Simulation Hockey League

The offseason is closing in on us, and we are almost at the SMJHL Draft.
Before the real busy season starts, and you're going to be answering scouting messages from every team, it is time to sit back and relax a little. Dreaming about how your life would've looked without hockey.

Written Task: What would your player be doing now, if he or she hadn't pursued a career in hockey? (250 word min.)

Graphic Task: Show us a picture of your player, doing what they'd do if they weren't a hockey player.

Reward: $500,000 for doing one of the above
Only current SMJHL Draftable Free Agents (S74 SMJHL Draftees, SHL class of S75) are eligible for this bounty.
There is no need to claim this anywhere. After grading the money should pop up in your account 'automatically'.
Deadline: Sunday November 19th @ 11:59PM PST

I think if Pinli hadn't been abnormally good at hockey for a gnome, he'd probably be trying to serve as a trusted advistor to a gnomish king of some kind. After Pinli was part of an adventuring party that dispatched Mekigneer Thermaplugg and freed Gnomeregan for his people, he found himself a little adrift. The popularity that comes with achieving such a thing is lovely, but when one doesn't have too many marketable skills the situation is tough to capitalize on. Perhaps if hockey wasn't Pinli's primary ability, he'd have been able to use his charisma or his political brain to maneuvre into the high courts or into a military command of somekind. Oh well. That said I suppose there's no harm in fantasizing about the roads not taken.

So Pinli, instead of using his cachet as hero of gnomes to finagle an SMJHL contract, uses it to become a king's advisor, and that means he can whisper his will to the king and exert his influence on gnomish society. I think Pinli uses this opportunity to bolster gnomish cultural outreach. As a people they've accomplished a lot, but not a lot of the outside world knows about it. Their technology could better the lives of a lot of people if gnomes weren't so insular and were more willing to share their discoveries. So with Pinli as the king's advisor and not a hockey player, there could be a lot of new life saving technology in the world. Well shit, maybe he should have done that instead of playing a sport, huh?

Ju-gong from a young age had always been an accomplished baduk player, and had other hobbies not taken hold, may yet still have reached a professional rank in the game. Growing up only a few blocks from a popular baduk café in Busan, many long afternoons and evenings were spent watching the talented players go to war over wooden boards. In many ways, picking up the game from such an early age engrained it in his head in a way many older players couldn’t replicate. While others his age may be playing games or watching anime late at night, young Ju-gong was often over his own little wooden board, copying the moves he saw on TV and trying to understand their meaning.

By the time he entered high school, Song had done extremely well in many local tournaments, and even traveled all over Korea to play; Seoul, Ulsan, Daejeon, and many more. His passion had even earned the approval of his parents, allowing him private lessons with a professional player several times a month to hone his game. Around the time he started to put on skates and drown in college-prep work Ju-gong was around a 3-dan rank, well within striking range of becoming a professional a few years down the road.

Should this other lofty goal not played out, Ju-gong could have taken a number of other similar interests into a career. His father was a financial analyst, something he used to leverage his way into a job. Perhaps even working at a few baduk café’s and hoping to one day own one could be path as well. In the end, Ju-gong mostly seeks a position that gives him satisfaction, and makes his parents proud.

Norway is a modern Scandinavian country with a healthy economy and there is no shortage of work that Inge Baardsen could be a part of, instead of playing the ice sport. Even above the Arctic Circle, there is work that he could do. However, as we all know, ice hockey is an extremely physical game, so maybe he would be better suited to a very physical job. And what is Norway known for? No, not snow and picked herring! Well, something maritime anyway, either fishing (not whaling though) or working on an oil rig!

The North Sea is outstanding for both of these. In fact, it is Europe’s main fishery and accounts for more than 5% of commercial fish caught internationally! It is an extremely wasteful industry, of course, so would probably not be the best bet. Oil and gas is not much better, with the drive towards lowering emissions from fossil fuels. The money is certainly still there and Inge could make a living moving drill pipe around the deck of a rig, or dangling over the edge on ropes for maintenance activities. His natural agility would make him good for rope access work. I think the best thing for the way the world is going would be as part of the renewable energy industry. Norway is one of the biggest producers of electricity via hydropower in the world, in fact 99% of electricity produced in mainland Norway is from hydropower plants. This would represent Inge’s country, as well as helping make the world a better place!

If Olivija Agate wasn't meant to play hockey, I suppose she would return to her small rural town and work in forestry. She always felt at home in the woods, and enjoys the serenity of chainsaws and fire. But in all seriousness, getting the chance to wander through nature every day, to forget about the game of hockey altogether would be a decent alternative to just doing her dream. Perhaps she would meet some mystical forest entities who would offer her great power in exchange for some part of her soul between the size of a sliver and its entirety. Who knows? Anything could happen in the deep forests of Latvia.

