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Naosu · 11-15-2020, 05:12 PM

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One (1) welfare claim from either PBE or the ISFL will be accepted for 3 TPE!

PBE CW

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1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

Sadly another disappointing regular season for my player. On the second highest scoring team in the league this season, Ryan Shepard was only able to get 34 points among the 201 team goals scored. He posted an identical 10 goals 24 assists as rookie Minamino, although had 2 assists on the powerplay where Minamino’s were all at full strength. Shepard did however have the highest shorthanded ice time of the whole team, including defensemen. The giveaway/takeaway +/- this season was +6 which is great. Unfortunately a lot of milestones were just barely missed and I only ended up with two. Although Chicago blew it in the playoffs, Shepard played amazing. He managed to get 18 points in 16 games all 5 on 5 and was T-2nd for +/- of every player. If he could have shown up in either game 6 or 7 overtime to push the team to the finals, I think he would have gotten a couple MVP votes with his performance.

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3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

Yeah, the current format is bad for anyone not in the Great Lakes division, but we could do much worse. My idea isn’t the absolute worst but would be terrible for bo7 hockey. I present 12 team double elimination. The top four teams get a bye and the bottom eight play each other (like we have now). Losers of the first round go into the losers bracket and play the losers of the top 8 round. From here we have two fairly straight brackets with winners of each moving on, losers in the winner bracket going down to the loser bracket, and losers in the loser bracket eliminated. Finally when we get to the end the winners finalist and loser finalist play each other in the grand finals. The catch being that the loser finalist has to win two separate bo7 to win the cup, where the winner finalist only needs one bo7 win.

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6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

Obvious bias of my own team, but I think Chicago is the right choice here. We finished 3rd in the league, two points behind Calgary who had an easier conference to beat up. Somehow FHM decided to give us a 3-0 lead vs Buffalo, but then let us get reverse swept with the final two games in OT. With the way the new bracket it set up I thought Hamilton vs Chicago was a fairly simple choice, although round 3 which would likely be BUF or MAN would be tough. Clearly that reverse sweep by Buffalo was a big fluke and the SHL should have had Chicago and Buffalo redo their series.

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13. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?

These two teams are among the best of the league on paper, but I give the edge to Hamilton even without their tactics. They’ve managed to sign some great players the past couple seasons in free agency and it’s been paying off immensely. Having the regular season scoring leader Theo Morgan who was ahead of second place by 12 points helps their case too.

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b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?

I think obviously over the course of a series there will be adjustments, no matter how minor. Apparently Hamilton revived coach Aaron Wilson so as he multi boxes several FHM clients between each game for the most optimal win percentage, Hamilton will likely make changes each game. After their reverse sweep and playing a similar style team I think Buffalo should stick to what they’ve been using for a couple games.

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d. If, once it is safe to do so, you had to go hang out in person with one of the users on Buffalo/Hamilton, who would you hang out with and what would you do? (if you pick gabe you get -1 tpe)

This is actually a tough choice for me as I know a lot of these players from the Canada LR and have already met two. Logistically I would go with Luffy @TnlAstatine. I live in the middle of nowhere and he’s “only” four hours away from me. I would take him out for a few beers and then maybe we’d play some video games afterwards.

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16. CW TRIVIA

agony

GeckoeyGecko · 11-15-2020, 05:25 PM

4. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
If the SHL needed to set up a playoff bubble (like the NHL did in Edmonton/Toronto or the NBA in Orlando), which city would be the best candidate to host as the hub city? What would the players do during their time in a playoff bubble? (For graphic option, make an advertisement [like a pamphlet/brochure] in support of a specific city as the hub city and highlighting the reasons why.)
[Image: unknown.png]

8. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min. if written)
The arenas in Buffalo and Hamilton 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.
[Image: unknown.png]

9. Graphic, 3 TPE
Design a Challenge Cup championship hat for one of the teams in the finals. (A four-star cup championship hat for the SMJHL is ok as well.)
[Image: unknown.png]

10. Graphic, 3 TPE
Create a magazine cover that highlights either a player in the finals or a standout player from the regular season.
[Image: unknown.png]

11. Graphic, 3 TPE
Design a Challenge Cup/Four Star Cup Championship banner for one of the teams in the finals, like those which appear on the side of the site.
[Image: hammy_banner_2.png]

16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

e

LarksTongue · 11-15-2020, 05:35 PM

1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

In his first seasons of regression Commander Shepard met all of his expectations. Shepard changed his game up a bit this past season, losing some ability defensively and checking wise to focus on a playmaking style of game. In the end Shepard did well with 42 points on the season totalling 25 assists and 17 goals. This was Shepards highest total since the SimonT days. Shepard’s offensive rating was a 76 putting him top 25 in the league. On the advanced statistics side of things Shepard excelled being top 10 in both Fenwick and Corsi relative. Shepard also was more physical with 47 hits this season after 3 straight seasons of sub 20 hits. Despite the offensive improvement Shepard had a major issue this season with penalties which is something he would like to limit next season. This was Shepard’s first season in the FHM era where he did not have a positive turnover ratio and hopes to improve that next season as well.

2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Of the 10 most recent finals series, which do you think is the most memorable and why? Which will be remembered in history as the best/most important/most memorable series or victory? S46: BUF over NOLA, S47: WKP over CGY, S48: BUF over WPG, S49: EDM over NEW, S50: CGY over TBB, S51: HAM over EDM, S52: MAN over SFP, S53: HAM over EDM, S54: NOLA over HAM, S55: BUF over NOLA.

I am going to argue that the S54 Challenge cup final was the most important in recent memory. Before the most recent expansion with the Atlanta Inferno and Seattle Argonauts there was an expansion back in S46 with the New Orleans Specters and the Chicago Syndicate. The Specters right from the get go were highly competitive and always knocking on the door for a challenge cup. In fact in their first season they made the finals to lose to the Buffalo Stampede. After that loss they made the playoffs every single season only to be upset by a variety of different teams including the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Blizzard, Calgary Dragons, and La Panthers. Moving on to S54 the Specters team is getting older and has made many a move to maintain their contender status which they finally punched through the Blizzard in 6 games, the Panthers in 7, and sweeping the much hated Hamilton Steelhawks. Showing that expansion teams can enter the league and be contenders from the start. This led the way for another expansion.

