Reasons behind Colorado having the best home advantage:

Opponents: "This should be a decent match. Colorado may be good, buuuu........ is that a mothertrucking T-Rex?

Cyril the T-Rex: "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" (Translated: Welcome to Denver, the dino city. Let me introduce you to you hotel with complementary meat)

Opponents: *Hard faint*

..........Yeah, idk why we have home advantage, Cyril is a a scary boy with a great heart.

Sig Credit: Flappy (EVO) and Skolpaddor (RESO)

EMEKA VALENTINE-OKOLI/PLAYER

First SMJHL Goal: Colorado Raptors, Emeka Valentine-Okoli 1 (Mikelis Ozoliņš 4, Loki Odinsson 3) at 3:12, 2nd Period (GWG) / SMJHL S47 Game 47 Day 12: Colorado Raptors vs Detroit Falcons
First SHL Goal: Texas Renegades, Emeka Valentine-Okoli 1 (Josef Kubinec 5, Ricky Spanish 4) at 16:23, 2nd Period / SHL S51 Game 71 Day 16: Edmonton Blizzard vs Texas Renegades

Eternal , onwards we roll

And Let's Retire at the Pinnacle

Absolutely has to be the Slaughter House... Aside from the sheer travel to and from the stadium, if that isn't enough... The visitors typically get to be gifted with the Ja Ja Ding Dong on a regular basis. That alone will serve as the biggest home advantage as it gets the crowd rolling while they call for more "Ja Ja Ding Dong!"

Kyle Wahlters || Former General Manager
------------------------------------------------------------
Career Statistics:
SHL
Portland Admirals AGM - S31 | 21-27-2 |
Portland Admirals GM - S32 | 7-40-3 |
Portland Admirals GM - S33 | 20-24-6 |
Portland Admirals GM - S34 | 30-16-4 | Western Conference Champion
Portland Admirals GM - S35 | 29-18-3 | Western Conference Champion
Calgary Dragons HC - S59 | 42-20-4 | Lost in Quarterfinals
Calgary Dragons HC - S60 | 38-21-7 | Lost in Western Conference Finals
Calgary Dragons HC - S61 | 34-26-6 | Lost in Quarterfinals
Calgary Dragons AGM - S62 | 36-23-7 | Lost in First Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S63 | 36-22-8 | Lost in First Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S64 | 19-43-4 | Lost in First Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S65 | 38-23-5 | Lost in First Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S66 | 38-26-2 | Lost in Second Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S67 | 47-16-3 | Lost in Second Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S68 | 46-16-4 | Lost in Second Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S69 | 13-50-3 | DNQ
Toronto North Stars GM - S70 | 6-57-3 | DNQ
Toronto North Stars GM - S71 | 10-56-0 | DNQ
Toronto North Stars GM - S72 | 14-48-4 | DNQ
Toronto North Stars GM - S73 | 22-39-5 | Lost in First Round
Toronto North Stars GM - S74 | 30-33-3 | Lost in First Round

SMJHL
Montreal Militia AGM - S45 | 29-19-2 | Lost in Quarterfinals
Montreal Militia AGM - S46 | 24-21-5 | Lost in Semi-Finals

IIHF
Austria GM - S57 | 3-8-1
Austria GM - S58 | 2-9-1
Austria GM - S59 | 1-9-2
Austria GM - S60 | 3-9-0
Austria GM - S61 | 5-7-0
------------------------------------------------------------
Awards:
S34 Lance Uppercut Award
S60 Coach of the Year Award
S61 Coach of the Year Award


Oleksander Olli O'Koivu || C || Regina Elk || Rookie

Name: Oleksander Olli O'Koivu
Age: 17
Birthplace: Netherlands
------------------------------------------------------------

