Quote:1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

In some aspects, this was my best season to date. This was my sixth season in the league and for the first time in my career I actually finished with a positive +/- rating. While some of my individual offensive stats were down this year including goals, assists, and points, the advanced metrics actually show that this was my most productive season overall. While I wasn't necessarily a leader on the scoring front, my defensive ability actually stood out as being one of the best on the team this season. As a defender, this pleases me greatly to see that I was actually contributing on that end of the ice in a positive way. Of course these are just individual stats we're talking about here, but I'd be remiss if I didn't at least mention how this was the first season in my career that I actually made the playoffs. I certainly wasn't the only one that helped the team make it this far, as it was a full team effort from top to bottom. But that might be the single factor that has made this my best season so far.

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Quote:3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
It's too late for this go-around of expansion, so hypothetically - should there be SHL franchises in other continents? I saw some interesting European proposals in the PT. Should these - or proposals for any other continent that's not North America -
become a reality in the SHL?

In my honest opinion, no. I don't think the SHL should ever expand outside of the north american continent. Sure this is a virtual simulation league and technically anything is possible, but I like the realism aspect of it. And the logistics of having a team across the big pond is just a nightmare to think about. We've seen other sports leagues like the NBA and NFL have a couple games out in Europe and it's cool for a one off, but the amount of planning that goes into just that single game is unreal. Imagine trying to do that for an entire season. Not to mention the absurd home-ice advantage the teams would have due to the other team traveling either to or from Europe a night before the game.

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Quote:4. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which SHL or SMJHL team was the best team to not make the finals this season and why?

I think you have to look at Edmonton as the best team to miss out on the finals this season. They killed it throughout the regular season and easily earned the top seed in the west. If it weren't for New Orleans coming up with the upset (with some questionable tactics, if what I've heard is correct), we could have been looking at an Edmonton vs Buffalo finals. I'd like to put a secondary shout out to Chicago though. While it's hard to argue that Buffalo wasn't the better team, a lot of experts predicted that if Chicago could somehow get past Buffalo, they'd have been the favorite to go all the way and win the cup.

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Quote:5. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
What are your predictions for the upcoming IIHF or WJC tournament? What team do you think will win/surprise people/be bad/etc.?

I don't think I've ever successfully predicted any winner in the IIHF, so maybe it's time I take a step back and predict a more reasonable winner. I think we all know that Canada and the United States have been the two powerhouse international teams for quite some time now, and I don't see this season being any different (of course this will be the year it's different, but I can hope it isn't anyways). I think you can pretty much pencil in a Canada vs United States championship game right now, maybe at worst you'll see them meeting in the semi finals depending on how the groups are structured. I won't even attempt to predict the WJC because I have absolutely no idea who has been doing well there or who has the top prospects in the league at this point. One thing I can tell you though is that you can expect a bounce back season from the German squad in the IIHF. They were one of the worst in the league last time around and I think it took a lot of people by surprise, including the Germans. Don't expect them to be at the bottom again.

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Quote:7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.) The two finals teams have decided to team up for a fundraising opportunity to benefit both cities. What noble cause will the teams decide to benefit? What sort of fundraiser will the teams hold together? How will the two teams mesh before the finals start?

This season, Buffalo and New Orleans are teaming up to support The Pet Fund. The Pet Fund is a charitable organization that raises money to help pay veterinary bills. There are a lot of people out there that do their best to take care of the animals we know and love, but sometimes people are suffering through tough financial times and can't afford to pay the sometimes expensive medical bills that their pets need. The Pet Fund comes to the rescue in these situations to ensure that the pet gets the proper medical care it needs. Without them, the owner may be forced to give their pet up to a shelter or keeping the pet at home but potentially suffering. There are plenty of options to help raise funds, and whatever the two teams choose, it won't be an issue for the teams to come together as one to help out a great cause. In the end, hockey is just a game and when you have the chance to raise money for a greater cause, you take it.

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Quote:16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification Word: healthcare

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3 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 16 TPE