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*Toast* · 05-07-2023, 11:35 PM

GM/HO pass

Dextaria · 05-08-2023, 01:18 AM

SHL/SMJHL Finals

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 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.

Dex

Code:
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. Winnipeg made the finals last year and came up just short against the Forge. Last year, their offense ran through Mikko Rashford - this year, their top line has been much more of a balanced attack, with Gonzo Gobbledygook and Lias Ekholm-Gunnarsson stepping up hard. Does this make Winnipeg a stronger team, or would it be better to spread this firepower out and run multiple scoring lines?

b. New England finds themselves in a similar situation to Winnipeg's last year: star winger Petr Svoboda has an absurd 30 points in 23 playoff games at the time this is posted. 18 of those are goals, 12 are assists: how do you shut this guy down?

c. Olof Karsikko has made 823 saves in these playoffs, nearly twice the number of saves made by Winnipeg's Rebecca Montagne. What can New England do to help their tendie out? Or should they settle on a strategy of allowing their goalie to face a high volume of low-danger shots to get in the zone and stay hot? Alternatively, how can they rattle Montagne?

d. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?

a. I am a big fan of scoring from everyone on the team. This is because if the opponent is able to shutdown the top line with the correct line matching and tactics, the depth can pick up the slack and ensure that even if the opposing team shuts down one line, they are unable to shut them all down. (59 words)
b. To shutdown the top scorer and Petr Svoboda, I would do some line matching where my defensive line and defensive pairing would always match up against the scoring threat. However, sometimes this is not sufficient as the defensive line may not have sufficient experience, so in that case I would match my top line against them in a more defensive role. (61 words)
c. Sometimes you just have to ride the hot goalie in the playoffs and trust that they will make the save because if you start messing with the lines too much and trying to get the team to play a game where they are being more defensive and playing differently, the team can just implode and lose more drastically. (58 words)
d. Totally not because the series has already ended and that I know the results, but I got the New England Wolfpack winning it all because they got the hot goalie in Olof Karsikko and my boy Sven Yxskaft who deserves this win after such a great career. Nothing against the Winnipeg team, I just like the people on New England more. (61 words)

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

Tell me about something good that happened in your SHL career which you hope will happen again! What is it, what will it look like? Did it happen to your current player or one of your former players? What can you do to stack the odds in your favor?

Somethings good that happened in my SHL career is that I won the award for the best defenseman! It is probably the only award that Ryosuke Sato will be winning in the SHL now that his career is coming to a close, but let us not count us out here! Maybe, Sato will have a miraculous season at 1000 TPE and win an award for best defensive defenseman with a bunch of hits and shot blocks! That or I would probably even settle for an award for the most penalty minutes as I convert Ryosuke to an absolute goon. But in all seriousness, a simple team award would be enough as Ryosuke Sato is just aiming to be a serviceable player for as long as he can in the league and help whatever team is happy to take in his old self. The odds are definitely against him but let us not count him out! (155 words)

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Blood on the Ice (150 words min)

Continuing with the branding wars: this year's final features the return of the glowing bear god against a fresh opponent - a mighty wolfpack! This one seems slanted in the bear god's favor, but don't count the wolves out so easily! Tell me who wins and why! The arena and the rules of the fight can be whatever you desire. Get creative!

A glowing bear god versus a mighty wolfpack really seams like an unfair fight as the wolfpack are just mere animals whereas the glowing bear is a literal god... To make the fight more fair, we will have the glowing bear god changed to just a big bear so it will be a big glowing bear versus a wolfpack. In this case, I feel like the wolfpack would get the win as the glowing bear will not have any particular advantage with the only thing it has going for it is the size (about 10 times the size of a regular polar bear is what I'm imagining). The wolfpack would be a pack of 15 that would just be very quick and nimble, slowly working at the giant glowing bear and taking it down strategically, bit by bit. This is of course not without casualties as the polar bear would take down most of the wolfpack with it as it slowly succumbs to its wounds. (165 words)

Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku  (5 words min.)

Write a haiku telling me what you hope to accomplish in Season 71! A haiku is a three line poem where the first line is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third line is five again. None of your lines may rhyme with each other.

Sato returns home
Needs to get back to 1K
Getting really old

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

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Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

MILESTONES LINK

Procrastinators (it's not your fault this time!)

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

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through my most gracious scheduling error, you’ve won a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Who were you hoping would take it - Winnipeg's redemption tour or the fresh-faced Wolfpack? What did you like or not like about this season?

The playoffs were definitely not what I expected with the New England Wolfpack winning the Challenge Cup after placing 6th in the standings and having to go to game 7 against all of the teams that they faced this post season! Definitely can call them the clutch team and they were able to have a few upsets against the higher seeded Montreal Patriotes, Philadelphia Forge and eventually the Winnipeg Aurora who seemed destined to win it all this season. The tighter matchups in the east definitely made it more interesting this season with the Baltimore Platoon being up in their series at some point and both Buffalo and Hamilton being able to steal a couple games. Overall, I think this season is shaping up future seasons to be a lot closer as teams regress and others progress! (137 words)

16/16 TPE

the5urreal · 05-08-2023, 05:15 AM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 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.

moist
+3 TPE

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Series (150 words min.)

