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jRuutu · 07-06-2020, 04:55 AM

1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

Kalju played pretty well overall. Before the season started we talked with the coaches about my role and together we agreed that my role would be more defensive than maybe in the past. In that light 6 + 12 is a fair total. Six goals is not bad at all, I did not play on the powerplay that much, but the assist total could have been higher even if my job was to focus on defense first. Defensively I was pretty good I´d say, well on the plus, I had something like +25 this year, and I managed to collect over 100 hits. The reason why I got such a high number is that I played in a solid role, I got to play a lot and in situations that played into my strengths.

Next year is all about trying to bring the same type of stuff on the ice, regression makes it tougher and from here on the simple hockey is even more present when I´m making decisions out there. Obviously a lot depends on where I will play next season if I´m able to find a spot in SHL, the way I play will more than likely be similar as during this year, but if I head back to Europe I might get more of an offensive role. That is something that we figure out in the couple weeks, but meanwhile, I´m going to practice and prepare myself as well as I can, if the call comes - I will be ready. (250)

2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Well, dang. Your team didn't make the finals this season - my condolences to you. Are you and your teammates planning on watching the finals even though you're not in it? If so, what are your watch parties like? If not, are you still following the finals or trying to ignore it completely? What are you and your teammates doing together (if anything) instead of following along? (if you're on Hamilton or New Orleans, or either of the 2 SMJHL teams that soon will be playing in the finals - congrats and sorry :p this one isn't for you!)

To be honest, I have not been watching the playoffs at all. Missing the action is not something I had planned before the season started, so I have tried to ignore it as well as I can. I do still check the results here and there, but that's about it. When the regular season ended I flew straight back to Finland to start my off-season, I have not really interacted with the New England Wolfpack players after that, which might sound weird, but this is how I have always spent my off-seasons, I like to take some time away from everything, we spend so much time together during the season that it's almost a relief to get away. That also tells a little bit about myself, I enjoy the silence and spending time alone with myself. Now that I had the time I came home to Finland to say hello to my family and friends who live here, but even then I like to just sit alone and be quiet in nature, the best way to do that is to take it easy at my summer cottage, that is how I have spent the last week or so. (180)

3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
It has been publicized a decent amount on this site but Hamilton prospect Andrei Kostitsyn's brother Sergei appears to be missing. Does anybody know where Sergei? What have you done/what can you do to help Andrei track down his brother?

I heard the news and I tried to help, I printed the ´have you seen this person´ - posters and put them all over Turku, Finland where I´m currently staying. I offered a 50 000 euro reward for information that leads to Sergei. The world is a small place these days, never know where Sergei and people in general end up, and maybe someone has seen Sergei during their travels and can help out. I also posted about Sergei on my Myspace page, but I don´t have that many followers, so the reach I have is limited, but I take comfort in knowing that I have tried to help. Hopefully, everything is well and Sergei comes back home. (110)

5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which player from the Steelhawks or Specters has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame when their playing days are up? Make the case for that player's HOF bid.

There more than likely is more than one in both teams who could make it, but one has to be Geezus Kryyst, the starting goalie for the Steelhawks. Geezus has won two playoff MVP awards in the last three seasons, and Geezus has two cups from those seasons, so he has been a valuable player for Hamilton and shown that he can carry the team all the way to the championship. I think the playoff MVP awards are something that will make Kryyst almost a lock for the hall of fame, great player, and great career, AND he could add one more championship this year into his list. (105)

13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. These are absolutely two of the best goaltenders in the league in Cain and Kryyst - which team has the advantage in net in this series?

Both are excellent goalies, but I have to give the edge to Hamilton. Kryyst has shown that he can handle the pressure and play on a high level from start to end, Kryyst has won two playoff MVP awards lately, which just shows that he can almost win the series on his own. The experience is what gives Hamilton the edge in my eyes. (60)

b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?

If we look at purely TPE of both players, Gabriel has fair chunk more compared to Darnell, but they are also different players, Darnell is more of a defensive defender and Gabriel offensive one, so I guess it depends on what kind of role you have on the table, I´d take Darnell for a defensive role and Gabriel for an offensive role, simple as that. (65)

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)

Not really, playoff hockey is so different compared to the regular season. I´d say players are more willing to do whatever it takes to win during the playoffs and in the regular season they are not going to show a similar level of passion and dedication, or certainly not every player is going to, but when playoffs come around it changes, players and team give their best. Whatever happened during the regular season does not matter as much, playoffs are almost like a new season. (80)

d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?