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4. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
If the SHL needed to set up a playoff bubble (like the NHL did in Edmonton/Toronto or the NBA in Orlando), which city would be the best candidate to host as the hub city? What would the players do during their time in a playoff bubble? (For graphic option, make an advertisement [like a pamphlet/brochure] in support of a specific city as the hub city and highlighting the reasons why.)

Realistically the best option for hub cities are places with enough facilities as in rinks, hotels, amenities but most importantly needs to be in an area with a relatively low incidence of the Coronavirus to maintain the health of the teams and players. If we were going to go with one playoff hub city I would vote for Winnipeg as it is sort of in the middle of nowhere and in a very central area in the league. There are relatively low numbers of cases there, especially when compared to big american cities like Chicago or New York. Winnipeg is just big enough to support all the teams in hotels. There wouldn’t be much to do in the city itself because of COVID but outside the city there are many conservation areas to visit and sights to see. Besides that there would be many things to do in the HUB plaza with fellow players including, a gaming section, basketball nets, restaurants, and jury rigged movie theater to help players kill time between games. No doubt there would be gyms in the area as well to let players get in shape.

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6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

There were many great teams that didn’t make it but I think the Chicago Syndicate was the best team not to make the finals. The Syndicate were one of the best teams in the east falling 8 points behind the eventual cup winning Steelhawks. Led by Martijn Westbroek who had 70 points and 40 goals. The syndicate also had one of the best top defensive pairings in the league with Parker Smeb and Corey Kennedy. The Syndicate also had strong goaltending in Tibuk Soonika who had a .925 save percentage on the year. With this high level talent and one of the higher overall TPE throughout the team the Syndicate could have easily won if the puck luck went their way.

14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

There were a lot of great performances by the Hamilton Steelhawk team but Aaron Wilson’s performance stands out to me as the most valuable. Starting out in game 1 Wilson had 1 goal and played tremendously defensively with an 80 rating on the defense side and an 85 total grade as well. In game 2 Wilson took the first star 2ith 2 assists on the night. In game 3 Wilson stayed even and had a 95 defensive rating despite being shut out. In game 4 Wilson again grabbed the first star with a goal and 2 apples. Finally in the series clinching game Wilson grabbed the 2nd star with 2 assists.

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16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification Word: Price

16/16

Thanks to @FlappyGiraffe and @ToeDragon84 for the making these sick sigs!

Quote: First Goal (3rd Game): Commander Shepard 1 (Nick Brain 1, Noah Gallagher 2) at 8:48

KlusteR · 11-15-2020, 05:53 PM

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1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

It's been another up-and-down season for Markus, as was once again written in the stars for the newly anointed Monarchs. At least, last season, he could boast a great Save Percentage, but this season's .910 Sv% isn't going to make headlines. In his 5th season in the SHL, he is still longing back to those Season 52 days - the only one in which he approached 20 wins on the record. But so much has changed within the franchise since then... We have a steady veteran group, that provides great leadership on the ice and in the locker room, and a great crop of youngsters coming up, but until then - Markus knew he needed to hold the fort for a rather shaky defensive corps outside of Seger and Klompus, who have proved to be a steady pairing despite the 8-year difference between the players. He's hoping for another defenseman to bridge the gap between them on the back-line, but there are a lot of teams, especially in the Western Conference, who are also vying for said defensemen entering their prime. All Markus can do now is wait for those promising young draftees to hopefully flourish in the next few seasons, and withstand the flurry on pucks coming his way in the meantime.

(215 words)

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3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

Let's go balls to the wall - 16 team playoff bracket, cross-conference standings. This would alleviate the issues of teams being stuck behind power-houses and not making the playoffs (looking at you, Toronto), and possibly open the way to incredible upsets that will spice up the draft order (imagine Hamilton taken down by Tampa Bay this season and getting 1st OA, I can already taste my own salt), and would create a constant playoff tree within FHM because, well, it's designed for 16 teams. The only problem is that this system rewards mediocrity, as you always have a shot at the big thing, no matter how poorly your season may go (except when you have uhm... constraints to play around.) However, it does somewhat prevent tanking, as even the "lesser" teams can tell themselves they have a shot at 1st OA, even should they qualify for the playoffs. Of course, it would have to be a 5%-ish probability for the 8 teams that lose in the first round, leaving 35% for the worst team, and 25% for the second worst team.

...I think we may have something here!

(190 words)

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6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

Since the junior team I'm scouting for was in the SMJHL Finals this season, I'll have to show a bit of "homerism" and say that the Chicago Syndicate were the best team not in the SHL Finals this season. This team is ripe with amazing players throughout the line-up, and fought valiantly against the Stampede for a chance at the Challenge Cup, but ultimately fell short. However, would you look at that - another Great Lakes team! It's no wonder Toronto North Stars' fans curses at the mere mention of the "Big Three" in their division, and long for a playoff bracket that could allow them to qualify as a lower seed. Hamilton, Buffalo and Chicago are such a deadly trio, that even with the addition of Adam Barron through a high profile trade, the North Stars don't even move the needle towards getting into the playoffs in its current format, next season... Now, if they were in the Atlantic, that's another story.

(163 words)

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7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

Okay, this is where the true "homerism" begins. You know me, I'll always state that Switzerland finally has a chance, but we've got a great group that is currently peaking in all positions. This line-up is really deep, and we're looking to make enough waves in our group to grab a playoff round ticket. Of course, as always, the competition will be fierce in our pool, but I can realistically see us above Germany, Finland and Russia, and competing for the higher positions with Japan and Czechia - yet truth be told, I don't see us catching up to Great Britain, unfortunately. However, I believe our depth scoring, in the likes of Rocco Berni and William Hartmann, will be the key to nabbing some points against the stronger teams in our pool, and that should be enough for a 4th place at worst - from there, anything can happen. We've beaten top teams in the past, no reason not to do it again this season, especially with an even better line-up.

(171 words)

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13. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

c. These two teams hail from the Great Lakes Division. Which of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) do you think is the Greatest and why?

