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Durden · 01-15-2018, 11:19 AM

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TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

My unsung hero of these playoffs is Michael Boychuk. Sure, he's being helped out by star rookie Roman Augustus and Connor O'Reilly, but he's doing this whole defenseman thing in style. He's not going to immediately stick out to anyone as MVP because he's sitting behind the dominant Randy Randleman and Joe Kurczewski in points, but he's playing a defensive game and still has managed to put up 19 points in 15 games. While doing this, he's also managed to stay positive. Not emotionally, but on the ice. He's a plus 13, which is crazy when you think of the competition he is seeing on the ice night in and night out. He's definitely an offensive defenseman, as he's only put down 17 hits, but lays his body on the line with a team leading 31 shot blocks. Without Boychuk on the ice, this is a different team, and the results are a lot different.

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TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

When it comes to rookies making a name for themselves in the finals, we look to none other than Calgary Dragons defenseman Roman Augustus. Playing on the back end, he's still found a way to put up NINE assists in his rookie season, in just 15 games played. While he's not an all star right yet, he's putting up respectable plus minus numbers, with only a negative one. For playing against a high scoring team like Manhattan, this is important. He's played a lot of minutes in those 15 games, notching 328 minutes, with 43 of those being on the penalty kill. Having 9 assists and staying at a â€“1 is astonishing. While Randleman, Kurczewski and Boychuk are taking care of the scoring, he's making sure the back end stays tight and solid. He's definitely going to be a key piece in the future of the Dragons organization, and will likely be a cornerstone they build around when Randleman leaves, and Boychuk is forced to retire.

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TASK FIVE: Itâ€™s Zamboni time! The teams have been asked by the SHL offices to re-design their Zamboni with a Finals theme. Please use your creativity on this and make it specific to one of the teams in the finals. Must include a logo from a team in the Finals and a color scheme appropriate to the team.

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TASK SEVEN: Design a t-shirt or a rally towel for one of the teams in the finals. Must include some text (a slogan), the teamâ€™s logo and a local sponsor for the giveaway. &nbsp;

Samsung virtual assistant · 01-15-2018, 11:24 AM

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TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

You have got to feel for Calgary defenseman Connor O'Reilly. He has had a long and successful career, posting over 30 points per season for the majority of seasons, this while also being a solid two-way defender with a good amount of both Hits and Blocked shots as well.

Despite having such a good career, he has just barely missed out on cups, it's not even funny. He left the Wolfpack back after Season 29, and the following 2 seasons they win the cup.

He joins Winnipeg and plays there until the end of S34 to join the Calgary Dragons, Three seasons later WInnipeg becomes the champions.

Hopefully this is Connors, and the Dragons year, Connor is playing in his 14th SHL season and has seen himself regressing to a point where he is more of a depth player, this might be his last season to do it while still having an impact.

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TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

My unsung hero for this seasons playoffs will be the Manhattan Rage forward Bennett Jones. Jones is playing bottom line minutes, about 13.5 minutes per game, but despite this he is doing everything he can to get the job done for the team. The veteran forward has regressed down to below 700 TPE and the count shows you why he isn't playing top line minutes, though i doubt he'd be bad in such a position either when you look at what he does right now.

He's at 7 points, which puts him in the middle of the pack on the team. Of course with the everyone above him playing 10 more minutes per game on average than him shows that he's still the real deal.

He has scored 2 goals and assisted on 5 others. His .59 points per 20 puts him at a tied 6th place on the team together with Geoffrey Allen.

12 hits and 6 blocked shots might not be that impressive, but it's still more than a lot of people on the team.

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TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

I mean, the only true rookie on a finals team (that has actually touched the ice with his skates and not only sat on the bench) is Calgary Dragons defenseman Roman Augustus, so i guess that will be my pick.

Roman has had a great playoffs so far. Far better than most rookies has had in past seasons. He hasn't scored any goals, but he has helped on 9 of them, which puts him at 5th on the team(had he assisted on 2 more he would've been tied for 2nd)

He might be -1 in the +/-, but so is 50% of the team anyway, so i don't put too much relevance on that stat.

His defensive play has been great so far too, 5th on the team in Hits, 5th on the team in Shots Blocked. He's also a slippery son of a gun that is good at avoiding getting hit, which means he doesn't lose the puck as often.

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TASK SIX: Youâ€™re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

Okay let's be honest, both teams has played good. Manhattan has opted for a more physical tactic where they are throwing a lot more hits than Calgary, they also block more shots, which shows me that Manhattan is more willing to sacrifice their bodies to get the job done. Overall Manhattan seem to go for a more overall approach, where Calgary seem to put a lot of trust in their first line. Manhattan has their scoring more spread over the lines.

