04-27-2022, 10:04 PM(This post was last modified: 04-29-2022, 12:19 AM by ValorX77. Edited 4 times in total.)
1. Word Is Valor PBE Affiliate +3
4. The Challenge cup predated the formation of the simulation hockey league by 13 years when it was made for the professional simulation hockey association. Yoshu Valor designed the cup, but he was also the great grandfather of Videl, and it was created to celebrate the national college champion of hockey. The first-ever team to win the cup was the Montreal Nordiques, but they infamously destroyed the cup by running it over with a small SUV. Mike Izzy created the new design, but his name was removed from all cup record books, including all his championships with the Calgary Dragons, due to recent events. The most strange journey that this version of the cup had was with the S12 Edmonton Blizzard where they had lost it in the rocky mountains of Alberta, where a bunch of bald eagles turned it into a nest. The Blizzard eventually got it out after building an artificial nest. (153 words)
21. Videl Valor has just endorsed a super-powered hockey stick that makes goal scoring as simple as waking up. The shaft is ironically called "Hiroshima" due to its sheer force of power and the puck's high velocity when the stick makes an impact with it. The rock travels at an approximate speed of 115 miles per hour, making it one of the most challenging shooting tools that a hockey player can use to their advantage. Although this has many benefits for the user, it also has some significant drawbacks. For example, the stick can randomly break when it makes an impact with glass. This item also does not work for players of teams who have recently won a cup because of parity. Due to these side effects, I desire that you should contact your gm to make sure it is safe for you to utilize this item because of these issues, so you do not get banned by the league.
(159 words)
16/16
Fluw Registered
EBEBEB, Monke and the Almighty Cod
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3. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Four Star Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Newfoundland has gotten 25 points in 11 games from two of their top D, Rand al'Thor and Mikko Rashford. If you're Quebec's coach, how do you adjust to Newfoundland having guys on the blue line that are just as offensively dangerous as the wingers?
Speaking as one of the listed players, and arguably the better of the two, you simply don't try to stop it. Quebec has done a great job of keeping the puck out of their net and scoring at an incredible pace. The focus should be on finding ways to get the puck and get shots on Jonas Johansson with their incredibly shooting percentage this post season.
d. Newfoundland has appeared in all 4 of the last SMJHL finals and won 3 of them. Quebec, a consistently strong presence in the SMJHL, has a lot of playoff success behind them as well, having won several series since their last 4 Star in S58. How do you approach this series mentally on either side? If you're Newfoundland, are you worried your streak can't last forever? If you're Quebec, do you fear that you can't take down a goliath?
On Newfoundland's side, absolutely there is some fear that the slight underperformance in terms of PDO could lay low the giant that we've been. This is my third final with Newfoundland and frankly, I don't expect a 4th next year. There just becomes at a certain point when you know the odds eventually have to catch up with you.
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4. Written, 3 TPE, Origin Story (150 words min.)
Everyone wants the Challenge cup… but how did it get here? Tell me the origin story of the Challenge Cup! Where did it come from? Who paid for it? Who forged it? What did it look like in Season 1 vs. now in Season 64? Has it changed a lot? Maybe it has been damaged?
The origin story of the challenge cup and how it arrived in our inaugural SHL season is a dark and twisted tale but I'm one of the few old enough to potentially spin this terrible yarn. Forged from the wizards who created teams like the Prince George Firebirds and the Seattle Nightmare they channeled their energy into a terrible spell that would make deserving players want the cup bad... so very bad. Some, it would take 25 seasons to win, an arduous and difficult journey. Yes, it was obviously very dark magic that went into the making of the challenge cup, that's the only explanation. Perhaps even similar magic to the one the Dark One and his forsaken use, tied up in Shayol Ghul. Or it's the kind of magic Chicago uses in the sim and Nhamlet has shown others in his pursuit of ultimate but terrible glory and power.
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5. Written, 3 TPE, Cup Check (150 words min.)
