Task 1 - 3 TPE (165/150 words)

While Centerman IV had a tough season off the ice and Seattle didn’t quite perform as well as expected, there were still some great moments for Centerman IV’s career this season. An enhanced role playing PK1 and top pairing minutes with Cassius Darrow and Gabe Johnson helped him obliterate his previous points records, tallying 33 points in the 66 game series for a half a point per game. He led the team in hits, Corsi-For, and relative Corsi, all of which are bright indicators for Centerman IV’s future. Centerman IV also made some big steps in his development, putting a lot of time into the neutral game and his passing abilities. Although he still isn’t an offensive dynamo, he realized the value of playing a little bit of two-way game and improved his stat lines dramatically. In the locker room, Centerman IV realized he isn’t a pure rookie anymore and started moving into a veteran role to assist a huge incoming class of rookie skaters.

Task 5 - 2 TPE (116/100 words)

The SMJHL is a developmental league. It always has been, and always will be. Because of this, I am strongly opposed to any playoff format that would exclude teams from postseason games. I think there could be alternatives like a loan system for players on non-playoff teams or a tournament run in parallel for the bottom 4 teams. The issue I have with them is that it’s just much easier and in most cases preferable to just put all 12 teams in the playoffs at the same time. The playoff experience is important to keep players engaged, and players don’t really have a choice of whether they’re drafted by a good team or a bad team.

Task 12 - 4 TPE (57/50 + 54/50 + 57/50 + 54/50 words)
a. Both Buffalo and Chicago are top tier teams in the league, and are as deserving as any other team in the SHL to reach the finals. That said, Chicago lost two games to Calgary, a team that got taken to game 7 by a Seattle squad that had already sold off a top line winger that season.
b. Definitely Chicago’s recent experience. Buffalo might have “continued dominance,” but they could barely convert that into cup wins. Chicago has a great record of making and winning cup finals in their current iteration compared to Buffalo’s “always the bridesmaid” woes in the S50s, so in my mind Chicago is the more impressive franchise.
c. Chicago’s logo fuckin sucks. It’s a bad logo. You can’t read it from a distance, it’s mushy on a jersey or in motion, and the colors are washed out and dull. On top of that, the name “Syndicate” isn’t really evocative of anything on its own. Buffalo Stampede is a better brand in pretty much every way.
d. The best player to ever play for either team is quite obviously Buffalo’s Cedric Robinson. A near sure thing hall of famer that won their very first cup in franchise history almost single-handedly. Both teams have great players now, but Buffalo would be a footnote if it wasn’t for Cedric Robinson’s illustrious career.

Task 13 - 2 TPE (111/100 words)

The Playoffs MVP should be Aron Hernandivic pretty clearly, but the Finals Series MVP is none other than Mat Smith. Smith had a dominant show over the last 6 games of playoffs, putting up a shutout, two OT finishes, and a 50-save game to keep the Syndicate in it. He certainly wasn’t getting very much support from his forwards, with Chicago only breaking 4 points a single game in the series. Without Smith’s heroics, the Buffalo Stampede would have easily run away with the series, if the final 6-3 game was any indication. He definitely wasn’t the best of the playoffs, but he certainly was the best player in the Finals.

Trivia - 3 TPE
(verification word: grok)

Milestones - 2 TPE
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3086662




3+2+4+2+3+2 = 16 TPE