03-07-2020, 01:02 AM(This post was last modified: 03-08-2020, 11:40 PM by Briedaqueduc.)
1. In an alternate universe where SimonT would work properly and not sim completely randomly, the playoffs would not have unfolded the same way at all. First of all, LAP would not have choked against Calgary. That should have been in the bag for LA after winning the 4th game. Somehow, Calgary came back out of nowhere. The Panthers were the ones that could compete with SFP, and maybe the Pride wouldn't have gotten to the finals. The other clear matchup that could have went totally another way is Hamilton-Buffalo. Hamilton really should have been the winners here. They were among the best teams all season, and Buffalo got a wildcard spot in the playoffs. Somehow, they still won against the Steelhawks 4 games to 1, to then lose to the Rage. If Hamilton would have won, the Rage could have easily not win and again, the finals would be very different from what they are currently. (156 words)
3. For my player in FHM, I want to do a defensive defenseman again. After being bad for all the seasons I've played, I think that I could get a better chance of being kind of decent. I really don't have a lot of knowledge of FHM, so I'm thinking of doing a NHL player, probably somewhere close to Jeff Petry, but I feel like Jeff Petry still has maybe too much offensive stat, so i might turn that down a bit. I also really want to focus on defensive attributes, like checking, hitting, and I also maybe want to put a little tpe in fighting, just because I like doing fights. (111 words)
4. Simon LeBlanc is again going to go see his family back in Montreal during the long off season. He's going to have even more time this season, since the off season started early for Simon, as the Panthers were eliminated quickly. Besides meeting with family, LeBlanc also wanted to just play with kids from his neighborhood, and just have fun, like in the good old days. Simon also has to prepare for the next season. There's many things he wants to work on, so he will also spend a lot of time in the rink in LA, so that he's ready for the next season. LeBlanc is looking to work a little bit on his shooting, but also he really wants to work on the defensive aspect of his play. This upcoming season is going to be Simon's third, and he wants to start being one of the best defensive defenseman in the league. He has to start training for that though. (162 words)
14. 1. I think Manhattan, simply based on the fact that I like Luke as a person, so he's probably a good co-gm too. JayWhy is probably also a great human, since he hired Luke. Nothing against SFP management, they're probably very good too, but I don't know them that much and Manhattan's management just looks better. (55 words)
2. Again, I'll go with Manhattan. With Manhattan's strategy, their players are going to be much less tired compared to SFP. Having more energy is going to help out with points production. SFP relies too much on their top two lines, if one line has a bad night, all they have left is the other one. (55 words)
3. Both logos are pretty solid to be honest, but I think I will have to go with Manhattan's yet again. It's pretty much simply based on the fact that I like Manhattan's colors better. Maybe if SFP's colors would be different I would like their logo better. The purple and yellow just doesn't do it for me I guess. (59 words)
4. I would have to go for my bud Nathan Explosion. His name just embodies his play style : explosive. He just explodes people on the ice, crushing them with powerful hits. He's one of the few players whose name spread fear among the enemies. You do not want to be in the way of the explosion. (55 words)
5. I would go with b). Meeting Gritty is pretty cool on his own I guess, even though I'm not a Flyers fan, but with Luke too? Can't pass on that, it's a one of a kind experience, where as the other choices don't look too appealing to me, but this one actually seems like a great time. (57 words)
1. The most improtatnt thing for the success of the league is the presence of the steelhwaks in the challenge cup finals, so in this alternate universe the league will do whatever it can to make sure that the Stampede do not fluke their way into a series win against the beloved steelhawks. Apparently in this reality we live in now, the league thought it would be a good idea to call far too many penalties in the games that were played and this meant that the steelhawks could not execute in the way that they wanted to. Maybe the league thought that the steelhawks would be able to over come this and it would show the league just how good they actually were, but sadly this was not the case. Alternate universes would fix these issues and the steelhawks would once again be able to bless the league with the glorious light blue boarder.
2. Casino odds are easy, we are here to steal money from the players so lets make that happen
Steelhawks 2-1
Rage 2-1
NOLA 2-1
so these three teams are high tpe teams with good goalies. The issue that all of these team will have is backups and build diversity and fit. Depending on testing these can change but for now look to these three to take the low odds of winning
Stampede 4-1
Pride 4-1
Blizzard 4-1
These teams are next up, goalies are a bit iffy for some teams and the roster is iffy for the others. There are issues in these rosters that might be able to be exploited with tactics from good teams, and even some of the bad ones.
Everyone else is okay except…..
1000-1 TOR
these guys just kinda suck. They have no defense. It will take a miracle for Carpet to save this roster this season if we are being honest with ourselves.
3. Okay lets be honest with ourselves, the best stat for any player is shotblocking. In Hamilton we strive to get more shots on goal than the teams that we play, so by having a big body in front of the net to stop the opposition form getting shots on target it falls right into like with our team philosophy. Now to do this im going to sell out completely. Shotblocking will be 20, positioning and bravary the same. All other attributes can get fucked we are going for the SB title and we will be getting it. Big time meme move but my name will be the leader in the file for eternity.
4. This offseason I am most lookign forward to getting into the batting cage and toughening up. We have all see the evidence from happy Gilmore, how much more tough you can get by getting in there and taking a few shots to the chest. This should also help me be able to block more shots as my eye will be tuned in for ensuring that my body is able to get in the way. Along these ends, I am also excited for all of the hospital visits I will have to take for small bone fractures and large bruises that will be a result of this new offseason program. Michaud has also taken a keen eye on some softball catcher work, as this will help him get use to crouching down and blocking the ball so that it does not get to the fence when people cant hit in slow pitch.
6. I don’t care about the carbon footprint at all but this idea seems great. Get the league together for a full week in one place and have a fucking party the whole time. What could be better than that? Imagine doing this in Miami (lets be honest, WKP wont make the final for a few seasons). Just go out with the boys, see some guys from a team we don’t like, and immediately start a bar fight in an expensive night club. This sounds like a banger of an idea 10/10 would enjoy the shit out of this. Corey, make this happen in the future, please.
03-07-2020, 01:27 PM(This post was last modified: 03-07-2020, 01:45 PM by StadiumGambler.)
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1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
This reality is just one of infinite realities existing alongside this one in parallel. Take us over to one of those realities in which everything is the same but these S52 playoffs have unfolded differently. What happened in that reality's playoffs and who's in the Challenge Cup over there?
In my favourite alternate reality, the Jets relied on some en fuego goaltending from Vivian Leblanc to nip Calgary for the 5th playoff spot in the West. Winnipeg then beat LA in the Wild Card Round in 6 games, leading to Winnipeg vs Edmonton and New Orleans vs San Fran. The Pride took out NOLA in a hard-fought 7 game series that featuring Aleister Cain not blowing it but just getting outdueled by a sturdy defense protecting Chris Partridge. Winnipeg beat Edmonton in a close series, then somehow squeaked past the Pride when Partridge disintegrated and got pulled 3 times.
