2. Shiny Grab Bag:
a. Before last players are picked Edmonton is the only team that has 4 players selected for the game. Among those only defensive pairing from a single team Isaac Forty-One and Emil Egli. They both were traded to new teams this offseason. Would you let them play one more time with each other or would you highlight them with their new teammates Dirty Boots and Brandan Laroux who also made it to the game?
The All Star game isn't actually about playing hockey. It's a show for the fans and a chance for the players to play with their friends on other teams (if they were so lucky to be selected). I'd let them play with their old teammates. It might be the last time they get a chance to before the end of their careers.
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b. Inferno and Panthers got to send two forwards each, Shōyō Hinata and Binko Koivu from Atlanta and Adam Prpich and Derek Martin from Los Angeles. Would you let them show of their chemistry and potentially dominate the game by letting them play on the same line or is All-Star game prime opportunity for them to show their creativity and skill even when playing with other top players?
Let them show off! This is supposed to be a show for all the fans after all. If they were going out there trying to make equal teams with equal skill then yea, sure. Maybe then keep them apart but since they aren't trying to do that, you might as well let the folks with already solid chemistry go hog wild.
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3. Written, 3 TPE, The Teammate One (150 words min.)
Tell me about your teammate who made the all star game! Who are they, why were they an obvious choice to make the All Star roster, and what do you expect from them this ASG? (If more than one of your teammates made the game, pick one of those players other than yourself. If you are the only player on your team selected for the all star game so far, write about your team's candidate for last man in instead.)
I'm lucky to say that I have Adam Prpich as a teammate and he was such an obvious choice to be selected to make the All-Star game that a blind man who had never even heard of hockey as a sport could have selected him. Not only was the man the leading goal scorer and point leader on the Cup Winning Los Angeles Panthers but he did so with style. Sporting a 22% shooting average, the man was hitting the twine with almost 1 in every 4 shots. It shouldn't be surprising that he had 9 game winning goals either. He wasn't all about the goal scoring though, as he had more assists then goals with a total of sixty six of them! The man did it all, he scored the goals and made everyone around him better. It would have been completely bonkers if he hadn't made the All-Star game.
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4. Written, 2 TPE, Participation Trophy (100 words min.)
Currently every team gets to send at least one player to the All-Star game. Are this seasons selections good in terms of team variety? Would you prefer more even selection from all of the teams or more focus to be put on individual performances despite the teams they represent? Do you think it is important for each team to get representation?
As much as I'd like to tell you that I think the All Star game should be just the best of the best, I really can't. The game isn't for us players really, It's for the fans and you know what the fans want to see? Players from their favourite team playing. You pull that away and you're cutting out a whole swath of folks who might otherwise be engaged with the sport. Which in turn means less money for the league and the players. It just makes sense to let each team get at least one representative to the game.
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Andren Akerson (Present)
Adrik Baranov (S55 to S70)
Rurik Razin (S32 to S44)
Roy Razin (S17 to S32) (HOF/Rage HOF)
Audun Wissink (S5 to S15)
3. Written, 3 TPE, The Teammate One (150 words min.)
I've gotta go with my former Toronto North Stars teammate William Tree! It was no surprise that Tree got selected with the solid 40-40 season they put up with goals and assists. On the season, Tree finished with 85 points on 42 goals and 43 assists and continues to build on a stellar start to their career. I expect Tree to be a dominant offensive option in the All-Star Game and to also provide more than capable defense. He finished with 54 blocked shots, which is a great addition to his offensive resume on the season. When you have the type of skillset that affords you the opportunity to be a difference maker on both ends of the ice, you can truly separate yourself as one of the league's best options regardless of position. Not just that, but you can extend your ice time because your coach can count on you to be helpful regardless of the situation, time on clock, and score. All around great player and more than deserving of this honor, of which I expect to see many more through the years!
