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***Gaia Mormont*** · 07-19-2018, 10:54 PM

Season 42, as a rookie has not gotten off to the greatest starts for Ignatius Blunt of the Colorado Raptors. But, it's only been a few games and the end goal for the young Serbian players remains as clear as the day he was drafted. He wants to be an all-star. He wants acclaim and a big contract in the future and knows the best way to get there is to be patient and keep working hard. A random role model from the SHL is Isak Ødegård of the Minnesota Chiefs. The stats that Isak has created for himself intrigue Ignatius. Getting defense to 99 is a hidden trait that will raise a regular player to the elite level.

Ignatius does not have Defense as a strength, but getting to 90 as fast as possible will benefit the stat of scoring, which Ignatius plans to have as the first stat raised to 99 within a few seasons. Isak currently sits at 97 for scoring but very similar to the build that Ignatius longs for. Another similar goal for Ignatius is to have a high skating stat. Currently sitting at 73 after the next update, Ignatius has a long way to go to rival Isak's 92. The goal will be achieved and Ignatius will see as much success as Isak does in his long career with the Minnesota Chiefs.

NateAndStuff · 07-20-2018, 08:10 AM

Growing up, one of the players Nikolaj Boyle looked up to the most was center Robert Phelps, captain of the Hamilton Steelhawks. Phelps is a top tier SHL two-way forward who excels on both ends of the ice. He is strong on the puck and has crafted some of the flashiest passes the league has seen in recent years. It should not come as a surprise that Boyle, the young Latvian centerman, would attempt to emulate Phelps’ game.

The two players share a lot of the same strengths and weaknesses. Nearly all of them, in fact. Both have prioritized passing and defense in their game to this point, though Boyle’s coaches in St. Louis have him working on improving his shot a lot lately. While Phelps’ third strength is strength itself, Boyle opted to go with faceoffs. As for their weaknesses, neither player has focused much on checking. For Boyle, these specializations are not exactly set in stone. The SMJHL rookie has apparently been toying around with the idea of switching things up sometime in the near future, “I pride myself on being an adaptable player. I want to be strong in every situation. The game up here is different than what I’m used to. Everybody is faster, stronger, better. If I find a way to change my game to smoothen things out, you bet I’ll be doing it.”

There’s no doubt that Boyle picked the right player to look up to. To attempt to emulate Robert Phelps is to aspire for greatness.

AW13 · 07-20-2018, 12:35 PM

The player I am most inspired to play like is current Edmonton Goaltender, Michael McFadden. McFadden is one of the best goalies in the league and is definitely someone looks up to as a young goalie. McFadden is a butterfly goalie, much like Leitner so in terms of style, they are very similar. Both myself and McFadden have Hand Speed and Reaction time as a strength while I have chosen Style Control and McFadden went with Rebound control as his third strength so there are many similarities in terms of strengths and then the weakness of skating is also the same in both Leitner and McFadden. Not everyone can play goalie in the SHL and Leitner hopes to one day possess the same skills as the man between the pipes in Edmonton and so far has been growing well. Currently, Leitner has a great ability in terms of Hand Speed, Reaction Time and Style Control while also working on some secondary skills such as size, agility, and endurance. It is hard to point out exactly how the two players compare since McFadden is good at everything while Leitner has much room to grow. One thing that needs to happen though is that Leitner needs some game action in Vancouver. So far, Leitner has not played a single game and has been frustrated by his lack of playing time. It will be interesting to see how Leitner's career plays out and we can see just how much like McFadden he can be.

**RomanesEuntDomus** · 07-20-2018, 02:29 PM

There are many players that influenced me throughout my life and many of them I actually grew up around as they were teammates of my dad back when he was playing in Buffalo while I was kid. Brynjar Tusk, Brandon Holmes, Eduard Selich or Alexis Metzler, just to name a few were guys I idolized while taking the first steps on the ice myself, and who I got to actually meet as well after practices and games. Sometimes even friends of my granddad's like Christoph Klose, Joe McKeil and Niclas Wastlund stopped by to say hi and shoot some pucks which was pretty awesome, although I found it kinda hard to imagine how these jovial and sometimes chubby oldtimers once flew over the ice as some of the best players in the leagues history.