Which league has the more prestigious cup in your opinion, the SHL or the SMJHL? Which cup is harder to win? A lot is said about the different skill sets required to GM in each league, so which do you personally think is tougher to manage? Is a trophy case with three Four Star Cups as cool as a trophy case with three Challenge Cups? Maybe you think it’s even cooler. Why?
In terms of which league has the more prestigious cup in my not so humble, never was never will be, opinion, I would say it's a very tough call based on the differing skill sets. I've never won either as a GM but did make the challenge cup final in one year of GMing the SHL whereas my 8+ seasons GMing/Co-GMing in the SMJHL never led me to a finals. I believe the SMJHL or, back in the day, the NWJHL is a harder skill set to manage if you're not super tactically focused and in line with the metas in the sim. The player caps have it so the top teams will usually be somewhat similar tpe wise, so the strategies and team adherence to the overall goal and direction of the team are the two biggest factors. I do think winning a cup in the SHL is cooler though, especially with the expanded number of teams.
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6. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Team 150 words min
You have to create the perfect SHL or SMJHL line for your player to be on. Who do you put on your line and why? Is it something about their style of play that compliments yours? Does it only include players from the present, or do you dip into the past to find an incredible D pair? Or are you just choosing your friends ‘cause they’d be fun to win the cup with?
In terms of specifically defenseman pairing, I couldn't imagine a better duo to play with on the powerplay and often times on the ice than @RashfordU Mikko Rashford. He has epitomized the example of what you want when you're chasing a player to try and beat their goals but also aspire to their high level of play and overall dedication. Truly he's been a shining example of what sim league players should hope to be. In terms of forwards though, I'd love to have my first player Saku Perhonen on my line, a big power forward, he'd do the gritty work to get the puck to the point with these two very lethal offensive weapons. Outside of that, I was really excited to play with Jack Klompus, @Toast 's player, I think he's a lethal offensive weapon and a good friend of mine. And last but not least, Ryuuji Minamino or whatever @Nhamlet 's player is, because goals, line strategies and there's very few people in the world let alone online I've met as nice, friendly and helpful as Ham.
“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. ... There are neither beginnings nor endings to the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.”
04-27-2022, 10:21 PM(This post was last modified: 04-29-2022, 12:02 PM by RAmenAmen. Edited 3 times in total.)
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1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is 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.
ramen
3 TPE
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2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Atlanta is a recent expansion team reaching it's first finals appearance. Chicago has been a dominant force in the league for a long time now, with their last cup win only seven seasons ago in Season 57. If you're betting on these finals, do you go for the experienced vets in Chicago, or the hungry Atlanta first-timers?
b. Chicago's lineup much more active with their sticks than Atlanta's, racking up 97 takeaways to Atlanta's 79. This late in the playoffs, how do you adjust to a team that's so adept at picking your pocket?
c. Atlanta has only 32 penalty minutes in these playoffs compared to Chicago's 45. With emotions high and the Challenge Cup on the line, do you think discipline will play a big role in this series?
d. Similar to last season's finals, we see Chicago running a balanced ice-time attack against Atlanta's targeted approach that has some players seeing sheltered minutes. Last season the more balanced attack won out. Do you think we'll see the same again? Why or why not?
a. Chicago was the top team in league standings for a reason, and they’re the clear favorites in my eyes. With 155 goals against this season, they have the best defensive performance in the league, and a goalie in Mat Smith who will likely bring home the McBride trophy as the league’s top goaltender. Atlanta has a more prolific offense, but look for them to get shut down over a tough series.
b. In order to adjust to Chicago’s ability to force turnovers, they’ll need to take a cautious approach and avoid turnovers in the neutral zone. With a solid group of forwards, the Inferno will need to make the safe play and dump the puck into the offensive zone, then look to battle for the puck there instead of trying to sneak a risky pass during the breakout.
c. Discipline will always play a role in a tight playoff game, but I don’t think it’ll be the difference maker this season. Chicago’s penalty killing unit has proven themselves more than capable of covering for mistakes from physical play, but that play has been crucial to their defense and takeaways, which I expect to be the difference maker this series.
d. A balanced approach to ice time will always win out over stacking a single line, and great teams are able to put together a roster with the depth needed to run this type of balanced attack. As the playoffs move on, time takes its toll on players, and the “power line” from Atlanta won’t see the same level of success.
