Both team in the S48 Challenge Cup have plenty of young talent who are becoming key contributors for their teams.

First up from the Buffalo   would be @Mayuu Hippo Passamus . He has been a consistent player ever since making his debut in the SHL back in S46 by racking up 25, 30 and 26 points in the regular season. So far in these S48 SHL playoffs, Hippo has accumulated 8 goals and 14 assists throughout 16 playoff games. Hippo has proven himself to be a key player for the   and will only get better as time progresses and he continues developing into a full fledge SHL stud.

Secondly, would be @Nerio Bobby Sharp from the Buffalo   He is having a good showing in the S48 playoffs so far by producing 9 points in 16 games and can be a dark horse in the series for the   . Bobby is definitely going to be a key player as a building piece going forward Buffalo and will look to continue having a strong playoff in the Challenge Cup.

Lastly, @LarksTongue Commander Shepard from the Winnipeg   is going to be a key asset going forward. Although, this season he hasn't been a top producer for the   From my time playing with him in the Montreal   I know what he is capable of and just needs some time adjusting to the SHL pace and competitiveness. Once Shepard gets adjusted to the SHL, he will be a key player for the Winnipeg 

These are some of the talented young players in the Challenge Cup Finals for S48 that will be cornerstones for their respective teams in the future. 


@Keygan @"TommySalami" My first season in the SHL as a rookie was a huge learning experience for me in that I am now playing with the best of the best and there are players who are faster, stronger and more developed than me in the SHL. 

My rookie year i managed to score 10 goals and produce 10 assists accumulating 20 points , which is better than my abysmal 8 points in my rookie season with the Montreal   

I am strong at completing weekly PT's, training, activity checks and posting in the   when PT opportunities are available. 

Things that I need to improve on are definitely my defence, passing and skating which will be attributes I will look to improve on immediately. I have reached 90 defence with my latest player update and I hope that will help improve my -14 rating this past SHL season.

For S49, I would like my role to continue playing on the 3rd line. Initially for my rookie season I was slotted on the first line and while I got to play with amazing players, there were times I felt outmatched by facing up against the team's best forwards and defensemen. When I got moved to the 3rd line midway through last season, I felt more comfortable there and felt like I could keep up a bit. Once I begin to develop my player more, I can look to play on different lines but for S49 the 3rd line would be ideal for me but I am open to anything you guys want from me.

I am honored to be in the   organization and getting to play with some    players as well definitely has made the transition period smoother for me! 


2. I believe that the Buffalo   blue line is going to have the upper edge in this series. I got to play with Connor Tanner this year when he was still part of the Edmonton   before being traded and he was our top point producer. Connor is an exceptional player and I witnessed first hand how he can single handily take over a game and set the tone of a game. Also Buffalo has four defensemen who have 8+ points with Alexis Metzler leading the way with 14 points. 

3. Winnipeg making it to the finals was definitely a surprise considering that they went through the New Orleans   who many believed was going to win the Challenge Cup this year. Their series against New Orleans went the distance to 7 games and this was a nail biting series from start to finish. @Trautner @StamkosFan @Gaia Mormont by each producing 12,10 and 9 points so far respectively in 13 playoff games. The   will need for them to continue producing if they want to keep this magical journey going and have a cinderella story by capturing the S48 Challenge Cup. 

4. Buffalo has a tremendous crop of talented players on their roster and that is a major reason why they have been able to make it to the Challenge Cup Finals 2 of the past 3 seasons.  @Mayuu @Nerio were players that I discussed earlier and I am going to discuss them again because they have been performing exceptionally these playoffs and Buffalo has a deep roster of players who can all contribute. The more players who can contribute the more likely they are to be successful! 

5. The battle of the Cedric's in goal is going to be a key match up as the goalies are the most important  position for any team. Both of them have been excellent so far in these playoffs, but the edge in goal would have to go to Cedric Robinson.

Robinson has 12-3 record to go along with a .924% and an amazing four shutouts compared to Moreau's 8-4-1 record, .937% and two shutouts. 

If Robinson can stand on his again, he can be the reason why the Buffalo   will win this series. 


Just one season the West Kendall    took on the Calgary   in the S47 Challenge Cup Final and eventually swept the series in four games. Many thought that this series would go tooth and nail until the very end but the   made quick work of their opponent in the finals.

Some of the key contributors in this series were Crossfit Jesus who produced 16 points in 15 playoff games, Dani Forsberg who produced 15 points in 15 games, Gabriel Wong who produced 14 points and Sophia Bennett who produced 13 points. By having a healthy dose of production from many players, it was going to be difficult for the   to maintain West Kendall's firepower. 

Game 2 of the series was the pinnacle of the   demonstrating how deep they were by scoring 7 goals even though being out shot 34-27.  This game would be the turning point of the series and set the pace for games going forward and the eventual sweep.
http://simulationhockey.com/games/shl/S4...F-100.html


PM'D