Quote:1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
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 S52 playoffs have unfolded differently. What happened in that reality's playoffs and who's in the Challenge Cup over there?

Wouldn't it be nice to jump to an alternate reality where the Hamilton Steelhawks never found and used the PA-gap exploit? While some would argue that this more or less gamebreaking bug esd a blessing in disguise because it was the catalyst that led to the upcoming switch from STHS to the allegedly vastly superior FHM, the reality still is that the last few seasons really sucked because of this exploit. Luckily this season the Steelhawks were stopped relatively early in the playoffs, before making it to the finals but how about an alternate universe were the actually won, but did so fair and square? Wouldn't that be crazy, the Steelhawks getting a cup without everyone hating for it, the hard work that a lot of them put into the franchise being rewarded instead of being tainted by the overreliance on a gamebreaking fault in the system? It's hard to imagine these days with all the (rightful) heat they have taken, but just imagine: A Steelhawks cup win that's actually legitimate - at this point this sounds both far fetched and actually quite nice.

Quote:4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
The Most Generic Prompt of All Time - what is your player looking forward to in the offseason? What are they planning on doing? Training? Relaxing? Testing free agency? Whatever it is, let us know!

It's a shame that this off-season is so long because it has been a long time since Philipp Winter, as most others in the leagues, has been this excited about a new season. For Philipp, this is especially exciting as he just managed to top the leagues scoring table for the first-time ever this last season and it is gonna be very interesting to see if he can build on that. Right now it looks like a very real possibility that he will end up as the leagues very last top-scorer of the STHS era, which is kinda funny since he just jumped into that spot on the very last day of the season, after only briefly holding it for one more day around the 20 game mark, and being quite a bit away from it for most of the season and particularly the second half. So Philipp is gonna be super eager to build on that and prove that it wasn't just a fluke, but a true proof of his ability as a player and one that can carry over to the very different league we might be seeing from next season on.

Quote:6. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
The SHL is taking a stand and trying to do its part in reducing its carbon footprint. One of the proposed ideas is to eliminate back and forth air travel during the Challenge Cup and Four Star Cup finals and instead hold all 4-7 games in one neutral, rotating location a la the Super Bowl. Are you FOR or AGAINST this idea? Why?

This is an interesting idea but ultimately, I would be against it. First of all, the challenge cup finals coming to each teams home city just creates so much excitement and is such an historic and important part of the process that it would be tough to let go. "Tradition" is a weak argument in this kind of discussion however, but I would also argue that the effects of this would be too limited to make much of a difference. Instead of teams flying back and forth, fans would have to fly in from all around the country and a lot more equipment and media and other personell would probably have to be brought in as well, making the effects of this rather neglibile. And ultimately, If we want to really fight climate change then we need actual drastic systemic changes anyway, not just some empty symbolism by profit-oriented organisations that are aiming to greenwash themselves.

Quote:14. 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.
1. Head GMs JayWhy and Grapehead have been GMing for a while, whereas Co GMs Luketd and DaftRaincloud are newer to management - which team's front office staff (including coaches) do you think will provide a strategic edge (lol as if such a thing exists in STHS) in this series?
2. Manhattan has been rocking a pretty evenly-distributed ice time for forwards (35-33-32) whereas San Francisco is going a bit more top-heavy (40-40-15). Which approach do you think is better for a fierce Challenge Cup series?
3. The Rage and the Pride have, in my opinion at least, two of the best logos in the entire SHL. Which team's logo do you like more and why?
4. What is your favorite player name on either of these two teams and why? (not favorite player/user, just focusing on their player name)
5. Would you rather: (a) a chainsaw lesson with JayWhy, (b) a private Gritty meet-and-greet for you and Luke, © an all-you-can-eat grape buffet experience with Grapehead, or (d) an hour session where DaftRaincloud shows you everything from his internet history?

1. I gotta say. this is simply a fantastic line-up of GMs going up against each other where it is hard to give the edge to any one party. With both experience and a lot of younger energy present, both front offices have a great mix of the different ingredients that make a successful GM, but I think I would give the slight edge to the Rage. You will hardly find someone with as much experience as JayWhy not just in terms of pure time spent here, but also when it comes to winning, and Luke turned out to be what everyone in S43 thought King would become - just without the cocky attitude.
2. I would argue that the top-heavy approach is generally better, but it doesn't necessarily manifest itself in the line-strats per se. You need dominant performances from some of your key players in order to win in the playoffs, often times thoese performances come from the goalies but if not, then you need superstar forwards and superstar defensemen to perform like superstars.
3. Just to give a quick shout out to the graphics people, i think we have a great selection of logos in the SHL now, and way better than they were a few years ago, so kudos to you guys! Of the two choices presented with here, I like the Prides logo somewhat better, mainly because the color scheme is quite unique and cool. It would have been easy to go for something tacky or ridiculous given the name and the colors, but they managed to keep it elegant and I applaud them for it.
4. Alex Winters. I mean, come on, it's obvious. Do I really have to look for another 40 words here? Alright fine... Well first of all his last name is really cool (heh, get it?) and his first name is also one of my all-time favorites, simple but elegant, timeless and even a great fit for both a boy and a girl, without taking away any of their gender identity.
5. I would go for the grape buffet with Grapehead because Grapes are amazing! I come from a wine region myself so I like grapes in all different shapes and sizes - as fruit juice and whine, as fruits and as jelly and even as raisins, they just never disappoint. I am sort of a snob though and think the European variants or vastly superior, so i would be curious to see if Grapehead can convince me otherwise...