Calgary has a better GF vs GA than Manhattan, but let's face it, it's only by a percent or two. Just looking blindly at the team stats i would have to say that Manahttan has the edge.

If i was the Rage coach i would do everything to shut down the Randleman line, pound the body and just keep doing what they've done, keep playing physical, but especially against that first line.

If i were the Calgary coach i might want to try to move around a little in the lines to get more production from the second line, because if the Randleman line gets shut down as i mentioned above, there won't be a lot of goals scored.

***Leafs4ever*** · 01-15-2018, 12:24 PM

Task One:
One player who has experienced some obstacles in their career before making it to this season's Challenge Cup Final is Calgary Dragons' goalie Richard C. Hocolate.

For a long portion of his career, Hocolate was the backup to Hunter Wong. Wong carried the Dragons to playoff births and Challenge Cup victories and Richard was riding in the back the whole time. No matter how hard he trained, he couldn't crack Wong's hold on the starting job. Eventually, all the patience paid off as Wong retired into the sunset and Calgary finally became Richard's team. While he was a part of the team's victories, he now has a chance to be the goalie to win for them.

This season was up and down for the whole team. They finished firmly behind the top 3 teams in the West and had to go through the President's Trophy winners in the first round. This was the chance to prove that Calgary could count on Richard in the playoffs. Low and behold, Calgary upset San Francisco in the first round. Their reward? The powerhouse Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference Finals. All that adversity in Hocolate's career came to a head against the offensive juggernaut in Winnipeg. Richard and the Dragons slayed their rivals and pulled off another huge upset by beating the Jets. Through all the seasons as a backup and trying to prove he could lead this team, Richard has brought his Dragons to the Challenge Cup Finals. They truly are his now.

(251 words)

Task Two:
The unsung hero of these playoffs is Winston Windsor. You may ask how the leading scorer on the Manhattan Rage could be unsung, but it's quite easy. When you think of the Rage, you think of Redding, Atmey, Wolker, Aittokallio, and Nuck. Windsor has been a steadying force for them, but is not someone who gets recognized for it.

In these playoffs, Windsor has been lights out. He leads the team with 17 points, 7 of them being goals. Contributing to that is his fantastic work on the power play. He's got 6 power play points, which also leads the team. While his offense has been incredible, he's also been solid in his own end as well. He has accumulated 42 shot blocks, which not only leads the Rage, but the whole SHL playoffs. He's made Jason Aittokallio's job a lot easier when he's on the ice, giving him and his team offense, as well as shut down defense. Winston Windsor is the unsung hero of these playoffs.

(168 words)

Task Four:
Between the Rage and the Dragons, there hasn't been a lot of young players making an impact for their teams. For the Rage, they've relied on their veterans to bring them to this point. For the Dragons, they do have two young players that have played some big minutes for them this post-season.

The first one is Roman Augustus. Roman is currently the only rookie playing in the Challenge Cup Finals. He's playing in Calgary's top 4 and on the penalty kill, averaging just under 22 minutes per game. He currently has 9 points, all assists, and is fifth on the team with 22 hits. He's been solid for the Dragons as a rookie.

The other young player for the Dragons is Mike Izzy. Drafted in season 35, Izzy is playing an important role for the Dragons in these playoffs. He's slotted on the second line while also getting power play time. He's averaging just under 19 minutes per game, putting up 7 points, with 2 coming on the power play. He's brought a physical presence though, leading the team in hits with 57. He's been good in his role for Calgary.

These two young players for Calgary have been key cogs in Calgary's journey to the Challenge Cup Finals.

(210 words)

Task Six:
There are a couple of changes I would make to the Dragons lines that may help them against the Rage.

First thing I would do is change up their defensive pairings. My first pairing would be Michael Boychuk and Casey Creller. My second pairing would be Roman Augustus and Connor O'Reilly. The third pairing would then be Pierre-Luc Laflamme and Chuck Goody Jr. These would be my pairings because in the top 4, each defenseman would be able to play off each other's strengths. Putting together a passer and a shooter would optimize their strengths and cover up weaknesses.

The other change I would make is in their top 6. I would swap Mike Izzy and Randy Randleman. In Calgary it is clearly a two man show with Kurczewski and Randleman. While they are great together, it leaves something to be desired once that line leaves the ice. Teams that face the Dragons can focus their defensive players on just one line and have the advantage against the other three lines. Swapping Izzy and Randleman means you have to line match against Joe's line and now Randy's line. It's a lot harder to play a team with their talent spread out than it is when it's concentrated on one line. Now Calgary has both their elite players controlling their own line and bringing up the play of 2 sets of wingers.