In the East, New England and Chicago squared off in the Wild Card with New England winning, but the Wolfpack fell to the next hurdle and lost to first-seeded Buffalo. Hamilton lost to Manhattan in a tough series, giving us a Manhattan/Buffalo final won by Buffalo.
The cup finals featured Cedric Robinson havign a rough outing, with the Buffalo skaters unable to keep up with the offensive output of BIG DICK NICK en route to the Jets winning the shocking Cup final in 6 games. Nick Brain won playoff MVP with 35 points in 24 games.
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2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
You're put in charge of making the casino odds on the Cup winner for next season. Whom are you giving the best and the worst odds to, and what's your reasoning?
It'll be tough, cause a lot of franchises are either missing crucial pieces or at risk of losing necessary pieces to free agency or trades. I would be inclined to say that Calgary should be the odds-on favourites, as they should have strong goaltending, good defense, and a tough forward core. Manhattan also warrants consideration if they keep the gang together, although they could use another elite defenseman to round things out.
Secondary favourites should include New Orleans (although the blueline is questionable), Edmonton (who have a good core but the goaltending is a notch short of elite), Buffalo and San Fran (who have great setups for success but average at best goaltending), Hamilton (who has great goaltending but a few key forwards in decline), New England (great core but a slightly below elite goaltender), and maybe Los Angeles (same deal as a lot of teams: will the goaltending be strong enough)
Chicago and Winnipeg are on the bubble of credibility and being worth a long shot bet, but Winnipeg may need a couple teams from the West to fall apart to get in the playoffs. Minny, Toronto, and West Kendall will probably occupy the top lotto spots, and Texas and Tampa Bay are in a weird transitional phase.
So to me theres four clear tiers that should have the odds closely grouped together within the tier........... but anything can happen.
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3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
By now, you're probably familiar with the attributes on FHM, and you likely have some sense of what type of build you're going to be aiming for with your player. What one attribute are you going to focus on most? Of all the attributes in the game, what is your player going to strive to be the absolute best at? Why are you picking that specific attribute above all others?
I'm not going to focus on one attribute above the others. I'm getting the sense, talking to people in the know about this game, that with our TPE scale being well-rounded is the way to go. I do intend to be slightly better at some things than others, but I don't intend to push one attribute super-high. I will be better at scoring, better at the defesive side of the game, slightly better at skating and physical attributes, and weaker at passing. Nick will fight a little, but not a lot, and won't be hyper-aggressive because that might lead to a premium of penalty minutes.
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5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which player from the Rage or the Pride would you bet on to win a regular season individual award in a future season? What player and what award? What makes you think they'll live up to their potential and take home the hardware?
I would like to see Luke Thomason of the Manhattan Rage get some sort of lifetime achievement award. Dude got to the fabled promised land of 2000 TPE with his player, has had some reasonable success as a manager (which may be capped off with a Cup win this season), and does some really good quality media pieces for the site. Not to mention, hes put together several very important Google documents that record things such as vast trade histories (that also document what each traded pick became in terms of the player they drafted with it.), and a TPE leaderboard segmented by draft class. I'm not sure if the SHL has a lifetime achievement award or something akin to the Bill Masterson, but Thomason and luketd should get the gig.
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6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
The SHL is taking a stand and trying to do its part in reducing its carbon footprint. One of the proposed ideas is to eliminate back and forth air travel during the Challenge Cup and Four Star Cup finals and instead hold all 4-7 games in one neutral, rotating location a la the Super Bowl. Are you FOR or AGAINST this idea? Why?
First of all I'd just like to say this would have a fairly negligible impact on carbon footprints in the long run, cause cutting the amount of jets in the sky in a given week from thousands to thousands minus maybe a dozen isn't going to make much of an impact. But regardless I'd say no to this, as sports does not seem to lock a city into a series of games, and usually its either an entire tournament (like international events), or just a big one-off game (like the Super Bowl or the Champions League Finals in soccer.). Doing this host series bit would also be bad if the host city is a team in the finals, creating an unfair home ice advantage for 7 games.
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14. Written, up to 5 TPE Pick up to 5 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words to qualify.
1. Head GMs JayWhy and Grapehead have been GMing for a while, whereas Co GMs Luketd and DaftRaincloud are newer to management - which team's front office staff (including coaches) do you think will provide a strategic edge (lol as if such a thing exists in STHS) in this series?
2. Manhattan has been rocking a pretty evenly-distributed ice time for forwards (35-33-32) whereas San Francisco is going a bit more top-heavy (40-40-15). Which approach do you think is better for a fierce Challenge Cup series?
3. The Rage and the Pride have, in my opinion at least, two of the best logos in the entire SHL. Which team's logo do you like more and why?
4. What is your favorite player name on either of these two teams and why? (not favorite player/user, just focusing on their player name)
5. Would you rather: (a) a chainsaw lesson with JayWhy, (b) a private Gritty meet-and-greet for you and Luke, (c) an all-you-can-eat grape buffet experience with Grapehead, or (d) an hour session where DaftRaincloud shows you everything from his internet history?
1. I'm inclined to say Manhattan has the managerial advantage. Jay seems competent enough and luke is a very smart guy who should be well respected. I have no beef with San Fran, but they've underachieved many times in the past with a lot of the same talented players, and ones gotta wonder if the finger should be pointed at the tacticians involved after a while (although honestly this is all RNG anyways and probably barely affected by tactics laid out by the head men).
3. Sorry but the Specters beat both of them by a considerable distance. I like the Rage's colour scheme as it translates to the jerseys more than the actual logo, which seems like a pretty big rip-off of the Chicago Bulls. Pride colour scheme I'm not a big fan of and the lion's always looked off to me. I'll take the Rage's logo I guess.
5. I have no idea what JayWhy's qualifications are to hold a chainsaw. Is he a lumberjack? Is he a Portland Timbers ultra? Who the hell knows, I certainly don't. I'm on the fence with Gritty but maybe it'd be cool to hang out with luke. Grapes are the kind of snack that should only be eaten in small quantities, but maybe if we had some cheese and other stuff to balance it out it'd be fine, and I'm not sure I'd want to view anyone's internet history for an hour (unless its the greatest hits of their meme section or some cool articles). I'll take B for lack of better options.
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17. Casual Member Special, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer - SEND ANSWER IN PM TO "PT DIRECTOR" (tagged below)
A. As determined by draft class, which rostered player is the oldest player in this series?
B. Name TWO players who have played for both the Pride and the Rage.
C. Among ACTIVE PLAYERS, who has the most points scored in Pride franchise history?
D. Who was recently selected as the #1 player in Rage franchise history as part of their Top 50 in 50 series unveiled this season?
