Task 1: (3 TPE)

One of the surprises of the season for me was the play of the Toronto North Stars. Not so much that they were a good team, but just how well they carried that play throughout the season. I expected them to make a jump and compete with the regulars in their division, but to finish in second behind Hamilton was surprising. The consistency was top notch and it's like they knew that if they took the foot off the pedal, the other teams would be breathing down their neck. Kudos to them for shaking up the playoff picture in the East, it was desperately needed.

Another surprise is tied to the North Stars resurgence and that is the Syndicate missing out on the playoffs. The defending champions shocked the league when they just missed out on the playoffs. They finished 2 points out and were unseeded by the upstart North Stars. A shocking result. While it must of sucked for the Syndicate, the East was badly needing fresh blood at the top of the standings, if anything to give the rest of the teams hope that it was possible. The big dogs were still at the top, but seeing the North Stars there and Chicago dropped down is that glimmer of hope that hopefully we see a greater variety of competition in the East.

(224 words)

Task 4: (3 TPE)

While we didn't make the playoffs this season, I was very happy with how competitive we were in fighting for that spot. We held a top 3 spot in our division for a long time, but we just let it slip away towards the end of the season. It was certainly encouraging to see us keep up with the top teams in the division and hoping we can carry that towards next season.

For that to happen, though, I need to step my game up. Yes, I was in my rookie season and it's tough to make an impact, but going into my second season I need to take a big step. The team is trusting me with 3rd line centre duties and I can't put up a -33 again. I need to simplify my game and stay more consistent. I noticed that about halfway through the season my play started to dip so I worked hard on my stamina in the off-season. I need to be in top physical shape to keep up with the elite players on the opposing team. I'm also planning on working overtime on my offensive skill set. I split my focus on offense and defense last off-season and I felt off. This off-season I'm going to build up my offense and become more of a threat to put up points and make the other team have to game plan for my line. I think I can take the next step in my development next season and if I do, that will go a long way towards helping the Monarchs finally get back to the post-season.

(271 words)

Task 5: (2 TPE)

I think this one is pretty easy. The best team to not make the playoffs was by far the Chicago Syndicate. They might be the best team to ever miss out on the playoffs in SHL history. Chicago was unfortunately in the same division as Hamilton, Toronto, and Buffalo and just missed out by 2 points. A couple of overtime losses and they would of found themselves inside the playoff picture, but that didn't materialize. Chicago gave up the least amount of goals in the whole league, was top 5 in goals scored and still missed the playoffs. To play as well as they did and still miss out is gut wrenching, I feel for the Syndicate players.

(118 words)

Task 12: (4 TPE)

a. Hamilton finished 13 points above Buffalo in the standings this season. What is one thing that Buffalo can do to give themselves a leg up despite this?

There is one big advantage that Buffalo carries into this series against Hamilton and that's in goal. Elizabeth Doyle is the best goaltender on the planet and if Buffalo wants to win this series, she is going to steal it. If Doyle somehow slips up during this series, you can kiss Buffalo's chances goodbye. I don't see her slipping up that much, but she'll need to be at her absolute best. (71 words)

b. Hamilton was 3rd in the league in GF this season. Buffalo was 2nd in GA. This begs the age old question: what will win out, a great defense or a great offense? Why?

Usually you lean defense, but in this case I think it's offense. Buffalo's best asset is in net, not necessarily on the blue line. I think Hamilton's offense can overwhelm Buffalo's defense and make Doyle stand on her head. Eventually, the Hamilton offense is going to wear down both the defense and the goaltender. Give me Hamilton's offense to lead the way. (62 words)

c. Which of these two teams' brandings do you prefer? Take into account colors, logo, name, location, and anything else you consider relevant.

I'll take the Hamilton Steelhawks' branding. I like the uniqueness of Buffalo, but I love the steel/blue combo for Hamilton and I am bias towards the city as well. I also prefer the name Steelhawks to Stampede, it feels fierce and it's a solid hockey team name. Buffalo's branding is still sharp, but between the two I would rep Hamilton's. (61 words)

d. It's all come down to this: game seven overtime. Which four players are you sending out to win the game for you. This is in a fantasy sense, so feel free to mix and match from both teams.

I'm sending out Michael Scarn, Aron Hernadivic, Monkey D. Luffy, and Aaron Wilson. I don't care that none of them are defensemen, all 4 are just elite players on both ends of the ice. I know we'd have the puck the whole time they were on the ice and eventually their skill would take over and bury the game winner. (60 words)

Task 15: (1 TPE)

S58 Milestones Claim - 1 TPE

Task 16: (3 TPE)

I'm going to talk about a couple of different people. First up is BadWolf. Every interaction I've had with BW has been pleasant and a genuine treat. Personally, I think the SMJHL has been amazing under her watch and she has the type of presence and approach ability that a commissioner should have. I love having to discuss an issue with her because it always goes so smoothly and we seem to always look at things in a similar vein. Thumbs up to BW!

The other people I want to talk up is the current Head Office. Led by nour, things seem to really quite smoothly. There are a ton of topics up for discussion and usually they're pushed to the side for a long time or forgotten about, but the team nour has built seems to be on top of it as much as possible. I'm very happy to see the SHL in good hands. I hope to see them last for the long haul, for the good of the future of the SHL.

(175 words)