(230 words)

Guy Incognito - D - #24
Texas Renegades
Season 79
44-21-1
Regular Season - [G 8] [A 21] [Pts 29] [+/- -2] [PIM 42] [Hits 69] [SB 156]
Playoffs - [G 0] [A 0] [Pts 0] [+/- 0] [PIM 0] [Hits 0] [SB 0]
[Image: ERs3IrD.png]

nour · 01-15-2018, 01:54 PM

Task Two: The unsung hero of the SHL playoffs far and away is Roman Augustus of the Calgary Dragons. His clear dedication and hard work has been a staple of his career since Juniors and he shows no signs of slowing down in the show, leading all rookies in the SHL playoffs with 9 points, and far from hitting his ceiling, as he only stands to improve as the seasons go on. Already Augustus has stepped into his team in a major role, taking top-4 minutes with ease for the Dragons, averaging around 21.84 minutes a game. Despite a lack of goal-scoring production, Augustus remains a strong defensive force for Calgary, sitting at 22 hits and 18 blocked shots, both of them good for 5th on the Dragons roster. Finally, Roman continues to show a strong defensive prowess in special teams, seeing a lot of time on the teamâ€™s defensive units for the penalty kill. All in all, Augustus has been a major cog in the Dragons machine and a core part of why they were able to make it where they are right now, and while he isnâ€™t leading headlines right now, it wonâ€™t be long before people realize what heâ€™s got.

Task Three: [Image: S3RFWgS.png]

Task Four: Though itâ€™s easy to forget, sophomore player Mike Izzy is gearing up to make a big splash for the Calgary Dragons even as one of the youngest players in their locker room. Already Izzy is playing BIG minutes on the top 6, averaging at almost 19 minutes per game, and he is playing them HEAVILY. A team leader in the hits department, Izzyâ€™s 57 hits is also good enough for 3rd league-wide during the playoffs, which is no surprise coming from a player like him. Aside from statistical contributions however, Mike Izzy brings to the room a lot of personality and great PR. His entrepreneurial work with his flagship brand, #Brand_Izzy, his renowned character in the league, alongside his strong leadership skills, bring more to the locker room than quantifiable stats and TPE ever could. Whether its clearing room for the top 6 to do its work, hyping his team up before games or mentoring the rookies during practice, you can always count on Mike Izzy to step up big.

Task Seven: [Image: I7oEqyD.png]

**First GM in SMJHL history to win 3 Four Star Cups back-to-back-to-back**

ToeDragon84 · 01-15-2018, 04:58 PM

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TASK THREE: Design the Challenge Cup Finals logo that will be included on both jerseys. Must include S38, the SHL logo and some sort of representation for each of the two teams in the Finals.

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TASK FIVE: Itâ€™s Zamboni time! The teams have been asked by the SHL offices to re-design their Zamboni with a Finals theme. Please use your creativity on this and make it specific to one of the teams in the finals. Must include a logo from a team in the Finals and a color scheme appropriate to the team.

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TASK SEVEN: Design a t-shirt or a rally towel for one of the teams in the finals. Must include some text (a slogan), the teamâ€™s logo and a local sponsor for the giveaway.

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TASK EIGHT: Design the Championship Banner for the S38 Challenge Cup. Must include team logo, team name and at least one render.

***Evok*** · 01-15-2018, 08:26 PM

TASK THREE: Design the Challenge Cup Finals logo that will be included on both jerseys. Must include S38, the SHL logo and some sort of representation for each of the two teams in the Finals.
[Image: 1WPe469.png]

TASK FIVE: Itâ€™s Zamboni time! The teams have been asked by the SHL offices to re-design their Zamboni with a Finals theme. Please use your creativity on this and make it specific to one of the teams in the finals. Must include a logo from a team in the Finals and a color scheme appropriate to the team.
[Image: kDNYAPv.png]

TASK SEVEN: Design a t-shirt or a rally towel for one of the teams in the finals. Must include some text (a slogan), the teamâ€™s logo and a local sponsor for the giveaway.
[Image: rQALEvX.png]

TASK EIGHT: Design the Championship Banner for the S38 Challenge Cup. Must include team logo, team name and at least one render.
[Image: hFzqksr.png]

crutch · 01-15-2018, 08:26 PM

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ASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

I think that DionÃ½z VyskoÄ is the player that has overcome the most adversity in order to make it to the Four Star Cup finals. Despite playing on the Prince George Firebirds for a number of seasons, the Firebirds have never won a Championship for over thirty seasons. However, Vyskoc's player agent has been the GM of the Firebirds and helped run that team for an extremely long time and never came out with a championship. Another time that Vyskoc had to overcome adversity was last season, when Vyskoc and the Firebirds (despite a great season) lost to the St. Louis Scarecrows in 6 games in the first round in S37.