I'm going to geek out and tell you all about the badassness that is the Huron Lake. You see, this little rascal wasn't simply named after a Native tribe that still hangs out nearby, but it was also named thusly because its shape looks like two feathers, similar to the feathers adorning a Huron-Wendat chief's hair piece. And most of all, it's the body of water responsible for making Michigan look like a mitten trying desperately to catch Ontario's limp dick to the East. I mean, there's nothing but adoration in my mind for Huron Lake, and all the other Great Lakes need to step up their meme game.

(110 words)

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14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)

Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [HAMILTON STEELHAWKS], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

In my opinion, Theo Morgan's showing in the final solidified his status as the Playoffs MVP. I know that there were some great puck distributors on Hamilton, and it helps showcase the sniper, but in the end, people remember the goals, and Morgan scored 5 in the final 5 games of the season - including a crucial overtime winner in game 4 of the Final. And that includes the 3-0 shutout by Elizabeth Doyle in game 3! What impressed me is also the timing of his goals, either establishing them a lead early in the game, or hammering the last nail in the coffin in the 3rd period and beyond. He really was the missing piece for a dominant season in Hamilton.

(122 words)

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16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

OmniumGatherum

shutdown · 11-15-2020, 06:14 PM

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1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?
Nick Connolly had a fairly good season. He had the 6th most points on the Chicago Syndicate ending the season with 15 goals and 23 assist. Not gaudy numbers by any means but certainly capable numbers for a second liner. Chicago was a pretty stacked team this year and has some depth. The scoring, save for Westbroek, was fairly even across the board for everyone really. Connolly had a phenomenal playoff though, registering 18 points in 16 games. That was good for a tie of the team lead for the entire playoffs. However, the goal of reaching and winning the championship was just out of reach. A very disappointing season for sure. Not to mention another Chicago blown series in the semi-finals. A few seasons back they blew a 3-1 lead to Manhattan and this season they blew an even worse 3-0 lead against Buffalo. No one to blame but themselves, they’ll find themselves back to the drawing board next season.

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2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Of the 10 most recent finals series, which do you think is the most memorable and why? Which will be remembered in history as the best/most important/most memorable series or victory? S46: BUF over NOLA, S47: WKP over CGY, S48: BUF over WPG, S49: EDM over NEW, S50: CGY over TBB, S51: HAM over EDM, S52: MAN over SFP, S53: HAM over EDM, S54: NOLA over HAM, S55: BUF over NOLA.
Every championship is memorable in its own way in my opinion. Some mean more to others than yourself and vice versa each year. I think one that meant a lot for much of the league was S53 HAM vs EDM. This was the first season where the switch was made to FHM from the old sim engine SimonT. This move was forced, in part, by a bug in SimonT which Hamilton found and took advantage of. This strategy and subsequent implementing of said strategy by Hamilton left a bad taste in the mouths of many across the SHL. Regardless of the hate they were receiving, they made the finals in the first season of the new engine and many were rooting against them. They didn’t let this deter them though and found a way to win it all again on a brand new engine. No small feat, they deserved the championship but pissed off many others on their way.

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7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?
IIHF is one of the best times of the year in my opinion. It’s a time to come together with people of your country who you may not talk to/with too much throughout the regular season as you could be on different SHL or SMJHL teams. It's fun to come together once a year and join forces to play for your country. I think the big countries like the USA and Canada always ice a very strong squad just from the sheer volume of skaters they have to choose from. Many new users on the site will put their IRL home country, and the majority of users on this site I assume are American and Canadian. I really like how Japan has developed their talent and I think we should keep an eye on them moving forward. They have a very strong team that can compete with the best. Obviously, my homer pick to make some noise is Switzerland. We have a young team finally coming into their prime and should be able to take good teams to the brink.

13. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?
I’d say Hamilton probably has the better set of skaters. With the addition of Theo Morgan their top line of him, Michael Scarn, and Aaron Wilson really are on a different level. Not to say Buffalo is bad by any means, but Hamilton is just ridiculous. Their off-season acquisitions have really made a difference.
b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?
I don’t think we’ll see any huge strategic adjustments unless something is glaringly obvious during one of the first few games or so. If there’s an obvious weakness that one team’s management may have overlooked that the other’s is taking advantage of, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a change. Other than that, I think it will be steady as she goes for both.
c. These two teams hail from the Great Lakes Division. Which of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) do you think is the Greatest and why?
I really have no idea about this question. Huron kind of sounds like a Heron, like the bird? Not a huge fan of birds to be honest. Ontario is okay but I’ve never been there so that’s out. Michigan is kind of cool I guess, but Superior takes the cake in my opinion. I mean that’s literally what the word “Superior” means right? To be better than. And that it is.
d. If, once it is safe to do so, you had to go hang out in person with one of the users on Buffalo/Hamilton, who would you hang out with and what would you do? (if you pick gabe you get -1 tpe)
Damn, well I guess that rules out Gabe. Sorry, Gabe. I honestly don’t know like anyone from either of the two teams. I guess if we are talking our SHL players, Nick could definitely learn a thing or two from Theo Morgan or maybe Monkey D. Luffy. They are certainly superstars in our league and would probably have some great pointers for Nick.

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16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification: yuh

Mayuu · 11-15-2020, 06:32 PM

2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Of the 10 most recent finals series, which do you think is the most memorable and why? Which will be remembered in history as the best/most important/most memorable series or victory? S46: BUF over NOLA, S47: WKP over CGY, S48: BUF over WPG, S49: EDM over NEW, S50: CGY over TBB, S51: HAM over EDM, S52: MAN over SFP, S53: HAM over EDM, S54: NOLA over HAM, S55: BUF over NOLA.

S46 Buffalo vs NOLA is my personal favorite. It was the first finals for both my player and the teams. Buffalo only having been past the first round once previously plowed through the division and managed to get to the finals. NOLA being the new hot shit attracting all the free agents and smooth sailing all the way to the finals in their first season.
I can't remember much of the games sadly, I know Marius and Sleepy performed magic with me on the wing just being there. There was a great S43 goalie rivalry going on as well with Cedric Robinson @grok in one net and Alister Cain @SlashACM in the other.
Games were close, simon were brutal to both teams but in the end Buffalo Reigned Champions in the end.
Buffalo discord exploded when the PBP was concluded, veteran member that had fought to get a cup for so long got theirs finally. I was truly a great moment.
160 words.

8. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min. if written)
The arenas in Buffalo and Hamilton 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.
[Image: unknown.png]

9. Graphic, 3 TPE
Design a Challenge Cup championship hat for one of the teams in the finals. (A four-star cup championship hat for the SMJHL is ok as well.)
[Image: unknown.png]

10. Graphic, 3 TPE
Create a magazine cover that highlights either a player in the finals or a standout player from the regular season.
[Image: unknown.png]

13. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
d. If, once it is safe to do so, you had to go hang out in person with one of the users on Buffalo/Hamilton, who would you hang out with and what would you do? (if you pick gabe you get -1 tpe)
Man, I know @karey isn't on the team anymore, but I'd go hang out with him in a heartbeat. Nothing but great words about him and I could see myself just having endless fun just being around Karey. He's one of the most genuine and honest person I've met online. If it had to be a person on the current roster it would be @TnlAstatine cause I wanna comb his hair and braid his beard.
75 words

16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

BUFFAL0BEST

RETIRED

**grok** · 11-15-2020, 06:33 PM

Task 1 (168/150 words)
Dee Centerman IV had an exceptional season on the Laurifer winning Vancouver Whalers. Although he didn’t make a huge impact on the score sheet, with 19 points in 50 games, Centerman IV played his style and ran over the competition in advanced stats and possession metrics. Centerman IV led Vancouver forwards in hits, led Vancouver centers in takeaways and blocked shots, and was top 5 in Corsi, Fenwick, and SA/60 on the team. While Centerman IV’s defensive and possession numbers as a whole were unmatched on the team, his offensive numbers left something to be desired. With a middle of the pack scoring line, his goal differential per 60 minutes was a staggering 1.2 net GF/60. Outside of the team’s top scoring forwards, his net GF/60 was matched only by his regular linemate Devin Basher. In terms of executing their own style and putting a mark on the league, few forwards made the same impact Centerman IV did on the Vancouver roster in S56.

Task 2 (174/150 words)
Of the last decade, the S46 Buffalo vs New Orleans finals was easily the most memorable. Two teams who had never won a cup--the old guard Buffalo Stampede and the new kids on the block in the New Orleans Spectres. Two managers known for butting heads publicly and repeatedly. Two rookie goaltenders with a contentious history on rival teams in the SMJHL. An expansion team breaking into the Challenge Cup Finals in their very first season of operations. A chance to, after literal years, bring a cup home to Buffalo. The stage was set for one of the greatest narratives in the history of the league. Two titans of the SHL who would define the next five seasons of the league as well as an inter-team rivalry so bitter that it persists to this day. There are some arguments to be made that the S51 Hamilton win was more impactful in the sim engine change, but from a pure narrative standpoint the S46 BUF over NOLA championship towers above the rest of the decade.

Task 3 (113/100 words)
There’s an inherent problem with playoffs. The top team always gets punished. Different systems punish the top team more than others, but they all put the top team in a position where they could lose. This devalues the regular season, because those 50 games are meaningless when the top team has a chance to lose. Therefore, the best way to preserve competitive integrity is to eliminate the playoffs entirely! After 50 games, it is clear which team had the most on-ice success and is the “best” in the league, so why even bother having another tournament at the end? It simply puts the regular season results into question, which none of us want.

Task 4 (171/150 words)
If the SHL was to set up a playoff bubble, the best option would obviously be Glendale, Arizona. There’s already hockey infrastructure down there, and we could resolve a lot of problems by putting the playoffs in the desert. First, it would be on neutral ground. Not only are there no SHL teams in Arizona, there are no hockey fans in Arizona! This means no teams would receive additional psychological benefits from local fans. Second, since there are no hockey fans in Arizona, we wouldn’t have to worry about people trying to break into the bubble to see the players. Security could be relaxed, because who the hell wants to be in Glendale? Speaking of not wanting to be in a hellhole desert frowned upon by God himself, this would resolve any concerns about families coming down too! Families present an extra risk, but who the hell would want to vacation to Glendale, Arizona? For these reasons, Arizona would be the best location to set up a secure, healthy SHL bubble.

Task 14 (126/100 words)
SMJHL Championship Series MVP is quite clearly Name Redacted, the goalie from Vancouver. Redacted had a surprisingly difficult season for a known SMJHL starter. He finished with a middle of the pack 0.907 save percentage over 27 games--a game total reduced by challenges from the up and coming Jon St. Ark, who forced Redacted into a regular season tandem with an incredible 0.930 save percentage over 24 games. After splitting the regular season, Redacted came out in force with a 0.909 save percentage over 16 playoff games. And while he might have been overshadowed by some incredible performances out of Cale Admundsen, the mental fortitude required to seize the reins back from St. Ark and bring a cup to Vancouver must be recognized.

Task 16
Verification word: chormpion

Tasks:
Task 1: 3
Task 2: 3 (6)
Task 3: 2 (8)
Task 4: 3 (11)
Task 14: 2 (13)
Task 16: 3 (16)

***Pythonic*** · 11-15-2020, 06:52 PM

3. Bracket Setup - 2 TPE (127/100):
I can easily create an even worse playoff bracket setup than the one that Franchise Hockey Manager 6 has. It is honestly really easy. All you have to do is this: the sixth seeded team of one conference faces off against the sixth seed of the other conference. This applies for every other seed in both conferences: the first seed against first seed, the second seed against the other second seed, the third seed against the other third seed, and so on and so forth. That is no where close to the end, though. There is a form of reseeding, where the team with the most goals for their team goes against the team with the most goals against. Confusing? Absolutely. Fun? Probably not. Annoying? Most definitely.

4. Bubble Brochure - 3 TPE:
[Image: tampa_bay_bubble_brochue.png]

6. Best to Not Make Finals - 2 TPE (145/100):
In my opinion, the team that was best to not make the Four Star Cup Finals in the Simulation Major Junior Hockey League this season was the Carolina Kraken. First of all, it means they would have eliminated my team, the Vancouver Whalers, in the major junior league's cup semifinals. As for my second reason, they likely, in my opinion, would not have had a chance at even tasting the Four Star Cup what so ever. In the regular season, the Carolina Kraken held a 1-3 record against the Newfoundland Berserkers in the north. Of course, this is all assuming that there would be no Franchise Hockey Manager Fuckery ™ going on in the series. It's entirely possibly the Kraken get lucky and destroy the Berserkers in this creepy alternate world where Vancouver didn't make the Finals that I don't want to think about anymore.