**Important**: Send the answers to username "PT Director" with the subject of the message titled “S52 CW" - Do not send it to my personal account; those will not be graded. Do not post the answers in here; you will not get credit for the task.
Quote:1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.) This reality is just one of infinite realities existing alongside this one in parallel. Take us over to one of those realities in which everything is the same but these S52 playoffs have unfolded differently. What happened in that reality's playoffs and who's in the Challenge Cup over there?
This is always fun, even if no one reads these from me. In trip’s™ alternate playoff reality, many things remain the same. Buffalo sweeps Toronto then battles through Hamilton in 5 games (Hugh Jazz and Aaron Wilson are held without a goal in the series). Manhattan defeats Chicago again. New Orleans knocks out Edmonton in 5. Los Angeles gets a clutch last minute goal in Game 7 to end Calgary, before getting squeaked out in 5 versus San Francisco. The Eastern Conference finals remain the same tight, tough series that sees Manhattan beat Buffalo (sad), but on the Western Conference side the superior coaching of New Orleans eliminates the Pride in six games. Thus, the finals see Manhattan take on New Orleans, just as I predicted in preseason… and in the playoff predictions point task.
From there, it’s a tight, seven game series. New Orleans takes Game 1, falls in Games 2 and 3, then win back to back games to take a 3-2 lead into Game 6. Playoff heroics by Peter Larson (he refuses to cede his crease to Scottey Crawfling this year) steals a 2-1 victory in overtime for the Rage. Then it all comes down to an insane Game 7… I wonder who wins?
Quote:2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.) You're put in charge of making the casino odds on the Cup winner for next season. Whom are you giving the best and the worst odds to, and what's your reasoning?
This is easy. The highest odds go to San Francisco and Buffalo. All the sims show very clearly they have some of the highest average TPE in the league, and they’re both well-run franchises. Depth will win championships in FHM, and these two teams boast the deepest defense and offenses (respectively) in the league. In fact, Buffalo is arguably the best run franchise in the league, consistently getting other GMs to make flat out bad choices in every circumstance. @Tomen and @WannabeFinn are smarter than their peers, and I love being a part of a team with such a competitive advantage.
The lowest odds probably have to go to Toronto and Tampa Bay. Both are rebuilding franchises with porous defenses. Toronto was able to accidentally meme their way through the last few seasons in STHS, but next season they will be exposed in a serious way. They have a good GM and a solid prospect pipeline, but they are at least 2-3 seasons away from sniffing the playoffs again, in my opinion.
Quote:3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.) By now, you're probably familiar with the attributes on FHM, and you likely have some sense of what type of build you're going to be aiming for with your player. What one attribute are you going to focus on most? Of all the attributes in the game, what is your player going to strive to be the absolute best at? Why are you picking that specific attribute above all others?
After almost 10 seasons of getting dicked around in STHS, I’m excited to unlock Darrow’s potential as one of the elite defenders in the league. My goal is unchanged: Ryan Murray without all the injuries, an elite two-way defender who makes smart passes, shuts down other team’s top players, and skates well. With this, right now I’m planning on focusing more on the defensive side. Because of that, there isn’t one stat that’s more important than the rest. It will be a balance of prioritizing Checking, Defensive Read, and Positioning in order to be get myself a Bojo Trophy soon (and maybe a Stevens?) I may lean into Checking more than the other two, with how important we’re hearing Checking is in FHM.
Quote:5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.) Which player from the Rage or the Pride would you bet on to win a regular season individual award in a future season? What player and what award? What makes you think they'll live up to their potential and take home the hardware?
There’s a player on one of these teams that should take home an individual award this season. Peter Larson is the best person to win the John McBride (goalie of the year) this season. Top performer in save percentage, leads the shutout numbers by a fair margin, lowest goals against average by a goaltender who played at least 80% of his team’s games… this guy deserves to win Goalie of the Year.
Beyond that, I think Charlie Schieck will be in conversations for future Stevens Awards for top defenseman and it’s only a matter of time until Luke Thomason brings home a scoring title or MVP… or both. He’s going to be discussed as the best player in the league very soon.
1. Manhattan has the management edge. Luke knows STHS very well and has proven he is a championship caliber manager from his time with Vancouver. JayWhy has also been around a good bit of time, and knows what he’s doing. They also don’t come with the same pressure that Grapehead carries into this series--no one’s called for JY to be fired as a GM in the last five seasons to my knowledge. I’ve heard more than one user (fairly) claim that Grapes would have been fired if this was real hockey by now with the constant underperforming with the talent he has on his roster. I love Grapehead, but competitively I think Manhattan’s got him beat.
4. Really? The best name in this series is from a juniors call up, Simothy Drunkebird. The perfection of the name speaks for itself. With the curse that is SimonT, Simothy is the demon spawn son of a former SHLer and a feathered fursona demon, made for the express purpose of destroying SimonT… and he was successful. Thank you Simothy, stay blasted, my child. @Esso2264
5. I like grapes, but not THAT much. I’ll go with the private Gritty meet-and-greet with @"luketd". It’d be nice to visit Philadelphia again, get myself a hashbrown, porkroll, egg and cheese on a hoagie roll, pepper ketchup for the first time in like… 5 years? And meet the scary orange demon (and Gritty) finally.
Quote:17: Casual Member Special (1+2)
Submitted.
Thank you karey, OrbitingDeath Ragnar, and sköldpaddor for sigs!
2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
You're put in charge of making the casino odds on the Cup winner for next season. Whom are you giving the best and the worst odds to, and what's your reasoning?
Since we are moving to a new simulation engine at the start of next season, trying to guess who will win next season playoffs is probably the hardest it has ever been since the league first ever season. With that in mind, I would think that the best way to set next season betting odd would be to skew it toward where the teams finished in the standings the season before. With an increase in the number of possible player builds and the number of attributes, there is a good chance that it will be possible to have an effective player more easily by building a type of player who is lacking in the team you play for. With that being said, the highest odds should go to either the Hamilton Steelhawks or the San Francisco pride whom both win their respective conference by five points or more. The lowest odds would go to the Tampa Bay Barracuda who had the least point and the worst differential. 167 words
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3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
By now, you're probably familiar with the attributes on FHM, and you likely have some sense of what type of build you're going to be aiming for with your player. What one attribute are you going to focus on most? Of all the attributes in the game, what is your player going to strive to be the absolute best at? Why are you picking that specific attribute above all others?
Anders goal has always been to be considered has one of the best two-way players in the game and this is what he will focus on accomplishing with his FHM build in the next few seasons. The two main attributes that Anders will focus on are Offensive Read and Defensive Read. If you can see how to play is about to develop, you already have a massive advantage versus the other players who are on the ice at the same time as you. Anders will also focus on Passing, Puckhandling and Speed which are three attributes that every two-way player should have, because they are crucial all around the rink. 110 words
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4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
The Most Generic Prompt of All Time - what is your player looking forward to in the offseason? What are they planning on doing? Training? Relaxing? Testing free agency? Whatever it is, let us know!