However, this season Vyskoc has found great chemistry with Patty Kane-Reilly, and the pair lit the league up in S38 and were leading scorers of the SMJHL. Despite the Firebirds failings in the past, Vyskoc and his player agent never gave up on them, and I think that win or lose, Vyskoc and his player agent are winners in this finals appearance as they have fought tooth and nail for the Firebirds, it's only fair that the Firebirds fight tooth and nail for them.

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TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

I think that Timmy Barlow of the Detroit Falcons has been the unsung hero of the Detroit Falcons. Barlow plays a limited number of minutes a night, averaging just over 16 minutes a night, but he has added 7 points in 13 games for the Falcons. The secondary scoring for the reigning SMJHL Champions is massive, and Barlow helps bring it. He is very physical, tallying 26 hits by the end of the playoffs which makes him a formidable opponent to play against. Despite the Falcons falling short, a large part of the Detroit Falcon's success relies on the Barlow brothers playing to their full potential. They were usually flanked by Connor Blackwell down the middle of the ice, but were broken up during the finals. Would this be the reason that the Falcons lost? Maybe, it's hard to tell. But it will always be a sticking point in everybody's minds.

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TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

I think that Bob Bergen of the Detroit Falcons is the rookie that is most determined to make a name for himself during the SMJHL finals. He ended up being tied for leading scoring for rookie defenders in the playoffs, tied with Fredrich Koenig of the Montreal Militia. Bergen found himself slotted up on the second pairing and was vital to Detroit making it to the finals. I would have to say that Bergen was Detroit's 2nd-3rd best defender during the playoffs, after Tatu Makela and close to Jake Forke.

Bergen was solid at both ends of the ice, adding 6 assists in 13 games as well as having a +1 rating at the end of the SMJHL Playoffs. With the extremely solid Detroit Falcons squad playing against the overpowered Pringe George Firebirds, Bergen had to play a big role in shutting down the opposition. Even though the Falcons fell short, Bergen showed himself as deserving to be the 7th overall pick in the SHL Draft this season.

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TASK SIX: Youâ€™re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

If I were the coach of the Detroit Falcons, I would look at shaking the lines up. Outside of an extreme scorefest in game 1, the Falcons have struggled mightily to score. I would look at making lines like the following.

Marius - Blackwell - Bellucci
Barlow - Marks - Barlow
Ritcher - St. Raegan - Victorsson
Blackwell - McVay - Mulota

Makela - Forke
Mafs - Bergen
Armstrong - Kolesnikovs

Marmeladov

I think that those changes would help the Falcons increase their offence by putting dynamic center Connor Blackwell in the forefront of the offence. Despite his low output in the playoffs, he has been a very solid player for the Falcons through his two seasons in juniors and could be the dynamic player that the Falcons are looking for in their quest to win back-to-back Four Star Cups. With Blackwell starting to mature in the minors, the Blizzard would most likely want to see their top prospect in an elevated role going into what may be his final season playing in the SMJHL.

Jaymay · 01-15-2018, 10:35 PM

Task 3

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dizzyDC · 01-15-2018, 11:53 PM

TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

There are a lot of players on both the Manhattan Rage and Calgary Dragons that have faced adversity throughout their careers and have had to jump though a lot of hoops to get to where they are today. That being said, to answer this question I am going to have to go with a player that quite a few people have already mentioned and that player is the one and only Richard C. Hocolate. Now that the era of Hunter Wong has ended in Calgary it was time for the backup, Hocolate, to get his chance to show the team what he had in him. I think the first and foremost defining moment of Hocolate's post season was his entire performance against the Winnipeg Jets, but even more specifically his performance in Game 2 where he got the shutout against the most potent offense in the SHL. In the same vein of things, you can look to the regular season where Hocolate was tied for 2nd in the league with Jeff Kirkstone in shutouts. It is pretty amazing that a guy who has played 2nd fiddle for most of his career came in to this season and managed to help get his team to the Challenge Cup Finals. Kuddos!

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

My choice for unsung hero of the Challenge Cup Playoffs has to be none other than Mike Izzy of the Calgary Dragons. The success that he had in his sophomore season outing in the regular season has definitely carried over the playoffs where he has been able to chip in some points here and there and continue his role as the muscle man for the Dragons. Via the playoff index, through 17 games Izzy has 7 points (6 of which have been goals) which may not seem like a ton, but he is shooting just over 16%. Izzy is following through with his best attribute, however, by leading the team with 61 hits. Points scored are not the end all to determining success in this league and I think that Izzy's physical nature helps the Dragons maintain possession of the puck which will ultimately lead to more goals scored and wins. I look forward to seeing what he can accomplish in the future..

TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

This is an easy question to answer. The rookie that has impressed me the most through the Challenge Cup Playoffs has been the defender from the Calgary Dragons and St. Louis Scarecrows alumni, Roman Augustus. The talented defenseman is having quite the rookie playoffs in my honest opinion. While no stat necessarily is eye popping he is putting up solid numbers in most categories. Through 17 games, Augustus has put up 9 points (all of which have been assists), laid out 24 hits, and blocked 21 shots. He has also been given ample time on the penalty kill unit. All in all, Augustus has the potential to be a big time force from the blue line in the SHL and he is starting to show just the tip of his ability in these playoffs. I honestly expect enormous things for Augustus in the upcoming seasons. He will be a name that people recognize all around the league.

TASK SIX: Youâ€™re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

Being a coach takes a special kind of person to be able to analyze the assets that the team possesses and is able to put them into the lineup in a way that the team is performing at it's peak performance. To be perfectly honest, I am not that special person so any suggestions or thoughts that I have here are most likely bad decisions. The first thing that I noticed is that the Calgary Dragons are riding their stars pretty hard on minutes. Randy Randleman, Joe K, Michael Boychuk, and Esa Anrikkanen are all getting extensive time on the both the power play and penalty kill. It makes you wonder if these guys would be even more effective 5 on 5 if they weren't so dang tired all of the time. The Dragons have young guys, such as the previously mentioned Izzy and Augustus as well as Forsberg, who could help pick up some of the slack on the special teams that they aren't currently on... such as Augustus on the power play. As previously mentioned, however, I have absolutely no idea what I am talking about though especially when bringing up the Dragons as I know that they have top notch management.

**.bojo** · 01-16-2018, 11:53 AM

TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

The person who had the most adversity to overcome in the season 38 simulated hockey league season is geoffrey allen from the manhattan rage. The former texas renegade and team usa player had to leave a team he called home for all of his career in order to achieve a chance at greatness. His second reason of adversity is the fact that he's giving up hope on every winning anything after stinking it up with the renegades forever. I actually don't remember if they won anything since season 20 but I'm assuming they didn't because allen was on the team. It's hard to have such an amazing career in another league (GOMHL) and then blow giant chodes in the more popular one. Allen and I share similar paths where we're gods in one league, have an awesome pet, but suck nuts in SHL. I hope to use Allen's success as a motivational tool for me to get the ball rolling in WKP. Go allen, go. But don't win too much

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

I think Mike Izzy is an unsung player for the calgary dragons in this season 38 simulated hockey league championship playoff run. He had 7 points in 11 games which is pretty good, but now a huge wow factor. What separates him from the rest of the crowd is his ability to score points when they really matter. Examples of his clutch performance include his hat trick against the jets and a overtime game winning goal in the same series. He also had almost fifty hits helping enforce a physical presences to the dragons lineup. Izzy is the kind of guy who will find the loose puck in a crowded area and tap in the easy goal. That sounds really easy, but you need to be a big physical man to get yourself into positions for rebounds and tap ins like that. His rookie season was less than impressive, but after some training this season he's started to pick things up. Watch out for him to make a decent run in the finals.

TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

A young growing developing inspirational player of rookie status for the simulated hockey league that will be looking to make a name for himself (or herself) is Crossfit Jesus for the Manhattan Rage. So far he's kinda sucked balls this postseason, but he had a decent regular season as far as rookie performances are concerned. Obvious the management in Manhattan would love to see his performance step up nowadays, but so far it's looked like it hasn't. The finals are his final opportunity this season to show off that he is not a scrub. He's definitely capabale of doing it, just like jesus he will rise from the dead (stats) and the ice rink will throw bunnies, which is how easter in new york is performed. Right now he has just 5 points, which nobody cares about, but they're 5 points that seem really helpful to the Rage. But his plus 5 shows that he's at least not dragging his team down, so that's a, uh, plus.

TASK SIX: You’re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

First of all I would scratch Dean colt from the line up from manhattan and instead place, like, anybody in that spot. Find a make a wish kid and give him some skates, and he'll do a bang up job compared to the faceoff god that is dean colt.

Next I would put Geoffrey Allen on all four lines, but mix up whether he's center wing or other wing for each one. Each game randomize the order to ensure the other team can't react and prepare to the changes. Also make him captain, twice.

Make the playing time percentages 69, 20, 10, 1. This will help Ace Redding focus on the number 69 which will make him laugh and play better.

Wyatt Wolker should be moved to offense, because spoiler alert I hear he's pretty good at taking down walls of defense. I also hear he's pretty good at taking out dragons. Maybe randalman should watch out for any random spears thrown on the ice.

