1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min)
VIP Status babyyyyyyyy - your player has been invited to attend one of the first homestands of the CC finals as a VIP guest - all expenses paid, front row seats, any hotel you want - and it's all on the Commissioner's dime! Are you going to Games 1 and 2 in Tampa or Games 3 and 4 in Calgary? Why are you picking there? And what are you going to do in that city to run up Eggy's tab?? (This is the same prompt as last year but we've got different cities! be creative! Don't re-use what was written last season)

As a Canadian, I definitely taking this unbelievable chance to visit Tampa Bay, Florida. Beautiful weather, beautiful people and most of all, beautiful hockey. Early games in a playoff series can really set the pace and quite possibly even decide how the series is going to play out. While they may not have the nerve wracking atmosphere as a game 7, they are going to be unbelievable hockey games either way. I am going to spend my time away from the game relaxing on the beach, showing off my offseason training in the form of my elite body. Not too often do Canadian hockey players find themselves in a warm climate with such great weather. While I have played in Lethbridge for several years now, I wouldn’t go as far to say I’ve had enough of Alberta, but I would say I’ve probably seen all it has to offer. Calgary is an amazing city, but it just doesn’t interest me anywhere near as much as sunny Florida in the summer.

2. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min)
After a slow start to the regular season, the Dragons have surged of late and have rallied around the #CalgaWe notion of togetherness. On the other side, the Barracuda battled through a difficult East and are led by a very strong young core. Which team are you personally rooting for to take home the Challenge Cup and why?

I find myself being able to sit back and enjoy this series as a fan of the sport, rather than a fan of any one team. I’m personally hoping for game 7 double overtime scored by an unlikely hero. If I had to choose one, I suppose I have to pick Calgary, seeing as I am a prospect of an eastern conference team. I remember growing up hearing about the legendary Randy Randleman leading his Calgary team to glory, but those times are gone and I am unfamiliar with much of the current roster. The finals should be exciting, as these are two great teams who absolutely deserve their chance to win it all.


4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min)
Alternate Reality: Physicists and other smarties believe that this reality is just one of infinite realities existing alongside this one in parallel. Take us over to one of those realities in which everything is the same but these S50 playoffs have unfolded differently. What happened in this reality's playoffs and who's in the Challenge Cup over there?

I like to think that in an alternate reality, I had put in enough work to be able to make an impact on the Wolfpack this past season. I was approached by the GM several times to gauge my readiness, and I felt that I still needed time to develop. As such, I was returned to Lethbridge and the Wolfpack unexpectedly had a lackluster season. In speaking to the GM and gauging the players before the season, I felt that the team believed it was their year. Maybe it was, in another timeline. Maybe in this timeline, I’m a little more prepared for SHL hockey and am able to make an impact on their roster this past season. With all this “if”, there could very well be room for a reality like this one. Hopefully in one of these realities, I’m lifting the cup over my head on the ice with so many talented players who worked so hard only to have the misfortune to fall short.

13. Written, up to 5 TPE Pick up to 5 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words to qualify.

A. Each team enters these finals with a red hot superstar - longtime league legend Mike Izzy for Calgary and surprise breakout star Gunnar Soderberg for Tampa Bay. Which of these players will have a more dominant finals?

Mike Izzy is an all time great. It’s difficult to bet against him. So I won’t. He is a player of ultimate consistency and clutch is his middle name (probably). The unbelievable all around talent of Izzy is almost assuredly going to allow him to have a great, dominant finals. Scoring is something he will do, but it’s all of the little things players like Izzy (not that there are many) do that make them control the game at such a level.

B. Kata Vilde and Benjamin Blue are two of the best goaltenders in the league - which team has the advantage in net?

Benjamin Blue’s .919 save percentage in the regular season is enough on its own for me to call Tampa Bay’s advantage. He also posted a superior GAA to his opponent, while facing more shots. The sample size is there, and it backs up ol’ double B here as the favorite for best goalie going into these finals.

C. Do you expect this to be a high-scoring series or a low-scoring series? A mix? Do you think it'll be competitive or will one team run away with it?

Like with most series, I feel like there will be a good mix of both. I think it will be competitive, but part of me thinks there is a good chance Tampa Bay may run away with this series. As with the previous question, I think they have a pretty solid advantage in net. I feel like if there are high scoring games, they will most likely be in favor of the Barracuda. Calgary will have to play good defense in front of their goaltender to keep the scores close. Though I’m sure they are up to the task.

D. What's your favorite player NAME on either team? why? (note: not who's your favorite player. which player name)

Easy pick. Van Morrison of the Tampa Bay Barracuda. Good solid name that makes me think of some quality tunes and a hilarious SNL sketch with Jimmy Fallon at the forefront. There are some “OK” names on both sides, such as with Shooter McGavin and Shooter McGavin II of the Dragons and Barracuda, respectively. But none really stand out to me as outstanding as they have in some previous finals. Maybe my theory of great names and their correlation with team success isn’t as strong as I once thought.

E. If you could choose any one of the following four options, which would you pick? 1. A chicken parm sandwich from Esa 2. A tray of cookies from c00kies 3. A custom feet pic from JSS 4. An hour long stick and puck session with Jepox

Option 4, the one hour long stick and puck sesh with Jepox. I have no idea who Jepox is, but I need all of the time on the ice that I can get as I am in a crucial part of my career trying to overcome my lackluster third season in the SMJHL and attempting not to become a bust. Any pro that finds themselves in the finals can surely teach me a thing or two that would go a long way.

14. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

Mike Izzy. 100%. Full stop. He found himself with points in every single game this finals. Not that points are the only sign of contribution, but that is crucial to determining an MVP of a series. He brings so much to the table, whether he is scoring, passing, hitting or playing an elite two-way game. No one on the ice matched the intensity that this one individual brought all the way from game 1 to game 7. The Calgary Dragons definitely do not win this series if he hadn’t been there to pull them out of the gutter and lead them to glory. A reverse sweep is nearly impossible to pull off, but this team found a way, with Mike Izzy’s efforts playing a huge role.


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