But it wasn't until I was older and in my teens that I finally found a player that I didn't just like because I knew them personally, but because I got to watch them myself while in their absolute prime and that pure amount of skill and tenacity just blew me away. And that player was Sophia Bennett, the Sniper from the Los Angeles Panthers. She was another teammate of my dad's but one that I never met in person because at that point, I had already started my own career in junior hockey and didn't live at home anymore. Seeing Bennett made me realize that this was exactly the kind of player I wanted to be: Quick on her skates and with her hands, deadly in front of the net while playing a responsible game defensively and with some sandpaper as well to hold her on in battles along the boards. The fact that I idolized a female player might've been a reason for ridicule among my buddies - but only until they actually saw her play for the first time, at which point most of them were just as impressed as I had been when I first saw her play.

*Flowseidon* · 07-20-2018, 03:44 PM

Taking a look at the SHL, there are many different players I would love to take after. Ultimately, if I had to make a choice I would look at current leading scorer Oisin Fletcher. Oison, like me, grew up in Canada, and we have similar sizes. Beyond that, we both play the same position.

Oison has a great set of offensive skills and is exceptionally dangerous in the offensive end of the ice. While incredible puckhandling and scoring, Oison is able to make defending teams worry anytime the puck touches his stick. His skating and passing are not far behind and means that he can easily distribute the puck as needed and exceed the pace of play. Beyond the offensive skills, Oison is very defensively sound as has clearly put a focus on becoming strong on both ends of the ice.

As players, we have very similar strengths (sharing 2 of 3) and the same weakness. Neither of us are great checkers, not are we going to be the strongest guys ever. Both of us have to pray that we’re not going to get in a fight, because we would probably get dummied. We share the common trait of making the teams pay on the scoreboard.

KillTheArchitect · 07-21-2018, 01:18 AM

Mikko Linna - RW - Calgary Dragons

Growing up watching the SHL there has always been one player that I enjoyed following and I have tried to emulate. Mikko Linna is a player that I love to watch and I hope I can have a similar career. Mikko is a two-way right winger who has amazing skating, passing and great defensive skills. While I don’t think I’ll ever have the same defensive game as Mikko, my passing and skating are some of my greatest strengths and I have always tried to mirror him in those areas. Mikko has come a long way with his checking since junior but it is still his biggest weakness. Like him I struggle with checking but, hope to improve it the same way he did. I fancy myself as more of a playmaker than a two way forward, an offensive minded skating/passing specialist who is still defensively responsible. Mikko was drafted 9th overall in the S27 SMJHL Draft and I was drafted 8th overall in the S43 SMJHL Draft. On top of that we were both named alternate captains for our t in our rookie year of junior. Apart from such similar career starts, Mikko won the SHL rookie of the year in S30 and this is something I would love to accomplish. Throughout junior and the SHL, Mikko has consistently shown to be a great passer almost always having more assists than goals, but a good scoring touch that keeps the point split close. Not to mention an amazing defensive record of +73 in 550gp in the SHL. So far with my 4g 5a 9pts in 10gp and +3 I’m on my way. I really enjoy watching Mikko play, the fact that he is such a consistent performer and defensively responsible player is why he’s my favourite and I would love to be like him one day.

Mordaciious · 07-21-2018, 09:25 AM

"Growing up, I didn't watch too many Falcons players. Most of the players in general I had my eye on were defense men, because that's the role I played a lot when I was younger. I shifted to more of a power forward in my teens, so I started searching for SMJHL and SHL players who fit that position well. Zach Evans of the Winnipeg Jets is someone who comes to mind right away. He was one of the few Falcons that I watched, as well as helped shift my play style away from strictly defense. While he became more of a scoring focused player later in his career, he had a very physical and grindy play early on it seemed. I can definitely relate, I love to play at the boards and throw my body around if needed. We're both strong guys who fight for puck possession and are able to keep hold of it without much difficulty. Evans' scoring is something I'd like to work towards, as scoring isn't my strong suit, but I'd like it to be. He's got a really powerful lower body, his skating skill is definitely where I see myself going in the future. " -Tobias Viklund

***Acsolap*** · 07-21-2018, 09:53 AM

Most young kids that are into sports have role models. People they look up to and inevitably mould their own game around. Due to the fact that this mother was an elite Scandinavian skater it is perhaps no surprise that Rex Kirkby's main influence is Mia Landvik. A veteran of twelve SHL seasons Landvik has been active all through the formative period of Kirkby's youth and with her combination of smooth skating and ability to deliver bone crushing hits she immediately caught young Rex's eye.

