As we enter the 20th Anniversary of the SHL’s 58th Season, we take a look back on the most competitive Division in SHL’s history.  The Great Lakes Division consisted of the Buffalo Stampede, Chicago Syndicate, Hamilton Steelhawks, and Toronto North Stars with its first year being in Season 46 when Chicago Syndicate entered the league as an expansion team. 

As the SHL made the transition to FHM in Season 53, we see that this Division was primarily dominated by Hamilton and Buffalo, with Chicago being in the mix but never winning the Division, and then there was Toronto, who were going through a rebuild of their own.  But things were changing in Season 58 when all of their pieces finally aligned and they made the push to compete in this Division. 


Starting in Season 56 the SHL had 18 teams, and only 12 teams would make the Playoffs. The only option available for this in FHM for this was to have the top 3 from each Division move on to the Post Season and the 4th (and 5th in the Atlantic and Northwest Divisions) place team in each Division had to stay at home, regardless of how many Points they had amassed during the Regular Season.  This rather inflexible option is what leads us to the topic at hand, Season 58 and 59 of the SHL.

Hamilton dominated the Great Lakes Division in Season 58 by putting up 103 Points, good for 2nd best in the League behind Texas’ 109 Points.  Right behind them was Toronto, shot out of the rebuilding rocket with 98 Points which was 3rd most in the entire League.  Buffalo took the 3rd spot in the Great Lakes with an impressive 90 Points, 5th overall for the League.  The unfortunate victim was Chicago who had put up 88 Points, only 2 behind Buffalo, and was the 6th best in the League.  This was better performance than 14 other teams, but were forced to sit out of the Playoffs for this Season.  Representing the Atlantic Division, the other Eastern Division, were Manhattan, Atlanta, and Baltimore, who had scored 74, 62, and 59 Points, respectively.

Going into Season 59 with the knowledge of how competitive this Division will still be with pretty much all of the same Players on each of their teams, and seeing what had just happened to Chicago, these Great Lakes teams knew that it’d be a dogfight on their hands.

Hamilton went even crazier in Season 59, recording 113 Points, making them the kings of the Division for the 4th Season in a row.  After that close call in Season 58, Buffalo put in the work and amassed 103 Points, securing their 2nd place spot in both the Great Lakes and overall League.  For that last spot in the Post Season, with 100 Points, Chicago was able to get out of that last place spot to leapfrog Toronto.  Toronto, despite putting up 93 Points, only being beat from one non-Great Lake team, Texas with 100 Points as well with Chicago.  This Season’s Atlantic Division representatives were Atlanta, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay, with 56, 50, and 48 Points, respectively.

For Season 60, two new teams joined the League, Montreal and Philadelphia, moving Chicago into the Western Conference, and the Playoff format went to that like the NHL.  Top 3 from each Division, and then 2 Wild Cards from the remaining 4 in the Conference.  Had this not happened (ignoring the scheduling differences without the restructure), a repeat of Season 59 would have occurred with Toronto being the 4th best of the old Great Lakes and only having less Points than one other team in the League.

Credit to @Symmetrik

Jason Bourne || RW || USA || 229 TPE
Name: Jason Bourne
Age: 22
Birthplace: Washington, DC, USA
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 210 lbs
Number: 16

Credit to @Geekusoid, @rum_ham, @Carpy48, @enigmatic, @BDonini, @honkerrs, @DELIRIVM, @Emiko, @Merica, and @Ragnar

Ryu Jones || LW/C || Japan/World || 893 TPE || 2183 Peak TPE
Name: Ryu Jones
Age: 20
Birthplace: Kobe, Japan
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195 lbs
Number: 27

Approved @SFresh3 @CptSquall

Tibuk Soonika - G - Tampa Bay Barracuda| Portal Page


Tibuk Soonika Career Stats
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Tibuk Soonika SMJHL Career S69 (nice) to S72
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S69 KEL | 29 GP | 1753 MP | 15 W| 11 L | 3 OTL | 722 SHA | 644 SAV | 78 GA | 2.67 GAA | 4 SO | 0.892 SAV% | 67 GR
S69 Playoffs | 2 GP | 121 MP | 1 W| 0 L | 1 OTL | 49 SHA | 45 SAV | 4 GA | 1.98 GAA | 0 SO | 0.918 SAV% | 74 GR
S70 KEL | 32 GP | 1928 MP | 13 W| 14 L | 5 OTL | 843 SHA | 757 SAV | 86 GA | 2.68 GAA | 2 SO | 0.898 SAV% | 69 GR
S70 Playoffs | 7 GP | 417 MP | 3 W| 4 L | 0 OTL | 210 SHA | 191 SAV | 19 GA | 2.73 GAA | 1 SO | 0.910 SAV% | 74 GR
##AWARD## S70 Matt Lewis-Flood Trophy
S71 KEL | 42 GP | 2329 MP | 11 W| 24 L | 4 OTL | 1484 SHA | 1310 SAV | 174 GA | 4.48 GAA | 0 SO | 0.883 SAV% | 68 GR
S71 Playoffs | 0 GP |
S72 KEL | 41 GP | 2302 MP | 11 W| 27 L | 2 OTL | 1487 SHA | 1307 SAV | 180 GA | 4.69 GAA | 0 SO | 0.879 SAV% | 67 GR
S72 Playoffs | 0 GP |
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Tibuk Soonika SHL Career S73 to ???
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S73 TBB | 59 GP | 3211MP | 22 W| 31 L | 1 OTL | 2250 SHA | 2013 SAV | 237 GA | 4.43 GAA | 2 SO | 0.895 SAV% | 73GR
S73 Playoffs | 5 GP | 227 MP | 1 W| 4 L | 0 OTL | 188 SHA | 161 SAV | 27 GA | 7.12 GAA | 0 SO | 0.856 SAV% | 56 GR