the perfect complement to an offense heavy top 3 D-corps. She was also impeccable at stripping opponents of the puck, with a ludicrous 12 TA/GA in the regular, which went up to 19 in the playoffs. The team could breathe easily knowing that Ramsbottom could swift pick off pucks that were being moved around the in the Argos' own zone. Once again, defense is underappreciate. But the team did know, that defense was the key to their electric offense.

[S55] RW - Liam Slate (1557 TPE) @Tylar
Acquired via: Trade, from EDM

*flashback* It's S63, and honestly at this point I wasn't on the team yet so not too sure what Tig's exact plan with this trade was. But, I can say for sure, the Argos got better. In exchange for Slate, who was also packaged for defenseman Oliver Cleary, the Argos say goodbye to Ren-Ekelemchi Shimizu-Okoli, Brian Davenport, Satoshi Zizagooney and a S65 3rd.

Liam Slate manned the right wing on the top Argonauts forward unit, and in S68, provided critical depth contributions, that again, made the team offensively so much more threatening. Slate scored 18 goals, along with providing 44 assists and 62 points, good for seventh in team scoring. Like the second line of Salming-Manning-Podcalzone, Slate was the physical presence to Lilja's high-flying offense. Along with being near a point-per-game, his 143 hits were near tops, while also boasting one of the better GF-GA/60 ratios for the Argonauts. In his 18 minutes per night he'd post a 4.4 GF/60, which was highest line combination total on the team too. Slate was pretty creative with his plays in the offensive zone but also knew when to lay in that critical hit. Down goes the opponent, the pucks squeaks away, and teammates on the bench are fired up. Slate would score 2 in the playoffs, but where he could he'd be feeding a lot more pucks onto tapes during the playoffs with 11 assists.

[S57] C - Anton Mihailov (1556 TPE) @Mr. Finland
Acquired via: Trade, from ATL

*flashback* It's once again S66 and its heartbreak and its sadness and yadayada. Well Tig isn't looking for any sympathy, and ON TOP of the blockbuster Kahnwald-Lilja-Wagner trade he also brings in skilled centerman Anton Mihailov from the Atlanta Inferno in exchange for a S70 1st. Ah, so this is where that pesky S70 1st went. If we remember Tig for one thing, it's that he never keeps his 1sts. But again, Seattle's just come off a deep playoff run. It'd be foolish not to go all-in here and push all the chips at the trading table. If you can get a great player right now, go and do it. That 1st won't be making an impact until at least four or five seasons later.

Now that we've covered a majority of the roster players, you might ask, well, what more does a championship team need? One key skill that's not been mentioned yet, and it's faceoffs. You got to get the puck when the ref drops the it so you actually can do stuff with it. And that's where Anton Mihailov comes in. Taking 849 draws in the regular season, Mihailov would win 505, which turns into an excellent 59.5 winning percentage on the dot. Offensive zone, defensive zone, neutral zone, wherever draw, the team, and especially Mihailov's linemates knew, that he gave them a good shot at possessing the puck first. And of course also included in this package is stellar offense. 29 goals, 41 points and 70 points rounds out the first line of Slate, Mihailov and Lilja. On the two ends you have hard-hitting, physical wingers and down the middle you have a centerman who wins his faceoffs. Another line combination that brought the Argos tons of success. Mihailov would also go point-per-game in the playoffs, not slowing down from his regular season either.

[S58] RD - Daryl Urquhart (1430 TPE) @Urq660
Acquired via: Draft, S58, 23rd overall

As you move down the pairings, naturally you'd expect players there to be playing more depth minutes. However, Daryl Urquhart was no slouch playing alongside rushing defenseman Kahnwald. Grabbed in the 2nd round of the S58 draft he'd also been a member of the early day Argonauts. Again, you see why the pairings beautifully fit together. Kahnwald, a speedy and dynamic player in the offensive zone could have the peace of mind knowing Urquhart would be there to back him up. He was also able to generate some offense alongside Kahnwald, putting home 6 goals, 26 assists and 32 points. Urquhart averaged around 20 minutes a night, pretty standard for a middle pairing defenseman, but had some pristine defense to support the pairing. His 1.7 GA/60 was one of the lowest on the team, while a 9 TA/GA also meant that he was adept at stopping offenses in their tracks. Urquhart had good defensive smarts and would also assist out the goaltending with some crucial shot blocks, taking away dangerous chances from other teams. In the playoffs he would see similar deployment but with a now more impressive 12 TA/GA.