4. Written, 2 TPE, Participation Trophy (100 words min.)
I think we should scrap the requirement that every team gets at least one All-Star. If those players earn it on merit, that's fine, but I think we should truly honor the best of the best and not add in a qualifier that requires every team. Even if that means only a handful of teams are represented, that's fine with me because we're really identifying the best players. Not to mention the possibility of a deserving player getting snubbed to allot for a less deserving player to account for the every-team rule. I'm all about the picking the most outstanding players, period. Especially when there are potential Hall of Fame inductions on the line for ultimate career resumes.
2b. Inferno and Panthers got to send two forwards each, Shōyō Hinata and Binko Koivu from Atlanta and Adam Prpich and Derek Martin from Los Angeles. Would you let them show of their chemistry and potentially dominate the game by letting them play on the same line or is All-Star game prime opportunity for them to show their creativity and skill even when playing with other top players?
Binko Koivu and shoyo Hinata will absolutely dominate the all star game. They have an insane chemistry and on and off the ice. They like to play prank on each other and they will bring their elite prang game to the all star game , it will make their teammates laugh and play better. Binko will pass the puck to Shoyo and Shoyo will score, like they did all season long
2e. Why should YOUR player have made the all star game, and why should you be the last man in? (If your player did make the all star game, tell us why they were picked.)
Shoyo Hinata is simply the best goal scorer of the SHL. He has been a constant threat since his first season and he will continu to be one in the future. He got it all. He is physical, he scores a ton of goals, he can pass the puck well and he got an insane prank game. He is a 7x all star and it shows. His main goal is to be a 10x all star and get into the hall of fame. It will happen for sure.
Option D +1: [b]It probably matters more for the fans since they get to see their favorite players at home without having to pay for travel costs. To the players, this happens all the time so they are probably just having another day at the ice office. And let’s be honest, the game and league wouldnt exist without the fans. (57 Words)[/b]
Option E +1: My player should have made the ASG because he was a C playing as LD on the 2nd line. He has all the selfless stats like high blocks and hits, but unfortunately is overshadowed by not being directly involved in points. That’s ok though, because Maine is good as shit. But please let him at least be the ASG mascot. [60 Words)
3. One of the players from New England that made the All-Star game this year was Ivan Lacksamus. He is a five time all star throughout his seasons in the SHL and has been a well deserving candidate for the All-Star game. Every year he has been selected due to his dominant performances over the years. He was an obvious choice for making the All-Star game due to leading New England in points, goals, and assists. Ivan had 39 goals 57 assists totaling 96 points during the regular season. What I expect out of Ivan during the All-Star game is to be able to produce just like he did during the regular season. What he is going to do on the ice is score goals, and set up his teammates for them to score goals. Ivan is a fantastic team player and is always looking to do the best for the team and that is not going to change during an all-star game.
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4. I think the selections for the All-Star game this year were pretty good and gives a nice variety of players to be able to enjoy the All-Star game. I think it is important that at least one person is represented from every team in the league whether they finish first or finish last in the standings. By doing it this way everyone will be able to have a chance at being a participant in the All-Star game no matter how their team does. Once every team has a representative, I think the All-Star game players should then be selected based on individual player performances, and players with the best stats should be included in the All-Star game. +2 TPE
3. The Monarchs have not been a team to celebrate individual achievements as of late, but the All-Star game is always a great pressure release, a way to celebrate great seasons without worrying about the hardware that always leaks down to the best teams. Meta Knight has served as the default All-Star for the team in the past, and the team is proud of him getting selected again, but the locker room explodes when the second All-Star is announced. Brendan Laroux has broken out as an incredible power-play threat, and he’s been high on the list of power-play goals the entire season. He’s not really the All-Star mold, so he is as shocked as everyone else when the coach calls his name, and he has about a second to react before he is mobbed by his teammates. The best thing about Laroux is no one can say a bad thing about the second-line defenseman.