Cale Amundsen || G || Calgary/Seattle || 1,298 TPE

Name: Cale Amundsen
Age: 21
Birthplace: Netherlands
IIHF Affiliation: Austria
------------------------------------------------------------
Career Statistics:
SHL Regular Season Totals:
S55 - 5 GP | 4-0-1 | 3 SO | .958 SV% | 0.59 GAA | 79 GR
S56 - 5 GP | 3-2-0 | 1 SO | .914 SV% | 1.81 GAA | 70 GR
S57 - 20 GP | 15-2-0 | 3 SO | .924 SV% | 1.51 GAA | 67 GR
S58 - 18 GP | 15-2-0 | 1 SO | .927 SV% | 1.72 GAA | 74 GR
S59 - 24 GP | 18-5-1 | 1 SO | .906 SV% | 2.61 GAA | 69 GR
S60 - 29 GP | 15-10-3 | 2 SO | .921 SV% | 2.81 GAA | 79 GR
S61 - 50 GP | 26-19-4 | 2 SO | .919 SV% | 2.86 GAA | 77 GR
S62 - 47 GP | 24-15-5 | 2 SO | .918 SV% | 3.26 GAA | 76 GR

SHL Playoff Totals:
S60 - 11 GP | 5-4-1 | 1 SO | .930 SV% | 2.75 GAA | 81 GR
S61 - 10 GP | 5-3-2 | 1 SO | .931 SV% | 2.38 GAA | 82 GR
S62 - 7 GP | 3-3-1 | 0 SO | .911 SV% | 3.78 GAA | 78 GR

SMJHL Regular Season Totals:
S53 - 43 GP | 21-17-4 | 5 SO | .919 SV% | 2.68 GAA | 74 GR
S54 - 41 GP | 28-10-3 | 5 SO | .911 SV% | 2.31 GAA | 69 GR
S55 - 40 GP | 26-8-5 | 6 SO | .917 SV% | 2.06 GAA | 69 GR
S56 - 42 GP | 25-14-3 | 7 SO | .914 SV% | 2.45 GAA | 70 GR
------------------------------------------------------------
Awards:
S53 SMJHL 1st Team
S53 SMJHL All-Rookie Team
S53 SMJHL Esa Anrikkanen Trophy
S53 SMJHL Tom Corcoran Trophy
S54 SMJHL East All-Star
S54 SMJHL Tom Corcoran Nominee
S55 SMJHL East All-Star
S55 SMJHL King-Kurczewski Gauntlet
S55 Four Star Cup Championship
S56 SMJHL East All-Star
S56 SMJHL 2nd Team
S56 SMJHL King-Kurczewski Gauntlet
S56 Playoff MVP Nominee
S56 SMJHL Tom Corcoran Trophey
S60 Newfoundland Berserker Hall of Fame Inductee
------------------------------------------------------------
Transactions:
S53 Drafted #13 OA by the Newfoundland Berserkers
S54 Drafted #23 OA by the Chicago Syndacite
S54 Traded to the Calgary Dragons
S54 Signed a 3yr/$7.5m contract
S56 Signed a 3 yr/$9m contract extension

Olli O'Koivu || G || POR/MIN Retired || S39 Cup Champion

Name: Olli O'Koivu
Age: 31
Birthplace: Finland (Played for Ireland)
------------------------------------------------------------
Career Statistics:
SHL Regular Season Totals:
269 GP | 146-89-34 | 20 SO | .910 SV% | 2.75 GAA
------------------------------------------------------------
Awards:
S33 All-Rookie Team
S34 Cole Reinhart Trophy
S35 Mike Honcho Trophy
S35 John McBride Trophy
S35 Aiden Richan Trophy
S35 1st Team All-Star
S35 Cole Reinhart Trophy
S37 IIHF Silver Medal
S38 2nd Team All-Star
S38 John McBride Nominee
S38 Ron Mexico Nominee
S39 2nd Team All-Star
S39 John McBride Nominee
S39 Mathias Chouinard Trophy
S39 Challenge Cup
S39 IIHF Bronze Medal
S39 IIHF Top Goalie
S40 Mathias Chouinard Trophy
S41 IIHF Bronze Medal
S41 IIHF Top Goalie
S42 Damian Littleton Nominee

Aleksi O'Koivu-Volkova || G || HAM/CAL Retired || S50 Cup Champion

Name: Aleksi O'Koivu-Volkova
Age: 17
Birthplace: Russia
------------------------------------------------------------
S50 Challenge Cup
S51 Bronze IIHF

Best home ice advantage used to be the West Kendall Platoon, but now they are in Baltimore, so that is no longer true. I would have to say now its New Orleans, only their players know how to skate in the bayou.

