Quote:1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1.5 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: havingfun

Quote:2. 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. I'm not sure many people would have seen this coming. Two teams that joined the league at the same time, both making the finals and competing against each other for their franchise-first cup. So... who do think wins it all? The first time to the Challenge Cup Seattle Argonauts, that have been dismantling higher seeded teams through their entire playoff run? Or the President's Trophy winning Atlanta Inferno that are back with a vengeance after a S64 Challenge Cup defeat?
Going in I probably would have went with the Inferno over the Argonauts. Seattle had a strong team and went on a great run but the depth of Atlanta was just too strong and they proved themselves to be the top team all season long. Too much to handle for Seattle unfortunately.

b. You can't talk about Seattle's run without talking about the dominant performance of starting goaltender Willie Miller, who has posted a .935 SV% heading into the finals. If your Atlanta, how do you solve this brick wall? If your Seattle, what do you do to make sure your guy stays hot?
When you’re talking about figuring out a really good goalie I think there’s only so much you can do. The main thing for me would be to create as much traffic in front of him as you possibly can. When a goalie is on like that you really need to stop him from seeing shots wherever possible. Also just get up in his space/around his crease and disrupt him where possible.

c. Atlanta's big storyline is their incredible depth. They have eleven players that have logged 10 or more points so far in the playoffs. If you're Seattle, how do you try to contain three lines of unending offensive pressure? If you're Atlanta, how do you ensure everyone is able to continue to contribute against such a stellar defense?
Really strong depth is tough to stop, that’s why deep, skilled teams usually end up winning championships. Usually if you want to beat them you need to create a solid gameplan to counter their strengths. One option is to play your stars as much as possible, but that doesn’t always work. For Atlanta, you just need to wear down their defense as much as possible. Use your depth to your advantage and roll lines of attack. Finish every check.

d. Seattle's powerplay has been on fire contributing 14 goals up to this point, which comes out to almost 30% of their goals scored (50G total) in these playoffs. Atlanta on the other hand have managed just 5 power play goals, which is only 5% of their scoring (59G total). In your opinion-- is this a good thing for Seattle, or a good thing for Atlanta? Maybe a good thing for both? Do you think a dynamic team like Seattle that can capitalize on so many of their PP chances will lead to Atlanta playing scared-- worried about what might happen if they enter the box? Do you think a relentless Atlanta team that is so flush with even strength scoring is going to be too much for Seattle to take?
I don’t know if it’s ever a really good thing to rely heavily on powerplay production. I think most coaches would always choose 5v5 production instead. If you powerplay opportunities dry up, there goes your production. If your powerplay just goes straight up cold, there goes your production. Whereas Atlanta has outscored Seattle in the playoffs largely off of 5v5 production alone. Any PP goals there are a bonus.

Quote:4. Written, 3 TPE, League vs. League (150 words min.)
Could any SMJHL team in history (if they were NOT capped at their usual 350/425 builds) have beaten any SHL team in history a 7 game series? Why or why not? What historical teams do you think are good candidates for this trial? Who do you think is the best team in SMJHL history and the worst team in SHL history? Would the J team have a chance? Make your case!

Assuming I’m understanding this prompt correctly (that I’m evaluating an SMJHL team based on what their players TPE were at the time rather than their cap?) I would say that it’s certainly possible, although still somewhat unlikely. But honestly I don’t know enough about FHM to say whether a couple of mid/high 1k players with a bunch of 200TPE plugs could take on a team of 600/700/800 TPE guys. The first couple SHL team options off the top of my head are the current Edmonton Blizzard (3 1.5k~ TPE players, 2 900 TPE players, everyone else sub 500ish) and the old 0-50 Barracuda Team. Just scanning through the SMJHL championships page, without going back super far I can see there were some VERY strong teams through the mid s50’s. I feel like any of the 55 Berserkers, 56 Whalers, or 57 Armada would have a reasonable chance of taking down current Edmonton. That would actually be a really interesting sim honestly, I would love to see someone try to recreate that and test it out.

Quote:7. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 7 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.
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Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

Milestone Claim

Quote:17. Written, 3 TPE, Home Town (150 words min.)
In seasons past I’ve asked about your favourite foods or favourite things about your home country, now let’s get even more specific! Where specifically are you from in your country, and what do you like about it? Tell me some fun facts about your players home town and the kinds of places that you liked to go growing up!

So Noel Blanchet represents Czechia in the IIHF, but he was actually born in Lyon, France. His Grandmother on his mom’s side is actually Czech, so he was eligible to play for Czechia since France doesn’t have an IIHF team. He had always loved visiting Czechia and took to the culture early, especially with his Grandmother teaching him all kinds of interesting things and bits of the language. When a Czechia rep made a recruitment pitch to him as he was entering the league it was a no brainer for him to join them. He ended up getting a vacation property Karlovy Varly where he spends parts of his summers recuperating as there are many hot springs there that are great for relaxing. Also being a beer connoisseur and owning a brewery himself in France with his brother, Czechia is a perfect fit in that regard as they have an amazing beer culture. A lot of the stuff he tries there often inspires some flavours for his own brewery.