[S56] C - Calvin Hobbes (1162 TPE) @krazko
Acquired via: Trade, from NEW

*flashback* It's S62 and I'm no closer to reading Tig's mind here now. However Hobbes here is a good player and Seattle got his prime for a few seasons earlier. To New England, Seattle sent a S63 Steelhawks 1st.

Center Calvin Hobbes was the man down the middle for Seattle's third line. He'd be a go to center for the Argonauts from when he was traded in S63, but with the acquisition of Lilja and Mihailov he could be slid down the lineup, providing it with more depth. In the depth role, Hobbes stood out as a penalty killer and defense specialist. Coaches entrusted the shorthanded hockey to primarily Salming and Hobbes, who usually averaged 2 minutes a night on the PK. They would kill penalties to the tune of a 82.8% success rate, not bad at all. Hobbes was also competent in the faceoff dot with a 55.8 winning percentage and his stellar defense showed in a positive TA/GA ratio, the only forward that managed that on the team. Sturdy defense is one thing but Hobbes also still had a scoring touch, and put up 26 goals, 27 assists and 53 points, great for some secondary scoring.

[S66] LW - Benson Fiorentini (858 TPE) @adamantium
Acquired via: Draft, S66, 2nd overall

Last but not least, we have the two wonderful rookies. Both getting an early call-up, I'd guess that this was done due to cap constraints that Seattle had. Maybe because of the aforementioned slate of elite players needing to get paid as well. Perhaps I'm still not Tig here, but it's my best guess. In his first season, Benson Fiorentini showed that he could compete at a high level with no problems. Coming out of training camp, fitting into the team's rhythm and meshing with the players, Fiorentini had a solid season on the third line wing. Although limited to primarily even strength deployment he still made the most of his minutes and showed that he was here to stay in the SHL. 113 hits also was a sign that he was ready to get physically and actively engaged with even some of the bigger heavyweights. And in the playoffs Fiorentini chipped in 12 points, during the 21 games. Not only was this season a good stepping stone for Fiorentini, he also had the luxury of being surrounded by so much SHL talent, top to bottom, who could mentor and guide him to one day becoming the next wave of superstars.

[S66] RD - Angry Gilmore (788 TPE) @Marcul_le_depanneur
Acquired via: Draft, S66, 21st overall

Finally, we have Angry Gilmore, the team's sixth defenseman. Again seeing limited minutes as a rookie, Angry Gilmore also carved a niche that he could be entrusted minutes with. Despite not contributing too much in the way of scoring, with just 22 points, Gilmore played steady and low-event hockey. And for a third pairing rookie, with 16 minutes a night I think that's all that coaches will be looking for. Gilmore also showed that he could be effective away from the puck with a 6 TA/GA. He'd tally 9 points in the playoffs and show some improvement offensively when it really mattered. And of course being insulated by so many players in their prime was only beneficial for him, as he gained tons of exposure to a winning culture.

[S54] G - Thor Odinson (370 TPE) @Thor
Acquired via: Trade, from BUF

Wait! One more player. Can't forget the backup goalie here.
*flashback* Now it's S55, and Tig acquired Odinson from Buffalo for a 3rd rounder with the intention of penciling him in as a goalie to stay for the future. I think? At least that's what he said in the post.

In S68 Odinson was Miller's trusty backup, who recorded a pristine 1.72 GAA and .911 save percentage across 18 games. Goalie rating also approved of his performance, as he scored a 68 there. Other than providing much needed rest to starter Miller with a heavier load, Odinson was skilled in his own right. He blanked opponents twice in those 18 games and of course provided tons of moral support from the bench. Although not seeing any games in the playoffs, he was there through and through with the team, also since the early days. This would be a long time coming for Odinson too.