9. Championship Hat - 3 TPE:
[Image: whalers_hat.png]

15. Stats Table - 3 TPE:
[Image: ham-buf_stats.png]

16. CW Trivia - 3 TPE: breezy

Tasks:
3. 2 (2)
4. 3 (5)
6. 2 (7)
9. 3 (10)
15. 3 (13)
16. 3 (16)

Tomasnz · 11-15-2020, 07:16 PM

S56 championship week.

Total CW XX
+3 ISFL affiliate
= ?

Quote:3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

Best way to do a 12 team play off elimination tournament is to have a major and minor bracket with teams who lose the major bracket being dumped into the losing bracket and the winer of the major and minor bracket facing each other in a final. (major bracket always needs to play before the Minnor bracket round). Therefore the worst approach to a playoff formate would be the different, okay how about the playoffs as two 6 team round robin tournaments with the top seed in each playing each other in a grand final. That seems suitably ludicrous playing a round robin at the end of a full season.

Quote:5. Written, 2 TPE
Write an SHL themed Haiku Sonnet (see link below) which I just learned is a real thing. The format is: Haiku Haiku Haiku Haiku Couplet
Haiku Sonnet

In excitement for
something novel fun and true
Joined the SHL

But how do we make
An update thread present right
We use the wizard!

Drafted to a team
join the locker room we do
Many friends we make

Suddenly the pings
Our game is on the stream now
2-3 overtime

But did I get a point or not
That's the only question true

Quote:13. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

Quote:a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?

Buffalo has built the strongest series of rosters that has never been seen in the SHL and depressingly shows no sign of letting at at this point. The strength they have shown in the draft to continue to make good picks and then trade unused but valuable assets for more picks has been a truly impressive, and frankly franstrating feat to watch.

Quote:b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?

Yes, both of these teams are known for their interest in testing and hyper optimisation. I expect both sets of GMs and coaches to make full use of the time between Sims in order to test and tinker with their rosters. I am not sure if it will make any difference at this stage though.

Quote:c. These two teams hail from the Great Lakes Division. Which of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) do you think is the Greatest and why?

Lake Erie, because it is the most poluted and therefore the best reflection of the damaging culture and practices that have been made on both sides of its shores but especially the Ohio side. Never has such a great metaphor, for the courpton caused by humans in this planet and how they interact with each other, existed

Quote:d. If, once it is safe to do so, you had to go hang out in person with one of the users on Buffalo/Hamilton, who would you hang out with and what would you do? (if you pick gabe you get -1 tpe)

Tomen, hands down. One of the first users I came into contact with during my first shl season in the anchorage locker room. A great guy to diacuss public transport policy with if you ever want to drive a locker room to binge on the pokecore ap. But generally just a great guy. Also euro based like all the best users so there is a chance I might actually do this one day.

Quote:14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

Quote:16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

*Flowseidon* · 11-15-2020, 07:44 PM

1. 3 TPE

It was honestly not the greatest season on the ice for me. While there is definitely a complete change in roster over the last few season, I should still be performing better than the 30 points I was able to put up. The rookies are coming along nicely, but I need to be doing everything that I can in order to lift them up and get them ready for their careers in the SHL. Another performance like this by me would be unnacceptable, and I need to be a better leader on the ice in order to get a better performance out of those around me and become the offensive threat that I once was.

While I will be continually working on my on-ice skills, the off-ice skills are the biggest area that is currently lacking and the way that I can most benefit my team next season. It is vital that I prove myself to be a better teammate and leader than I was last season.

2. 3 TPE

It is really hard to take an outside stance of this after having played in the S52 final against Manhattan and former teammate Luke Thomason. Sure, it may not be the most remembered in everyone’s mind, but it will serve to me as a time when I had the opportunity to grab everything I’ve ever wanted and came up short.

It was an intense series that went to 6 games, and I really felt that we had a great chance to be able to bring home the first championship in San Francisco Pride history. We had a great roster top to bottom, with a ton of players with the capability of doing what it took. Personally, I believe it was my best playoff performance that year. Finishing with almost a point per game pace through the playoffs and finishing stronjgly with 7 points in the 6 game final. Ultimately, it just wasn’t enough, and not being able to finish off that season with the ship will be my biggest SHL regret.

3. 3 TPE

Do we want more game 7s to bring in that sweet sweet TV network cash? Well look no further. Gone are conferences, now it’s time for the the top teams to play the top teams right from the beginning! Seeding the teams 1-12 and matching them up. 1 plays 2, 3 plays 4, etc.. Just think of how tight the matchups will be!

Now you might say, won’t that lead to an easier path to the cup for the less talented teams? Absolutely, but watch the disaster as this spills over into the season as more talented teams try to through just enough games to get that coveted 12th seed! Not only does this disaster manager to mess with the playoffs, but it will give us a wonky season too! Who can manage to be the best losing team? I don’t know, but lets find out in S56 of the SHL so we can get the most questionably awarded cup ever!

6. 2 TPE

I think the easy answer here has to be the Calgary Dragons. Once again this team has shown brilliant management in coming back from a slight rebuild and retooling and has put themselves right back in the race for the Cup. They had the second best season in the league at 80pts, and had been expected to be one of the scariest teams in the playoffs and seemed destined for a big East v West matchup with fellow Canadian team Hamilton.

The roster they boasted was incredibly stacked with 3 players finding their way into top 10 scoring league wide and a great level of depth as you go deeper down the lines.

In the end, it wasn’t enough for this powerhouse of a team and they ended up bowing out sooner than they would have expected or wanted.

7. 3 TPE

With the coming IIHF tournament we always have to be looking at Canada. Their roster is just as deep as usual and is coming off of a couple very successful tournaments over the last couple seasons. The roster is largely unchanged, but we are starting to see a shift of younger players taking their spot on the top lines and beginning to be supported by the older veterans who are starting to age out.

Veterans like Jeff Brogen hope to bounce back from an unsuccessful SHL season and turn that into IIHF Gold. Brogen all but guaranteed a better result than with his team noting that he thinks Canada’s roster is one of the most complete he has seen in years.