4. On one hand, the SHL’s best represents the world’s best, and every player selected deserves a spot in their own way. Fans want to see their team represented among the best of the best, and they pay for tickets to see those players, but I can also see what people mean when discussing just what “best-on-best” means. In this game, some teams have to be worse than others, and discounting a player who really deserves it for someone who has to be the best player on a team that isn’t good doesn’t sit right with people on occasion. It’s a balance. Find the guys who make a difference, almost every team has a game-breaker, whether we recognize it or not.
4 (2 TPE): I think that while it is nice that every team gets to send one player to the all star game, I do think that allowing for not every team to send a player would open up the opportunity to recognize more of the top talent on the top teams. Considering they are the best teams; they do have a lot of players that are putting up better stats than those on weaker teams. I do not think it is important for every team to get an all star player because it should go to the best players with the best stats for that specific season. 115 words
9 (3 TPE): Making a case for my player Charlie Slurpe to win an award this season should be fairly simple since he was a large part of the season seventy five four star cup champions, the Colardo Raptors. Playing an important third line center role, Slurpe was a master on the face off circle and won many crucial face offs in both the defensive and offensive zone through out the regular season and their deep play off run. Considering both the off the ice and on the ice presence, in both ends of the zone (offensive and defensive), I believe that Slurpe should win the best two way forward award that goes to the best forward in both ends of the zone. By showcasing this great performance on both ends of the ice, it makes me believe that Slurpe should have won the best two way forward award for this season and many more to come. 154 words
2e (1 TPE): I think my player should have made the SMJHL all start game because Slurpe was a very good two way player on the third line of the cup winning Colardo Raptors and with out his presence on the third line, it would make it challenging for the Raptors to have had the success that they have had. 57 words
2d (1 TPE): I do think it is very nice for the all star crowd to see their home town players play in the all star game. As a fan my self, it is very cool to see these players playing in front of you because thy are playing for your favorite team. 50 words
3. Written, 3 TPE, The Teammate One (150 words min.)
Tell me about your teammate who made the all star game! Who are they, why were they an obvious choice to make the All Star roster, and what do you expect from them this ASG?
Mia Lavoie was tied for fifteenth in the league in points, with a whopping eighty-four total points including thirty-four goals and an incredible fifty assists. Perhaps more impressively, despite her small stature she was in the top thirty of all players for hits on the season. Her efforts for the Maine Timber landed her a very deserved spot on the All Star team. The only top ten list she made for the regular season was power play goals, putting in thirteen goals with the advantage. The combination of Mia, Edouard, and JJ Frankie JJ proved to be a very potent weapon in the Maine Timber arsenal. There is an argument that all three players could have made the All Star roster, and there is every likelihood that it could happen next season. Until then, Mia will work with Edouard and fellow Timber, Teal'c, on the Season 75 All Star team. They look forward to showing off their skills and representing the Timber proudly.[/font][/size][/color]
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4. Written, 2 TPE, Participation Trophy (100 words min.)
Currently every team gets to send at least one player to the All-Star game. Are this seasons selections good in terms of team variety? Would you prefer more even selection from all of the teams or more focus to be put on individual performances despite the teams they represent? Do you think it is important for each team to get representation?
If I have to be brutally honest, I am unsure what the purpose of the All Star team is. I suppose it is a good way to recognize some of the best players in the league each season; however if that is the case, mandating that each team sends one player to the game seems to go against that goal. If the goal is to have a fun interlude to the season to give players a rest and provide some less than competitive and more fun oriented events for fans to view like it is in the real world, then I can sort of understand it even if I only skim the highlight videos each season. That said, it doesn't translate super well to a sim league. Regardless, I appreciate the attempt to provide some added realism to the sim.
Link your Milestone claim as task 1 for up to 3 TPE towards your 8 total. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your ASW submission. This is done because the person who grades ASW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.
3. Written, 3 TPE, The Teammate One (150 words min.)
Tell me about your teammate who made the all star game! Who are they, why were they an obvious choice to make the All Star roster, and what do you expect from them this ASG? (If more than one of your teammates made the game, pick one of those players other than yourself. If you are the only player on your team selected for the all star game so far, write about your team's candidate for last man in instead.)
