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6. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

I feel that this IIHF tournament will see Canada’s return to greatness.  Team Canada had been very successful in the past few seasons, we seemed to always be a threat to take home the gold at the end, and have done so several times. Last season IIHF tournament was different though.  We struggled from the first puck drop and at the end of the round robin portion of the tournament, found ourselves out of the elimination round.  This was a first for me and my player, since joining the league and Team Canada, we had advanced each tournament into the knock out stages, but we couldn’t get it done last go round.  I feel a big tournament coming up for us Canadians, we’ve got some new blood joining us this time around and we are all looking to get back into the 2nd round and hopefully back into the medal rounds.  Should be a fun tournament and I hope Lyle will get another medal to add to his collection. 

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7. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
We're at a point in the SHL where a good chunk of the playerbase played back in the STHS era, and a good chunk has known nothing but FHM. If you're in the latter part of the league you must have heard the horror stories... so: Let's make a hypothetical.

Players who played in both eras: What would have happened if we just had one sim engine? Posture how your career would have gone if we stayed in STHS (sans exploits). Or what if you had created in FHM the whole time? Would things have gone better or worse?

For you FHM babies: What if we were still in Simon T land? Would your career be where it is now? Or would randomness have stunted the dynasties you may or may not have been part of?

My player, Lyle Odelein III, came into the league in S48, when Simon T was still breaking people’s hearts on a regular basis.  SHL and Simon T were my first introduction into sim leagues and sim engines for that matter.  I definitely felt the wraith of Simon T during my time in St. Louis and I think in my first season or two with the Specters.  So, like most of us, I was very excited to hear we were going to be moving to a new engine.  I still am happy that we did, I really enjoy the live sim aspect of it, but if we had always been on FHM, I feel that I would have a few more cups to Lyle’s name.  I played on a very solid St. Louis team and we were unable to win a Four Star while I was there, thanks to Simon T.  And when I joined the Specters, we were stacked, and since FHM likes stacked teams a lot, I feel we would have won a few more cups in my early Specter seasons.

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12. Written, up to 4 TPE - Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. The salt special: Do these teams deserve to be here? Or were they gifted a trip to the finals through puck luck and bullshittery?

I’m a firm believer that any team that makes the finals deserves to be there.  I mean, I cheer for the Montreal Canadiens and most people said they had no business being in the Stanley Cup finals, but they beat three teams to be there, just like these two teams did.  You gotta win when it matters and both Buffalo and Chicago did just that.

b. Buffalo has been here many times in the past 20 seasons, this is only the second (I think I'm too lazy to check) time for Chicago. Which is more impressive? The continued dominance of Buffalo? Or the solid couple of runs Chicago has made despite the team only being 15 seasons old?

It pains me to write this, but I have to give credit where credit is due.  Buffalo has been a force in this league since I joined in S47.  They just keep winning.  Even though I might not like it, and they are jerks for beating NOLA in the finals a few times, they continually find a way to dress one of the top teams in the league. 

c. Everyone's a critic: Nitpick one thing about either team's logo, jersey, rink design, goal horn, or general site demeanor.

This is going to be easy.  See above answer.  Buffalo is and has been just too good for too long.  Maybe this isn’t necessarily nitpicking, so, just in case, I also don’t like the city of Buffalo all that much.  Granted, I haven’t spent much time there, but the time I have spent there wasn’t the greatest.

d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

I’m going to go with Corey Kennedy for this one.  Kennedy is a player that I was chasing my whole career.  With Lyle coming in a season behind Kennedy, he always gave me something to strive for.  Seeing him back in the finals this season shows me that Lyle isn’t done yet either.  I hope to be back there soon as well!

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15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is 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 - Friday

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17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.
MILESTONES TBD (check back later)

3 TPE for milestones