Please pick ONE prompt to write about. Do not mix and match prompts. Identify the prompt you are using in your submission - Copying and pasting the prompt will deduct from your word count so if you do this make sure YOUR submission is 150+ words excluding the prompt.
Option 1:
Written Task: One cold and lonely Christmas-break night, your player is visited by the ghost of their mite-hockey coach (who passed away last year in an unfortunate molasses sandwich accident at the age of 96). He warns your player that they have forgotten the right way to play, and lost their faith in the heart of the puck. You will be visited by three spirits over the course of the coming season, who will endeavor to help you get your head back on straight. What is your player's reaction to this apparition? Or was it just a dream?
Graphic Task: Draw your player seeing a ghost.
Option 2:
Written Task: What kind of lifestyle should a hockey player live in the offseason? How can you best strike a balance between recreation and relaxation, and training for the next season? Should you simply spent the first half in the Caribbean and the second half in the gym, or is there some other training regimen you follow? Feel free to tell me what your player happens to do, or to showcase your own expertise in real-world athletic training!
Graphic Task: Draw your player hitting the gym!
You will receive 3 TPE for fulfilling all requirements.
All responses are due on Monday, February 12th at 11:59 PST. NOTE: IF YOU SUBMIT/EDIT AFTER THE DEADLINE YOU WILL RECEIVE REDUCED/NO TPE.
Affiliate claims from either PBE or ISFL or WSLB or SSL are accepted; link directly to your post and note if your username is different there.
If you have any questions/concerns, please PM me. Tasks with malicious intent will not be graded. The graders reserve the right to determine malicious intent, after discussion with me. You will not be warned.
This task is for SHL players and send downs only. If your player is S76, that's not you.
Hai Nam Hoang takes training seriously in the offseason, as his work ethic means he has no excuse to not find a way to improve wherever he is. In Minnesota, when he can't go train at the arena gym, he frequents several local gyms, each one appreciating his company and the interest he brings. In Vietnam, several gyms and arenas will happily shut down to help him train. Though the ice quality isn't as good, the climate is optimal for helping him shed weight and work on his stamina. And when he's in town, Great Falls has the Grizzlies' accommodations, which he often partakes in alongside Great Falls players, imparting his advice and socializing with his former teammates and coaching staff that stop by. Hoang knows that you have to put work in to be a workaholic, so he's never far away from a place where training can be done.
Option 2
Squidwardo Tentacles is an offseason demon, absolutely crushing some of the hardest training sessions in between each season. His last offseason he took the advice of a hockey superstar by the name of Seth Jarvis, and went and trained hard in Mexico along the beach. With the new and improved icepacks manufactured by Corona and Budweiser, Tentacles was able to practice his hand eye coordination playing a game that locals were referring to as pong. Squidwardo was initially confused as there was no net and no paddle, just some red solo cups and a small ball. He ended up quickly learning and becoming a natural at it. Squidwardo was training his legs in the pool by swimming back and forth from the "recovery bar" and to a cool spot in the shade, trying to build his endurance by drinking a couple of drinks and swimming back, trying to imitate drinking water on the bench and going out for another quick shift. (161 words)
Option 1
![[Image: photostudio-1707168976256.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/WsNg40Z/photostudio-1707168976256.jpg)
My mite couch would be absolutely devastated that Agate had previously ignored her ability to defend. Most certainly there would copious amounts of cardio drills, every time a sloppy defensive play was made or a poor read was done. There would also certainly be a ghost of getting in the lanes, where pucks would be shot at Agate's shins over and over again until she managed to block them effectively without getting injured. A third would probably be in charge of bank and stretch passes, and clearing the zone. Agate is used to seeing apparitions, and has been dealing with the occult, particularly the Lovecraftian creatures that occupy the Kraken arena for quite some time now. Some are helpful and allow for extra training opportunities, and you never pass up some extra training! Luckily this one doesn't sound it would bite her head off as payment. You never know!
Option 1:
"Simo..."
Simo turns over in bed.
"Siiiiiimoooooooo..."
Simo cracks open an eye.
"Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmm-"
"I'm awake, stop it." Simo rolls over to look at his alarm clock. "It's 3 in the morning! Go away, Ilmari, this is stupid."
The ghost crosses his arms indignantly. "Simo! I came from the afterlife to talk to you, open your eyes and look at me you ungrateful little twig."
"Coach Litmanen?" Simo had been indulging in some light reading before bed and hurls the book at what looks like his old coach; the copy of the Hunger Games sailed plain through the ghost's head. "Holy f-"
Now he has Simo's attention, Coach Litmanen goes back to floating and enlongated his vowels. "Siiiiimooooo, I've been watching yoooouuuuu..."
"Coach, can you talk normally? I haven't got all night."
His old coach gives him a frosty look. "Fine! What happened to the little monster I used to teach who I couldn't stop throwing hits? You grew into a tank of a human and you're not using that to squash your enemies!"
"Coach, be fair. The game isn't just about brutalising people any more, I've learned being over here."