Shadow Fenix and Jussi Mutou are both two forwards for the Colorado Raptors that definitely deserved their spot on the All Star team. Without the both of them the Raptors would have never had a chance of completing their cup run or their fantastic season. It is without a doubt that they are two of the best players in the SMJHL at the moment. I expect an outstanding performance from both of them when they step on to the ice for the all start game. They dominated the league for a full season, what would make me possibly believe that the two of them couldn't do it again in the all star game. I believe that because Shadow and Jussi both were willing their team to a cup, it propelled both their skills forward this year. Both players were in the top 10 for points this season and should be expected to fill the net again and again [158 words] +3 TPE
4. Written, 2 TPE, Participation Trophy (100 words min.)
Currently every team gets to send at least one player to the All-Star game. Are this seasons selections good in terms of team variety? Would you prefer more even selection from all of the teams or more focus to be put on individual performances despite the teams they represent? Do you think it is important for each team to get representation?
While I have always been a strong advocate for fairness in sports to develop players engagement with the game, an all star game has no place for fairness. While every player works hard to get where they are, the all star game is to celebrate the best in the league. While allowing each team to provide one player is in a sense fair, it does not end up showcasing the most skilled players in the league. I believe that the all star game should be free of participation awards and only the best deserve to be there. If you wish for your player to make an appearance, then you should properly train them to become worthy of that title of All Star. [122 words] +2 TPE
3. The Teammate One - 3 TPE
So Sophie Bordeleau was our all star representative, and I suppose she was the only selection. I think on the listing, it said "they have to send one I guess?" which is pretty apt. I don't think Sophie had a fantastic season by all metrics, which is fitting considering Calgary is pretty deep in a rebuild and was rostering mostly young players early in their development, and some veterans at death's doorstep. But Sophie was easily the best player on Calgary. 82 points in 66 games with 45 goals (most by far on the team) and 37 assists is a pretty nice accomplishment when only one other player on the team, Tom Pedersen, cracked the point per game mark. No other player had more than 50 points! But yeah Sophie was the lifeblood of the team and was the only fitting representative. Maybe Cheeks gets some love next season? Would be nice!
8. 75 seasons worth of stars - 3 TPE
As usual, I will approach this with a "names first" perspective since I genuinely know nothing else about these players. I know there are stats, but why pay attention to them!? First I'll go with Monkey D. Luffy, since he's clearly the best pirate on the seas. Top notch name as well and I know the user a little, so I'll start with him. For the next range of 41-55, gotta go with Dick Clapper. Cheeks Klapanen has to show some respect to Dick Clapper right? So yeah, pretty easy selection there. 31-40 will be Vidrik Onoprienko, just because it seems like the most interesting name out of the bunch. Pretty lame names in this group, pretty disappointed. 21-30 goes to Tony Pepperoni because it reminds me of pizza, and who doesn't love pizza? Solid name there although Lord Pretty Flacko was tempting. 11-20's selection will be Jakub Aittokallio, just because the names are also very lame and I had a player in a football league named Jakob. So close enough. And lastly, 1-10 will be Ron Mexico because it makes me think of Ron Swanson and it also has Mexico in it. I had Mexican for dinner last night so we'll go with it. Ez pz, thanks for listening.
3. Graj Virrok is a standout player on our ice hockey team, renowned for his exceptional skills on the ice. His proficiency in skating, puck handling, and scoring goals has made him a formidable force in the league. Throughout the season, Graj has consistently delivered impressive performances, making him a clear choice for the All-Star roster. In the All-Star Game, I anticipate Graj to shine brightly on the ice, showcasing his talent and determination to excel. His ability to control the game's pace, create scoring opportunities, and contribute defensively will undoubtedly make him a key player for his team. Fans can expect an exhilarating display of hockey prowess from Graj as he represents our team with pride in the All-Star Game. In the All-Star Game, Graj's speed, agility, and precision on the ice will be on full display, thrilling fans and showcasing why he's among the elite in the league.