They will have tough contention with their North American rivals, and we all know that anything can happen once the puck drops, but by hook or crook, these Canadians are looking to come into the tournament hot and show that they are the world’s premier hockey nation.

16. CW Trivia 1-3 TPE

Franchise

NONAME · 11-15-2020, 08:15 PM

1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

Last season Bo Kane finally had the breakout year everyone was waiting for him to had. He put up 32 goals and 67 points. Good for 2nd in the league for goals only surpassed by teammate Theo Morgan and 6th in the league for points. Kane looked to cash out on this success in free agency which ended up having him leave Edmonton. With the news being that Bo Kane would not be re-signed, the new expansion team, Seattle Argonauts, took a shot on him and selected him in the expansion draft. They ended up finalizing a contract. With it being an expansion team the firepower around Kane was drastically lower which unfortunately lead to a less than an impressive season. He managed to put up 26 goals which is 15 more than the 2nd highest on the team and 42 points which is 8 higher than the 2nd highest.

7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

My prediction for this seasons IIHF tournament is that Team Canada will walk away with the gold medal. Their roster is arguably the deepest in the league and it contains Theo Morgan who just had a monster season in the SHL. He put up 43 goals which is 1st in the league, as well as 82 points which is 12 higher than the 2nd highest total in the league. He completely dominated and was essentially unstoppable all season with the Hamilton Steelhawks. On top of that, they have guys like Bo Kane, Steven Moyer, Matt Kholin, Dick Clapper, Aaron Wilson, Gabriel Johnson, Lyle Odelein III, and many more. The expectations are very high for this roster and with the Hamilton Steelhawks being beaten by the Buffalo Stampede in the finals this year, look for Theo Morgan to be even more hungry for the gold medal. It should be a very competitive tournament this year.

14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

The Buffalo Stampede continue their dominance in the SHL with another Challenge cup under the belt. Even after losing guys like Scarn and Darrow they continue to be a highly competitive team which is all the more impressive and shows the high level of management running the team. This seasons MVP, in my opinion, is Monkey D. Luffy. He finished with 7 goals and 30 points in 23 playoff games. He was the highest point getter in the playoffs and played a huge 24:57 minutes per game. He wasn't just an offensive force though, he also managed to get 14 takeaways which his the 3rd highest in the playoffs, as well as a very respectable +7 +/-.

6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

The best team to not make the finals is the Calgary Dragons. They had a very impressive regular season run putting up a record of 38-8-4 which is good for 80 points, putting them as the 2nd best team in the regular season, falling behind the Hamilton Steelhawks 86 points. They were the best defensive team in the league, only allowing 85 goals against all season. To go with that, they were a very potent offensive team putting up 195 goals which was good for 5th in the league. As you could imagine, they were a dominate possession team with every player in the high 50's to high 60's in CF%.

13. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?
b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?
c. These two teams hail from the Great Lakes Division. Which of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) do you think is the Greatest and why?
d. If, once it is safe to do so, you had to go hang out in person with one of the users on Buffalo/Hamilton, who would you hang out with and what would you do? (if you pick gabe you get -1 tpe)

a. In my opinion, although they didn't come up with the Challenge Cup victory, the Hamilton Steelhawks have the more impressive skater line-up. They went big in the off-season and added some big pieces such as Theo Morgan. Morgan DOMINATED the SHL and was essentially unstoppable all-season. No one was close to him offensively this season.

c. My vote is Ontario for one simple and bias reason. That is where I was born and have lived for half of my life. Also frick the States so it can't be Huron, Michigan or Erie. I think Superior is in Canada? I have no logical backing for this answer at all, sorry.

b. Considering the series if over, I'm going to speak as if I'm pretending it hasn't. If I'm the Steelhawks I'm rolling with what has worked throughout the season the best. They had a great season and were the best team in the league. If I'm Buffalo, I'm adjusting after each loss to try and counter the play of the Steelhawks.

16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

duh

jason97 · 11-15-2020, 08:17 PM

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

This season was extremely disappointing for Calogero Crudelli. The once highly touted prospects for the Jets came into the season looking to progress in his scoring numbers and help the city of Winnipeg get some playoff glory. That was the complete opposite of what happened this season. Crudelli couldn't seem to do anything right, he lost his offensive abilities and became very inconsistent in his performances. He would always show up a game or two here and there throughout the season but nothing like what was expected of him. He finished the season with a total of 9 goals and 13 assists, giving him 22 points, which was 16 less than what he had last season. Crudelli was also extremely disappointing on the power play, where he only got one assist. This is going to be a huge offseason for Calogero as he will be looking to make a bounce back season and get back to where he once was. He's going to have to train extremely hard to get out of the dog house in Winnipeg and prove to management that he can still play in this league.

Code:
189 words

Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

For me, the biggest disappointment in the SHL to not make the finals was the Calgary Dragons. They absolutely dominated our division, getting 12 more points than the second place Texas Renegades during the regular season. They only lost 8 games in regulation and finished with the second most points in the entire league. They also finished the season with the lowest goals against and so I really thought they had a spot secured in the finals. Ultimately, they lost out to the Edmonton Blizzard in which will surely go down as a big loss for the organization and the fan base. They have an extremely talented group of players and I'm sure this loss will make them even hungrier for the next few seasons.

Code:
125 words

Code:
7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

This IIHF tournament should be a pretty interesting one. I think the usual suspects will continue to perform well on the international stage such as Great Britian, Canada, USA and Japan. I think there are some teams that want to prove that they can compete with these larger teams such as Sweden and Czechia, and then some teams will look to get any sort of positives out of the tournament and get their younger players some experience. I think that Sweden in particular is going to have a good tournament and their leader Ola Wagstrom is going to end the tournament as one of the leading scorers. I think Monkey D. Luffy will once again prove why he is one of the best players in the league and will continue to get an offensive juggernaut for Japan. As a member of Team Latvia, I think we're going to find it hard to win against the bigger teams as we finished last place last year. But, I personally want to improve myself and show the league that I can score against the best.

Code:
182 words

Code:
13. Written, 3 TPE (50 words min.)

a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?