Many teams have rivals they'd love to trounce in a playoff series. Maybe you as a player have another specific player you'd love to beat to win the cup and lord it over them for the rest of their lives. Tell me who you'd love to play in a playoff series and why! Why would you love to beat this team or player? What would it mean to you or your team? Keep it friendly.

The easy answer to this question is anyone but Chicago. Because of the stupidity of the playoff seeding, the New Orleans Specters have played Chicago in the first round each of the last four seasons and it’s getting real old… Since this is a question about my dream series though, I’ll spare you the rant. If I had to pick one team to play in a playoff series, it would probably be the Hamilton Steelhawks. When I first started in the SHL, the Steelhawks were the most talked about team and also on most people’s shit list for one reason or another. Hamilton was also home to some legendary players. Players I would be honored to have Atticus Hale’s name mentioned in the same sentence as. Those are a couple reasons I’d like to face and beat the Steelhawks. The biggest reason though is that the Hamilton Steelhawks are in the Eastern Conference meaning if the New Orleans Specters were to face them, it would be in the finals. To beat them would be huge - the Specters’ second cup in history and also a feather in the cap of the loyal and amazing players I’ve had the honor of sharing the locker room with. [204 words]
+3 TPE

Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku  (5 words min.)

Write a haiku telling me what you hope to accomplish in Season 71! A haiku is a three line poem where the first line is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third line is five again. None of your lines may rhyme with each other.

Stick in hand, he dreams,
Of scoring goals with each shot,
League's top scorer.
+2 TPE

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

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Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

MILESTONES LINK
+3 TPE

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

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through my most gracious scheduling error, you’ve won a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Who were you hoping would take it - Winnipeg's redemption tour or the fresh-faced Wolfpack? What did you like or not like about this season?

There were definitely surprises in the playoffs this season, but for the most part, I think it went mostly as people would have expected. Unfortunately, the New Orleans Specters lost to the Chicago Syndicate in the first round. Other than that though, my Western Conference predictions were spot on. On the Eastern Conference side, the obvious surprise was the New England Wolfpack. Not only did they take out the top two seeds, but they won every series in seven games, including the finals over Winnipeg. Speaking of Winnipeg - it was another surprisingly disappointing season. While it might be deemed a successful season for most teams, Winnipeg has had the highest average TPE for forwards, defensemen, and goalies for multiple seasons now and still can’t win the cup with a stacked team. That window is starting to close now. [138 words]
+2 TPE

PBE Affiliate Claim
+3 TPE

***liebolda*** · 05-08-2023, 09:37 AM

GM CW Pass

***BadWolf*** · 05-08-2023, 09:37 AM

1. Trivia - Potatoes - 3TPE

2.a. I personally think Winnipeg is getting stronger each season. This season they were able to have a much more balanced attack because the team is better. You should not set up your team anyway to have all scoring lines cause then you have no shut down line. I think what they did, worked. They should stick to it. - 1TPE

2.b. The easiest way to shut this guy down is to make sure your best defense is out there against him. This is difficult to do with home ice last change. So Winnipeg has to take advantage of their home ice, and the do have home ice advantage so it can be done, even if difficult. - 1TPE

2.c. I am writing this post finals, so I would say allowing Olof Karsikko face more low danger shots helped keep him hot. Montagne I felt went cold because they were not facing as many shots as often, letting NEW score more, leading to the win. "new" strategy or not, it worked. - 1TPE

2.d. I think New England wins, because well, it already happened. I do think FMH did its thing and pulled an unexpected. Winnipeg has much more TPE and the players are better, so i would say statistically it does not make sense. But hot goalie is the story of the century. - 1TPE

3.The biggest moment of my last SHL career was wining the cup with the New Orleans Specters, back in season 54. It is not for reasons you would think either. Nola was falling apart, core members were not happy and fighting every day to get out. I remember this cup not as a cherished time or a great locker room bonding. I remember it as an accident that just happened to try to keep me where I did not want to be for longer. Getting out of that locker room was one of the hardest decisions I had to make, and even worse I basically had to sit there while my contract ate out knowing I would not be traded until the last moment before FA. If I could go back there is a lot I would change about this situation. But for now I look forward to my journey for a good cup.
154 words - 3 TPE

5. Are you prepared for the match of the century? Welcome to the eternal arena of Zeus!! Look towards the brightly light stage as you see two, massive, gold doors. Across from each other. The rules are simple, the opponents will get introduced and released one by one. As soon as the door opens, all rules are off (all bets are on please finalize bets in the next 10 minutes). The two will fight until one either surrenders or retreats back to their door.
Noooooow introducing, back for a second chance, STARDUST! He is a glowing bear god. He might look cute and cuddly but do not under estimate him. His opponent, new to the ring, is Ex troop!!! a mighty Wolf.
Oh stardust makes the first move by palpatining ex with lighting! Is this all it will take?
Ex makes a big move in retaliation by taking a big bite out of stars legs. Oh Star looks hurt.
Star hits Ex with an uppercut but is running out of steam.
Ex Comes back almost angry and bites at stars arm this time, star falls to the ground. Just as ex goes in for another bite, star waves their flag. It is over, the wolf has one.
This wont be the last time we see star.
215 words - 3 TPE