4. The current system prioritizes team representation over individual merit, ensuring every team has a presence at the All-Star game. While this promotes league-wide inclusivity, it may overlook standout performers on the same best teams. Shifting focus towards selecting the best players, regardless of team affiliation, could better showcase talent and elevate the competitiveness of the All-Star event. While team representation is important for fan engagement and league parity, emphasizing individual performances would elevate the prestige of the All-Star game and provide a more accurate reflection of the league's top talent. Ultimately, a balance between team representation and individual excellence is necessary for a fair and captivating All-Star experience. Having the best on best is something the SHL should strive for.
Link your Milestone claim as task 1 for up to 3 TPE towards your 8 total.
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Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your ASW submission. This is done because the person who grades ASW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.
2. Written, up to 4 TPE - Shiny Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 topics related to the All Star Game to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Before last players are picked Edmonton is the only team that has 4 players selected for the game. Among those only defensive pairing from a single team Isaac Forty-One and Emil Egli. They both were traded to new teams this offseason. Would you let them play one more time with each other or would you highlight them with their new teammates Dirty Boots and Brandan Laroux who also made it to the game?
b. Inferno and Panthers got to send two forwards each, Shōyō Hinata and Binko Koivu from Atlanta and Adam Prpich and Derek Martin from Los Angeles. Would you let them show of their chemistry and potentially dominate the game by letting them play on the same line or is All-Star game prime opportunity for them to show their creativity and skill even when playing with other top players?
c. Should the starting goaltender be the one who arguably had better season? Or as the stakes aren't as high as usually would you think it is better to offer the experience for the goalie who has had less appearances? Or maybe honor the one who has had more? Who should start and why?
d. Aleksandr Iskandrov and Wide Peepo Happy 3 Koivu get to play on their home arena as Hamilton is hosting the event this season. Does it matter more for the fans or the players that they get to play in front of home crowd?
e. Why should YOUR player have made the all star game, and why should you be the last man in? (If your player did make the all star game, tell us why they were picked.)
a. I think for the All Star game it would be nice to keep both Isaac Forty-One and Emil Egli together for one last ride before sending them off into their new team and playing with their new defensive partners. They can show off their chemistry one last time for all the fans to see.
b. In contrast to my response in part a, I believe that it would be nice for the two forwards from the Inferno and the Panthers to be split apart during the game so fans can dream about how these different line combinations could come to be and who knows maybe it can come true one day!
c. Regarding the starting goaltender, I would give the veteran the nod to start and since it is an All Star game and not too much is at stake, then I would play the second goaltender at about the halfway point of the game and let them finish the game off, ultimately splitting the game.
d. It definitely matters more to the fans that the hometown favourites of Aleksandr Iskandrov and Wide Peepo 3 Koivu get to play in front of them as in an All Star game the fans get to see their favourite players try more ambitious things whereas to the plays this could be another practice.
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3. Written, 3 TPE, The Teammate One (150 words min.)
Tell me about your teammate who made the all star game! Who are they, why were they an obvious choice to make the All Star roster, and what do you expect from them this ASG? (If more than one of your teammates made the game, pick one of those players other than yourself. If you are the only player on your team selected for the all star game so far, write about your team's candidate for last man in instead.)
Yet another All-Star appearance for William Tree with the Toronto North Stars! This is his third All-Star appearance in a row and it is once again a no brainer for this nomination as William Tree had another team leading season with 85 points. With that, he also led the team 42 goals as well as was second on the team with 43 assists just behind the number one playmaker on the the team, Filip Svatos. In addition to his high scoring production, Tree is creating offensive chances by remaining competitive in the faceoff circle with a 50% win percentage. Furthermore, he is not afraid to throw the body with over 50 hits and 50 shots blocked as well! Another season on the powerplay and the penalty kill and just overall leading the team in all aspects, manning the top line of the team, William Tree is a no brainer for the Toronto North Stars' All Star pick!