Or maybe she would become a hermit, organizing guerrilla efforts to undermine deforestation along with her many animal friends and a small band of ecologists that she must put her faith in to get the justice her home deserved. Maybe they'd write a few books or a comic book series about her. It would of course have to feature a scene where she skates, skiing style down a large forested hill, with lumberjacks slamming into trees behind her, all ending in a big spray of snow as she gracefully comes to a stop, an inch or two before the edge of the cliff that any remaining lumberjacks fly right off of.

So honestly nothing concrete, this hockey thing REALLY needs to pan out, because the other options really don't seem like ones that she could see herself doing for more than a month or so at a time.

Warwick Windsor got his start in hockey young, part of the lamentable Windsor line. As a result, it was always likely that his career would have something to do with the sport, be it as a player or as some sort of agent, manager, or coach. If this avenue had been closed to him for some reason, then the most likely alterative would have been for him to become involved in sports elsewhere: one such opening that he briefly considered was becoming a sports psychologist.

With hockey no longer an option, it is probable that Windsor would have to find his employment in some alternative sport where a psychologist would be key. While soccer would have been ideal had he been born in England as had his grandfather, in Edmonton that would prove rather more difficult. Instead, Windsor would likely have decided to take the route of joining a collegiate athletic program if one became available: providing support to wrestlers, gymnasts, and skaters, as opposed to the more tight-knit environment of a dedicated team sport.

The question is, then, how would he perform in such a role?

The answer is probably not great, if his hockey career is any indication. He likes to fight and he likes to stand in front of shots, and neither of those are attributes which indicate deep emotional empathy. By all accounts, he isn't a team leader nor really that much of a vocal presence on the team to begin with. Rather than follow in Winston Windsor's footsteps, he has opted to follow in Will Windsor's footsteps: where the only objective of hockey is to sacrifice your body and your mental well-being.

It's a good thing for everyone hockey seems to be working out for him.

If Slava-Ukraini Heroyam-Slava had not pursued a career in hockey, he might have chosen a path aligned with his other sports interests and dreams having always wanted to play American football professionally. While hockey and American football are quite different sports, there are several transferable skills that a hockey player can leverage to potentially excel in professional American football. For example, Slava-Ukraini Heroyam-Slava's physical conditioning could translate over to football. Hockey players typically possess high levels of cardiovascular fitness, agility, and strength and these attributes are crucial in football, where endurance, quick lateral movements, and physical strength are essential. In addition, teamwork and communication are also essential skills in each of the sports. Hockey is a team sport that requires effective communication and collaboration and similarly these skills translate well into football, where players must work together, communicate on the field, and understand their roles within the team dynamic. Moreover, both hockey and football demand mental toughness. Hockey players accustomed to the physicality and intensity of their sport can bring a resilient mindset to football, especially when facing challenging situations on the field. Spatial awareness is also important in both sports as hockey players often have a keen sense of spatial awareness on the ice, which can be beneficial in football, helping players navigate the field and make strategic decisions. Transitioning from hockey to football will likely involve a large learning curve but Slava-Ukraini Heroyam-Slava would be up for the challenge and have a head start having transferable skills from hockey.

Today we take a look at the young aspiring power forward Blant Chorski from Riga, Latvia and how life would be for him if he wasn't following his hockey dream.

Growing up, Blant Chorski loved two things, baking and playing hockey.  When he wasn't out playing hockey with his friends, he would often spend the holidays and weekends baking with his mother.  Everything from breads, pastries and decadent desserts.   He always had a sweet tooth and his mother thought he was born with the skill of becoming a world class baker.  Blant's mother was heartbroken when he decided to pursue a career in hockey and not baking delicious foods for the world to enjoy.  She has no doubt in her mind that if things were different, Blant would have become that world class baker she knows he could be.

Blant hasn't totally given up on his love for baking though and still brings home baked treats to the boys in the locker room on those off days he has from practice.  Sometimes, he even bakes treats for the opposing teams to enjoy.   

We asked Blant what he would be doing if hockey wasn't the answer and he confirmed, baking.  He said that he would have probably opened a bakery in his hometown of Riga and sold a menagerie of decadent sweets and treats to the locals.  When asked his favourite home baked treat, he simply replied with "Rye Bread Soup of course!"  For those that don't know, Rye Bread Soup is made from rye bread, whipped cream, dried fruit and cranberries.  