7. Milestones +3 TPE

TOTAL - 16 TPE

dasboot · 05-08-2023, 09:56 AM

1. boot

7. https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3357237

***efischermann*** · 05-08-2023, 11:31 AM

CW GM Pass

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S61 Four Star Cup - Game-Winning Goal in the clinching Game 4

sulovilen · 05-08-2023, 11:47 AM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 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.

verification word: verified

Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku  (5 words min.)

Write a haiku telling me what you hope to accomplish in Season 71! A haiku is a three line poem where the first line is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third line is five again. None of your lines may rhyme with each other.

New season starting
Will be the last one I play
Hope it's a good one

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

Claiming 3 TPE (sorry, no link because it hasn't been posted yet and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to edit this post because I'm retiring right after posting this, and it would look like I have "earned" TPE after retiring)

Code:
8. Graphic, 3 TPE, Tshirt Toss

Design a t-shirt that commemorates your team's Season 70! Include some elements that identify how your season went; your fans should be able to tell what season this shirt is about without the number!

Code:
11. Graphic, 3 TPE, Offseason Hobbies

Show me how your player will be entertaining themselves this offseason, or any offseason in general! Get creative!

Code:
6. Written, 3 TPE, Home Turf (150 words min.)

Rotating host countries is expensive and politically challenging. Local governments have to maintain sufficient arenas to host an event that comes around once a decade and popular sentiment is changing against olympic-style sports in general. We may have to pick a permanent home for the IIHF! Naturally, this should be your country, so state your case as to why your country is the best candidate to permanently host IIHF!

Finland is the clear choice regardless of where I am personally from. First of all, most participating countries are located in Europe, so it makes sense to play the tournament there. It would cause less travel than playing in America, so it is the most eco-friendly choice. And why Finland exactly? Environmental reasons, again. Finland is among the coldest countries in the world, so by average, maintaining hockey arenas cold will be more energy-efficient than in Southern Europe countries. Finland is also a central location, as it borders a total of three countries in Sweden, Norway and Russia. Finland also has great facilities: there are big arenas in all the biggest cities, and all are within just a couple hours distance. And for the main stage, the city of Tampere has one of Europe's biggest, newest, most modern arenas. Finland is also a traditional hockey country, and a big, passionate hockey market for its population. (158 words)

steveoiscool · 05-08-2023, 11:47 AM

1. Verification word: Sven (3 TPE)

4. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Series (150 words min.)
Many teams have rivals they'd love to trounce in a playoff series. Maybe you as a player have another specific player you'd love to beat to win the cup and lord it over them for the rest of their lives. Tell me who you'd love to play in a playoff series and why! Why would you love to beat this team or player? What would it mean to you or your team? Keep it friendly.

I'd love to play against BEN JAMMIN. He's always off in the general channel of the SHL discord talking about wanting to throw hands and press me up against the boards, but then he goes and gets eliminated in the second round. I don't know if he's all talk, I feel like if he really wanted to do all of this stuff he would try harder to make it happen, but maybe he's just playing hard to get. If it ever does happen, it will definitely be on his birthday though, I know that much. He's always making excuses about how they have to face up against Winnipeg or Big Willie Miller, but we just beat Winnipeg so I feel like where there's a will there's a way. I just know that when we meet up there better be reinforced boards, until then I'll be rooting for Chicago to make it to the finals where we'll be waiting.

6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku

New England Wolfpack
Game 7 in every round won
The cup is now ours

7. Milestones, 3 TPE

14. Written, 3 TPE, IIHF Analysis (150 words min.)
Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC! Tell me about your team! How far do you realistically expect to go this year? What nations do you want to match up against, and which do you dread? What are your expectations for your player?

Great Britain had a good showing last season, grabbing a bronze medal after missing out on medal series for a couple seasons. We're not content with that though, Great Britain will be celebrating the coronation of a new leader with Gold. Sven Svechnikov and Makrus "The Tater" Jager had a great season in New England bringing the cup home and now they'll have to opportunity to add to their trophy cabinet by grabbing a gold medal in the offseason. The obvious favorites will be Canada and Sweden (like every other season) but Great Britain never gives up. They're the only country calling themselves Great on the national stage so they've got an obvious leg up in the mental department. Seriously, where's Great Sweden? Great Canada? If they wanted to be on the same level as Great Britain then they'd rethink their branding. The league might as well just hand over the gold medals now.

17. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Congratulations, procrastinator! Through my most gracious scheduling error, you’ve won a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Who were you hoping would take it - Winnipeg's redemption tour or the fresh-faced Wolfpack? What did you like or not like about this season?