Coach tries to poke Simo in the chest and ends up elbow deep in his old charge's ribs. "Hurm. Nobody is scared of you any more Simo! You need to terrify the children you play against!"
"Urrrgh." Simo rolls over and puts his pillow over his head. "This is a dream, this is a stupid dream, you are being stupid."
"Believeee meeeeeeee!" Coach floats high above Simo's bed, going for full spookiness. "You will be visited three times by the Three Spirits of Hockey Violence! The spirit of Dirtiness! The spirit of Fighting! And the spirit of the Penalty Box!"
"Goodnight Coach."
Coach Litmanen huffs. "Children. No respect for their elders, I tell you."
Option 1:
The night after the finals was not an easy one for Jussi Mutou. And it still would’ve been difficult had he not been visited by the ghost of his old hockey coach. Once the clock reached the witching hour in Jussi Mutou and Trent Wiseman’s house, things started getting funky. Jussi couldn’t believe it at first. He thought it had to be a dream. But alas, it was reality.
The first spectre sent was the ghost of Jussi past who showed him the way he used to play. He saw himself and Xavier Beausoleil throwing around bone crushing hits. He saw himself scoring a ton of goals. And he also saw himself raising the Esa Anrikkanen trophy for rookie of the year. But this did not convince Jussi.
So the next spectre to visit was the ghost of Jussi present who showed the way Jussi played now. This time he saw himself pulling back on hits instead of following through. He saw himself passing the puck off instead of shooting into the open net. And he saw himself distracted with sponsors and advertisement bonuses. Now, Jussi was getting frustrated. But it was clear he still wasn’t getting it.
The third and final spectre to visit was the ghost of Jussi future. He saw himself playing with the Patriotes but something was clearly amiss. He was lazily skating around, barely shooting the puck, and actively avoiding hits. In between whistles he would head to the bench where he would sign more advertisement and sponsorship contracts. Jussi shook his head in anger. “No. That’s not what hockey is about! Enough!”
And with that, the spectres all vanished, leaving Jussi Mutou in his house, in the dark once more.
Option 2:
Work-life balance? Recreation and relaxation? "Off-season"? Petr knows nothing of this so-called "lifestyle". As far as Petr is concerned, any real hockey player knows and accepts that playing hockey is a full-time occupation. A path, a journey, a destiny one had pursued or been chosen for. Therefore, there is no other calling. No other part of life worth living or experiencing, other than one's calling, or in this case, hockey. The training never ends, or "the grind" as some call it. The results in tremendous wear and tear on Petr's body, but this is to be treated as regular maintenance in pursuit of greatness. Any and all medical solutions and surgeries required, all in order to lead Czechia to greatness. Training every day, ice time every day. This body will never forget what it's purpose is: a gold medal for Czechia, and all greatness that can be garnered on the road that leads there.
Option 2
For each player, there is a needed balance to juggle between both practice and relaxing from the vigor’s of the competitive season. Some may prefer to hit the ice and gym daily to level up, some might value the mental reset to come in sharper than ever in the next season – for Ju-gong? Well, a bit of both. The first off season priority would always be to get home to South Korea. The strains of spending over half a year from home would be difficult, and getting back into the comfortable humidity of Busan and familiar foods would be a godsend. However, just because they are back in a cozier situation doesn’t mean that everything would be rest and relaxation. Without a doubt Ju-gong would join back up with his local weekend hockey league and the teammates and friends he played with for years. Many of whom would be more than keen to try their luck at slotting in some shots against the recent all-star goalie to help keep him sharp.
In the off-season, Langston Hardison-Laurent went back to Florida to relax after a pretty disappointing playoff run. He spent a lot of time in the pool or in the sun, something he sorely missed while in Yukon for the Winter. He spent a good portion of his days updating his Hawaiian shirt collection. To be perfectly frank, there was very little balance between rest and training. LHL was coming off the best season of his life and needed a mental break from hockey in general.
He then got the call that he would be in the All Star Game and representing Team USA Blue in the WJC so he quickly decided he needed to get back into shape. He started played roller hockey in the street in front of his mom’s house and in the driveway.
His first time back on the ice was at World Juniors and he had an decent tournament, but realized he needed to get some more ice time, so he went back to Yukon to prep for the All Star Game. He had a better showing there and then ended up slacking before preseason.
WC: 192
Option 2:
Season in professional hockey league, even when not making it far into the playoffs is lot longer and tougher than it might appear and for that reason it is important to give time for player to rest and recover before they start to push for next season. This is true for Jani Mänty too who has head back to his hometown for period of downtime between the seasons. After few weeks of rest he starts to do training by himself, hitting the gym and jogging on mostly empty roads around Sonkajärvi. But as the season gets closer he gets back to more methodical training and for past 2 seasons has flown to Canada to train under Björn Leppänen with several other Finnish SMJHL players who have been seeking the guidance of the experienced SHL player. His bootcamp mostly focuses on strength and endurance, not even hitting the ice every day until the season really gets closer and Mänty needs to get in touch for team training camp.