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.


Verification word: wof

Code:
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 lot of years for a hockey league. The league is a lot bigger than it was back then which just means it was easier to get away with things back then compared to around now. For starters, everyone had a mustache which would just be gross in todays time but yeah everyone was rocking the stache. Another thing that is different compared to six days ago was the line brawls. You do not really see that now but 62 years ago it happened all the time. It is unfortunate you do not really see that anymore because those were always fun to watch when I go back and watch highlights of where the league used to be. There has been a lot of changes but one that I would like to highlight is that when you were on the bench you would generally be smoking a cigar. The hockey doctors thought that it actually elevated your health so there would generally be a lit cigar for you to smoke when you were on the bench. Odd times really. 

Code:
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 play for the Buffalo Stampede. The last time we won the cup was in Season 60 which was not the long ago. Buffalo has been a competitive team for pretty much the last 20 seasons so players tend to expect us going on a cup run. I was a lot younger so I didn’t play the biggest role but still managed to pull 65 points in 66 games. A few big key players in our cup run would be Aron Hernadivic, Monkey D. Luffy, Chimkin Wing, and Matt Kholin (Rest in peace Monkey D Luffy and Matt Kholin) were all vital in our cup run but maybe Aron Hernadivic more so with 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points. Some intangibles would include just the good overall synergy between all of them. They all worked well together which just caused them to go on a tear to win the cup.




PRESENT

Code:
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?

Would I buy into the strategy of Los Angeles Panthers riding their top players for more ice time than Hamilton? I mean it has gotten them to the Challenge Cup Finals so maybe but at the same time you leave your team up for more vulnerabilities when your strategy relies more on certain players instead of the whole team. I would keep the same strategy if I was Los Angeles.


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?

When you have guys like Guy O’Shea and Evangelos Giannopoulos who have no problem putting their body on the line to block shots it is tough to get anything going. A few strategies they can do is try their best to pass the puck around them, have the Panthers put out their heavy shooters when those two guys are not on the ice, or they could even try and sneak laxatives in their food right before the game so that they are off the ice. Strategy three is optimal because there is no way for them to be on the ice if that is happening.


c. Los Angeles’ defense, on the other hand, has not been afraid to join the play and put up points. How do you prepare for a five player offensive attack? How do you counter?

A five player offensive attack is tough to defend on because all of the players have a chance of scoring. However, with Los Angeles having a team that is full on attack that leaves Hamilton the availability of a counter attack. It would be a lot easier for Hamilton to counter attack because if a Los Angeles defender slips up there is all that open ice behind him.


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?

Both of those goalies have been really well in the playoffs which makes it tough to score on them. To get into their heads as a player while your team is in the offensive zone you could try and follow the goalies eyes with your stick maybe blocking his line of sight. I think it is important to get bodies in front of the goalie to screen him so that he cannot see making it harder for them to save a shot.


Code:
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.

+3

Total: +16