Oh hey, we're the CHAMPIONS. New England Wolfpack took the longest possible route to getting the cup, playing 28 games and winning 4 consecutive game 7s to bring the cup home. We had no easy series and came out on top in each one, knocking off top seeds in both conferences. The best part is that New England's window is just opening, so we hope to be on top for a while. Also, if Olof Karsikko doesn't get playoff MVP, I'm rioting. His goaltending was nothing short of legendary in these playoffs (seriously, just look at some of the goaltender playoff records).

16/16

Operation Ivy · 05-08-2023, 12:26 PM

Code:
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) As great as it is to have one star, I do believe that it is best to have multiple scoring lines. Time and time again in the NHL and SHL, we have seen many teams with star players crumble in the playoffs because the competition is more fierce and defenses are more inclined to shut down that star player. (59 words)

b) When it comes to stopping a hot player like Svoboda, I always default to focusing on stopping the player’s goal scoring. So if I was strategizing against Svoboda, I would take away those shooting lanes at all costs and force him to pass. Given that 18 of the 30 points are on goals, it would be clear to me that he is shooting whenever possible and probably has been given too many open looks. If others are scoring off of Svoboda’s passes, then we just tip our cap. (88 words)

c) Facing a team as good as WInnipeg, I’ll be honest and just say that chances are that the shots will only continue. Given that, I think New England needs to focus on getting to Montagne early and often in the finals. I would stress “pucks on net” if I was New England, and hope some of those early shots can go their way to set the tone. (67 words)

d) I’m going with Winnipeg. An absolutely dominant team who has come up short in recent seasons, I think this is the season when everything goes right and they come out as the top team. The combination of potent offense, sound defense, and an all-world goaltender make this team tough to beat at any time, but it seems like throughout these playoffs they have been on a whole new level. (69 words)

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

Tell me about something good that happened in your SHL career which you 

hope will happen again! What is it, what will it look like? Did it 

happen to your current player or one of your former players? What can 

you do to stack the odds in your favor?

Something good that has happened in my career (all in the SMJHL so far) was being named Captain of the Regina Elk in Season 69. This was something that meant a lot to me, as leadership is something that I really value. The reason I bring this moment up is that I am hoping it can translate to my SHL team with the Texas Renegades. Of course it doesn’t have to mean that I am the next captain of the franchise by any means, but I hope that my SHL team will see the value I can bring both off the ice and on it. In the short term, I hope that I can someday be an alternate captain for the franchise and then have that potential to grow into the next captain of such a historic team. For now, I will enjoy the last season of my SMJHL career and continue to lead in every way I can as I prepare for that next step in my career. (169 words)

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Series (150 words min.)

Many teams have rivals they'd love to trounce in a playoff series. Maybe

you as a player have another specific player you'd love to beat to win 

the cup and lord it over them for the rest of their lives. Tell me who 

you'd love to play in a playoff series and why! Why would you love to 

beat this team or player? What would it mean to you or your team? Keep 

it friendly.

Throughout my three years in the SMJHL, the Carolina Kraken seem to be the team that continues to cause the biggest headaches for us. Because of that, Carolina is the team that I would most love to take down in next season’s SMJHL playoffs. Carolina is also one of the more passionate fan bases you will find in the SMJHL or NHL, and I think that their fans are also what make playing them both so fun as well as challenging. I know that I’ve walked off their ice with my ears ringing on multiple occasions, and I think that my teammates will admit of all teams we have played, their fans have got in our heads more than any other. Anytime we have gone into Carolina, they make their presence known. Overall, Carolina is just a solid SMJHL franchise who have proven to be some of the most intense games for me and the Elk and there would be nothing sweeter than knocking them off on our way to the cup in Season 71. (175 words)

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Blood on the Ice (150 words min)

Continuing with the branding wars: this year's final features the return

of the glowing bear god against a fresh opponent - a mighty wolfpack! 

This one seems slanted in the bear god's favor, but don't count the 

wolves out so easily! Tell me who wins and why! The arena and the rules 

of the fight can be whatever you desire. Get creative!

Unlike last year, I am going to go against the Aurora and pick the Wolfpack in this match-up of mascots. I gave my reasons for the bear god last year, but the more I think about this one, it will be the wolfpack leadership that will shine through. I see it all the time; when a pack of wolves are moving together, they fall into formation where the leader is always in the back to ensure that the rest of the group is staying ahead of them and in sight. Based on that mentality, I think the pack would have quite the strategy when facing off against the bear god. While the bear god will certainly start off with what looks like an easy win, I think the craftiness of the wolves would ultimately tire out the bear and the last one standing would be that leader of the pack. The arena that comes to mind would be somewhere in remote Canada, where I think both sides would have their own set of advantages. (174 words)

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

S70 Milestones

enigmatic · 05-08-2023, 03:09 PM

1. Verification Word (3)

2. Grab Bag (2)
c.
I don't know much about the sim but having a goalie on fire is usually a good thing, right? So why wouldn't you want your goalie to make a billion saves every night. Seems to have worked just fine for New England. You know how hockey works. Even if you win 10-9, you still win so good job Olof. You didn't need no help.
d.
I have looked in my crystal ball and I have seen the New England Wolfpack winning in seven games, even after the Winnipeg Aurora had this in the bag. It looks so ridiculous though, it can't possibly happen for real. I mean, my friend @r1c3bowl22 is on the Wolfpack and his thing is not winning Challenge Cups. We have that in common. Right, Jed?? (seriously, congrats on your cup! finally!)