4 TPE
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3. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Four Star Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Newfoundland has gotten 25 points in 11 games from two of their top D, Rand al'Thor and Mikko Rashford. If you're Quebec's coach, how do you adjust to Newfoundland having guys on the blue line that are just as offensively dangerous as the wingers?
b. Quebec has three players shooting 20% or better in Bertrand, Utah, and Kidd. If you're the Newfoundland defense, how do you find a way to bottle up three forwards that can't seem to miss the back of the net?
c. Looking at each teams' PDO, we see that Quebec is riding a bit of a hot streak while Newfoundland has actually been a bit unlucky. Do you think this a is a good thing for either team? Is Newfoundland bound to find some luck, or are they going to get stuck in a rut? Is Quebec going to come back down to Earth, or did they get hot at the right time?
d. Newfoundland has appeared in all 4 of the last SMJHL finals and won 3 of them. Quebec, a consistently strong presence in the SMJHL, has a lot of playoff success behind them as well, having won several series since their last 4 Star in S58. How do you approach this series mentally on either side? If you're Newfoundland, are you worried your streak can't last forever? If you're Quebec, do you fear that you can't take down a goliath?
a. When a team runs its offense from the blue line, the last thing an opposing team can do is be complacent. Quebec will need to attack Newfoundland’s offensive defensemen and force turnovers if they want to be successful. The Citadelles can’t hope to compete in a patient game, and will need to disrupt their opponents’ offense and turn the heavy number of shots they’ll face into bad ones.
b. Shooting percentage isn’t nearly as important as overall offensive quality. Quebec has made the most of their chances in the playoffs by building a strong offensive attack that generates high danger chances, and these three players happen to be the ones currently capitalizing on that formula. Newfoundland will rely on their loaded defensive talent to maintain possession that should carry the heavy favorites to yet another title.
c. There are a lot of useless advanced stats in hockey, but maybe none more useless than PDO. While it’s true that Newfoundland has been “unlucky” over the last few games by their standards, the sheer number of shots they generate over their opponents makes them heavy favorites. That number will go up if they win, and down if they lose, but it’s not a number worth analyzing.
d. If you’re Newfoundland, this is a must win series. If you’re Quebec, you have literally nothing to lose. Quebec averages 304 TPE, while Newfoundland averages 387. In a league capped at 425, that discrepancy is massive, and anything less than a five game win for Newfoundland would be underperforming. Quebec will go into this series in the second season of a rebuild, knowing that the success they’ve had so far will carry them into a great S64, but will have no expectations of winning a title this time.
4 TPE
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6. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Team 150 words min
You have to create the perfect SHL or SMJHL line for your player to be on. Who do you put on your line and why? Is it something about their style of play that compliments yours? Does it only include players from the present, or do you dip into the past to find an incredible D pair? Or are you just choosing your friends ‘cause they’d be fun to win the cup with?
As a goalie, I don’t get much in the way of lines, but I do get the benefit of playing with every other player on the team. While I love all of my teammates, and even some of my opponents, this might be the most fun group to play with:
LW: Kev Kevens
Keven has been a constant presence in the QCC locker room since I’ve been on the site, and his fantasy advice helped me to a first place finish! He’s not in the J anymore, but he feels like he’s still a part of the team.
C: Sophie Bordeleau
Anyone who’s been here for any amount of time knows how great boom is, and getting to watch her rookie season in QCC has been a special privilege!
RW: Rylie Versi
As draft buddies for two consecutive seasons in QCC and EDM, we’re in it for the long haul. You can’t escape me.