New Orleans sounds fun, I would just walk around and try new foods. Nothing too exciting, never been in New Orleans, so I would try to learn as much as I can about the place while I´m in there. More than likely would not go there once the mardi gras or whatever is happening there, that would be too much noise and distraction. (63)

16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

Stone

= 16

*Mutedfaith* · 07-06-2020, 05:50 AM

Quote:1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

After a stunning S53 season, the Detroit Falcons as a whole kinda collapsed in S54. Cal Labovitch’s on-ice performances during this past season did nothing to help the Falcons regain their cup-winning form. With a career low points total of 23, lower even than in his rookie season, his offensive contributions were mediocre at best. With Kaarlo Kekkonen leaving during the offseason, it seems like the chemistry their first line had left with him. The golden combination of Kekkonen-Williams-Labovitch could not be succeeded by fitting in teammates like Zoltan Topalo, or Reid Sutherland unfortunately and despite keeping it very close in a 7 game series, the Detroit team could not get it together fast enough in the playoffs to turn things around in the postseason. The only positive statstic Cal will be credited with washis Gva-Tka ratio, in which he lead the league. Overall this was not the way Cal wanted to say goodbye to his Falcon teammates.

Quote:2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Well, dang. Your team didn't make the finals this season - my condolences to you. Are you and your teammates planning on watching the finals even though you're not in it? If so, what are your watch parties like? If not, are you still following the finals or trying to ignore it completely? What are you and your teammates doing together (if anything) instead of following along? (if you're on Hamilton or New Orleans, or either of the 2 SMJHL teams that soon will be playing in the finals - congrats and sorry :p this one isn't for you!)

After game 7 in the first round of the SMJHL, Cal decided to take a little break before having to report to the Minnesota Chiefs. With all the hockey during the season, he wanted to take some time to take one last tour of the city of Detroit before having to pack his stuff and relocate. Despite the disappointing season, the fans had been nothing but fantastic and supportive, often believing in the team even when the team didn’t believe in themselves. Cal wanted to do something for those fans in return and while the rest of the SMJHL had their eyes on the conference finals, Cal visited the local schools and hospitals to give his young fans a last time to meet him in person before leaving the Falcons and the city of Detroit. And next week, when everyone will have their eyes on the finals, Cal will be packing his stuff into boxes and flying up to Minnesota to settle into his new apartment before the off season practices with the Chiefs will commence.

Quote:4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
S54 IIHF Predictions - with one FHM IIHF season under our belt, we've got a bit more of a sense of how the tournament might play out in the new sim engine. What are your predictions for the S54 IIHF or WJC tournament - how do you think your team will fare this season? Who do you think are the biggest contenders to take home the hardware and why?

After an unsuccessful S53, Team Switzerland will definitely be looking to add some new hardware to their trophy case. While it seems a bit steep to pitch them as a Gold medal candidate, they’ve definitely grown stronger over the past season and should be considered serious contenders for the Bronze, or even Silver medal in this upcoming World Championship. Their strong defensive core, lead by the experienced Matthias Seger in defence and the always reliable Markus Tegernako in net, is a great foundation for success and with a forward group consisting of reliable veterans like Slap McShotty and upcoming young stars like William Hartmann, Mitchell van der Heijden and Cal Labovitch they have plenty of options and even more potential. They’ll be playing the S54 IIHF World Championship without pressure, knowing that by next WC they’ll only have grown stronger as the core of their roster is still far, far away from regression being a factor.

Quote:5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which player from the Steelhawks or Specters has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame when their playing days are up? Make the case for that player's HOF bid.

When I think ‘Hall of Fame’ in combination with the Hamilton Steelhawks, I can’t see past star defender Tig Murphy. Season after season, the Steelhawks defender proved to be a reliable defenseman, as well as a points machine. Especially on the power play, this blue liner knows where the puck has to go and manages to get it to the right place every single time. The high-powered offensive defender has come a long way since his rookie season, and does not look like he’s about to slow down any time soon either. He plays a critical role in Hamilton’s dominating style of play and definitely deserves a Hall of Fame recognition.

Quote:8. Written (150 words min.) or Graphic, 3 TPE
With only one champion in the SHL and the SMJHL per season, that means the other 26 teams came up just a bit short (or a lot short). Team owners know that fans can get frustrated by shortcomings, so they're always trying to keep optimism high in the fan base. Written option: give an excerpt from an ousted team's owner's press conference at the end of the season focusing on the team's bright future or however they can keep fans' optimism high.

