I talked with SHL veteran and S46 rookie @GCool.

1. Jerry "The Snake" Mander is not your first player, so you have been on other teams. How do this season's Outlaws compare to other teams you've been part of?

Well, my three players were in different eras with regard to communication (i.e., forum/Slack/Discord use). Apart from that, all three of my Juniors experiences have been solid. This team is a unique mix of old and new guys, and I think Dangles has done a great job in drafting for utility given the resources he had available. I'll have to get back to you on whether or not this Outlaws team sticks with it and leaves as much of an impression as the S23-S24 Impact or the S29-S30 Scarecrows did, though. They had the huge advantages of consistent activity and a deep alumni pool.

2. In your opinion, do our GM's do a good job? Why/why not?

I think they do a fine job! They've done great in getting the forum up and running, and they've been very proactive in posting the lines and available point tasks. As a veteran, I don't get that much use out of stuff like that, as I have my own routine to do the PT's and everything. But the important thing is they've made everything very easy and accessible to you true rookies who are still learning the site (which, I'll be one of the first to say, is very confusing to navigate at first). But yeah, all in all, they've drafted personalities well as well as built a hefty resource bank for all of you.

3. What do you expect this team will achieve this season and in the following 2 to 3 seasons?

I don't really want to expect much this season. Having lofty expectations on a new team is dangerous; I don't recommend it. Dangles and I tried to start a team (pretty much by ourselves) in the GOMHL and it went abysmally. Unfortunately we only had one season to work with, though I think in time we could have built a solid group that free agents would have wanted to go to ... but I digress. Sincerely, I don't have high expectations for Season 1. By Season 3 we should be right in the thick of it, because that's how powerful the parity of the SMJHL is. The key factor will be, when the dust of this gigantic draft class settles, how many are going to be active across the board? We're at a huge disadvantage being a new expansion team for one big reason: activity begets activity. Think of the Knights or Falcons that have had dozens of seasons of active alumni able to speak to these new guys; we have, what, 5? Even just 5 voices compared to full teams/HOFers doesn't do much for a frustrated newcomer who isn't scoring at all in his first preseason. If we can survive the first wave or two of inactive draft picks while holding down our alumni for an extra season, we can entice more newcomers to stay and build a franchise.