TheRealBK · 01-16-2018, 01:25 PM

TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

Now, the easiest route for this can go with the two former Texas players, Winston Windsor or Geoffrey Allen. Those two had to deal with a lot of changes in the offseason, starting with the Texas Tamper Scandal that occurred so early, which caused the team to immediately change their outlook for S38. However, I think being a former first overall pick and having such high expectations around you is a little bit tougher, which is why I feel like Bennett Jones has had a tougher road to the finals. Jones was acquired midseason by Manhattan to help out what has been their crutch all season, the third line. I think almost everyone can agree that out of all the playoff teams, Manhattan's third line was the weakest of them all. Jones was traded to Manhattan to help the third line, and his short seasonal tenure with Manhattan could be something to forget. 5 points, a +1, only averaging around 13 minutes a game. But, when Manhattan needed help the most from the third line, he delivered in the playoffs, being right in the middle of the scoring bunch, especially during the Minnesota series.

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

When you think of the Calgary Dragons, you immediately go to two men, Randy Randleman and Joe Kurczewski. The man with two similar sounding names and the man with the difficult last name to spell. What people should start thinking of when 'Calgary Dragons' is mentioned, is Mike Izzy. Though he might not be the perrenial playoff scorer this go around, all signs point to him progressing even further and becoming the fresh face of Calgary if or when Randleman and Kurzcewski ever decide to hang it up. Despite only scoring 7 points so far in the series, he's been a physical presence throughout the series between San Francisco and Winnipeg. His 61 hits tops the team, and puts him ahead of guys such as Kennedy, Manious, Forsberg, and others. Despite only shooting 38 times, less than half of his superstar counterparts, Izzy has made a name for himself in this playoffs. Don't be surprised if Izzy breaks out in a huge way come S39-S40.

TASK SEVEN: Design a t-shirt or a rally towel for one of the teams in the finals. Must include some text (a slogan), the teamâ€™s logo and a local sponsor for the giveaway.

Don't ever let me make a shirt on pixlr online editor again...
[Image: vglrmAK.jpg]

TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

Shit, can I do myself, considering that this is only Brett Kennedy's 3rd full season in the SHL? Fuck it, I'm gonna do that.

Brett Kennedy, remember that guy? Used to be a Wolfpack player, and in his lone season in the big time with New England, he helped them push to the Challenge Cup Final, ultimately losing out to Texas in six games. After that, Kennedy was expecting a big pay day, but New England couldn't afford him. It then resulted in a sign-and-trade with the Manhattan Rage, and he immediately made an impact on the team. Despite missing the playoffs in S37, Kennedy found himself playing an extra defensive role, and being more of a defensive anchor for the team. Once S38 hit, Kennedy was out to prove himself as the best defensive player out there, along with the best man on the faceoff dot. I think a lot of people forget the fact that Kennedy is still a fairly young player, and for him to lead the league in faceoffs is quite the feat.
Once the playoffs hit, we knew what Kennedy's role to the team was - dish out hits, win faceoffs. He did so, finishing with 60 hits, good enough for third in the league, along with a 52.95% faceoff percentage, good enough for tops on the team. He also dished out some great plays during the playoffs, finishing with 9 assists and 11 points in 20 games. For a player who is very defensive minded, having a scoring performance like that is always welcoming to a team that wasn't packing a lot of firepower coming into the Final.

Thunder39 · 01-16-2018, 05:28 PM

Task Two:

I cannot pick one player for this. Both Randy Randleman and Joe Kurczewiski of the Calgary Dragons have been huge for the team these playoffs. Randleman leads the team in goals and is 2nd in assists. He also has 2 very clutch game winning goals so far through the playoffs. Joe Kurczewiski has also player great. He is 2nd in points behind Randleman and also had that super clutch 4 goal game just a few games ago. He currently sits 4 points behind Randleman on the team in the playoffs with 21. But they both have had solid 2 way play throughout the playoffs as well, with both sitting at a plus 15. Calgary was seen as a bit of an underdog coming into this playoff but these two have helped lead the team through these playoffs and have kept their play consistent to lead this team to a challenge cup final.

Task Four:
Roman Augustus is one of only two rookies in this yearâ€™s challenge cup final, the other being Evgeny Yakikov on the Manhattan Rage. While his point totals did not blow anyone away in this yearâ€™s playoffs, he showed flashes of why heâ€™s considered the teams future franchise defenseman. He finished this year with 9 assists in 17 games played, he also had 21 shot blocks and played with lots of grit amassing 24 hits and 12 penalty minutes. The smooth skating D man is known for his two way play and hard shot along with his very good defensive play. His numbers will likely improve dramatically next season as he works his way to first pairing and some increased powerplay time. Augustus will look to improve upon his totals next season and take on more leadership as he tries to lead the Dragons to another playoff berth and another challenge cup final.