Excerpt from Tiggie Smalls’ press conference, following the Detroit Falcons game 7 loss.

As I said last night, I've got a ton of respect for this hockey team, the players, the coaches and the fans. We all put a lot into it these last few games; I think we put everything we had into it. I thought a lot of our players pushed themselves to their limits, certainly our goalies. I thought they, in particular, played extremely well this series, as the entire team did. Unfortunately, we came up basically a point short. Nobody on this team feels good about this loss, and we’ll continue to feel bad about this season for a while. That's the type of competitive team that we have. I’m proud of the way these players have worked all season, despite the chips not falling in their favour. I wish we could have done a little bit more, gotten a little bit further in the post season, but that's life in the SMJHL.
We're less than a day here from the end of game 7, and I'm sure there are a lot of questions about the future of the Detroit Falcons. For the last few days, everybody's been focused and working on Newfoundland. That's where all the focus should have been, and that’s where it was. Whatever's in the future, we'll deal with at some later point in time. We lost to a team that was a little better than us this last night, but we showed them that even though we had an unlucky regular season, we’re always a force to be reckoned with.

Quote:13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. These are absolutely two of the best goaltenders in the league in Cain and Kryyst - which team has the advantage in net in this series?
b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?
c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)
d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?

a. Comparing the stats for these two goaltenders, Kryst wins the battle on all fronts. With his 32 wins in 43 games he outclasses Cain, who only took the Specters to 23 wins in 40 games, and with a 2.22 goals against average, he also has Cain (2.78 GAA) beaten. The only statistic in favour of Cain in S54 has let him down this season, as a 0.903 save percentage for the NOLA goalie isn’t enough to give him the drop on Kryst, who had a 0.913 save percentage throughout the regular season, and it’s the Steelhawks who come into this game with the better goalie.
b. Looking at their stats, it’s pretty obvious who is the better Johnson here. Where Darnell has the lead in hits (90 vs 60) and takes fewer penalties than Gabriel, Gabe Johnson has him beat on every other stat. His points total of 44 (8 goals, 36 assists) dwarfs Darnell’s 9 points, and even if you factor in TOI, Darnell doesn’t even come close to beating Gabriel.
c. Playoff matchups are different from regular season head-to-heads, as they allow for a lot of customization, line matching and strategizing based purely on this one single opponent. Furthermore, there will be no effects from one team having back-to-back games, or other scheduling issues. It’s all roster and tactics, and from my point of view, the Steelhawks will have the edge unless NOLA can find a creative solution to their 3C problem.
d. Cal is a bit of a foodie. And therefore his city of choice would absolutely have to be Hamilton. Traditional Canadian food like poutine and maple syrup are way more attractive to him than US rip-offs of French beignets, Belgian pralines and Italian muffuletta’s, all of which Cal had plenty of back home in Europe. The more Creole side of NOLA cuisine might be interesting for him, but since he’s mildly allergic to seafood, he tries to avoid it when possible.

Quote:16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.
SUBMIT TRIVIA ANSWERS HERE

Verification word: Trivia

***Snussu*** · 07-06-2020, 09:00 AM

Quote:16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

CWTIME

Slowpoke · 07-06-2020, 09:56 AM

1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

If you focus just on the offensive stat line, Horvat’s season was not much better than last. It’s when you take in the rest of the data you begin to see the improvements. Most of it is due to the improvements the team has made across the board, but there are some areas of improvement that can be credited to him. As a defensive defensemen, it was those statistical areas where he saw the biggest jump in his game. Blocked Shots and hits were both areas where he improved. After consulting with the coaching staff after the abysmal season prior, they found some areas to work on and it seems that that work has paid off. He did spend some time working on some offensive areas as well, and saw minor improvements by generating better chances in the offensive zone and by improving his Power Play abilities as well. All around, Horvat saw a better season than last.

2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Well, dang. Your team didn't make the finals this season - my condolences to you. Are you and your teammates planning on watching the finals even though you're not in it? If so, what are your watch parties like? If not, are you still following the finals or trying to ignore it completely? What are you and your teammates doing together (if anything) instead of following along? (if you're on Hamilton or New Orleans, or either of the 2 SMJHL teams that soon will be playing in the finals - congrats and sorry :p this one isn't for you!)

