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.

Its kind of easy to pick a player that has overcome so much. The first guy that comes to mind would be the perennial backup to Hunter Wong: Richard C. Hocolate. At the rip old age of 32, Hocolate got his first taste of starting. The hurdles didn't end there forRichard C. Hocolate. Once he finally got used to the regular season, play-offs hit. Most would have written him off giving reasons such as this will be a "learning experience" for him, or he will be the Dragons Achilles heel. However this was not the case. Up to this point he has an astounding 0.904 Save Percentage with a cool 2.83 GAA to back it up. With those statute has helped lead the Dragons to an 8-3 record. The Dragons have had a pleasant surprise in the form of Richard C. Hocolate, and a surprise they will continue to ride in their hopes of being champs.


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.

For me, there were quite a few people who deserve the honour of play-off MVP. But the one that stands out in my opinion is Winston Windsor. He leads the Rage with points, which is interesting considering most would think of him as defensively minded. Windsor has 8 goals in the regular season, a total he matched in less than half the time. With 10 assists to boot, his 18 points in 20 games is quite astonishing to say the least. Those 18 points put him ahead of the franchise players Wyatt Wollker and Ace Redding. Finally, his most interesting stat is that he never took a penalty for the duration of the play-offs. Not one. His ability to stay out of the box and put up huge numbers was something the Rage needed for their cup run. With all of these incredible feats, there is no one else I could think of that is more deserving for MVP.


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.

There were rookies a plenty in the play-offs showing off their skills. However Roman Augustus proved that the Dragons found their future franchise defender. While playing on the 2nd line pairing, Augustus recorded 9 assists. Even with those assists Roman found himself at a rather lacklustre -4. Despite the abysmal plus minus rating, he was still quite reliable playing an average of about 22 minutes per game. This helped veterans Michael Boychuk and Connor O’Reilly with their workloads. Even with the -4 rating, it was still much higher compared to some of his contemporaries. Veteran Nicholas Pedersen was at a -6, and Jagr only recorded 8 points. Despite the Dragons falling to the Manhattan Rage, the experience gained by Augustus and his team will not be lost. I whole heartedly expect Calgary to be competitive for seasons to come if they continue to develop their players, just as the have with Augustus.


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.

When the Calgary Dragons were in the Finals, they. ran with an impressive top line of Kurczewski - Randleman - Anrikkanen. However with the Manhattan Rage's depth, I believe they could have used some secondary scoring. By moving Randleman down to the second line and playing on the fourth as well, this would have balanced the scoring around the team. With Randleman off the top unit, Mike Izzy would come to answer the call. Not only would the offensive capabilities of this team be spread around but Mike Izzy will be able to add some much needed physicality to the top line. This would provide an answer to the Rage's resident powerhouse Ace Redding. With someone able to keep up with Redding's physical play, the creative Anrikkanen and Kurczewski would be able to run amok. Shifting some of their defensemen would also help as Boychuk and Augustus are the only defencemen putting up decent number across the board.