The one attribute that I'll be focusing on will be Reflexes. Seeing as I'm basing my player on Jonathan Quick, I'd want Markus to excel at the same things as he did in his prime. While he had good rebound control and glove speed, his most impressive skill was finding the one way to stop a puck when all hope was lost. Sure, some will say that he was relying on it too much, but at some point, you just have to accept that this is his goalkeeping style. So while I had Rebound Control and Hand Speed as strengths in STHS, the one thing I want to preserve and nurture the most is the uncanny ability to make an impossible save, which is what I saw in Reaction Time. (130 words)


This is the first full season that Markus has spent in Minnesota, and the change in scenery has been very taxing, albeit fruitful one for the young Swiss. He was reunited with one of the leaders of the Switzerland IIHF team, Mathias Seger, and that presence alone put him at ease when he felt the pressure - which is normal for a 22 year-old being asked to become the uncontested starter of a rebuilding team. Nonetheless, it was a character building season with the Chiefs. When the regular season was over, he was approached almost immediately by the General Manager of the team, and the negotiations for a new contract were very quick and efficient. It calmed him, knowing that his showing secured him a spot in the big leagues for years to come. Markus still took the time to go back to Bern to enjoy his summer vacation to the fullest, before coming back to Minneapolis - St. Paul at the end of July. He started doing gym workouts with Noah Tedla, another member of the Switzerland team, and that helped him develop a new gear as far as stamina goes, which he found lacking in the latter stages of last season. He'll do everything to build a legacy in the SHL, and help turn the franchise around. (218 words)


AGAINST - this is folly. You can't strip the two cities of the major buzz and tourism boost that comes with hosting Challenge Cup Finals games! I'm all for reducing the carbon footprint of the league, but there are other ways to accomplish that same goal. We could start by taking out all meat from the arena menus? There are many healthy and delicious alternatives to meat, and most fans wouldn't notice the difference, as plastered as they are during the games. And then, we could also try to limit the number of single-use plastics distributed - that includes not only water bottles and plastic cups, but also some game-day memorabilia that is utterly useless, such as foam fingers. It's not much in the grand scheme of things, but every little bit helps. (133 words)


In the spirit of my previous answer concerning the meat usage in arenas, I have the perfect pitch for the Manhattan Rage - the "Rage Against The Machine" combo! It all starts with a six inch long soy-based bratwurst, seasoned to perfection and prepared on the grill. You cut it in half, put both halves in a rye bread bun, and garnish it with French fries - and you top it off with strong mustard, mayonnaise, and Monterrey Jack cheese. That, my friends, is called a "machine gun" hot dog, and it's one of the most delicious and decadent things you'll have ever eaten. And as a side, you need the "rage" part - so why not serve it with 3 jalapeño poppers, in order to crank up the heat to 11! If your face is not flaming red after eating this combo, then you have ice flowing in your veins! Of course, this combo comes with a 25 oz beverage, to quench the thirst you will have accumulated after finishing your meal (we recommend water, soda is not really good for you...) All of this for a lowly price of 12.99$! (190 words)


1. In all honesty, I'd give the edge to experience in the case of two teams that haven't been in the final in over 10 seasons. I also do love me a team that has a lot of offensive contribution from the back-end. However, there's only one problem with that game plan - Peter Larsson's incredible play. If he sees the shot coming, he will stop it - plain and simple. And there's no amount of game plan that can change that. (80 words)

2. Of course, I would prefer my team to spread out the use of their forwards as evenly as possible as long as the score remains within reason. If I see my team trailing heavily, with the game still within reach, I'd start going a bit more top heavy. Would that we were allowed to strategize that way in STHS... (59 words)

3. I really appreciate the simplicity in the design of the Edmonton Blizzard logo. I think it's a very elegant, yet unassuming logo, with the wolf's head seemingly static, as if facing a heavy flurry of snow and wind. I'm also a sucker for two-tone blue color schemes, and this one is exploited to perfection, drawing the attention to the muzzle of the wolf at first glance, and then slowly expanding towards the outside. It's simple, but telling - exactly what any logo should strive for. (85 words)

4. As a metalhead and cartoon aficionado, you can probably deduce that the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse had a very strong impact on me, and is still a show I quote heavily. Imagine my surprise when I learnt that the frontman of the band Dethklok, Nathan Explosion, was playing for the San Francisco Pride! I had a literal fanboy moment as I squeed in delight, and immediately found my team for this series. (72 words)

5. Gritty is love, Gritty is life. I could simply copy and paste these words until I hit the 50 words mark, but I guess that would be flagged as low effort. I would absolutely enjoy a private meet-and-greet with Gritty - and Luke can come, too. As long as he doesn't disturb us too much. I feel that I should mention that it is certain, ABSOLUTELY certain, that I'm the bigger Gritty fan out of us two. No contest. What does he have, Gritty as an avatar and a face gen? Hah! Preposterous!... wait, he does? (97 words)