Although not as focused on checking as Landvik the similarities in defensive focus and skating ability make an easy comparison. Both share a willingness to take the body to deny the opposition easy entry into the zone while also sacrificing their own to get in front of shots to help out the goalie. Neither will be breaking any goal records but Landvik has put up over half a point per game across her career and with Kirkby having spent a lot of time practising passing he will be hoping to emulate this by setting up his teammates both at even strength and on the power play.

If Kirkby ends up panning out anything close to Landvik he, the Armada and whoever chooses to draft him to the SHL will be very happy.

217 words.

Credit to Ml002, King, Wasty, Carpy, Bruins10, Rum_Ham, Turd Ferguson, Ragnar and Enigmatic for the sigs.
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Sean · 07-21-2018, 03:43 PM

When I hit the SHL I want to make an impact. Looking at this season, a player who is starting to make a real impact on the league is Oisin Fletcher. Playing LW, (just like yours truly) Fletcher has already potted 8 goals and 18 points in 12 games. He currently leads the league in points and points per 20 minutes which I hope to accomplish one day. If he keeps up his pace he's looking at a 75 point season with 33 goals. not too shabby. Right now as a rookie in the SMJHL my stats pale in comparison, but my 3 goals and 4 assists put me 8th in the rookie scoring race and 10th in my position. I hope to improve to one day lead the league in points, and my team to victory.

Oisin has his strengths in puck handling, scoring, and defense and currently has a 99 in all three stats. As a young hotshot, defense isn't as important to me as it is to him. I like to focus on my skating abilities and blowing past the competition so I can get some space to place the biscuit in the basket. We do agree on the importance of our shot and being able to handle to puck in tight places. Perhaps one day I will become a more complete player like Oisin, but for now its more important to wheel, snipe, celly.

Radsin · 07-21-2018, 04:08 PM

When i'm on the ice during practice or, hell even during a game. There is one person who sticks in my mind who influences a lot of the things I've done to grow as a player. He embodies what comes to mind of when I think of myself as a Defenseman in the SHL. That is none other than Zander Rhys of the Toronoto North Stars. He not only leads his teams in assists (13) but, he is also a close second when it comes to shots blocked (26). When he's on the ice he finds a way to make plays on both ends, and he may not be the biggest guy but, he can be an opposing force out there. The man has 32 hits thus far in the season which is again good enough for second place on his team. I'm hoping to combine his fluidity with the puck and, hard nose defensive style with my size. I think I have a lot of work cut out for me, thus far I haven't been living up to the goals I've set forth, but its still early in my career. I plan to stay determined and, maybe one day hear some comparisons to Rhys himself.

*206 words*

Carlz · 07-21-2018, 07:16 PM

As the son of Renegade legend (and Hall of Fame snub) Liam Kinsler, it was easy rooting for the Renegades growing up. Dad was great as the captain of the team, but my favorite player... my favorite player was Carl the Mountain.

Carl the Mountain was an absolute behemoth on the ice, and he knew how to use his size well. I've grown to be a big boy too and hope that I can one day be as much of a dominant physical force as Carl the Mountain was in his short lived career. It was unfortunate seeing his career ending injury in person.

Carl the Mountain rag dolling 2 LA Panther players.

He was a defenseman but I'm a forward, so I'm not quite the same player as he was. One thing I want to focus on is my skating and Carl the Mountain was never a great skater, using his massive size to make up for the difference in skating ability between him and the other players in the league. While I may not be as big as he was, I'm hoping my skill and skating can make up for it and land me in the SHL, right where my father and favorite player skated together. One day I just may make it.

