1. Written, 3 TPE, Ups and Downs (150 words min.)

So this was a tough season for everyone in the SHL. Dealing with trolls online, horrible PR from product endorsements, and on top of that all some minor identity fraud to add to the pile. Are these the worst things to happen to your player this season, or did something unimaginably horrible happen? On the flip side, were there any bright spots hidden in the countless nuisances and problems? What good things on and off the ice happened this season for you?

The most crushing thing to happen to Daniil Nikiforov this season, other than losing in the second round of the playoffs, was breaking his lucky stick. He took the chance of playing with the stick in game one of the second round. The stick had served him well in his juniors days and he scored many goals with that stick in Vancouver. So he thought it would be an amazing item to bring out for the playoffs. But unfortunately he got stick checked by an Atlanta defender and the stick snapped in half. He was devastated. The brightest spot in a season of bright spots for Daniil Nikiforov was the success he saw opening a Russian-Canadian fast food restaurant chain in the Baltimore area. The business specializes in Russian takes on the Canadian traditional dish of Poutine. He came up with the clever name Raspoutine for his chain. Along with traditional Canadian versions of Poutine there is a dried fish and beets version available along with other Russian takes on the dish. 

[172 Words]

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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'd say that the IIHF is usually a tossup. But teams with a large number of high tpe players usually do quite well. I think both the United States of America, United Kingdom, and Canada will continue to make waves in the tournament. One name to look out for is Vorian Atreides, the newly announced retiree from the Los Angeles Panthers seems to be on a tear and wants to help the United Kingdom win while he's still able to play for the squad. His trigger finger is itching and he's ready to put the puck in the back of the net. I am expecting Latvia to flounder. The team always struggles every IIHF and they don't seem to be making any steps forward. Russia is also a team with a very small talent pool and I am sad to say that they won't likely doing much or even coming close to a birth in the playoff. Neither of these teams have the players to compete with the top teams in the tournament. Maybe if they can get new recruits they can eventually make some noise. But for now they are just pretty terrible. 

[194 Words]

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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?

On my first player, goaltender Timo Haas, I came into a very beneficial situation in Los Angeles. The STHS sim engine allowed teams with one or two good lines to really excel in the league. Honestly, if you had a team that was made of one fantastic line, you really didn't need anything else. So seeing as that my goalie played on a team with a fantastic first line, good second line, and really great top pairing, I was able to achieve a lot in my first year. Winning 37 games (in a 50 game season) as a 650 TPE rookie was just absolutely insane. Fast forward to the FHM days. If Haas played back then and we used FHM, well, I doubt he'd have had the success he did. FHM is more punishing for teams that don't build depth. I am very much on board with FHM and what it has to offer. While it's not perfect it's just a lot more fun to see matchups, defensive shadowing, and overall better game planning. The damn sliders and number changes in STHS were just a thing of nightmare and often didn't matter one bit. If people want to say goalie TPE means little now, they must not have been part of the STHS era as a goalie. 

[217 Words]

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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?

Not gifted by anything sim related. Both teams are just stuffed with players and TPE. Maybe it's shrewd dealings, maybe it's collusion and tampering, or maybe it's nothing. But it's funny seeing players go to these teams for less and help build up a dynasty. I think most people are tired of these two teams being good though. 

[58 Words]

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?

Since I refuse to acknowledge any team in the Great Lakes currently, I will say that Chicago has done a great job cultivating their team. But all it really comes from building a pipeline from Newfoundland of players that don't really care to play anywhere else. As long as you draft people, keep them active in Newfoundland, and get them to sign in Chicago, you're going to do well. But it's still an impressive feat. 

[75 Words]

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

I absolutely hate the goal horn for the Stampede. Just having a clip from Jumanji play over and over again? No editing? No weird shit? Just a line of Robin Williams yelling, "It's a STAMPEDE!" Boring as fuck. Change it now and find something good to play every time your stacked team scores. Because currently it's just annoying. 

[58 Words]

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

I'd probably make the case that it's Aron Hernadivic. 92 points this last season, along with 80 hits and 52 blocks. Just overall one of, if not the most, dominant players in the entire SHL. Pretty much in his prime right now and completely destroying teams in his way. I'd put my eggs into his basket for the next 3-4 season to be completely honest. 

[65 Words]

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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.
nedflander