3. History Repeating (3)
I have not had much luck in the SHL over any of my careers. I never won a Challenge Cup and I was salty I never won an individual award until very recently even when I felt I really deserved it for reasons like "oh yeah but she's on a good team so for sure her player will do good". But last season, I finally did it. Got an individual award. And it was great. Best dman in the SMJHL. How cool would it be to repeat the feat in the SHL? I was drafted by an ever rebuilding team and by the time I come up, I should be surrounded by good players. Would that help me or hurt me like it did in the past? I hope for the former, of course. The SHL really values point production so that's why I have decided that I'd be a little selfish with this player and go full offense with my build. We'll see if it works.

7. Milestones (3)

16. Home Turf (3)
France would be an odd place to permanently host the IIHF tournament but in our league, we have teams in the most random places and countries that never qualified for any kind of top tier championships are some of the most popular when it comes to the sport of hockey (like the Ew-K and Ireland??) so why the hell not? We hosted the tournament last season and it was a ~great~ success. With our addition to the IIHF lineup, you can be sure that the sport will grow quickly in France and people will attend the tournament proudly year after year. Let's be crazy and give a chance to a city other than Paris to host and become the capital of the ice hockey world. My pick would be Chamonix, which is super close to another IIHF nation, Switzerland, and has a proud tradition in winter sports. It has a super small population but who cares, right? It would be like those big metal festivals in the most random towns that attract thousands of people anyway.

17. The Procrastinator Special! (2)
Well, I absolutely did not see this coming. I don't remember my predictions because I never remember anything anyway but I probably picked the Wolfpack to lose in the first or second round or something (or whatever it is that most people pick because yes I copy what the majority picks, sue me). When I saw that Winnipeg would play New England in the finals, I was 100% sure that the Aurora would win. I guess I enjoy that the top team of the regular season doesn't always win but getting FHMed over and over must really suck so to the people I appreciate on the Aurora, my condolences.

16/16

Massive Coiler · 05-08-2023, 04:26 PM

Code:
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. Winnipeg made the finals last year and came up just short against the Forge. Last year, their offense ran through Mikko Rashford - this year, their top line has been much more of a balanced attack, with Gonzo Gobbledygook and Lias Ekholm-Gunnarsson stepping up hard. Does this make Winnipeg a stronger team, or would it be better to spread this firepower out and run multiple scoring lines?

b. New England finds themselves in a similar situation to Winnipeg's last year: star winger Petr Svoboda has an absurd 30 points in 23 playoff games at the time this is posted. 18 of those are goals, 12 are assists: how do you shut this guy down?

c. Olof Karsikko has made 823 saves in these playoffs, nearly twice the number of saves made by Winnipeg's Rebecca Montagne. What can New England do to help their tendie out? Or should they settle on a strategy of allowing their goalie to face a high volume of low-danger shots to get in the zone and stay hot? Alternatively, how can they rattle Montagne?

d. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?

a : I would load up a strong top line, while depth is important, you need lower end players to step it up rather than thrust some of them into a higher role and hope for the best. It’s always good to have an overwhelming line that no team can properly match up against, even at the expense of some second line firepower.
b : You just try to make sure you get your top line against them every home game. Not much you can really do with a super player like that though. You can limit the damage they do, but still expect point production from them. You just have to hope you can outscore them and trust in your defence to do the best possible job.
c : The shot total is less important than high danger chances, so keep limiting teams to outside chances, even if it means a higher save count and harder workload. At this stage you have to trust in your goalie to play out of their mind to get you over the final hurdle. To rattle the other goalie, you just have to score early. The first goal (or two if you’re lucky) are so crucial to the mental game that the goalies have to play more than anyone else.
d : New England would be my pick at this stage. Winnipeg is a very strong team and could very well end up as the champions, but my pick would be the team that beat the defending champs in the conference finals. New England just has that magic factor going for them this season that makes me believe that they can do it.

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

Tell me about something good that happened in your SHL career which you hope will happen again! What is it, what will it look like? Did it happen to your current player or one of your former players? What can you do to stack the odds in your favor?

I was extremely fortunate to win a championship in my first SHL season this go around, and while I’d won before, it wasn’t the same as it was this time around for several reasons. I was in regression before, and had to sign with a new team after not being brought back by the team I intended to retire on, and that was upsetting, so winning two championships after that was sort of bittersweet. This time, it was a pleasant surprise to get called up early and get the ultimate prize. I don’t care about individual accolades and am only concerned with making sure my player does well and helps the team win. So I’d love to win another one in Philly, ideally with a larger role as I develop. I’ll do everything I can to help my team win. Trying to stick around with the team and develop into the role they need me to is the goal right now, and with any luck we’ll be able to win another one during my career. (It won’t be as important as winning the 69 cup, however, as that was the first and only championship to truly matter).

