the biggest surprise in recent shl history is clearly the buffalo stampede acquiring eko van otter at the S55 trade deadline. van otter was on the block after a commitment to the upcoming expansion franchise team in atlanta, and new england wanted to recoup some assets. buffalo viewed van otter as an option to both protect a roster slot in expansion and acquire a top talent to place them as true contenders to the dominant hamilton steelhawks. the biggest shock out of this move, however, was the stampede moving buffalo native and offseason acquisition joe kurczewski to free up cap space and a roster slot. kurczewski was admittedly underperforming, but signed a sweetheart deal to retire in his hometown and play with his all time greatest rivals in buffalo. san francisco stepped in to make the deal for kurczewski, which wound up being a triple whammy for the future hall of famer--he missed the playoffs, the stampede won the playoffs, and the new orleans team he left lost in a 7 game finals.