It came down to the last days of the season to find out if Texas made the playoffs, and they ended out missing out. This left a bitter taste in their mouths. Due to the current world climate, they have spent the playoffs in Zoom calls, comparing how they would have fared versus the teams that knocked them out. The distance has made for some interesting watch parties. Watching Ivan Maximus @thiefofcheese put down entire cheese boards delivered from Amazon, and Noah Brusky @BrewskyBoy drink himself stupid before the end of the first period makes me wonder how they will be ready for next season. I am sure that they will get better once the playoffs are over and they can hopefully focus on their own skills again. Missing the playoffs by such a small margin was tough for the entire team. Even management has been having a rough go of it. Nobody has actually seen @dankoa in over a week. When he logs into the party it’s just a dark screen with the sounds of crying in the background.

4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
S54 IIHF Predictions - with one FHM IIHF season under our belt, we've got a bit more of a sense of how the tournament might play out in the new sim engine. What are your predictions for the S54 IIHF or WJC tournament - how do you think your team will fare this season? Who do you think are the biggest contenders to take home the hardware and why?

This is a tough one. We have a full IIHF tournament, sure, but we also have a complete redistribution as well, so all that information is effectively useless. Most of the league has built their players to be useful for their SHL teams, with little to no energy spent on making sure they will fit into their international roster. We could see teams with very high TPE levels fair far worse than teams with less simply because their team makeup does not mesh well. I think that this tournament will be the big lesson for IIHF GMs. When looking at Russia specifically, we are not the strongest team out there, and probably on the lower end if I am being honest. They have seen some very active players leave the team, or the league all together. On the flip side to that, they have seen a boom in young prospect joining their ranks. They may not be competitive now, but they will get plenty of time to see how their players work together and give their players time to grow together.

8. Written (150 words min.) or Graphic, 3 TPE
With only one champion in the SHL and the SMJHL per season, that means the other 26 teams came up just a bit short (or a lot short). Team owners know that fans can get frustrated by shortcomings, so they're always trying to keep optimism high in the fan base. Written option: give an excerpt from an ousted team's owner's press conference at the end of the season focusing on the team's bright future or however they can keep fans' optimism high. Graphic option: the team has rented a billboard in town with an inspiring message to fans to keep optimism high; show the billboard (must include team logo and whatever the optimistic message is).

Well Texas, it’s another season without playoff hockey. I know, it sucks, and it makes for very, VERY long off seasons. An off-season of watching rivals succeed, getting chirped by friends and family in other cities, and just generally feeling down. I am here to lift your spirits and tell you that I think this is the last time you are going to feel this way for quite some time. Sure, we barely missed the playoffs, but look at the improvements the team has made, and with a young roster at that! This is a team with an average draft season of S48. Barely 5 seasons removed from creation. The other teams in the division are on the other side of that. Most are heavily into regression and may be looking at their last windows of opportunity before this young roster knocks them out of the playoffs for quite some time.

13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)

I think it does. The head-to-head gives a look at how certain matchups perform against an opponent. Both teams are great, obviously, but the matchups at a personnel, or line level matter more than the overall talent on the team. If one teams 2nd line can find success while the top lines are evenly matched, that’s all the difference it will take.

16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

Slow

MN_Moosey · 07-06-2020, 10:17 AM

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

This season was very disappointing. Coming off of an alright year, it looked like it was time to break out and show improvement. What I actually got was a shot blocking machine who would find his home on the penalty kill. It is not what I envisioned to be sure, but I do think it is welcome. The overall offensive production was replacement worthy. I ended the year with a measly seven points. This simply will not fly with me any longer. It is time for some upgrades. This season is the season of offense. I did not produce as I thought I would with how my stats are lined up. I need to get the right line chemistry to really shine with my passing ability. Maybe I should start shooting a bit more. It seemed to work out in the first few games, but I need it for a full season.

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

battery

Code:
7. Written, 3 TPE

Write a sonnet about an SHL-related topic. Be sure to follow the proper ABAB-CDCD-EFEF-GG rhyme structure or your HS English (or equivalent any-language Writing teacher) will track you down and give you a failing grade.

SHL is the league of hockey
Of which we do play in
The path to victory can get rocky
This trophy is hard to win
But is there a team who can step up
And win this wild game
To win means to raise the cup
While others sit in shame
"Hooray we did it" we'll all shout out
As we sing the country's tune
For in this league there is no doubt
That we will be there soon
We don't play for fortune or the fame
We do it for the love of the game

Code:
8. Written (150 words min.) or Graphic, 3 TPE

With only one champion in the SHL and the SMJHL per season, that means the other 26 teams came up just a bit short (or a lot short). Team owners know that fans can get frustrated by shortcomings, so they're always trying to keep optimism high in the fan base. Written option: give an excerpt from an ousted team's owner's press conference at the end of the season focusing on the team's bright future or however they can keep fans' optimism high. Graphic option: the team has rented a billboard in town with an inspiring message to fans to keep optimism high; show the billboard (must include team logo and whatever the optimistic message is).