Anders will have quite a busy offseason. First of all, he will keep hitting the ice for the next few weeks to be ready for the IIHF tournament that will start right after the SHL playoffs. After this, Anders will take two weeks off with no training plan where he will head to Italy to enjoy some vacation time with his family. After his vacation, Anders come back to Boston where he will start his offseason training with his teammates who decided to spend their offseason in New England. During this time, Anders agent his expected to start working on a contract extension, because Anders contract will run out at the end of next season. Christiansen will also go back to Norway for a two-week period, where he will continue his training and spend some more time with his family and his friends. He will then go back to New England to prepare for next season. 156 words
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5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which player from the Rage or the Pride would you bet on to win a regular season individual award in a future season? What player and what award? What makes you think they'll live up to their potential and take home the hardware?
Since I expect the Rage and the Pride to both be contending teams from the next few seasons, I think they will have players winning awards in the short term. The player that I think is the most likely to win a regular season award in the future is San Francisco Pride goaltender Chris Partridge who I think will win the John McBride Trophy who is awarded to the best goalie in the league. The Pride probably have the best defense in the league which will help Partridge kept a low goal against average and a high save percentage, because he will face a lower number of high-danger chances. With these two stats being the most important to evaluate a goalie, Partridge has a high chance of winning the award in the next seasons. 134 words
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14. Written, up to 5 TPE Pick up to 5 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words to qualify.
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1. Head GMs JayWhy and Grapehead have been GMing for a while, whereas Co GMs Luketd and DaftRaincloud are newer to management - which team's front office staff (including coaches) do you think will provide a strategic edge (lol as if such a thing exists in STHS) in this series?
The farther you make it in the playoffs, the more important hard word and experience become a major factor. With that being said, I think experience is king in the playoffs and this is why I think the Rage have a strategic edge in terms of management, because JayWhy and luketd have been around the league for a longer time than both their opponents. 64 words
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2. Manhattan has been rocking a pretty evenly-distributed ice time for forwards (35-33-32) whereas San Francisco is going a bit more top-heavy (40-40-15). Which approach do you think is better for a fierce Challenge Cup series?
Managing energy is crucial when you have a long playoff run. This can be done in two ways, either by giving your player more rest day and limiting the amount of training sessions, or by making sure you don’t overplay your players. The farther you make it, the more impact will this have and this is why I think the evenly distributed ice time of Manhattan is the better approach. 70 words
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3. The Rage and the Pride have, in my opinion at least, two of the best logos in the entire SHL. Which team's logo do you like more and why?
Both teams have awesome logo, but if I had to choose one, I would pick the Rage logo has my favourite of the two. The two things that make me choose the Rage logo are the M representing Manhattan and the fact that the Empire State Building, one of the main attractions of the city skylines, is part of the logo. The Pride logo doesn’t have anything indicating you where they play. 72 words
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17. Casual Member Special, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer - SEND ANSWER IN PM TO "PT DIRECTOR" (tagged below)
Send via PM.
Nor Ge
Salzberger Lillehammersson
Anders Christiansen
Otrebor13 Graphic Graders
S11 Challenge Cup Champion
Posts:5,260 Threads: 184 Joined: Dec 2011 Reputation:54
Pronouns: Male
Player: Axel Kirby
03-07-2020, 04:19 PM(This post was last modified: 03-07-2020, 04:20 PM by Otrebor13.)
Task 1
In this alternate reality things happened VERY differently. The Challenge Cup Finals consist of one of the better story lines to grace the SHL, and maybe even hockey, in a very long time. The Challenge Cup Finals is between the Los Angeles Panthers and the Toronto North Stars. You may ask why that’s a good story line, well this is why.
Prior to the SHL season beginning, @ml002 had plans to rebuild his Toronto North Stars and traded himself, Mikhail Lokitonov to the Los Angeles Panthers. In a miraculous effort, the North Stars held down a playoff spot and played spoiler to the Eastern Conference. Now, they go up against the Panthers and Lokitonov’s final quest for a Challenge Cup. Will Lokitonov use his insider information to sabotage the Panthers and bring a Challenge Cup to his GMing career, or will he throw the series as a GM to bring Lokitonov the Challenge Cup he deserves to end his career on? This makes for a very interesting series.
Task 2
I’ll start this off by going to the worst odds, as I think most, if not all, will go the same route and say the Toronto North Stars. The North Stars are in the midst of a rebuild, and the number of active members on the team is quite small compared to everyone else. In addition, they’ve also got the lowest average TPE per player in the league (I believe it’s around 600 TPE!?!?). There are no expectations for the North Stars to win and I don’t think giving them the lowest odds is a slight against them. I think they’ll end up being just fine.
When it comes to the highest odds, I have a tough time deciding. However, as much as people may not want to hear it, I have to go with the Hamilton Steelhawks. This team is built to win. They’ve got a fantastic roster from top to bottom, and on top of that they have a staff that includes Teddy. Teddy (and I’m sure others do too, don’t hate me) has extensive knowledge of FHM and this could give their team a significant advantage going in to the unknown. They’ve also got the one person who’s destined to learn the ins and outs of any engine we use in Aaron Wilson. Together, they pose a deadly combo of knowledge and willingness to learn. I have to give them the edge going in to S53.
Task 3
FHM is a very interesting engine and I’m looking forward to the change. For my player, though, I’ll be looking to be a dual offensive threat, someone who can set up his teammates and pass the puck as well. I’d like to be more on the playmaker side, but the team needs a goal scorer. Therefore, I will be focusing my efforts on becoming a good goal scorer.
I’m looking at getting that Shooting Accuracy up as high as I can, be one of the elite goal scorers in the league, someone who the opposition does not want getting the puck in their own end.
Task 5
I think I’d have to say Luke Thomason. His activity level, TPE and his constant willingness to get better tells me he’d be the one who’d win an award. I think his game is very versatile, but I would have to say he’s definitely someone I can put a lock to win the scoring title. Thomason has been getting his point production up over the years after being a very good two way player, his offensive game is finally shining. There are a ton of good players, but with someone who has eclipsed the 2000 TPE mark and has not hit regression yet, I would have to put my money on him to win a title. I would even say he’s in contention for the Dar.
Task 6
AGAINST
I am all for the environment, but unfortunately, I have to go against this one. The crowd at home games is a huge boost to a team and their outcome. I think having it at a neutral site would downplay the ability to gain home ice advantage, and it’s a big reason for teams to gain points in the standings. Without home ice, the regular season standings don’t really mean anything and anything can happen once teams make it in to the playoffs. Not to mention, players love playing in front of their home crowd where the atmosphere is much better and can get the players pumped up and excited before a game, even when some players may not have something going for them.