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Blood on the Ice (150 words min)

Continuing with the branding wars: this year's final features the return of the glowing bear god against a fresh opponent - a mighty wolfpack! This one seems slanted in the bear god's favor, but don't count the wolves out so easily! Tell me who wins and why! The arena and the rules of the fight can be whatever you desire. Get creative!

While the glowing bear may be an apparition, and a metaphor for something more powerful, I choose to look at it and believe it to be a singular bear. And while a bear is dangerous, especially one you’d find up north, my money is in numbers. The wolf pack, using their teamwork and overwhelming ruthless tactics would be able to overpower a single bear. Perhaps not every wolf would survive the encounter, but the pack would survive. This of course being a metaphor for a hockey team. It isn’t basketball where the superstar can win you a game on their own. You need a full team effort, depth and well coached players to overcome your opponent. The wolf pack is a complete up and down lineup, whereas the bear is just a shiny individual. I assume that this will take place up in the snowy woods or plains, eliminating any home advantage that these creatures would have over a different opponent.

Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku  (5 words min.)

Write a haiku telling me what you hope to accomplish in Season 71! A haiku is a three line poem where the first line is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third line is five again. None of your lines may rhyme with each other.

I hope that we win
The cup is what I would like
To get it again

Code:
16. Written, 3 TPE, Home Turf (150 words min.)

Rotating host countries is expensive and politically challenging. Local governments have to maintain sufficient arenas to host an event that comes around once a decade and popular sentiment is changing against olympic-style sports in general. We may have to pick a permanent home for the IIHF! Naturally, this should be your country, so state your case as to why your country is the best candidate to permanently host IIHF!

Being Canadian myself (unlike my Swiss player who maybe you could make a case for being such a neutral location.) I believe that I live in the country that is the hockey center of the universe. Folks live, breath and die by the best game on earth. The magic in the air when international tournaments are held in Canada is something to behold. The 2010 Winter Olympics will probably go down as one of, if not the, greatest international hockey tournament of all time. It’s a sight to behold having so many people come together in their love of hockey, which you don’t really see to that scale when any other country hosts a hockey tournament. Not that other countries don’t do a great job and have people that love it, but it just isn’t the same. Canada being the birthplace of the Ice Hockey that we know today is enough of a historic reason to do it, but the love everyone has for the game and the importance it still holds today is too much to overlook.

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

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through my most gracious scheduling error, you’ve won a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Who were you hoping would take it - Winnipeg's redemption tour or the fresh-faced Wolfpack? What did you like or not like about this season?

I suppose between the two I would have liked the wolf pack to win, but them winning doesn’t really matter one way or the other. They beat us so, on one hand it stinks that the team beating you wins and you wonder if it would have been you had one game just gone your way. But on the other hand, it’s sort of nice that you can say you lost to the champs. Personally I liked that my team had another good season, even if we didn’t repeat as champions, it instills some hope that my career may benefit from being on such a strong team. I didn’t like that it seemed like I stagnated in my second season. I was hoping to make a bigger individual jump. I think it may be more gradual than I initially thought it would be. Not that I was unhappy with my play, I just assumed there would be a more noticeable improvement.

16/16 tpe

*thiefofcheese* · 05-08-2023, 06:52 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 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.

CW TRIVIA LINK

[/code]

cheese

+3 TPE

Code:
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. Winnipeg made the finals last year and came up just short against the Forge. Last year, their offense ran through Mikko Rashford - this year, their top line has been much more of a balanced attack, with Gonzo Gobbledygook and Lias Ekholm-Gunnarsson stepping up hard. Does this make Winnipeg a stronger team, or would it be better to spread this firepower out and run multiple scoring lines?

There is nothing wrong with running a strong first line. Now you can't have only a strong first line and nothing behind it or you'll get creamed, but if the other lines can be "average" or better then you have something good going for you. First line can bring in the points and as long as the others aren't losing them then you can go far

+1 TPE

Code:
b. New England finds themselves in a similar situation to Winnipeg's last year: star winger Petr Svoboda has an absurd 30 points in 23 playoff games at the time this is posted. 18 of those are goals, 12 are assists: how do you shut this guy down?

You do not shut Petr down. I am not sure what got into his kool aid recently, but dude has been on fire and continued to be. Does not hurt that NEW did 3 7 game series ahead of these finals so a lot of ice time to get there, but still. PETR SCORE

+1 TPE

Code:
c. Olof Karsikko has made 823 saves in these playoffs, nearly twice the number of saves made by Winnipeg's Rebecca Montagne. What can New England do to help their tendie out? Or should they settle on a strategy of allowing their goalie to face a high volume of low-danger shots to get in the zone and stay hot? Alternatively, how can they rattle Montagne?

NEW defense has been hot and cold this season (I blame FHM). But Olof has been great and standing on his head and turning out big wins for us. Maybe those are high quantity, low quality, but we really want to keep shot counts down. More attempts leads to more goals. It is just how it works.

