Quote:1. 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.

VW: Heya

Quote:2. Written, 3 TPE, Back In My Day (150 words min.)
The SHL has been around for the sim-time equivalent of 63 years now! That’s a lot of time for things to change. What was the league like 62 years ago in season one? Did nobody wear helmets? Were players allowed to smoke on the ice? Plenty would have changed in over six decades!

63 years is a hell of a long time. A lot of things have changed in the time period since then. The two line pass rule was still in effect when the league first started, as well as the physical touch icing rule. Luckily injuries were (usually) off at the time because that one would have ended a lot of careers. The salary cap has increased dramatically, as well as the price of training and things, due to inflation. And let's not even get started with the penalties for breaking the rules. It used to be a slap on the wrist, and now it's so much more than that. You can get suspended, fined, even banned from the league for doing stupid things or saying things that are absolutely not politically correct anymore. Do I think the league has a flair for the dramatic? Sure. Do I think it's better than it used to be? Absolutely!

Quote:3. Written, 3 TPE, Those That Came Before (150 words min.)
When did your franchise last win a Challenge Cup? Write about that team, some of the key players, and what intangibles they had going for them to be able to win it all. If your franchise hasn’t yet won a cup, choose any cup winning team and talk about why you’d like your current team to emulate them. Did they have an all time great roster? Were they scrappy under dogs?

I choose to talk about the one and only Challenger Cup I was able top win in the league, which happened in Manhattan back in Season 52, which ended up being the final season of the STHS era. We had worked so hard for so many seasons to get to that point, building up such a strong team that season after season seemed to underperform in the playoffs, losing in the conference finals or before. Finally reaching the holy land, the Rage came into the Finals as the favorite over the Pride. The storyline to watch was that of Tokek Takshak, a previous member of the Rage going against his former team in the Finals. Meanwhile for Manhattan, powerhouse duo Luke Thomason and Alex Winters were on fire for the team, carrying them past tough contention with Chicago and Buffalo. Def the strongest roster in the history of the Rage that I'm aware of, though I'm sure earlier teams were strong too.

Quote:12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

CW Claim +1

Quote:18. Written, 3 TPE, zzSnoop Lionzz 150 words min
Well it happened. A general strike by the goalie union led to a mass retirement of goalies and now ALL of them have either quit the site (based) or recreated as a skater. HO has implemented a bot goalie system, but decided goalies were too underpowered and gave the goalies 20 in every stat, even the mental ones we can't upgrade. How does the season play out now that goalies are gods (godbots?) among men. Does anything really change?

I mean, having 20s in every stats MIGHT bring the number of goals scored down to a more manageable level. We might see more than 10 saves per goalie on average and could possibly actually see some goalies get into the zone of having MVP type performances once again as they once did in the STHS era. However, without goalies reaching 25 in many stats, I'm not sure it will matter. Certain teams that will go unnamed will find a certain way to break them and the system once again, despite "not test simming" in any capacity (biggest line of bullshit I've heard on this site yet). But all in all, I think the tactics changes will give the goalies a strong chance to rise back into a point where they will stand out more and play a more vital role for their team, and not one where being pulled for 60 minutes might allow less goals.

Quote:6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Los Angeles has been riding their top players for almost a full minute more of ice time than Hamilton has theirs. If you were a coach, do you buy into this strategy? Do you let your top guys leave it all out there every night or aim for the most balanced attack possible?
b. Guy O'Shea and Evangelos Giannopoulos have been absolute block machines for Hamilton in the playoffs with 109 between them. If you’re looking for offense in this series, how do you get around these two defensemen?
d. The starting goalies for these teams, Olof Karsikko and A Jobin have been nearly unbeatable up to this point with a 0.937 and a 0.927 SV% respectively. If you’re a player on the other team, how would you get inside their heads so that you can put the puck in the net?

A. I think in Los Angeles' case, relying on your top guys is the way to go. With a guaranteed rest day between each game, they shouldn't tire out, and they have been putting up the strong numbers in terms of points, so riding the hot guys is the way to go (giggity)

B. I think the best way is to invite them out for drinks the nights before the games with the LA squad in the essence of friendship, and get them absolutely hammered. Spike their drinks, make them fail a drug test or suffer through a strong hangover. Anything to keep them off the ice altogether!

D. Olof has been a beast, it's gonna be hard to break into that dudes head. In terms of Jobin, just say something unkind about Hamilton and he'll spout a bunch of lies and get all worked up for no reason over a game. It's worked in the past, and likely will continue to work until he grows up or realizes he's not Donald Trump and no one is gonna listen to his bullshit.