#20 Kalevolaripaavo Käspertommevisnapuu | RW | Tampa Bay Barracuda | Team Norway
6’4” | 210 lbs. | Maarja-Magdaleena, Estonia | Shot: R
S49 SMJHL Draft Rd. 4, Pick 31 (Kelowna)  |  S50 SHL Draft Rd. 2, Pick 17 (Los Angeles)
Last Amateur Team: Blazers AAA



#11 Zallerras Szlerchek | C/W | Hall of Fame
6’7” | 240 lbs. | Sumperk, Czechoslovakia | Shot: L
Last Amateur Team: HC Sumperk
Retired Numbers: West Kendall Platoon #11 | Team Czechia #11 | St. Louis Scarecrows #11
Awards: S19 Ryan Jesster (Best Rookie) | S27 Turd Ferguson (Most PIM) | S35 Challenge Cup

I would say that the hardest rink to play in with the opposing team having Home Ice Advantage, would have to say one of the new expansion team, more specifically Quebec City. I say this because they are a new team and all the existing teams have not played there yet. So they do not know what to expect going into Quebec City and being a major hockey hub in Canada, you know the crowd is going to show up and be die hard for their team. Should be a loud event for the first few games and whenever they play new teams!

(103 words)

Sig by @Ragnar / Avatar by @leviadan

Bnana NWaffles || C || Hamilton Steelhawks || TPE: 819 

SHL 27OA S66 - Hamilton Steelhawks 
Number: 88
Birthplace: Helsinki, Finland

------------------------------------------------------------

Bnana NWaffles || C || Detroit Falcons 

SMJHL Free Agent Pick Up S65 - Detroit Falcons
------------------------------------------------------------
SMJHL Regular Season Statistics 

S65 - Detroit Falcons | 63 GP | 3 G | 16 A | 19 P | 4 | 0 PPP | 0 SHP | 10 PIM | 16 H | 64 SOG 

S66 - Detroit Falcons | 66 GP | 17 G | 23 A | 40 P | -17 | 5 PPP | 0 SHP | 26 PIM | 97 H | 124 SOG | 604 FOW - 414 FOL - 59.3 FO%

S67 - Detroit Falcons | 66 GP | 47 G | 49 A | 96 P | 39 | 26 PPP | 2 SHP | 24 PIM | 87 H | 207 SOG | 514 FOW - 359 FOL - 58.9 FO%
S68 - Detroit Falcons | 66 GP | 52 G | 48 A | 100 P | 39 | 35 PPP | 0 SHP | 34 PIM | 85 H | 215 SOG | 529 FOW - 423 FOL - 55.6 FO%

SMJHL Post Season Statistics 
S65 - Detroit Falcons | 17 GP | 2 G | 3 A | 5 P | -3 | 0 PPP | 0 PIM | 4 H | 12 SOG

------------------------------------------------------------

Awards & Accomplishments
S65 - 4 STAR CUP CHAMPIONS 

S67 - Jared Hanson Trophy (Regular Season Points Leader) - 96 points 

S67 - Roberto Martucci Trophy (Regular Season Goals Leader) - 47 goals 

S67 - Alex Light Trophy - Most Improved Player 

S67 - Ideen Fallah Trophy - SMJHL Awards Committee MVP 

S67 - Raymond Lindsay - Most Outstanding Player as Voted on by the League 

S67 - Laurifer Trophy - 59-5-2 120pts 

S68 - 4 STAR CUP CHAMPIONS 
S68 - Laurifer Trophy - 54-11-1 109pts 

    

The team with the most significant home ice advantage would obviously be the Colorado Raptors, since they play in such a high altitude arena. It really can't be overstated how much of a difference altitude can make in terms of physical performance, and hockey is, after all, a physical game.

The best home ice in the league is St.Louis, they have some of the best fans in the league. The tailgating and food in the city is top notch. The beauty of the Mississippi helps too.