LD: Louise St. Martin
Possibly the best free agent signing in SMJHL history? I think so. St. Martin is a force on the ice and in the locker room, and most importantly, I don’t want her on the opposing team!
RD: Ben Jammin
My favorite discord bully, and since he’s not going to score on me anyway, he may as well play with me.
3 TPE
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16. Written, 2 TPE, Home Country (100 words min.)
Why did you choose your IIHF country? Is it where you’re actually from? Is it where your friends play? Was it for a specific role play reason? I want to know how you decided where your player comes from!
I'll admit, I was lazy when making my first player, and chose my own hometown of Boise, ID, before I even knew that IIHF existed in the SHL. Since getting to participate in the WJC, though, I've been thrilled to be a part of Team USA, especially its growing youth movement! So far it's been a great place to be, and while last season's WJC team didn't have much success, I got to watch our IIHF team win gold, and as the current WJC GM, I'm super excited to see how many active junior players we have! Right now is a great time to be a young player in the Team USA pipeline, and I'm looking forward to many seasons of success.
Task 4: 167 Words (9/16)
The Challenge Cup was originally formed in the year 69 when Jebidiah Challenge Cup himself decided that he really had to take a poop and he just, kind of pooped out the Challenge Cup trophy and declared that hockey teams across the land would compete for it. The Season 1 challenge cup began between the battle of western Montana, when the Lake Montana Otters fought the Montana Sea Lions in a hard fought game that ended in a 1-1 tie when the Lions goalie fell into the lake in the 2nd overtime period and was never seen again. Since then the game has evolved quite a bit in the safety department and not being in Montana department. The Season 64 cup will be played on ice that doesn’t lead to an abyss when broken and will be located in Chicago and Atlanta, both of which are not Montana. The trophy is still the same, poop smell and everything, we’re never getting rid of that smell are we?
Task 6: 157 words (12/16)
I’m gonna combine some players from both leagues here to make my lines. First up we’re grabbing our future franchise center in Lias Ekholm-Gunnarsson. A known commodity who’s going to be a monster when fully ready, Gunnarsson solidifies our center position forever. Tapping into the veteran presents that we need to help the rookie, we’re grabbing Chimkin Wing and Nike Kickz Jr to flank Gunnarsson. Chimkin Wing is very good at the hockey and is very nice and I just like Nike, dude was really cool and has a nice player. Defense we’re grabbing an old man in Jukka Timonen, and another old man in Eko Van Otter. The front line is pretty young so grabbing the old man strength will help balance that out, the only downside will be Jukka will never hit the net. As for goalie we’ll put that Evgeni Petrov bum in there, he’s ok I guess and should help lockdown the net.
Task 16: 120 words (14/16)
Well I picked Russia because for some reason in real life I have this really weird obsession with Russian goalies, no idea why. Evgeni Nabokov, Nikolai Khabibulin, Evgeni Nabokov (technically). You name them, I probably have their stats reference page bookmarked. This obsession has continued with modern day goals like Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shestyorkin, so when I created my goalie I knew that Russia was where I was going to go. There was the Beeg Yosh himself Vaseline Podcalzone as well who definitely played a part in my picking it as well. The only downside is it feels a little weird now considering real life stuff regarding the country, so I’m a little less proud of my heritage there.
Task 17: 129 words (16/16)
I will discuss great country of Wolf Republic where Evgeni Petrov is from! In Wolf Republic, the wolf government is organized in a 207,209 wolf system split between two parties who decide everything in the Wolf Republic. Surprisingly, Wolf Republic has never had non-split vote, every decision has been 100% unanimous, go wolf! The other thing that comes from Wolf Republic is we are the largest exporter of the BLAHAJ from IKEA, but IKEA actually buys all their BLAHAJ from us. How is this process done? Simple! BLAHAJ are wild creatures here in Wolf Republic, and you find them by grabbing stuffing from their lair and laying it out on pile of lingonberries. When they mix they create an odor that BLAHAJ loves then we capture and mail it!
CampinKiller
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