Task 14
1. I don’t know much about the management group in San Francisco, but I do know Luke from my days in Vancouver and I know he is constantly trying to improve his teams. For that reason, I’m going to give Manhattan the edge in this one. They’ve been constantly improving and I think they’re going to give themselves the best chance to win.
2. I think when it comes down to it, depth wins games. While having top end talent is important, I think most teams have their top end forwards, but having good depth to go up against the weaker/more tired lines of the opposition helps wear them down and win. That being said, STHS is super random, so who knows who the hell is gonna win.
3. I’m going Pride here. I like the simplicity of the Rage logo, but I love the Pride colors and think they work really well together. The lion works well and the logo is super clean. While animal logos are usually overdone, I think this one looks great and wouldn’t be opposed to having those colors and that logo on my jersey.
03-07-2020, 04:39 PM(This post was last modified: 03-07-2020, 04:55 PM by The__Y-man__100.)
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1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
This reality is just one of infinite realities existing alongside this one in parallel. Take us over to one of those realities in which everything is the same but these S52 playoffs have unfolded differently. What happened in that reality's playoffs and who's in the Challenge Cup over there?
In an alternate universe, the wolfpack were the ones victorious and the Toronto north stars were the ones crying in the locker room about not making the playoffs for the third season straight. In this universe as well the Hamilton steel hawks finished dead last after what was a very sketchy season last year which saw them win it all by playing around the rules. It's hard to say what went wrong with the wolpack as they averaged alright numbers this season with regards to team depth and goal tending. Toronto had more top end goal scorers with 4 20+ goal guys where as New England only had 2.Boris could have picked his game up a bit too to provide the much needed depth at center ( have a career high with 11 points is kind of sad). Why if they were in thew west they would have been in 4th place. So maybe the wolfpack relocated in this universe to the western conference so that playoff dreams were attainable.
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2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
You're put in charge of making the casino odds on the Cup winner for next season. Whom are you giving the best and the worst odds to, and what's your reasoning?
If i had to give the best cup odds, I would have to give it to the buffalo stampede. While they are not the top team in the standings every year, they seem to always find a way to make it into the playoffs and at least go to the conference finals year after year. While finishing wit ha league high 69 points is nice, consistency beats out one year of nice numbers any day of the week in my opinion. Not to mention when a guy like Viktor Marius is on your team success is bound to come as he is one of the best forwards in the game as every year his play stays at the same elite level. Not to mention I feel they have some of the best goal tending depth in the league which meas they will be able to stay competitive for a long time to come
worst odds are Texas renegades, they just seem to be really bad every year as of late
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3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
By now, you're probably familiar with the attributes on FHM, and you likely have some sense of what type of build you're going to be aiming for with your player. What one attribute are you going to focus on most? Of all the attributes in the game, what is your player going to strive to be the absolute best at? Why are you picking that specific attribute above all others?
I have decided to become a jumbo playmaker. My player's job is to create space on the ice and dangle my way through opponents to set up other players with good scoring chances. One big attribute I am focusing on is strength and puck handling as to be a playmaker I can't be getting pushed around of there and i need to be able to maintain possession while I'm out on the ice. i chose these attributes as coming into the shl i wanted to be a jumbo playmaker, but the current sim engine does not like pass first players.
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Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
The Most Generic Prompt of All Time - what is your player looking forward to in the offseason? What are they planning on doing? Training? Relaxing? Testing free agency? Whatever it is, let us know!
This off season Boris did a lot of training. With FHM coming up he completely switched his game around and is hoping for some success next season as his career so far has been mediocre. Working with the Scherbluk bros this off season as they want to help a fellow Slavic stud in the making, they really opened Boris' eyes as to how he could fix his game. Boris also did a lot of drinking with GM @hotdog as they both could not believe this happened again... like come on SHL we've suffered enough. This appears to become a regular thing as Boris and Hotdog have been doing it for the past few off seasons together
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3 TPE max
A. As determined by draft class, which rostered player is the oldest player in this series?
B. Name TWO players who have played for both the Pride and the Rage.
C. Among ACTIVE PLAYERS, who has the most points scored in Pride franchise history?
D. Who was recently selected as the #1 player in Rage franchise history as part of their Top 50 in 50 series unveiled this season?
SENT
First ever Yukon Malamute draft pick (1st overall S65)
03-07-2020, 06:48 PM(This post was last modified: 03-09-2020, 04:37 PM by mxman991.)
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1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
This reality is just one of infinite realities existing alongside this one in parallel. Take us over to one of those realities in which everything is the same but these S52 playoffs have unfolded differently. What happened in that reality's playoffs and who's in the Challenge Cup over there?
In this parallel universe the coronavirus sweeps through the entirety of the SHL. All the current players are put on a two week quarantine. In order to continue hockey the SHL does something it never thought it would do. They call up all their Junior players to play out the playoffs for their respective teams. Hamilton Steelhawks are oddly prepared for this and has had their rookies practicing shooting for months, oddly however they do not pass the puck often. These new Steelhawks are well trained and avoid the SHL conspiracy to call too many penalties on Hamillton so that they may dictate the series and pay off their loan sharks. Al Kayhall goes on an unprecedented run of averaging a hat trick a game, Hamilton coasts into their second consecutive cup. The league recovers completely from the virus, not a single person is killed. The SHL throws a double party celebrating their survival and Hamilton's cup victory. Ironically Al Kayhall drinks too much at the double party and is found dead in his bed in the morning, the cup in one hand and his d in the other.
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2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
You're put in charge of making the casino odds on the Cup winner for next season. Whom are you giving the best and the worst odds to, and what's your reasoning?
I don’t follow the SHL enough to actually have a good answer for this. So I’m going to play the homer card here and give the nod to Hamilton as the #1 option to win the cup next season. The main reason that I would consider this to be the favorite is due to DrunkenTeddy being a lead person in creating the way that we will do the FHM conversion. He was also highly important in the test simming. This would give some sort of advantage to their team in knowing how to build out their roster to hit the ground running. Randomly I am just going to say that the worst team is going to be Minnesota this year. I don't know why, but I have just heard around the league that they tend to be pretty bad. So I guess I would say a high bet on Hamilton will pay very little, and a low bet on Minnesota will pay very nicely.
(Words: 164)
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4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
The Most Generic Prompt of All Time - what is your player looking forward to in the offseason? What are they planning on doing? Training? Relaxing? Testing free agency? Whatever it is, let us know!
Al Kayhall and the Hamilton Raiders suffered an embarassing loss in the SMJHL Playoffs. Instead of letting it wear on him, Al has decided to focus on the future and send a few tweets to remind people that he got a cup last season. Kayhall played his last second to last season in the SMJHL this year and is currently excited to hit the ice for his last season in the SMJHL. However he is also a bit worried as Hamilton has not yet renewed his contract, with no contract offer thus far. Kayhalls's fate seems unknown for the time being but he has been training hard to show teams that he can play at the top level. His second to last year was a bit of a let down, even though he finished in the top 10 in the league at 3 different positions. The changing rules has him grinding hard in the gym to prepare for the changes and bring him back into the top 5 of the league.