+1 TPE

Code:
d. If it ain't broke don't fix it: Who you got? Who wins? Why?

NEW homer and all, but I think WIN has a strong chance at bringing it home. Every series has been a struggle for NEW, but you really have to look at how the teams have done in the regular season. But when it comes down to it, there is always the case of who gets hot in the playoffs that matters.

+1 TPE

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

Tell me about something good that happened in your SHL career which you hope will happen again! What is it, what will it look like? Did it happen to your current player or one of your former players? What can you do to stack the odds in your favor?

Well I am doing this right after NEW just won the cup, so I am definitely going to say I want to win another one or three. It is great to finally get that reward after spending so much time building the player and hoping that they contribute not only individually, but having a team that can get the job done. Hockey is not, and never will be, a sport that can be carried by one person so you really have to have a good team around you. I would not have said that we had a strong chance at winning the cup coming into the post season, but FHM being FHM can lead to some real randomness. Then you look at NHL teams and they have the same sort of thing from time to time as well (looking at you Bruins and Lightning).

I'm gunning for another cup in S71 and think we have an even better team to get us there.

+3 TPE

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Series (150 words min.)

Many teams have rivals they'd love to trounce in a playoff series. Maybe you as a player have another specific player you'd love to beat to win the cup and lord it over them for the rest of their lives. Tell me who you'd love to play in a playoff series and why! Why would you love to beat this team or player? What would it mean to you or your team? Keep it friendly.

Code:
5. Written, 3 TPE, Blood on the Ice (150 words min)

Continuing with the branding wars: this year's final features the return of the glowing bear god against a fresh opponent - a mighty wolfpack! This one seems slanted in the bear god's favor, but don't count the wolves out so easily! Tell me who wins and why! The arena and the rules of the fight can be whatever you desire. Get creative!

Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku  (5 words min.)

Write a haiku telling me what you hope to accomplish in Season 71! A haiku is a three line poem where the first line is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third line is five again. None of your lines may rhyme with each other.

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

+3 TPE - Milestones

Graphics and Podcasts

Code:
14. Written, 3 TPE, IIHF Analysis (150 words min.)

Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC! Tell me about your team! How far do you realistically expect to go this year? What nations do you want to match up against, and which do you dread? What are your expectations for your player?

Code:
15. Written, 3 TPE, Teams Can Be Rivers Now? (150 words min.)

Since Team Rhine is now a thing in the Juniors wing of the IIHF, name a geographical feature, such as a river, mountain, plateau, or your mother, that should be the next to have a team! Why does this feature deserve a team, like the Rhine? How good would this team be? Would you transfer to it?

Code:
16. Written, 3 TPE, Home Turf (150 words min.)

Rotating host countries is expensive and politically challenging. Local governments have to maintain sufficient arenas to host an event that comes around once a decade and popular sentiment is changing against olympic-style sports in general. We may have to pick a permanent home for the IIHF! Naturally, this should be your country, so state your case as to why your country is the best candidate to permanently host IIHF!

Procrastinators (it's not your fault this time!)

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

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through my most gracious scheduling error, you’ve won a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Who were you hoping would take it - Winnipeg's redemption tour or the fresh-faced Wolfpack? What did you like or not like about this season?

**leafsftw1967** · 05-08-2023, 08:17 PM

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 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.

Verification word: go leafs

3. Written, 3 TPE, History Repeating (150 words min.)
Tell me about something good that happened in your SHL career which you hope will happen again! What is it, what will it look like? Did it happen to your current player or one of your former players? What can you do to stack the odds in your favor?

Winning the Challenge Cup is the ultimate achievement for any ice hockey player or team. For Mats Marner the feeling of winning the Challenge Cup was indescribable. It is the culmination of months of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice by every member of the Chicago Syndicate. Everyone shares in the joy and euphoria of winning the championship, from the players, coaches, and support staff, to the fans who have been there every step of the way. Winning the Challenge Cup is the most important moment for Marner’s career for several reasons. First and foremost, it represents the pinnacle of achievement in the SHL, and winning it cements a team's place in hockey history. The Cup is also a symbol of teamwork, perseverance, and resilience. It takes a team effort to win the Cup, and the journey to the championship is often filled with adversity and challenges that test a team's resolve. Furthermore, the Challenge Cup is a unifying force for hockey fans across the world. It brings together people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe who share a passion for the game.

5. Written, 3 TPE, Blood on the Ice (150 words min)
Continuing with the branding wars: this year's final features the return of the glowing bear god against a fresh opponent - a mighty wolfpack! This one seems slanted in the bear god's favor, but don't count the wolves out so easily! Tell me who wins and why! The arena and the rules of the fight can be whatever you desire. Get creative!