And there was your S68 Championship winning roster, that went back-to-back for the first time in franchise history. Let's recap how Tig acquired them all:
Draft, 1st round: 4/17
Draft, 2nd round: 4/17
Draft, 3rd round: 2/17
Trade: 7/17

I think the most surprising part of all of this was that Tig only used four first rounders to built up his sailing crew. Especially in an SHL environment where you see teams often unloading whole aging cores for future 1sts, to concentrate them together, not having that many relatively high selections used is impressive. Three of course came packaged together in S61, and all would play a major role at their position to set sail for a legendary run together. They'd hit their primes together in late S60s, and each would live up to the draft hype. But where Tig really excelled was the later rounds. Any good GM can find players in the 1st round, but great GMs and certainly HOF GMs find the real value afterwards. Six out of the 17 players were drafted in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, usually a time where a lot of the most notable names drop off the board. Many of those later round picks would develop into quality contributors for this playoff run. And of course no GM can just win by themselves, they also have to (legally) steal them from other teams, through trades. Tig made quite a few moves but the most gamechanging had to be acquiring a bonafide star package from Los Angeles along with another from Atlanta. Tig could have wallowed in misery, especially after coming so close in S66. But he went straight back to work. Timely and calculated trades that propelled a great roster into a powerhouse and juggernaut, a roster brimming with talent and skill.
*Huge shoutout to @notorioustig for helping me farm some words for media.

Superstar, league-defining talent? Check.
Heart and soul, physicality and grit? Check.
Reliably and steady defense? Check.
Supporting cast that timely chimed in? Check.

Seattle had a roster constructed with depth. One line could swap out for another, and it'd be like there was no difference on the ice. Wave, after wave over pressure would relentlessly beat down on opposing teams. At every position, there were multiple difference makers, who could instantly turn on and change the course of a game entirely. The supporting cast was reliable and performed admirably in their roles. And at the heart, it was a locker room that was active, but most importantly, supportive of each other. Back to that moment, as players and fans saw the clock tick down, Game 7, S68, they hung onto the tiniest of margins and mustered all the energy they had left. It was all hands on deck to defense, and time after time the Manhattan Rage offense was stymied by a brick wall of Argonauts. And as the glorious buzzer rang out, it was all hugs and screams after that point. The cup was passed around, and there was a sense of joy and elation that honestly can't be described in words. The championship parade echoed through the streets of Seattle, and when it came time for awards, it was nearly total dominance from Argonauts players. Now aside from myself (which I talked too much about) a huge shoutout to Willie Miller for a Honcho win and a Razov nom. Shoutout to Kermit Murphy for an All-SHL 1st team nomination, Luukas Lilja for a 2nd team nomination, and Jonas Kahnwald for a 3rd team nomination. And most importantly, to all Argonauts. Just a spectacular showing from everyone.

We weathered the storms, charted unknown waters and sailed the high seas together. In face of challenge, the crew came together, battened down the hatches and pushed forward in pursuit of greatness. Although losing one Final was heartbreaking, we kept drifting along, in the flow of it all. We held defeat close to heart, but were ready to learn and ready for more. And once we put it all together, as one united crew, working in sync, the tides turned. We carried the momentum of victory forward, and sought for even more. Now, we did what many could dream, but few could do. Two Challenge Cups, in two seasons. With one relentless team. Now, years later, as the waters of that Championship squad settle, not one, but two banners are flying high, forever marking the legacy that was the S68 Seattle Argonauts.

Vamos Argonauts!

***Vandy*** · 04-24-2025, 04:11 PM

TIG! TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG!!!!!

***aleks*** · 04-24-2025, 04:48 PM

Salming is a Hamilton legend

***notorioustig*** · 04-24-2025, 08:30 PM

Vamos

***notorioustig*** · 04-24-2025, 08:33 PM

04-24-2025, 03:40 PMJayba1t Wrote: If we remember Tig for one thing, it's that he never keeps his 1sts.

My legacy will never fade

***Ohtaay*** · 04-24-2025, 09:11 PM

Great write up, we try not to remind Tig of how good it was. ha.

retuperkele · 04-24-2025, 10:51 PM

For his excellence, he was nominated 2nd all star team. After scoring immense amounts of in the playoff season as well as the literal game 7 winning goal. W award nom

Urq660 · 04-25-2025, 03:50 AM

VAMOS!!

Salming · 04-25-2025, 03:30 PM

Reading this through gave me a very warm and calm feeling. The way the text progressed dynamically was captivating.

***yosh*** · 04-25-2025, 06:31 PM

Podcalzone mention? Oblivion remastered? In the big 2025?

Yeah, we're so back can I get a VAMOS

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