(Words: 171)
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6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
The SHL is taking a stand and trying to do its part in reducing its carbon footprint. One of the proposed ideas is to eliminate back and forth air travel during the Challenge Cup and Four Star Cup finals and instead hold all 4-7 games in one neutral, rotating location a la the Super Bowl. Are you FOR or AGAINST this idea? Why?
Against this, Al is very fond of being able to fly into a town to play early. He primarily does this so he can hit a bar before they need to hit the ice. If he has to resort to driving there is no way he will have time to get a few beers before puck drop. Also, since he now has residence in Sweden and a famous girlfriend in Sweden, it would really impact his personal life if he were to try to go by car or boat. Al will instead decide to start locally sourcing his alcohol if possible to reduce his impact.
(Words: 105)
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8. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min. for written option)
The arenas in San Francisco and New York certainly don't need any gimmicks to get people into the stadium for the series, but the arenas want to make sure they're pulling out all the stops on the big stage. Help the concessions department of one of these two teams develop a new product, with marketing specifically pertaining to this finals series, to be sold at the arena during the finals. Describe the product and the marketing in 150 words or create a promotional poster showing the product, its name, the price, etc.
San Francisco understands that it's the season of playoffs, which is why it's gifting all of us with its biggest nacho box to date. Say hello to the Nachos San Fran Party Pack, a cardboard boat stuffed with nachos and toppings that will ensure the SHL will never be the same.The Nachos Party Pack contains heaps of tortilla chips loaded with the Prides's signature seasoned beef, refried beans, gooey nacho cheese sauce, sour cream, pico de gallo, generous scoops of guac, and jalapeños -- all for $39.99 at the rink. We'd recommend getting a dollop of Pride Ranch sauce to go with it for only an additional $12.99 with the purchase of a small drink. "We are so excited to give our fans a new way to enjoy our fan-favorite nachos and another reason to think of San Francisco when looking to go to a game,” Melissa Fransua, senior vice president of brand marketing and consumer insights at San Francisco Pride, said in a press release. “Our Party Packs are a big crowd-pleaser for fans, and the addition of the Nachos San Fran Party Pack to the line-up brings something new to the table that is sure to be a showstopper during the games.”
(Word count: 204)
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17. Casual Member Special, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer - SEND ANSWER IN PM TO "PT DIRECTOR" (tagged below)
4. My goals for this coming season are to continue my progression with Emiko. She's slowly been progressing into a good goalie and one that can be relied on by a team. I know this coming season she's going to become the starting netminder for the Edmonton Blizzard. I have some very big skates to fill after taking over for Tuck. I'm worried and excited at the same time but i am sure it is something that Emiko is totally up too and that she will flourish in such a role. Other than that i have a lot of training to do as i've been sat on the bench for a long time which may have made me a bit rusty however it is nothing a quick pre-season run could not fix. I guess i hope to be considered as a candidate for goalie of the year in the upcoming season however i understand that is too early right now however i will be trying my best!
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166 Words
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3. The switch has really made me reevaluate my build and what i want with Emiko. Before this i was aiming to build my Size however right now i am not sure what i am doing. I think i'll go for a Juuse Saros build then work it out from their. I think something that will be very useful is goalie stamina as unlike Simon T Hockey Sim where no one gets tired they do a lot in FHM from when i have played in the past. As a result i think that will become one of the most important for this next lot of players and maybe it will be the first stat i get to 20 i am not sure however i may do it!
03-07-2020, 07:21 PM(This post was last modified: 03-07-2020, 07:50 PM by karlssens.)
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
To be honest I'd say this is a very different reality than many predicted for these playoffs. Short of going through each prediction I doubt many had the Pride going beyond a round or two, let alone reaching the finals. No knock to their team, but they've had a string of bad luck and poor performances since adopting the new team name and logo. It's good to see all that hard work pay off. Likewise to the Rage, many predict them to do well, yet they seem to disappoint every year. It's good to see the effort they've put in yield fruit. In the "most likely scenario" alternative reality I imagine we'd see the reigning champs return to the final as the eastern champion and a long overdue return to the finals by the New Orleans Specters as the western champion. These guys have made the playoffs for 7 straight seasons since entering the league and only made the finals once. In their inaugural season.
2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
A round of applause to the casino team for putting together the odds every season. I'm not sure what their algorithm is, but it seems quite fair, especially given the random nature of the STHS beast. If I were to assign odds for next season, especially given the switch to FHM, I'd have to go off sheer TPE volume as that's really the only indicator in a new simulation era. With that in mind New England would become the favorite and have the best odds of winning. On the flip side Toronto has the lowest TPE total and would have the worst odds of winning. Given recent success, or lack there of, it seems unfair to give the best odds to a team that didn't even make the playoffs, but it's difficult to gauge who will succeed and who will falter with the new simulation engine ready to drop in S53.
5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
From Manhattan I'll take the safe pick in Luke Thomason. They have a number of solid players including Barret McCarthy and Peter Larson, but Thomason has proven to be a strong two way force in this league and has been in the discussion for several awards already, most notably the Jeff Dar. On San Francisco I'll take the dynamic forward Piotr Czerkawski. He already has a goal scoring title under his belt and a nomination for MVP, so it's safe to say he's no stranger to dominant seasonal performances. Both of these guys are leaders are their respective teams and I could see them in the hunt for a Mexico in the near future. Potentially as early as next season.
14. Written, 5 TPE
1. No knock to Grapehead and DaftRaincloud, but the edge here definitely goes to Jaywhy and Luketd. Having been a member since 2015 I've seen my fair share of users and JayWhy is one I've encountered many times. He's put in time in literally every position available in this league and done so with tremendous effort so I can't imagine the GM position being any different. Toss in the sheer dedication of Luketd and you have an incredible pair. They'll take every step necessary to improve their odds in this one.
2. I'd favor the top heavy approach used by San Francisco. Depth is great, but you win or lose on the backs of your best players in this league and that especially rings true on the offensive side of the puck. That being said if their top two lines don't match up with the top two lines of Manhattan it could all be for not. Regardless they'll put the responsibility on their top guys as they should.
3. Agreed, both are dead sexy, although not as sexy as that beautiful fox up in Edmonton. Between these two though I'd take the bull out in Manhattan. The bold red color, the fierce black border and the empire state building at the neck of the bull is a beautiful touch. Definitely one of my favorites and a huge improvement over the "bear" they used to rock.
4. On San Francisco my favorite is definitely Cleo Green. Whenever I read it I can't help but imagine CeeLo Green struggling against professional hockey players. It doesn't help he has like 200? TPE. On the other side my favorite name on Manhattan would have to be Backdoor Barnacle. Honestly I wasn't even aware this was a player until I checked the index and I'm glad it is. Dude gets zero ice time, but can you imagine if a guy with a name like that light up the scoresheet regularly. I'd have a chuckle.