"Boys, we lost a lot this season. More than just games. We lost our newly minted captain at the deadline and sold off a lot of our top players. Coming into this season spirits were high with how much we grew over the last year. We were ready to take it all. Now that didn't happen. It sucks. It really does. We can sit here in this room and wallow in the pain of the season or... we can work on moving forward. That is what we need to do. We have a lot of young talent on this roster and it will not go to waste. Another big draft is coming up and more players will be added to this very locker room. We will welcome everyone with smiles and hope; the hope of finally pushing through this little rut of mediocrity and finally getting our shot. When I see you all come into this room to start the next season, I want to see each and every one of you giving it one hundred and ten percent out there. We are a team. We win as a team, we lose as a team. That is what we are. Not just one player or one line. We are a team and we are going to show that to the league."

Code:
13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. These are absolutely two of the best goaltenders in the league in Cain and Kryyst - which team has the advantage in net in this series?

b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)

d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?

a. Both of these goalies are top notch, cream of the crop kinda guys. If I had to pick one to get an edge in this matchup, it would have to be Kryyst. His goals against average is over a half a goal lower than Cain. He also has the better save percentage by 0.01. Just looking at the numbers shows that Kryyst is the better goalie on paper.

b. Both Johnsons are defencemen, but the comparisons stop there. Gabriel is that offensive defensemen who works the point and quarterbacks the powerplay. Darnell is a grittier player and is throwing his body around a lot more. Gabe has the better overall totals so I would have to say that he is the "better" Johnson.

c. Matchups are huge in this kind of game. A team can go out and beat everyone else, but if the team you are playing in the big time has your number, there isn't much you can do. Hamilton is the better team by far, but having that season series loss to New Orleans hanging over their heads is concerning to be sure.

d. Is this really a choice? Louisiana is just way too hot and muggy for my taste. New Orleans is just super crowded too, especially during Mardi Gras. Hamilton is the way to go. You have a great view of Lake Ontario, and just a short distance away is Niagara falls and the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. It isn't as touristy but it is the better choice.

notoriousTRON · 07-06-2020, 10:21 AM

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

The number one goal that I had going into this season Is still very much in play and that’s winning a 2nd Four Star Cup before going pro. I believe that the Anaheim Outlaws have a great chance to do just that this season. Despite a stretch this season where we lost like nine games in a row, the Outlaws have rebounded and played our way to a three games to one lead in the SMJHL semi-finals. However, my personal goal was to increase my point production. After starting my career with 32 points and winning rookie of the year, I’ve finished with exactly 27 points the past three years across two different sim engines. I made my first all star game this season, so that was very exciting and I’m playing big minutes defensively and on the penalty kill unit so I can’t complain about my player’s role or development, but I had hoped that the top line play would have resulted in a few more points scored.

Code:
3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

It has been publicized a decent amount on this site but Hamilton prospect Andrei Kostitsyn's brother Sergei appears to be missing. Does anybody know where Sergei? What have you done/what can you do to help Andrei track down his brother?

With Andrei’s success in Newfoundland, it’s very surprising that Sergei hasn’t come forward to reach out to his brother. This leads to a couple of unfortunate possibilities that should be considered.
1 – Sergei is in serious trouble or hurt
2 – Sergei isn’t happy about his brother’s success and doesn’t wish to contact him
3 – Sergei is planning his own surprise comeback.
This third scenario is a very intriguing and honestly what I’m hoping is the case. I like to think that Sergei has been watching Andrei’s success and has been training hard this whole time. It’s possible that we could see him come out of the woodwork to resurrect his own career sometime here soon.

Code:
6. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Occasionally, broadcast networks will bring an active player into the TV coverage of ongoing finals if their team has been eliminated, and that player is often to give unique insights from a current player's perspective. During this NOLA-HAM finals, which SHL player or prospect would be a good addition to the Challenge Cup TV coverage? Why would that player be a good addition to the broadcast team?