Task Five:
[Image: PT2.png]

Task Seven:
[Image: TOWEL111.png]

bana · 01-16-2018, 11:33 PM

TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

Code:
This was one that was a little difficult for myself to write. Despite me being here, checking things out and being a so-called "active", I didn't follow these playoffs all that much as I wasn't involved in them. However, when looking at the teams I do have a little history with them. For Manhattan, I played with them with Jakobsen for some time and may have even had another stint with them with another, shit player. On Calgary, you got Esa Anrikkanen or however you spell his damn name. Asa and I go way back to when he first entered the league - me being the first guy to help him through things (you're welcome SHL, he's a hell of a player and guy). That's why I had to pick him for the adversity. 

He's had a hell of a career which goes over the span of many suns and many moons. He's got more goals than most, more points than most and TPE whored his way to the top of the mountain. He's a legendary player and easily will find himself in the HoF one day. However, when you think about things, his time is ticking. While he could go on, you'd think Esa himself would want to hang them up soon so that he could move on, rebuild and retainer with things. Fall in love all over again and create a new beast. That's what made these playoff fill with adversity for Esa. Every game was huge for him. You never know when it'll be his last and of course, it likely own't be now - but this could be one of his last cracks at a cup. The 12 points in 17 games was still huge for him, but you can tell he's slowing down.

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

Code:
Jakub Aittokailo, of the Manhattan Rage. Easily, 100% - all the time this playoffs. He's easily the best goalies of the playoffs and that's no knocked to other goalies in the league who played a hell of a post-season. For Aitto, he really turned on the jets this season and stood on his head. Not only did he carry the Rage on his shoulders (not a single player had a PPG, but there was some nice depth scoring all throughout), but he did it like a true, elite #1. While his record of 12-6-2 isn't anything to jump home about and tell your momma, it also isn't terrible or average - it's pretty fucking good when you glance at it. Furthering, he faced the most shots among any other goalie and what's truly amazing about that stat is that he also ranked #1 in GAA (2.24), Save percentage (.934) and shut outs (3 - led by 2 on 2nd place). If you really want to throw the cherry on the cake, or crown on the king if you will, will give you the obvious stat - he also led the league in wins. 

Without Aitto, they may not have been able to do that. Every team int he post-season hopes, wants and needs a strong goalie to help carry them the way to the finals and for Manhattan, they truly lucked out in the most elite goalie of this years playoffs. Kudos to him on an amazing run - well deserved and such a talent.

TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

TASK FIVE: Itâ€™s Zamboni time! The teams have been asked by the SHL offices to re-design their Zamboni with a Finals theme. Please use your creativity on this and make it specific to one of the teams in the finals. Must include a logo from a team in the Finals and a color scheme appropriate to the team.

TASK SIX: Youâ€™re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

Code:
Another tough one as I wasn't following the series too much. Being a fan of the Rage and because the Rage won the cup, we're going to roll with choosing Calgary for this task and we'll be using the last game to build around the idea of "what could we have done differently" or what would I have done in their shoes? 

Let's start off by saying the score was close - so it's up in the arms. A 4-3 game isn't too bad and easily could have gone any way but we have to remember, close only counts in horse shoes, grenades and jerking off but not finishing.The link is shit to the game, so we're basing this off the lines on the thingy. 

Firstly, your best centres in the FO category are big Joe and Gagner. Both have better strength than Randleman, so it blows my mind as to why Gagner wa left out of the circle and Randy was chosen in front of him. In my eyes, and I'm sure they tried it, but Gagner would have gotten the call for me. I get the difference in skill isn't huge - but I believe it may have changed things.Randleman finished just about 55.2% while Gagner was 58%+ in the circle.

Next, their defence. I don't know if it's frowned upon or ruled against, but if it's not - I would have been double shifting the fuck out of Augustus and Boychuk on the 4th pairing - even if it was only for 5% of the game or whatever. That's more time your best D-men get to be on the ice. I see that in no way, shape or form as a loss and with such a small amount, they shouldn't get too fucked up with their endurance. It also keeps your weaker guys off the ice. 

Next, and I get it, offense first in most of these leagues, but I may have laid my staregies a little to the defensive side against such a strong team. They were going to be close games anyway and Manhattan may have had the edge - but if you're letting in more than you score, find a way to limit what you let in. I'd make sure every line on F has atleast 1 in DF, maybe the 3rd line with 2. D are fine but maybe a 0-4-1 for line 2.

TASK SEVEN: Design a t-shirt or a rally towel for one of the teams in the finals. Must include some text (a slogan), the teamâ€™s logo and a local sponsor for the giveaway.

TASK EIGHT: Design the Championship Banner for the S38 Challenge Cup. Must include team logo, team name and at least one render.