5. Hmm, that's a tough one. I'll take the Gritty meet-and-greet with Luke, although I'm curious about this chainsaw lesson. Does JayWhy instruct you, or is it like a group lesson you're taking together? Anyways the opportunity to meet Gritty AND Luke in the same day?! I'll take that any day of the week, sign me up!
2. (3 TPE)
I think with the switch to FHM, you will see casino odds shift to much higher over and unders for teams with high TPE levels and much lower over and unders for teams with low TPE. I feel like generally all teams have their win amounts being between 20-30 wins due to the nature of STHS. In the Eastern Conference, I expect teams like Toronto to have incredibly low odds. Maybe even 10 or lower. I expect Tampa Bay and West Kendall to maybe have their odds set around 20 wins. On the flip side I see teams like New England, Manhattan, and Buffalo to have 30 plus wins easily with their high TPE players. Over in the Western Conference I similarly expect teams like Texas, Winnipeg, and Minnesota to have the lowest odds perhaps around 20 wins or lower. I feel like the top teams in the west might be a little less obvious, I am also less familiar with their rosters. I could see New Orleans, Calgary, Los Angeles, Edmonton, or San Francisco having odds in the high 20s or low 30s win marks though.
3. (2 TPE)
I haven’t quite decided what I want Akira Ren’s build to be yet as it will largely depend on what others on the team decide to do. However, currently the idea of a mobile defenseman such as Quinn Hughes who has strong skating skills that allow him to play an effective two-way game is very appealing. There seem to be a couple of attributes related to skating in the sim including speed, acceleration, and agility. I realistically will probably focus on all of these abilities equally but if I have to choose one I might choose agility. I just like the idea of my player dodging though everyone Bobby Orr style going coast to coast. I doubt there is anyway to actually measure stuff like this in the sim but it would be cool to be the most agile player in the league.
4. (3 TPE)
This offseason will be quite hectic for Akira Ren. He was eliminated relatively early in the SMJHL Playoffs and said goodbye to his teammates on the Newfoundland Berserkers. It was quite bittersweet since he has made many great friends in Newfoundland and is disappointed he couldn’t help them win a cup, but he is also looking forward to joining Chicago and making the jump to the SHL. He enjoyed some relaxation but now has been working hard to learn the new rules of the SHL and prepare himself for the jump. In particular he has been working on becoming faster and stronger so he can hold his own at the SHL level. He isn’t quite sure where he will play in the lineup but is looking forward to just doing his best for the team. He has also talked a little bit to Chicago Management about his impressions of some of the prospects in the SMJHL. Chicago is excited to draft another great young player in the upcoming SHL draft and Ren has helped advise on this process. Overall Ren is working hard to prepare for next season and hopes he can win rookie of the year!
14. (5 TPE)
1. I will give the strategic edge to Jaywhy and Luketd for this matchup. They often come up with some crazy strategies (such as playing the backup goalie) to appease Simon in giving them wins. In recent seasons I feel Manhattan has also had more playoff experience than San Francisco which will help them in the finals.
2. I will once again give the edge to Manhattan in their ice time distribution. This distribution will allow teams to play top scorers together on the 3rd line (even 3 if they like) and also potentially give them easier matchups to abuse as there is a trend for 3rd line to play vs 3rd line.
3. The choice between the stoic lion and the angry bull is a tough one. I think I like lion representing the Pride better than I like the bull representing the Rage but as on overall logo I’m rather partial to the Bull. I’m probably a little biased since I previously played for Manhattan but I just like the angry look more.
4. There are a lot of great name son both teams and it is tough to choose. But I will say my favourite player name is Rainbow Dash. Hockey is a fierce and tough game, but Rainbow Dash seems to bring grace to the ice with their name. They have also attracted a lot of fans to the SHL from an interesting demographic which has helped boost viewership.
5. Hmm I would go with the all you can eat grape buffet with Grapehead. I am assuming the grape buffet includes wine which I am rather partial to. The Gritty meet and greet might be cool, I have never been to Philly. Not sure I have much use for chainsaw lessons and I worry what might be on DaftRaincloud’s internet history.
3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
For Henrik Lekberg Osterman I have decided to go fairly all in on speed and acceleration to begin with, so skating basically. After I did some testing I found these two attributes to make a big difference even when other attributes were comparatively low, which I hope will give HLO a chance to really contribute to his team in the first couple of seasons when his TPE is a little on the low side. It also fits with the background story that I’ve created for HLO as he has always been a good skater and has worked hard to continue to improve his skating in the juniors so that is definitely something that I kept in mind while choosing.
4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
As usual, Henrik Lekberg Osterman is really looking forward to going back home during the summer and visiting his family and friends in Sweden. This year he has also planned a short trip to Australia as that is somewhere he has always wanted to visit. He will be covering most of the Australian East coast, starting in Sydney and spending a 10 days in the Sydney Area before heading north to Brisbane for another couple of days. After that he is planning on slowly driving up to Cairns, stopping in a couple of places along the way to fit in some sightseeing and diving. After that he will be heading to San Francisco to spend the remainder of the off-season in his new home town, getting to know his team mates and the locals as well as trying to find a home as that is something he has not had the time to do yet.
5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Well, obviously I would love for Henrik Lekberg Osterman to win some hardware in the future, maybe the Ryan Jesster as early as next year! But in all seriousness, if I had to pick one player that I am fairly familiar with and that I would feel comfortable betting on landing some hardware in the future it would be Simothy Drunkbird. I imagine he is going to win at least one Jeff Darr Trophy in his career. He is an absolute stud in his own end and can produce when he needs to. He has been an absolute rock for Colorado in the juniors so far and I would be surprised if he doesn't end up being both their captain and their MVP next season.
6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Lowering the leagues carbon footprint is fantastic and I’m all for a more environmentally responsible future for our game. However, I don’t know if this is the way to do it. I think the fans as well as the organisations themselves expect to get those home games and to get to enjoy that feeling of standing in a familiar area to cheer on your team. While I’m not completely against it, I think there is are better or more interesting options. I would much rather see another day or two between games to let the players rest up and have the teams travel back and forth using a more environmentally friendly and high tech mode of transport, like maglev trains. But since that's in the far future, I guess id be fine with doing it this way until we get there.
14. Written, up to 5 TPE Pick up to 5 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words to qualify.
1. Head GMs JayWhy and Grapehead have been GMing for a while, whereas Co GMs Luketd and DaftRaincloud are newer to management - which team's front office staff (including coaches) do you think will provide a strategic edge (lol as if such a thing exists in STHS) in this series?