Moosecop · 07-21-2018, 10:22 PM

Being a complete newcomer to the league, I've had a lot of learning to do about the league's history as well as trying to find out who some the great ones are. After asking my Halifax Raiders locker room for some game tape to watch of some of the best in the business at playing an offensive style of defensemen I was pointed in the direction of Jasper Clayton. He may be a little up there in terms of age, but holy moly the resume on this guy. He's a 3-time Challenge Cup champion not only on the ice but as a member of the team's front office too in addition to holding the record for most TPE at one point. The guy is a born leader and it shows, something I can only aspire to be at this point in my young career. He may be closer to the end than the beginning of his career, but he still does 3 things well that I'm really trying to improve in my own game above all else. He can pass and puck handle as well as a playmaking center or winger to really open up the offense for his team allowing himself to step up on the play and join the rush while he's also still amazing in his own defensive end.

***Wally*** · 07-21-2018, 10:59 PM

While our builds are not identical... the person I want to be like is Pietra Volkova. A Halifax alumn and mother to Crush's best friend, Aleksi O'Koivu, her mentality and ability to trudge through struggles is something that is always sought out in SHLers. While Volkova is a sniper at heart, her puck handling and skating are second to none. It truly sets her apart on the ice and is the focus of Crush Cile in building towards a brighter future. While not necessarily a "strength" of hers, Volks is quietly a great two way player and really is underrated in terms of value in playing on both sides of the ice. Her natural ability to lead, led that Halifax squad to our last Four Star Cup... So it truly was a blessing being given one of the Assistant Captain designations. It is now just a matter of time until we put together our own run and add to the legacy she once wrote.

So in looking towards the future, Cile is going to really embrace the mentality of lead by actions. Tough out the struggles and stand firm whenever there are tough decision. There will be plenty of time to celebrate, but as Pietra has already established... You have to first put the work in.

BaseScoutX1 · 07-21-2018, 11:16 PM

Palicka grew up only hearing of KHL names, he always admired Jagr, and some say he has a resemblance of him. But after watching SHL games the past few seasons. The player he is closest to is Zach Evans, yes you read it correctly, Zach Evans. Both had good Face Off Percentage, and Good Shooting skills, Palicka however seems to be building up to be a much more dominant player as he is currently on a hot streak of points and a few 70+ percent games recently. Both are very similar physically, (Evans at 6'1, Palicka at 6'2), Lots of similarities are shown by their elite puck handling and scoring. On Offense, the only differences are that Evans loves to immediately shoot when he feels like it, while Palicka takes a smoother approach that has lead him to the #1 spot in Shot Percentage in the SMJHL. Although both are Forwards, which we love to see score, they both are heavily defensive minded, some even say this mentality leads them to being even better on offense. Of course, these two play different positions, Evans is a Right Winger, and Palicka is a Center. This means that they have different natural play styles when it comes to going on the ice. However, it is jaw dropping that there is such a close connection to a self proclaimed "Superstar Benchwarmer 4th Line RW" and a Center who was picked in the second round of the SMJHL draft.

Plastic Bowl · 07-21-2018, 11:37 PM

The player currently playing in the SHL that I most look up to is Ronnie Westbrook. He is the epitome of everything I want to emulate in my play style as an offensively minded defenseman. He plays big minutes for the Hamilton Steelhawks on the first pairing and also quarterbacks one of their powerplay units. On the other hand, he is also so versatile and has such great skating and puck handling skills that he is also effective on the penalty killer and plays a significant amount of time on that unit as well.

Westbrook started out as a defensively responsible two-way forward with an excellent ability to score and drive the play offensively, but progressed into a stellar offensive defenseman out of necessity for his team and because it simply fit his play style more. So far, my offensive production has been extremely good and my defense left relatively wanting. That is basically how I see Westbrook and myself in the same light. Sometimes we cheat a little towards the offensive side of the puck or pinch a bit deeper than we should. Overall though, we help our team score more goals than our offensive zone excursions cause to go against our team and that is why our skill set will remain to be so coveted and why I look up to him so much.

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