The glowing bear god, being a deity, would likely have supernatural strength and agility. Its glowing appearance might also suggest it has some sort of energy-based attacks at its disposal. On the other hand, the mighty wolf pack would be a formidable opponent, as wolves are known for their speed, teamwork, and ferocity. A pack of wolves would likely work together to take down their opponent and use their sharp teeth and claws to inflict damage. If the fight were to take place in a wooded area, the wolves would have the advantage of maneuverability and cover. They could use the trees and underbrush to launch surprise attacks and evade the bear god's attacks. However, if the fight were to take place in an open area, the bear god would have the advantage of seeing its opponents from a distance and using its energy attacks to keep them at bay. Ultimately, it's impossible to say who would win in a fight between a glowing bear god and a mighty wolf pack without more information about each combatant's specific strengths and weaknesses. However, it's clear that both sides would be formidable opponents and that the fight would likely be intense and brutal.

6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku (5 words min.)
Write a haiku telling me what you hope to accomplish in Season 71! A haiku is a three line poem where the first line is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third line is five again. None of your lines may rhyme with each other.

On the ice they fought
Puck gliding with grace and speed
Challenge Cup is won

7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Claim Link: https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3358464

15. Written, 3 TPE, Teams Can Be Rivers Now? (150 words min.)
Since Team Rhine is now a thing in the Juniors wing of the IIHF, name a geographical feature, such as a river, mountain, plateau, or your mother, that should be the next to have a team! Why does this feature deserve a team, like the Rhine? How good would this team be? Would you transfer to it?

One geographical feature that could be the next to have a hockey team branding is the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains are a majestic mountain range that stretches over 3,000 miles from British Columbia in Canada down to New Mexico in the United States. They are a world-renowned landmark and are known for their rugged beauty, scenic vistas, and outdoor recreational opportunities. The Rocky Mountains would make an excellent choice for an international hockey team branding because of their association with strength, resilience, and endurance. Hockey is a physically demanding sport that requires a high level of endurance and toughness, and the Rocky Mountains embody these qualities. The team would likely be a force to be reckoned with, given the physical and mental demands of the sport and the association with the Rocky Mountains. A hockey team branding associated with the Rocky Mountains could have a variety of logos and team names that draw inspiration from the mountains themselves and could include players from both Canada and the USA to make an international team for North America.

PremierBromanov · 05-08-2023, 09:36 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 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.

butts
3 TPE

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

Tell me about something good that happened in your SHL career which you hope will happen again! What is it, what will it look like? Did it happen to your current player or one of your former players? What can you do to stack the odds in your favor?

158 words
3 tpe

One thing I liked about Tom Fiddler's career was his dedication to taking the puck away from other players and being a great puckhandler. I also really liked that he was captain of the team for such a long time. I feel like in Texas, i may not be as dedicated as I was when I was in Tampa, and there are also a lot of dedicated folks there already, so it would be a tough crowd! In Tampa, i was one of only a few players in the beginning so there were fewer candidates. So Far, Tiberius Kane has not shown tremendous leadership, nor has he shown a great aptitude for handling the puck and stealing it from other players. In fact he more often gets the puck stolen from him. Still, I'm happy with his offensive capabilities, something Tom Fiddler was never particularly good at. It will be fun to be proven on the score sheet.

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Dream Series (150 words min.)

Many teams have rivals they'd love to trounce in a playoff series. Maybe you as a player have another specific player you'd love to beat to win the cup and lord it over them for the rest of their lives. Tell me who you'd love to play in a playoff series and why! Why would you love to beat this team or player? What would it mean to you or your team? Keep it friendly.

159 words
3 TPE

I am hoping with Texas, of course, that we will take home a cup. My dream series would be beating my alma-mater Tampa Bay. Not only because I have such a big spot in my heart for them, but also because they have drafted a number of good friends, including fitted, acap, and probably more I am forgetting. I think maybe rankle as well? It's hard to keep track. I would love for there to be a strong rivalry based on finals appearances, particularly because I think Tampa deserves a cup and also because I want a cup as well. If we could trade back and forth for a couple of seasons, that would be dope. I think fitted also deserves a cup as the league's most dedicated user and most prolific writer. I can only imagine the media that would take place if fitted ever won a cup. It would rival the Bible or the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Code:
6. Written, 2 TPE, Hopeful Haiku  (5 words min.)

Write a haiku telling me what you hope to accomplish in Season 71! A haiku is a three line poem where the first line is five syllables, the second is seven, and the third line is five again. None of your lines may rhyme with each other.

2 TPE

I want to score goals
but my fate is in assists
perhaps break records?

Code:
7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

+3 TPE - Milestones

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

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through my most gracious scheduling error, you’ve won a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Were the playoffs as you expected this year, or were there some surprises? Who were you hoping would take it - Winnipeg's redemption tour or the fresh-faced Wolfpack? What did you like or not like about this season?

115 words
2 TPE
I did not follow the playoffs at all, but I did receive word that New England finally found their way back to the cup. I didn't honestly expect that, but I'm not sure if anyone did since I don't follow the SHL very closely right now. But it's good to see an ancient player like Yxskaft to pick up a ring. It seems like only yesterday I saw him create. Sven Svechnikov, a friend of mine, also picked up some hardware which I think is particularly rude since I was telling him about the SHL for like a year and a half before he finally joined, and he got a cup and I did not.

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