Well, I think I would have to give it to Grapehead and DaftRaincloud. Not only because I am more familiar with them than I am with JayWhy and Luketd but because they are my GMs and I'm going to take every opportunity to kiss their rear ends to try and get myself as much ice time as possible next season.
2. Manhattan has been rocking a pretty evenly-distributed ice time for forwards (35-33-32) whereas San Francisco is going a bit more top-heavy (40-40-15). Which approach do you think is better for a fierce Challenge Cup series?
I like spreading out time between three well balanced lines like Manhattan is doing. If you have the talent I don't see a reason why you shouldn't try and use it in the best way possible and since Manhattan have three incredible centres they have the depth down the middle to spread the ice time between those big three stars.
3. The Rage and the Pride have, in my opinion at least, two of the best logos in the entire SHL. Which team's logo do you like more and why?
I’d have to go with San Francisco here. Purple is one of my favourite colors so that alone gives them the edge but I also really like the complementary yellow and the logo in general is just sweet. To me they are one, if not the, best marketed team in the league. Everything from the logo to the location to the colors and even the name it's just perfect. So I’d have to go with the Pride. This answer was in no way shaped by me being drafted by them or playing with them, by the way.
4. What is your favorite player name on either of these two teams and why? (not favorite player/user, just focusing on their player name)
There are a lot of really great names on these teams but if I had to pick just one it would be Nathan Explosion. I’m a huge Metalocalypse fan and I remember seeing the player name for the first time and having a good chuckle. I also recently realized his old player was called Toki Wartooth which makes me love it even more. So yeah, it would definitely Nathan Explosion. Brutal.
Task 1 (3 TPE)
In this parallel universe the Calgary Dragons beat the San Fransisco Pride in game 7 and go on to face the New Orleans Spectors in the conference finals. In this series, in which a lot of familair players are facing eachother, the tension and pressure is high. The New Orleans Spectors want that first Challenge Cup. Many in the league believe they are one of the better teams in the SHL, but have never gone all the way. Will this be their year against the Calgary Dragons? The Dragons start of well and beat the Spectors on their home ice in a close game that went to OT (4-3). Game 2 was ever so close in going in to overtime as well, but the Spectors scored on a late power play in the third period to even up the series. Back in Calgary the Dragons were the better team and they won both home games and took a 3-1 series lead. Everyone wanted for this series to go 7 games, but the Dragons killed of any Spectors hope in game 5 and go on to play in the Challenge Cup Finals once again.
Task 2 (3 TPE)
Next season we have the first season in FHM. While STHS had a far more randomness factor, FHM will reward the better teams. Therefor I think the teams with the best odds of winning the championship are: San Fransisco Pride, Buffalo Stampede, New Orleans Spectors and the Calgary Dragons. All of these four teams have a very stacked and active roster and looking at test results over past couple of weeks it's safe to say that Toronto isn't going to be among them.
If I zoom in on one team, my own team, the Calgary Dragons I can say that our roster is very deep and we have a lot of 1k+ TPE players which are all actively updating. We also believe that STHS has not been in our favor and we should have performed better during the last regular season. FHM will set this straight and we will be the powerhouse that we are.
Task 3 (2 TPE)
With the coming of FHM my player can finally fill the role I want it to have, a playmaker. In STHS we all had cookie cutter builds and most players pretty much all looked the same. That's going to change and one of the attributes I'm going to focus on is passing. In STHS scoring was the hot take and pass-first players were underachievers. This will be no more, finally. Pass-first players will be on the top of the scoring board alongside the top goal scorers in the league. I hope we will see a lot more diversity in player builds.
Task 4 (3 TPE)
After we were eliminated in the playoffs by the San Fransisco Pride is visit my family back home. We catched up, grilled some meat and went horseriding. After about a week me and the girlfriend hopped on a plane and visited the sandy beaches of the Maldives. Sun, sea, cocktails and sleep. Lot's of sleep. After a week of relaxing we went to visit Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is quite a divers country with unique culture and lot's of nature to enjoy. We visited tea plantations, elephant sanctuary and rode on a train cross country through the mountains. It was an epic holiday which we enjoyed very much. When we get home it's time to start training again for the new season. I'm going to be helping our new additions Rykov and Weston get familair with our facilities and help them prepare for the preseason. They've been performing in Carolina so well and I'm pretty sure they will do the same in Calgary.
Task 5 (2 TPE)
For both San Fransisco and Manhattan Rage I think that @ImShiny will win an award in the future. In the future they will introduce a new award for most awesomest guy in the league and that race is not even close. He is an old teammate of mine in Kelowna and we are still in touch through our alumni program. Rookies in our locker room look up to him and he is always helpful with a positive attitude to help our rookies on their way to greatness. I really hope that he will win the Challenge Cup, I think he deserves it.
03-08-2020, 09:12 AM(This post was last modified: 03-08-2020, 09:12 AM by Weretarantula.)
6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.) The SHL is taking a stand and trying to do its part in reducing its carbon footprint. One of the proposed ideas is to eliminate back and forth air travel during the Challenge Cup and Four Star Cup finals and instead hold all 4-7 games in one neutral, rotating location a la the Super Bowl. Are you FOR or AGAINST this idea? Why? Against the idea. I think if you eliminate the travel it hurt the fans who want to see their home team and can't afford to travel to location x and pay for accommodation. It's not a bad idea to reduce the carbon footprint, but it may be a hard sell to some people for the entire series to be held there. That's a long time and a lot of it would have to be prepared and planned way in advance. I'm sure it would be a schedulers nightmare. How about this instead: Everyone who travels with the team over the season has to plant an equal number of trees in the off season. It's like 80 trees or something per person. I reckon that's achievable.
7. Written, 1-2 TPE Our poetry theme this season is a limerick! Write 1 SHL-themed limerick for 1 TPE or 2 SHL-themed limericks for 2 TPE. It appears that the finals are here,
And for that we can all surely cheer! Simon is dead! We cut of his head! Let all get smashed and drink beer!
8. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min. for written option) The arenas in San Francisco and New York certainly don't need any gimmicks to get people into the stadium for the series, but the arenas want to make sure they're pulling out all the stops on the big stage. Help the concessions department of one of these two teams develop a new product, with marketing specifically pertaining to this finals series, to be sold at the arena during the finals. Describe the product and the marketing in 150 words or create a promotional poster showing the product, its name, the price, etc.
14. Written, up to 5 TPE Pick up to 5 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words to qualify.
17. Casual Member Special, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer - SEND ANSWER IN PM TO "PT DIRECTOR" (tagged below) A. As determined by draft class, which rostered player is the oldest player in this series? B. Name TWO players who have played for both the Pride and the Rage. C. Among ACTIVE PLAYERS, who has the most points scored in Pride franchise history? D. Who was recently selected as the #1 player in Rage franchise history as part of their Top 50 in 50 series unveiled this season? Sent.
Briedaqueduc![[Image: BriePK.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/BriePK.gif)
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