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CW TASK 1: (Written, 3 TPE)
Both teams in our challenge cup series come in with a healthy set of talented young players. if you were to choose a player from either teams SHL roster or there prospect pool with a (start date of S45, S46, S47 or S48) to build your team around, who would it be and why? What qualities on or off the ice make them 'that guy' and how do you think they would shape the image of their franchise? (150+ words and *tag any player involved in this task)

Both of these teams have many prospects, but one stands out. Monkey D. Luffy is far and away the best of the bunch, and a brilliant pickup for Buffalo, to ensure that as their ageing core is phased out, there is a future to build on. With him as the centerpiece, including his outstanding off-ice persona, and his general positive attitude, Buffalo will seek to create a legacy of success for years to come. He is also, by all accounts, a great locker room presence, and will no doubt be a future part of the team's leadership group, most likely wearing the C. His very healthy rivalry with the other standout of his draft class, Borromini Cannelini, will ensure that he continues to seek to improve, to outpace his rival, and it is definitely conceivable that the two will meet in many Challenge cup finals down the line, which could make for an interesting future for both.

CW TASK 05: (Written, up to 4 TPE)
Pick up to 4 challenge cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth '1' TPE. Each answer must be '50' words or more.

1. Put together a challenge cup fantasy team using the 2 teams in the finals as the player pool. This fantasy team must include at least 1 young player (S44 or higher) and in 50+ words discuss your choices.

Viktor Marius: Marius has been a brilliant performer in fantasy in recent years, and while he wasnt as good this regular season, he still is a standout fantasy player
Nick Brain: This young player has proven himself on the big stage before, winning the IIHF last season with team UK
Lil Manius: One of the best fantasy forwards
Tatu Makela: A brilliant fantasy defenseman
Slip McScruff:  he hits well, and that is key in a fantasy team
Cedric Robinson (if I need a goalie)

2. This series boasts an interesting matchup at the blue line between star studded defenders! Which includes Troy McClure III, Gary Grease and Slip McScruff from Winnipeg.. & Buffalo's Tatu Makela, Connor Tanner and Charles Walker.. which group do you expect will outshine the other and why?

Buffalo have been the more consistent team in recent years, so it stands to reason that their defense will outshine that of Winnipeg, and lead them to the championship. It helps that they are in front of a brilliant goalie, but their defense has consistently shown its brilliance, and will continue to do so into this challenge cup.

4. Buffalo has made it to the finals in 2 of the last 3 seasons. Who or what has been a primary reason for the recent success of this franchise. (*tag anyone involved)

The obvious reason for success has been the excellent GMing of @Tomen , drafting excellently and building a brilliant core that the franchise can build around and use to make it to Challenge cup finals consistently for many years to come. He stands out as one of the best GMs, and best people, in the league, and his impact cannot be ignored.

5. Both franchises come into the series with a hot Cedric! Between Winnipegs Cedric Moreau and Buffallo's Cedric Robinson which emerging netminder has the advantage over the other in this series?

Cedric Robinson has the advantage of a slightly better D corps in front of him. I believe that this slight boost will lead him to success in this series, replicating that of 2 seasons ago.  While he has been slightly worse than Moreau over the course of the season, he will stand up in the Cup finals and lead his team to victory.

CW TASK 6: (Written, 3 TPE)
For those in the SMJHL, your job is to fine tune your game to be ready for a call up to the SHL. Part of that fine tuning is having to decide what kind of player you want to be. That can be a tough decision to make as it impacts your entire career! What made you decide on the position you picked? why did you choose your specific player template and talk to us about the type of player in the SHL that you would like your game to resemble. (must be 150+ words)

I went into defense because it is what holds a team together. Forwards like to think they matter, but it doesnt matter how many goals you score if you concede 15 a game. However, Tony Ford is not one to play passively. When he skates the puck into your zone, you'd better believe he's gonna shoot it with a lethal slapshot straight at your goalie, and he'd better be prepared. Think Karsten Kadinger, with his league leading 16 goals for a defenseman. That's the kind of player who pisses off the other team so much that they might just give up, and thats the kind of player Tony Ford has become in the SMJHL. The only question that remains is can he adapt to the big stage next season. That will be the question on the whole league's lips, as well as a question that fans and managers alike of LAP will be asking about him next season.


CW TASK 10: (Written, 3 TPE)
CHALLENGE CUP HISTORY reports will be viewed instead of commericals for those watching the series online! pick any previous challenge cup finals from before your current player's time in the SHL and in 150+ words talk about the series including who won and in how many games, and who were some of the better players in that series. [include link to archives]

In S43, the team Tony Ford was originally drafted to (and which used the promising prospect to win a further Challenge Cup), reached the Challenge cup finals against Winnipeg (they would meet again a few seasons later, forming a strong rivalry). It was a series that was closer than the final result seems to say, but even then, one thing became clear. WKP started ahead, and never looked like losing that lead. Kadinger's hat-trick in the first game could be argued as the point at which WKP got a grip on the series that they never loosened, and with greats of the game such as Liefer Rielly, Dani Forsberg and Alex Light showing their talent, what could've stopped them. Well, if anyone could've done it, it would've been Winnipeg, but they were strangled by an excellent performance between the pegs by Beaujeaux Biscuit, to win his second challenge cup, and continue a wonderful run. Between S41 and S47 (that's 7 seasons), they won the cup 3 times, and made the finals 2 more times. What a remarkable record. (Link to game 4 of the sweep: http://simulationhockey.com/games/shl/S4...LF-46.html)