TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

Change is always tough. But when you go from the team that you helped develop, to being traded away is even tougher. This is what happened to Geoffrey Allen. Allen spent a large portion of his career with Texas, and probably planned on retiring there. Then came a change of leadership, one bad mistake, and some undesired changes. This isn’t Allen's first chance at a cup, having won it in S36 with Texas, he just never thought he would be playing for it in anything other than the black and silver. This is made even more difficult when you think about all the effort that Allen put in in Texas. Not making the playoffs, being last in the league, and being the laughing stock of the league. Allen stuck through all of it to finally reach the Promised Land, and then when it seemed he was going to be leading a dominant regime for foreseeable future, it was all taken away.

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

I am going to go with another Renegades alum and say Winston Windsor. Windsor has quietly been the anchor that holds the Rage together. 3rd in scoring and leading the team with his body by blocking 36 shots. Normally this would be enough to receive attention, but when you share the roster with the likes of Wyatt Wollker, Luke Atmey, Bubba Nuck, and Ace Redding, it is easy to get lost in the noise. Windsor has always played responsible hockey, but not taking a single penalty thus far shows his commitment to making sure his team gets every advantage he can provide. Always level headed, always looking to get in the way of any shot heading towards the nets, Windsor has quietly been the anchor that holds the ship steady. Maybe when its all said and done people will notice that this is just what he has done his entire career, he has always been overshadowed by teammates, but maybe its his turn in the spot light.

TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

He isn’t a rookie, but Mike Izzy is still relatively young, and still looking to solidify his place on the Dragons' roster and in the league. Power forwards don’t normally provide the offensive touch that Izzy has, but Izzy has stated from the beginning he is looking to break the mold. He sits in the middle of the scoring list for Calgary with 7 points, but 6 of those points are goals. Izzy gets to the dirty areas and makes the opposition pay for being lazy against him. He does lead his team in hits with 46 and may be the only real physical edge that the Dragons bring into this series. He plays on the second line and clears room for Shane Gagner and Jagr to do what they do best. These three may not be the best offensively, but they do offer a safety net defensively as they play very responsible hockey and allow fewer scoring chances than they generate. In the end, Izzy is looking to make himself a permanent fixture on the roster and put pressure on some of the veterans higher up the depth chart.

TASK SIX: You’re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

Currently the Dragons are running Kurczewski-Randleman-Anrikkanen on their top line, and this line has accounted for the lions share of their offense. Going against one of the most talented and experienced rosters in the league, they may need to shift some bodies around to provide some secondary scoring, and to be able to defend against the Rage's forward depth. The very first thing I would do, and its bold, is to move Mike Izzy up to the top line, and shift Randleman down to the 2nd line. Randleman is the Dragons leading scorer, while playing on the 1st and 4th lines. If he was allowed to play against the 2nd line, a slightly less skilled line, he may be able to provide that secondary scoring that I think they will need. Mike Izzy would also be able to provide solid defense and the physical game I spoke of earlier. I don’t think that the Dragons will be able to score up and down the roster with the current lines. Shifting their defensive pairings around a bit may also help as Boychuk has been the only blue liner to really provide offensively.