**OrbitingDeath** · 01-17-2018, 10:33 AM

TASK ONE: Pick either of the teams currently in the finals. Which player had to overcome the most adversity to get where they are at now? What did they have to endure before finally getting their crack at the Cup? Must be 150 words and include two specific situations that player experienced en-route to the Cup finals, whether this season or at some point during their career.

Brett Kennedy was never one of the flashiest players on the ice, but he had to come a long way to get his ass on the championship winning team. Being originally drafted by the New England Wolfpack he never got a chance to really shine. The team was too stacked offensively and there wasnâ€™t much room for the large contract he desired, not for a player of his caliber atleast. He got dealt to the Manhattan Rage and fought his way onto their second line. With 11 points and more than 22 minutes per game he has proven himself a valuable member for the Manhattan Rage, he is a player that had to endure a lot before his greatness came into play. The grittiness of Brett Kennedy and Ace Redding (combined they had over 150 hits in the playoffs) is a big part of the reason for the Manhattan Rage to finally win the cup.
(Words: 155)

TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S38 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.
In a team that has ten players that have more as 10 points in the playoffs, there are always players that seem to be forgotten. Bennett Jones is one of them. He is perhaps one of the most unsung heroes of the Manhattan Rage. He only plays an average of 13,5 minutes per game while still scoring a nice amount of points for the Rage. In fact, for each 20 minutes on the ice, Jones registered 0.6 points, he might not have any game winners or game tying goals, but he still managed to register 8 points during the playoffs. Players like Wyatt Wolker, Ace Redding, Bubba Nuck all get the attention, but a player like Bennett Jones should certainly not be forgotten as he played a vital part in their challenge for the cup. It is always nice when you see some of the depth players perform like he did, especially since on the depth chart, he is only listed on the third line with 5% of playtime listed. To get eight points then, you are definitely an unsung hero.
(Words: 181)

TASK FOUR: What rookies or young players are looking to make a name for themselves during the Finals? How have they contributed to the team on the way to the Finals? Must be at least 150 words, and include two statistics.

The rookie with the most playtime during the finals is Roman Augustus of the Calgary Dragons. The second line defenseman has scored 9 assists during the playoffs and was (despite a -4) a reliable player for the Calgary franchise. When you look around the team, there were more experierenced players who performed similar or worse, take Nicholas Pedersen for instance, with all his experience he was a -6. And Scnitinfritz Jagr only had eight points. Augustus played for almost 22 minutes per game on average and tried to help veterans like Michael Boychuk and Connor Oâ€™Reilly to get some well deserved rest at times. Of course in the end it didnâ€™t matter, but the cup was not lost because of the play of the rookie. He was the best rookie on the ice as Manhattan counterpart Evgeny Jakikov barely saw any icetime with just one minute of icetime during the entire playoffs.

(Words: 152)

TASK SIX: Youâ€™re the coach of a team in the finals. What changes would you make to the roster, lines or strategies of the team to give the team a better chance at winning the series? Must be at least 150 words.

If I were the coach of the Calgary Dragons I would rebalance the forward lines. On the first line we would keep Joe Kurczewski and Randy Randleman, with Dani Forsberg being the new winger on the line. The second line would consist of Shane Gagner, Schnitinfritz Jagr and Mike Izzy. Nicholas Pedersen would now join the third line to give it more experience for when Manhattans top 6 gets tired. Calgary spreads out their players more and would keep doing it, but with more balance between the lines, they might have been able to finish of the Manhattan Rage. I would also try to play Dani Forsberg more, as with 15 points in just 18.28 minutes per game, he was one of the better scoring forwards for the team. Perhaps use him as the first extra forward to provide the team with an extra spark of energy. With these changes, we might have seen a different winner this year.

(Words :159)

White Cornerback · 01-17-2018, 05:08 PM

<div align="center">TASK THREE: Design the Challenge Cup Finals logo that will be included on both jerseys. Must include S38, the SHL logo and some sort of representation for each of the two teams in the Finals.

[Image: 6whzRj9.jpg]

TASK FIVE: Itâ€™s Zamboni time! The teams have been asked by the SHL offices to re-design their Zamboni with a Finals theme. Please use your creativity on this and make it specific to one of the teams in the finals. Must include a logo from a team in the Finals and a color scheme appropriate to the team.

[Image: KNqsVCM.png]

TASK SEVEN: Design a t-shirt or a rally towel for one of the teams in the finals. Must include some text (a slogan), the teamâ€™s logo and a local sponsor for the giveaway.

[Image: Hb2BRlo.png]

TASK EIGHT: Design the Championship Banner for the S38 Challenge Cup. Must include team logo, team name and at least one render.

[Image: XQmUJVX.png]

</div>

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