I believe that on paper, Buffalo has the better team. If we're looking at it without the strategies and coaching, I think Buffalo has the kind of roster where you can win a cup almost every season. Monkey D. Luffy and Bobby Sharp are to me, two of best players in the league. I know Hamilton has a great roster as well but I just think Buffalo beats them by a little bit.

Code:
73 words

b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?

As a former GM myself, I know how hard it is to lose a game or two and then not make any changes. You need to stick with what got you there and go with your gut. I think that since they're in the same division, they can make a few tweaks depending on how they faired against each other in the regular season, but otherwise keep the tactics the same.

Code:
71 words

c. These two teams hail from the Great Lakes Division. Which of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) do you think is the Greatest and why?[/code]

This might be one of the easiest questions I've had to answer when it comes to Championship Week questions. Two of the lakes are named after cities, two of the lakes are named after the people that inhabited that land. But there's only one lake named Superior. When you're basically better than the rest, nobody can beat you.

Code:
58 words

Code:
14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)

Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

I'm always very grateful that you guys add this at the end of the tasks because I always do it. Congratulations to the Hamilton Steelhawks for once again winning the finals. It seems like I always congratulate them, even though Buffalo came out on top last year. I thought both goalies had exceptional postseasons and Monkey D. Luffy had the best postseason offensively between the two teams, I'm going to have to give it to Theo Morgan. He had the most goals and most points for the Steelhawks in the postseason with 14 and 23 respectively. I think he was extremely important in their success and Hamilton making the move to get him makes it even sweeter for the organization.

Code:
120 words

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

CW: saints

***JaytheGreat*** · 11-15-2020, 08:18 PM

1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

My player is all about goals and once again this year Jakub scored a career high with 22 goals which also lead the New England Wolfpack in goals. That makes me pretty happy about how the season went, plus we actually won 2 games in the playoffs and scored 2 goals after scoring no goals the last time around. I also had a career high in hits, shots blocked and takeaways, but I had one last point then last season which is kind of a bummer. Even though I had a pretty good season this year I'll try to work on my defense this offseason so I don't have so much turnovers and give up as many goals while I'm on the ice next season. I know my increase in goals the past 2 seasons is getting to play with our awesome playmaking Center Slap McShotty who despite his name is very much a pass first Center instead of a shooter.

4. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
If the SHL needed to set up a playoff bubble (like the NHL did in Edmonton/Toronto or the NBA in Orlando), which city would be the best candidate to host as the hub city? What would the players do during their time in a playoff bubble? (For graphic option, make an advertisement [like a pamphlet/brochure] in support of a specific city as the hub city and highlighting the reasons why.)

I think the NHL had a good idea with their 2 host cities (one for each conference) but with the SHL's decision to make the playoff match ups regardless of conferences it makes the choosing of a site that much for difficult. My first choice would be the site to be a truly neutral and having the bubble in a city that isn't participating in the playoffs like Tampa Bay, Toronto, Winnipeg etc. Now if we are going with the real life Covid protocols then that makes the selection even more difficult has Canada has restricted travel to the US meaning once the US team are Canada they can no longer leave. Which means I would go with a US city has there's only 2 Canadian teams in the playoffs. Another interesting choice would be using one of the SMJHL cities host it, I'm sure the cities of Detroit, St. Louis, Anaheim, Denver, Charlotte, Anchorage, or Las Vegas would love the host the playoffs.

13. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Both of these teams have an impressive set of skaters - without factoring in any coaching or tactical strategies, which team do you think has the better roster of skaters on paper?
Obviously both teams have great skaters but I think Hamilton has the slight edge in skaters. With 4 2k players the Steelhawks should have the TPE advantage plus they have Aaron Wilson and Dick Clapper who both have a chance to win the MVP award.

b. Do you foresee the teams making any strategic adjustments during the course of the series? Should the teams be quick to switch tactics or stick with what they've been using?
I think they stick with what got them to the dance. Buffalo beat Hamilton last year in the playoffs meanwhile Hamilton have been arguable the best team in 3/4 seasons since the switch to FHM so obviously they have a good system in place. No real need for either team to switch at the start of the series.

c. These two teams hail from the Great Lakes Division. Which of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) do you think is the Greatest and why?
Of course Lake Michigan is the greatest of the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario doesn't touch Michigan, Erie is a dirty lake, Huron is meh but 2nd best, and Superior is always really cold. Lake Michigan combines the beautify beaches of Lake Superior with the warmth and calmness of Lake Huron.

d. If, once it is safe to do so, you had to go hang out in person with one of the users on Buffalo/Hamilton, who would you hang out with and what would you do? (if you pick gabe you get -1 tpe)
Out of all the players I think the one I would like to hangout with the most would be Michael Scarn. I don't know what it is but something about him makes me think that he leads a double life. If he really was a secret agent it would be pretty cool to get to hang out with him for a day even if he is off duty.

16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Monster

PBE CW +3

Rest In Peace Dangel

1st SHL Goal - S52 Game 1 vs Tampa 3. New England Wolfpack , Jakub Bruchevski 1 (Eko Van Otter 1, Delver Fudgeson 2) at 8:10

Scarecrows

Tayjay · 11-15-2020, 09:01 PM

Code:
3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

A bad 12 team bracket you say. How about play in games for the first 4 teams. 1 plays 3 and 2 plays 4 because odd numbers should only play odd numbers and even numbers should only play even numbers. It's science. So after we eliminate 2 of the first 4 seeds we know have the bottom 8 teams plus the 2 winners so 5 match ups. Let's match up every seed that is next to each other. So the highest 2 teams, the winners of the play in game, play each other and then 5 plays 6, 7 plays 8, and so on. Basically we want to weed out all of the good teams. They won in the regular season and we want to get rid of them. Then just keep pairing up the bottom teams.

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

Taylor Johansson had a better year and the team did better but it wasn't the improvement I was hoping for. I didn't make great strides offensively and I definitely didn't have as many takeaways as I thought i was going to have. In the middle of the season i was moved from the 3rd line to first line to jolt the offense a little bit. While it did correspond with a better team play and more wins it was disappointing that Johansson couldn't fill out more stats along the way. I'm hoping that after another offseason of earning TPE that I can finally break that ever elusive 20 points barrier. 13 points in my rookie season and only 15 in year 2. My ratings went up on offense and defense. That year the issue was that my stamina was too low and now maybe it's because I'm playing with the first line and against better players? Here is to hoping next year is much better.

