TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

Luke Atmey of the Manhattan Rage has played through a lot of off-ice adversity to lead the team to the finals. When he was drafted, it was expected that he would be the face of the Hamilton Steelhawks for many seasons, but it wasn't long before they decided he was not the answer, and shipped him off to Manhattan for a lottery pick. It must not have been easy to feel a team had given up on you that early, but he gets the last laugh now as he's playing in the finals as the best player on the Rage. He also has high expectations of himself, and was not happy with his regular season, despite scoring 25 goals. He felt a move down to the 2nd line was not indicative of the type of talent he has. However, that move made him the undisputed go-to guy on a line with Kennedy and Jesus. Without him, that line struggled to score. But when he is on the ice, he takes command as his team-leading 13 points after the 2nd round were more than the combined totals of his 2 line-mates. Despite getting less ice time than players of his caliber, he still leads the way and proves time and time again that he is the player the team leans on, no matter where he plays in the lineup or how many points he gets, it's the clutch play like an OT goal in game 7 that makes any past disappointment be forgotten!

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

My pick for the unsung hero award is not actually a player at all, but I feel his efforts as coGM should not go unrecognized. TheRealBK stepped into a management role after I was unceremoniously relieved of my GMIng duties after missing the playoffs 3 seasons straight. The situation for the Rage was playoffs or nothing, and he was the force behind the major moves needed to get the Rage to the Finals.
First off, he made a bold trade to sacrifice a 1st round draft pick to obtain 2 retiring players in Allen and Windsor. This move served 2 purposes, in that Allen was able to replace the FA departure of Sarantez, and Windsor immediately strengthened the blue line to where they had 4 legitimate top tier defenders.
The next big move he made was before the trade deadline, he went out and acquired the 1 piece we needed to stabilize our top 9 forwards, by bringing in Bennett Jones for practically nothing. Might seem like a small move, but it made a huge difference as it made our 3rd line more competitive - to note, a line that was -22 before the trade and +1 afterwards. This move helped to cut down on the goals against and solidify the roster to where it was competitive up and down the lineup - obviously paid off as the team made it to the playoffs handily.
Finally, as he made the line changes and strategies in the playoffs, adapting as things progressed to gain favorable matchups, especially after the team went down 3-0 against MIN, I know they will cry that STHS fucked them, but really it was BK who recognized where the team needed to adjust and was able to turn it around and the team made history by coming back and winning the series. We all have full faith in him that he will be able to make the tweaks we need as the series progresses to give us the advantage as the finals progress.
Taking a team that finished last place in the East just 1 season ago, and now they are playing for a shot at the Cup, that is outstanding GMing and coaching, so kudos to him, and Nuck, for what they have accomplished this season!


TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

Crossfit Jesus of the Manhattan Rage was a minor role player for the team when they won the Challenge Cup in S34 - as a call-up from Juniors for the final round, he saw limited ice time, but was rewarded with a Cup Ring. This time around, he is playing a much more significant role as he has been a staple on the first or second line all season. As the playoffs have progressed, he's played mostly on the 2nd line, matched up with Kennedy and Atmey. Although ATmey has been the most productive member of this line, CFJ has been no slouch. He had no goals in the forst round, but in the second round against MIN he scored 3 times, including a goal and an assist in the decisive game 7 victory. This shows that when the team needed some clutch scoring, CFJ stepped up and was able to bury his chances and help the team dig themselves out of a deep hole. He has been doing a great job both generating opportunities as he had 42 shots in the first 14 games, but also defensively as his +5 rating shows that he is not forgetting his responsibilities in his own end.



TASK SIX: You’re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

The Rage GMs have been doing a good job in the playoffs of making adjustments to the lines and strategies where necessary. When they were down in the series to Minnesota they made some lines and strategies adjustments which was key to turning the flow and regaining momentum in that series. They have lots of options in terms of how they deploy the players and what strategies to use. I think they are doing just fine! However, if I was the GM< the only roster moves I would make would be to call up the prospects from the SMJHL, especially Xavier LaFlamme and Elias Petersen. You don't even necessarily have to give them a ton of ice time, heck slot them in as extra forwards or even just bench players. They might get a few minutes of ice time but not so much that the team would need to rely on them. The benefit is, it makes these players feel more like part of the team and rewards them for their hard work in juniors. If the team happens to win, they get a cup ring to brag about (right, Crossfit?! There really is no downside to a move like this, it doesn't affect the chemistry of the team at all but gives some young guys a taste of what the SHL playoffs are all about and make them eager to get back! Plus, it hopefully would boost good karma and that is always needed!