Task 01: (Written, 3 TPE)
You are at the airport awaiting a flight to meet back up with your team after spending the day being honoured as a 'Hometown Hero' in the place where you grew up! Tell us about your day... what did they have planned for you? Who did you see there? What were you given? How did it turn out? ... In 150 words or more, tell us all about this big moment as hometown hero.

It was kind of surprising going back to Voorhees. I mean, my transfer was kind of a blindside to the entire town. I’d been a bright hockey prospect who everyone thought would make it big and play for the US, but I was also a dual national, so it wasn’t known whether I would stick with the US or not, and I didn’t. I’m still celebrated as a hero back home, though. I flew in to Philadelphia after the season ended for us (6 game loss to Calgary), and my friend Brandon picked me up. “Joey, we’re so happy to see you!” He drove me back to his place, where I was staying, and told me there was to be a party at his house later with all of my old friends to celebrate. I was also to give a speech at my old high school Eastern Regional, and recall my time there. It made it even sweeter that my younger sister was a freshman at school, so she got to hear it. I talked about my time at the school, mentioned teachers I loved (freshman history, GT, etc.), and finished with this: “Voorhees is the place where I was born and raised. I love this town with every fiber of my body, and thank everyone here for listening to an old guy discuss his time at the school and his love for the town. Take this one thing with you: work as hard as you can. Hard work can get you to where you want to be.” The party was a rager. I got hella drunk, sang Gloria at a karaoke bar, and embarrassed myself by playing Tribute by Tenacious D with a couple of old friends. I love my hometown, and it was great to come back.


Task 05: (Written, up to 6 TPE)
Pick up to 6 challenge cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth '1' TPE. Each answer must be '50' words or more.

1. Breakdown this finals matchup for us, how will it play out? who will be the stars of this series, what will the outcome be? (*tag anyone involved)
2. A major managerial showdown is about to take place Between WKP's (Jr95, Wongy) and Calgarys (Steelhead77, C00kies) which set of GM's have the tactical/managerial advantage in this series and why?
I think Calgary has the major advantage. Esa has been GMing in this league for a very long time and knows his stuff more than anyone else. The Dragons have been able to beat two very good teams in the West in the Edmonton Blizzard and Texas Renegades, and should be coming into the Challenge Cup with confidence. I think the GMs will bring them to the Cup.
3. Which player in the finals should be considered their teams playoff MVP and which should be considered their teams unsung hero thus far and why?
For the Playoff MVP, I’d say Nicky Pedersen Jr. of the Calgary Dragons. Pedersen has showed the talent that his bloodline has produced by leading his team in points with 11, and contributing a +8 plus-minus as well. The unsung hero of these finals is West Kendall d-man Karsten Kadinger. The German has 5 points but has been a force at the blueline with 16 hits and a +4 plus-minus.
4. Which player do you believe will be the differance maker in their franchise winning the title here in S47?
Mike Izzy needs to produce. That’s black and white. The Dragons Star has only scored 7 points this postseason and is a -5, meaning he’s lagging on his defensive capabilities. The Austrian has struggled mightily, which means that age may be taking its toll on him. He needs to get his normal star-like qualities back, and fast, if the Dragons can make it past a very good Platoon squad.
5. After trading off there best players and declaring themselves in a full rebuild back in S45, The Calgary Dragons have made it to the S47 finals.. just 2 seasons later. Choose: ('No surprise', 'mild surprise', 'major surprise' or 'in shock') and explain why.
No surprise. We all know how good of a GM Esa is, and he’ll do whatever it takes for his team to be successful, even if it means he blows it up. The Dragons have a lot of quality young talent like Shooter McGavin, who is enjoying a breakout postseason, and the aforementioned Nicky Pedersen Jr. Veterans are not the core of this team. Now the youth are taking over.
6. Which young players in this series (S42-S47) have a chance to break out and make a name for themselves here in the Challenge Cup Finals? (*Tag that player)
7. The West Kendall Platoon are back in the finals after a season out of the playoffs and a team that was in serious regression Choose: ('No surprise', 'mild surprise', 'major surprise' or 'in shock') and explain why.
No surprise. Look at the moves this team made to go on a major playoff run. They sniped an aging but still productive Sophia Bennett from Los Angeles. Crossfit Jesus and Dani Forsberg are producing like its S39, and are back at their top level of performance. The Platoon have stellar goaltending, and only 4 Platoon players are a minus. This is a team that knows what they’re doing.
8. Star netminders Kata Vilde and Beaujeaux Biscuit have both carried there teams into the finals. Which franchise goalie has a better chance to carry their franchise to a Cup?
Biscuit, based on the sole fact that he’s done this before. The Irish netminder led the Platoon to the Cup only five or six seasons ago, and is still one of the best, if not THE best, goalie in the SHL right now. He’s also won a lot of gold medals with the Irish national team as the starting goalie. Biscuit has the experience and the talent. He’s a major factor if the Platoon win the cup.

Task 07: (Written, 3 TPE)
You have been given the responsibility of organizing the National Anthem(s) for both teams in the Challenge Cup Finals. With the entire world watching the league feels its imperative that who ever you choose really encapusates the persona of the team and their fanbase. In 150 words or more, let us know who you chose for both teams, why you believe they represent that franchise and anything notable about their performance,, IE outfits, accompaniment, etc.

For Calgary, I chose famed Calgarian singer Jann Arden. The singer-songwriter is a huge Dragons fan, and she’d be decked out in the famed red, white, and black that represent Calgary’s favorite hockey team. She’d be accompanied by a local children’s choir who would help Arden sing both the Canadian and American national anthems. At the end, she would sing “GO DRAGONS” in a beautiful falsetto, dropping the mic afterwards. West Kendall’s anthem singer would be Enrique Iglesias, a Miamian who would represent the glitz and glamor of the big city. Iglesias would be wearing a Platoon joined and would be joined by DJ Khaled, shouting “AMERICA, YOU DA BEST” after each line. Iglesias would gently sing both anthems before bowing, and yelling “UP THE PLATOON” at the top of his lungs before DJ Khaled calls West Kendall “DA BEST”.

Task 09: (Written, 3 TPE)
Which organization that didnt make it to the finals would you consider to be the biggest disappointment? What do you think are the main reasons why they fell short this season? (Must be 150 words or more)

The Edmonton Blizzard came into this season with massive hype. Joseph Lombardi came in on a massive one year contract worth $6 million to strengthen a top 6 that already included Teddy Cuddles, Cory Knouse, Tony Pepperoni, and Hercules Rockefeller. The defense was stacked, led by Brady McIntyre, Ensio Kalju, Tor Tuck, Connor Tanner, and Chippy Chiclets. The youth was promising, led by Adam Taylor, Bernard Freeman, and Willy Mack. The goalie was Tor’s brother and bona-fide elite goalie Tommy Tuck. This is a stacked team that many thought would compete for, if not win, the Challenge Cup this year. Yet, it was not to be. The Blizzard had trouble playing the Dragons even after a line shake up. The main reason why the Blizzard fell short was most likely a lack of cohesiveness. There weren’t any problems between the players, but they hadn’t played together, and the arrival of Lombardi may have shaken up line chemistry. This Blizzard team should be back next year. It’s not a matter of how, just a matter of when.

I sent Task 13