Task 1

While Hamilton and Buffalo both appear in the Challenge Cup Finals to face off against one another again, I think we saw a season which is starting to push these dynasties out and making way for new blood. I think the two main surprises were probably Toronto making the playoffs over the Chicago Syndicate and the Texas Renegades finishing at the top of the league and winning the President’s Trophy. I don’t mean this in any negative way, it’s just always been assumed that someone like Hamilton or Buffalo would finish at the top of the league, and we’re seeing some changes.

On top of that, we had both Toronto and Texas go to the semi finals of the playoffs and push their respective series to 7 games, coming up just one game short of playing for the Challenge Cup. It’s going to pose some issues moving forward for teams like Hamilton and Buffalo to try and hold on to the reigns as the top teams in the league.

Task 2

I’m taking the immunity to penalties/offsides/icings. While it would be great to have an extra guy out there, I think it gets too crowded and you might do more harm than good. Having that sort of immunity would let players navigate around 6 men freely, making any passes they wanted and even trying to hit them out of the way. Eventually you might get under your opponent’s skin and they’ll start taking penalties, so having that extra man won’t make too much of a difference. While I’d love to always have a powerplay, I think the no rules would allow you to play the game a way that would make it difficult to defend, even if your opponent has an extra skater on the ice.

Task 3

There are probably a few players around the league who would be great candidates for the Hall of Fame, but I think the one guy that sticks out to me is Tony Pepperoni @"TommySalami". He has been around the SHL for quite some time and he still continues to produce at over a point per game every season. On top of this unbelievably consistent production, he has won countless awards and been nominated for even more.

2x Challenge Cup winner
1x IIHF Gold Medal winner
1x IIHF Silver Medal winner
1x IIHF Bronze Medal winner
1x Sarmad Khan trophy winner
1x Ron Mexico trophy winner
1x Sergei Karpotsov trophy winner
1x Jeff Dar trophy winner
2x Joe McKeil trophy winner
3x 1st Team All Star (1 Unanimous decision)
And many more nominations

When I look at a list like that I can’t argue that Tony Pepperoni is going to be a lock for the Hall of Fame. I don’t think there’s any arguing against those accomplishments. And as someone who was also his teammate for a season, he’s a tremendous guy and will definitely deserve that Hall of Fame induction when he gets it.

Task 12

a. I think Buffalo’s main focus will be shutting down Hamilton’s offense. While it’s easier said than done, I think playoffs leads to tighter systems and a more sound defensive game. If they can do this, coupled with Doyle playing great hockey, Buffalo could see themselves raise the Challenge Cup.
d.
Hamilton:
Michael Scarn
Theo Morgan
Aaron Wilson
Samuel Michaud

Buffalo:
Monkey D. Luffy
Aron Hernadivic
Bobby Sharp
Augustus Wang

I think this would be insanely exciting. I think Hamilton’s group provides all the offense they could need, while also being solid defensively. Wilson has been a two-way monster for the majority of his career and he could be the ace that can help at both ends of the ice. Buffalo’s group is a little more offensive minded, but I felt you couldn’t leave Hernadivic off the group after the playoffs he’s having. If they want a slightly more defensive look, you could swap him out for Kholin, but either one would be tough to play against.

Task 15

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3006845

Task 16

There’s a ton of people that I could say nice things about, but I’ll keep this one short and stick to one person. It’s gotta go out to GA @golden_apricot. This guy has had the patience of constantly dealing with my questions about my build, fantasy, and just overall putting up with me in the HAM LR. Definitely one of the best guys out there and an absolute pleasure to speak to.