This offseason we have the following announcements:
1) S47 Draft Class
2) S47 Rookies
3) S47 Preview



1) S47 Draft Class


Round 1, 4th Overall - Filip Zadina

Ahead of the draft everyone knew that the Pride were looking to load up on offensive power, at least with their first selection, but not many expected the #1 ranked prospect to be available to them. Filip Zadina was rated by many scouts as the most “SHL ready” prospect in this draft and Pride GM Jeff Kirkstone was to grab such a prospect for a team that needs someone who can step in asap. He brings a skillset centered around a laser-accurate shot, world class skating, and a high defensive IQ, making him a perfect fit for San Francisco’s defensively built team. He’s not particularly physical, but the SHL is mostly a finesse league anyway, and besides he isn’t small by any means, coming in at 6 feet and nearly 200lbs. The Pride were more than happy to add one of the most dynamic offensive prospects the SHL has seen in a while. For now Zadina will play in the SMJHL, but it won’t be long before he’s cracked the Pride lineup and is filling the opposition’s net with pucks.



Round 2, 20th Overall - Jaguar Johnson

There was a lot of trade talk going on with this pick, right up until the Pride were on the clock, and by that point there was still someone on the board they coveted. So the trade talks were called off. There was speculation that the Pride would go with a defenseman here, but instead they opted to continue stockpiling snipers and went with Jaguar Johnson from the Montreal Militia. His physique is very similar to Filip Zadina, and they’re both prolific scorers, but their games are not so similar. Johnson doesn’t quite match up with Zadina when it comes to defensive responsibility, but his strong hand-eye coordination makes up for this to some degree. Johnson is a bit more of a long-term prospect, but projects to be a top-6 winger in the SHL eventually. Like Zadina, he will return to the SMJHL for S47, but Jaguar Johnson might find a way to earn an SHL roster spot sooner than later.



Round 3, 36th Overall - Vadim Malichov

At this point the Pride said they were more than happy with their organizational depth in the defensive positions, and decided to go full offense for the draft. They called the name of feisty russian winger, Vadim Malichov, of the Kelowna Knights. Vadim is known to throw the body more than a lot of wingers even bigger than him, but his true talent is his shot. He’s shifty on his skates, and is able to disguise his shooting posture, getting shots off on unprepared goalies. His aggressive forechecking plays into his ability to find open ice, and his vision allows him to get shots off even when he doesn’t find it. For all his talents, Malichov is still a very raw prospect, and the Pride will look to work closely with him to offer any help they can in aiding his development. The San Francisco scouting staff has no doubt Vadim will be scoring many goals in the bay one day though.



Round 3, 39th Overall - Spencer MacLean

Finally, the Pride went with criminally underrated Anchorage Armada prospect, Spencer MacLean. One scout was quoted saying that they expected MacLean to be a late 2nd round pick leading up to the draft. MacLean is a big center, standing 6’3” and weighing 210lbs, this kid has a massive frame that has made him successful in the faceoff circle in the past. Once again, the Pride went with a forward who has an incredible ability to shoot the puck, and a knack for scoring goals, but with MacLean they also have another center prospect in the organization (although Malichov was originally listed as a center prior to switching to left wing). A few more seasons of development in the SMJHL are in order for Spencer, but the Pride scouts love the upside he brings to the table for down the road.



2) S47 Rookies


Leopold Lockhart - After being a last minute send-down for the Pride prior to S46, Lockhart returned to the SMJHL to hone his craft, and it’s no surprise to see him making the full-time jump to the SHL for S47. The former 1st overall pick has been waiting for the opportunity to debut in the big league, and Pride fans have been dying to get Leo to the bay. Early projections have Lockhart playing alongside Ray Bork to start the preseason, and the two of them seem very excited to get on the ice together. Lockhart also represents a huge upgrade for the Pride at the 6D position, replacing Karazija in that spot.


Ty Hoover - Another prospect from SFP’s strong S45 crop, Hoover is making the jump after a strong training camp performance earned him a spot on the roster. Despite being a natural center, Hoover is expected to start out on the wing, on a line with Dakota Reid and Steven Moyer. Things are certainly going to get very competitive at the center ice position for the Pride very soon though, with Knute Knurtsson among others also waiting for their opportunity. Ty Hoover put in a tremendous amount of training during the offseason, and came into training camp looking like an entirely new player, so it may not be long before we see Hoover centering his own line for SFP.


3) S47 Preview

This season the Pride will be looking to build off the strong finish they had to S46, and with young players starting to step into prime roles for the team, it looks like fans can expect a big improvement. SFP boasts one of the best defensive groups in the SHL, and with the addition of Leopold Lockhart there’s no reason to believe this blueline is going to get any easier to penetrate. Isak Odegard, Jack Tanner, Fedor Shirobokov, Charlie Schieck, and Ray Bork are all returning to the bay! Chris Partridge is in the best shape of his life right now, and hungry to get this season underway. Defensively, teams are going to have a hard time scoring goals on this SFP team, but can the Pride score enough goals to secure the wins? Last season offense was an area of concern for the Pride, ranking low in most league wide categories, but their core forwards continued to show improvement as the season wore on. With another offseason of training under their belt, players like Leshaun King, Goku Muerto, Jeff Brogen, Vince Reaper, Steven Moyer, and Richard Metcalf Jr are fired up for a new season of hockey. Veteran forwards Dionyz Vyskoc and Dakota Reid are back to help stabilize this young forward group, and bring some more leadership to the locker room. Everything is trending upward in San Francisco, and we’re excited to get back to playing hockey! LET’S GO!

Word count: 1,100

Jimmy Larkin-Conway | LW | Seattle Argonauts
=============Transactions==============
- Drafted 19th overall by Nevada (S59)
- Drafted 27th overall by Baltimore (S60)
- Traded to Winnipeg Aurora (S63)
- Traded to Toronto North Stars (S64)
- Re-signed with Toronto North Stars (S65)
- Re-signed with Toronto North Stars (S68,etc.)
- Signed with Seattle Argonauts (S76)
================Trophies================
- Aidan Richan Award (S65)


Kit Kirkstone | G | Retired



Charlie Schieck | D | Retired



Jeff Kirkstone | G | Retired | Former GM

That's a spicy S47 rookie class, they're gonna do some work out there.

credit to Flappy, ToeDragon, and Carpy

Leo 

           

Geronimo Otto || C || SFP || GER || S31-S43
Drafted 49th by Kelowna Knights
Drafted 20th by Portland Admirals
Co-GM of POR/SFP S35, S41-S50
Traded to Edmonton Blizzard S43


Ray Bork || D || HAM || GBR || S44-S58
Drafted 7th by Halifax Raiders
Auto-Drafted 2nd Round (Co-GM) by SFP
Traded to Hamilton Steelhawks S55


Gonzo Gobbledygook || W || COL || NOR || S60-Present
Drafted 7th by Colorado Raptors
Drafted 4th by Winnipeg Aurora

Go team go

      S76 SMJHL DRAFT 3RD OVERALL PICK     
        S77 SHL DRAFT 4TH OVERALL PICK         
                     IIHF TEAM NORWAY