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

milk

Code:
4. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

If the SHL needed to set up a playoff bubble (like the NHL did in Edmonton/Toronto or the NBA in Orlando), which city would be the best candidate to host as the hub city? What would the players do during their time in a playoff bubble? (For graphic option, make an advertisement [like a pamphlet/brochure] in support of a specific city as the hub city and highlighting the reasons why.)

I think a great host city would be Lake Placid. We could all rewatch the whole international tournament from our hotels and re live the entire drama as it happens. Then we could watch the move Miracle with Kurt Russell. Then we could have a trivia night that would determine playing times. No distractions of going out to clubs, fancy restaurants. Just good ole fashioned hockey. No families and the only people you need are your teammates. Another good location would be Vegas because why the hell not. Rent out an entire casino with drinks/booze/gambling. Let's just see what happens when everyone is playing hungover. Everyone would be in the pool in between games. I would love to see which teams go dry and force everyone to not drink and party during the playoffs and which teams wouldn't care. Lake Placid if you want to bore everyone to death, and Las Vegas if you want to really turn up the heat.

Code:
7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

I play for team Sweden and I think we have a good chance of going far in the tournament once again. We constantly get out of group play and then something happens in the medal round. I think this year could be different. We are pretty young and Ola Wagstrom is still a stud. He will once again win player of the Round Robin portion and lead us into the medal round. Other teams that will be good, as usual, are Canada, USA, and Great Britain. These teams always seem to be really good and I don't see that changing any time soon. My other team that I picked to go very far is Japan. For whatever reason they seem to be really good in the IIHF tournament depsite not being known as a hockey country. Could this be the year they finally win a Gold and take down teams like Canada and the US?Or maybe the Swed's will finally get that elusive Gold.

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5. Written, 2 TPE

Write an SHL themed Haiku Sonnet (see link below) which I just learned is a real thing. The format is: Haiku Haiku Haiku Haiku Couplet

Zamboni Clear Ice
Shaving Old Seasons Away
Expectations Grow

Weeks Come And Go, While
Teams Falter And Flail, Hindered
Nearing All Star Break

Teams Make Moves Quickly
Trying To Compete For A
Championship Day

Playoffs Start, Sadness
For Those Left Out And Winners
Play For History

Who Will Be Crowned Champion
And Who Will Go Home Alone

BrewskyBoy · 11-15-2020, 09:05 PM

Quote:1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

This was quite possibly Noah's best season on the ice so far in his not so young anymore SHL career. He set a career high in both goals and points, reaching half a point per game for the first time ever. Noah has really started to settle into a consistent role in the Texas system, as a two-way defenseman responsible for both shutting down the opposition and also assisting the offense with a strong blueline presence. His sudden surge offensively can be contributed to his work with the coaching staff during the past offseason, who really helped to develop his game on that end of the ice without sacrificing any ability on the defensive end. You also need to credit his teammates who have also been developing strongly around him and everyone has been able to contribute together on both ends of the ice. As the team gets better offensively and defensively, it'll continue to help Noah out season after season since everyone will be performing at a high level.

Quote:3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
FHM's 12-team playoff bracket setup has received a fair bit of scrutiny. It re-seeds after the play-in round and for some reason puts the #1 seed and #2 seed on the same side of the bracket. I challenge you to come up with a different playoff format - can you come up with a format that's dumber/worse than this? be creative! Come up with the worst possible format for a 12-team playoff.

Well one idea for playoff formats that I always hear thrown around is letting the higher seeds pick their opponents. So the #1 overall seed would get to pick who they want to play in their opening round, the next highest seed then would get to pick their opponent, and so on until all of the matchups are set. I think this is both an interesting idea but also an idea that I truly hate. Letting teams pick their opponent opens up too much room for scrutiny for a team choosing to pick a "bad" team instead of picking an interesting rivalry or something that the fans would be more interested in. I say just let the matchups happen naturally.

Quote:4. Written/Graphic, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
If the SHL needed to set up a playoff bubble (like the NHL did in Edmonton/Toronto or the NBA in Orlando), which city would be the best candidate to host as the hub city? What would the players do during their time in a playoff bubble? (For graphic option, make an advertisement [like a pamphlet/brochure] in support of a specific city as the hub city and highlighting the reasons why.)

There are a lot of options here, but I'm going to go with Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a great midwestern sports state. You've got the Packers up in Green Bay for the NFL, and then you've got MLB and NBA teams down in Milwaukee with the Brewers and the Bucks. The state is dying for hockey action and settles for having an AHL team down in Milwaukee. The AHL's Milwaukee Admirals play at the UW-Panther Arena downtime in a beautiful part of the city, just minutes away from Lake Michigan. Right next to the Panther Arena is the brand new Fiserv Forum that is also equipped to host hockey games, so the bubble could easily be played out at those two arenas. There are plenty of hotels right next door to both of the arenas as well so travel would be a non-issue. With some fantastic sights to see and state of the art facilities, it would be hard to pass up Milwaukee as a midwestern bubble host.

Quote:6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

This season I think the accolade has to go to the Chicago Syndicate. Honorable mention goes to Calgary because they also had an excellent season, but I have to give the edge to Chicago because they were playing in a bit tougher of a conference. With Hamilton and Buffalo to duke it out with, the fact that Chicago performed as well as they did during the regular season is really telling. It's unfortunate that they met their demise in the conference finals, but they shouldn't hang their heads over that. I think you can expect to see Chicago continue to make some noise next season, and who knows. Maybe we'll find them in the finals this time around.

Quote:7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

I make just about the same prediction every season and don't expect me to change much up at this point. One team that I'm marking as a lock to make the medal rounds is Canada. Year after year, you can expect Canada to always be a contender and making waves in the tournament. Another team I like to predict and feel more confident this season about compared to previous years, is Germany. The German squad struggeled two seasons ago but really rebounded nicely last season. I think they can take another step forward this season and make an appearance in the medal round. Yet another team that I always predict to do well is the American squad in the United States. And last but not least, I'm putting Great Britain into the medal round. Both of those squads showed they have what it takes to compete at the international level last season and I expect them to do the same this time out.

Quote:16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

seriesX

3 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 3 = 16 TPE

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