Jack Keigan stared coldly out the window of his fathers petrol station, feeling like every last dream had slipped through his fingers. But his dad was right. Moving to Canada just to play a silly little game that wasnt even popular where he was born was just too risky. He would never make it in the SHL.
Jack was snapped out of his deppressive thoughts by a line of Bikeys pulling up to refuel.
"Oh great" he thought. Bikeys were always trouble in his part of town.
They began to muck around something fierce, but it wasn't the foul language that was bothering him, it was the fact they had pulled out the petrol hoses and were spraying it around the station. No one with any intention of paying would waste that much fuel.
"Hey, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing!" Jack cried as he rushed out to the pumps, shutting them off.
The biggest man Jack had ever seen in his life shoved Jack hard in the chest "just having a bit of fun tosser" he laughed, before his face went dark "you have a problem mate?"
Jack noticed the man's knife straight away. It glistened in the son, the biker was well practiced in its use, able to send a briggt glare spot right into Jacks eyes.
Any other day Jack might have left the heroics up to the police. But today was the day he gave up on his dream. If he couldnt be a hero on the ice, Jack would become a hero right here.
Jack lunged, going for the Bikers knife.

And Jack got it.

Jack was only 18 years old when he passed away later that night. Surrounded by a dispairing family, wondering what might have happened if he had only followed his dreams.

I made a mistake. Wanted to edit it a little but accidentally double posted. Sorry!

In an alternative universe, Sebastien Levesque would have some paths open to him that are not hockey as his interest in the sport developed when he was 7 years old, right after moving to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. If that was not the case, Levesque would have had quite an athletic career elsewhere, I’d say.

First of all, his love for tennis and football (soccer) are well documented. His tennis skills were above anyone in high school and he has had some success in local tournaments at their highest level of competition, so that could have an alternative path. However he always saw tennis (and to a lesser extent, soccer) as hobbies to clear his mind and have competitive fun, not as a career, especially since climbing the tennis ladder is extremely difficult and expensive;and soccer is so huge, the level of competition is extremely deep.

The realistic alternative path would have been following the pro wrestling route, as it runs deeply within his family; with a cousin from his dad's side is one of the most successful pro wrestlers ever and basically runs the biggest company in the industry. It goes without saying, that path has always been open for him. Would he have been ashamed of it? No, not at all. He has always been a fan of the industry and has great respect for the performance and storytelling aspect of professional wrestling. His family would have supported him 100%, and nepotism would have played an aspect in his success in the industry, as is customary in this line of work for better or for worse.

In conclusion, Sebastien would have taken the pro wrestling route had hockey not been this successful for him so far. And hey, if he bombs in the minor league when he’s drafted, he will always have that cushion to fall on.

It is tough to believe that 6'5" Behemoth that is Groaty Bronson might not have been destined for a physical sport if his parents had their way.
"Yeah my mom really didn't like all the physicality of the sport and was worried I'd get hurt. she really wanted me to take up a safer hobby like baking and join her at the family bakery." Yes that's right the man more known for breaking things with his hands then making them is secretly an avid baker.

"My favourite things to bake? probably tiramisu I once helped to make a croquembouche for a wedding cake it's basically a bunch of mini eclairs stacked up and melted together with caramel it was fun but it took forever. I think I'll be happy if I never have to do that again" laughed Groaty when asked of his experience as a baker.

"from what I hear there's going to be a few of our regulars pretty disappointed when they can't get anymore of my macrons. I told them I'll be back here in the summer to help out though."

While the residents of his hometown just outside of Sydney in Cape Breton might be missing his baking any team the drafts him in the upcoming draft should be ecstatic to add this net front presence to their back end as he is sure to leave an intimidating mark on any opponent who comes near his area of the ice.

As we all know, the young Jurijs Rālfs grew up in the port city of Liepāja in Latvia on the coast of the Baltic Sea. He always had an extreme fascination with trains as a young kid, likely spawned by his father’s job at the Liepāja Bulk Terminal where he handled logistics for the local authorities. Jānu Rālfs, Juris’ father was quite literally around trains all day offloading grain from shipping boats and loading it onto trains to be distributed around the post-soviet country. Childcare was hard to find when Jurijs was young and so Jānu would often bring his son into work and let him play amongst the trains.
Jurijs’ love for trains manifested in a huge collection of train toys of all types and sizes. He had models, remote controlled trains, Thomas the tank engine, lego, the list goes on. A whole room in the Rālfs household was dedicated to Jurijs’ train fascination. The family often went on train spotting trips throughout Europe and Scandinavia, however as Jurijs grew older and older these trips were forced to be fewer and farther between as more time needed to be devoted to Jurijs’ hockey career.
All this to say, if the hockey gods had not selected Jurijs’ to be the next great Latvian defender he would have likely pursued a career as a locomotive engineer so that he could fulfill his lifelong dream of operating the diesel 2M62U for the Latvian Railways. The 2M62U in green with red front detailing and a yellow pinstripe along the sides was Jurijs’ favorite locomotive.