Task 5 - 3 TPE

Long Island Crisis Center has long been a place that I’ve wanted to be able to give back to in any way I can. I’ve had friends go through mental health crises and LICC has been a reason that a lot of them are still walking around and breathing with us today. With that in mind, I’ve donated my end of season bonus to the organization with the goal of helping them continue to offer the services that have saved a lot of people--whether it’s suicidal ideation or drug abuse, they’re such an important resource for us to have. Recently, I worked with the organization to put together a small summer festival in Bellmore, where we had a big barbecue going on--burgers and dogs, as well as some vegan options--and some activities around the fairgrounds. There was a swap meet, some live music played by a bunch of local bands, and a few activities for the kids as well--even had a dunk tank! That was at my insistence though, I always said that if I made it big, I wanted to come back and let people have a go at dunking me in a vat of cold water. All of the money made from the barbecue and dunk tank, as well as donations, was given to LICC to help keep them staffed and running.

Task 8 - 3 TPE

How was the year? Well, as I described it to my buddies back in Nassau, it sure as shit wasn’t like playing in Jersey. I was the fucking king of the ring in that league. Here? Yeah, I looked and felt as absolutely amateur as I think most reasonable people expected me to be. That was a rough one, to say the least. Started to pick it up towards the midpoint of the season, but the first half was incredibly tough for me. The stats just weren’t there. Goals weren’t getting scored, apples weren’t getting dished, and in general things just weren’t happening the way I wanted them to be. It sucks! It’s tough. Next season, we come back stronger, we come back tougher, we come back more ready to put every goalie in the league on notice. My lineys are all ready to get back and get at it, and I’ve never been one to disappoint my lineys.

Task 10 - 3 TPE

So, things were definitely a bit bleak this year if you were on the outside looking in. I mean, for the most part, there were maybe six or seven of us that made up the active crew for the social media posting, for the outward appearances, for the pressers. If you weren’t paying attention, you might think that most of our roster was basically just robots made strictly for playing hockey and praying that we don’t get the shit kicked out of us. But next year, things are only looking up. The rookies among us are moving up as veterans in juniors and will have a year of experience under the belts. Our management team has already identified the issues we need to be able to cover here--more bodies, more scorers, and more saves. After a freak accident with goaltender Manny Vector and his trip on a whaling ship (not legal) and his getting harpooned by a stray Kelowna fan, we’re definitely going to need a backup for when B Jobin inevitably gets called up to the big boy league.

Task 11 - 3 TPE

We’re fucking partying in Nassau, baby! I dragged a few of the boys back to Long Island and we’re taking over the town. Kind of, anyway. I took Jobin out here last summer after my short stint with the team before the draft in my sawed off 1995 Ford Bronco2, and he loved it so much that he wanted to get a week in at the beach again. Besides, my mom absolutely took to him the last time he was in town, I swear to god, she feeds him like the little brother that I never had. Gallen came with us, it was good for him to see some relatively extended family again. Afterwards, we went out and hit up a couple of spots--spent a week back in Czechia with Gallen’s folks, it was nice to see my auntie again, probably been a few years since I did that last. Then we swung around to Sweden and spent some time enjoying the incredibly beautiful Swedish summertime. In all, a beauty of a party on the Island, some nice time spent in Czechia, and a week wrapped up in the Swedish countryside. Not a bad way to spend a fuckin, summer eh?

Task 12 - 3 TPE

From the Desk of Bastien Marchessault, Head of Scouting for the University of Michigan Men’s Hockey Team, for The Whaling Boat, the Vancouver Whalers SB Nation affiliate:

“Benson Fiorentini is a 5 foot, 10 inch left winger weighing 200 pounds. His statline for the S65 season reads as 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 total points, as well as 60 hits and 25 blocked shots. When we last saw Fiorentini, he had left the NAHL’s New Jersey Titans at a 29-32-61 statline. Obviously he hasn’t replicated that sort of success in the SMJHL but it’s a different league by a mile. What we did see from Fiorentini this season was a big step forward in his physical game. His NAHL tenure was not defined by his readiness to throw the body around, in part due to his generally smaller frame compared to his peers. However, after spending the offseason putting on muscle, Fiorentini made leaps in his willingness to play physically--60 hits is nearly three times his hit total from his last NAHL season. SHL scouts are surely looking at him both for the potential he has as an offensive threat, but also his newfound tendency to play as a physical, grindy pest.”

Task 13A - 1 TPE

I’m going with Holden Steady. Always nice to see a guy live up to the name that his parents gave him, no matter whether or not it was mean to name your kid “Holden” when your last name was already Steady. Did you intend for him to be a fucking mason? Was he supposed to be a civil engineer? Holden Steady. Fucking ludicrous.

-----