Since Hamilton is appearing in the Challenge Cup finals for the second consecutive season, I think it would be interesting to get a player on the broadcast who played in the finals last season against the Steelhawks. Since I know the user StamkosFan well, I think Ola Wagstrom would be a good choice. Not only could he talk about what it was like to play against Hamilton, he could give some insight about the New England locker room both at the time of the finals and what led to the divide that resulted in Wagstom being traded at the peak of his game. Wagstrom is a household name in the SHL and one its biggest stars and having him as a part of the broadcast team could really do wonders for the broadcast ratings of the Challenge Cup Finals. Another good option would be any of Hamilton or New Orleans prospects to give the viewers some insight into the locker room dynamics.

Code:
8. Written (150 words min.) or Graphic, 3 TPE

With only one champion in the SHL and the SMJHL per season, that means the other 26 teams came up just a bit short (or a lot short). Team owners know that fans can get frustrated by shortcomings, so they're always trying to keep optimism high in the fan base. Written option: give an excerpt from an ousted team's owner's press conference at the end of the season focusing on the team's bright future or however they can keep fans' optimism high. Graphic option: the team has rented a billboard in town with an inspiring message to fans to keep optimism high; show the billboard (must include team logo and whatever the optimistic message is).

Toronto Owner: Hey thanks everyone for gathering here. I just wanted to make myself available to the press to answer any questions that you guys may have for me regarding the future of the franchise.
Press: It seems like this rebuild has been going on for a long time, is there anything you want to say to fans that are starting to lose hope?
TO: Rebuilds are as tough on the front office as they are on the fans, if not tougher. We all want to win, but you can’t just manifest a championship. It takes time to build a team that can compete and we want to build a team that can compete year in and year out. I would tell the fans that they’re not going to want to miss the young talent that will be joining the team next season.
Press: Is there any heat on ML’s seat?
TO: No. We’re confident in ML’s plan that he’s laid out and we feel that he’s executing it extremely well. We have some exciting prospects that will be making an impact in Toronto soon.
Press: Do you have a comment on Toronto’s bad lotter luck?
TO: I’ll take the bad luck now and the good luck later when we’re making the playoffs regularly. ML has done a great job with the picks that he’s made and I’m confident he’ll do the same with 3rd overall this upcoming draft.

Code:
5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Which player from the Steelhawks or Specters has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame when their playing days are up? Make the case for that player's HOF bid.

Flacko Lagerfield made his debut in S43 with the Buffalo Stampede before spending 7 seasons in Seattle/Tampa Bay. Flacko was a great player for the Barracuda, registering 66 points in S48, but he took off in his 2nd season in Hamilton leading the league in points two seasons in a row with 71 points in S53 before an incredible 84 in S54. Lagerfield has cemented himself as one of the top scorers in the SHL despite being in regression. His 26, 34, and 42 goals the last three seasons have all been career highs, so his scoring is still on the ascent. Additionally, his 42 goals in S54 tied Ola Wagstrom’s S53 SHL record setting total. It’s possible that Flacko could set a goal record before his career is over. I think Flacko will be a shoo-in for the HOF when his career is over.

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

Cymru

Sig Cred: Carpy, ML, RainDelay, Donini & Geekusoid

Mavfatha · 07-06-2020, 10:33 AM

PBE PT

16. Verification word = Anthropomorphism

1. Honestly it's pretty hard to complain about my performance this season. Obviously it was disappointing for us as a team to not make the playoffs - especially considering how close we were and only missed out because of tiebreakers - but it was still a strong season from that perspective and a big step forward from last season. In terms of my personal performance, I was pretty dang happy with it. From a very basic look at the milestones I was able to achieve this season which are measured based on performance relative to my peers, I achieved many more of those milestones than I would've expected, contributing both goals and assists to the team, scoring lots of "special" points, and still being strong defensively and knocking opponents around as I am wont to do. I can attribute a lot of my success to the help of my teammates both on and off the ice - we're really putting a strong squad together and the front office does a good job designing appropriate training plans for all of us. Definitely harder to keep up with the younglings as I keep losing skills each season, but they also inspire me to keep improving throughout the season, and it really showed this time around.

2. Why the heck would we be watching the finals? We know we're as good as anyone else out there and only getting better, so I honestly don't know what we could learn from these bums at their peaks (jk love some folks on both teams but that ruins my story). Instead of watching these finals that don't have us in them, we're putting in some extra team practice sessions. They're technically voluntary, but anyone that doesn't come is a loser so everyone came. We had an intense in-squad scrimmage to work out our frustrations earlier in the day, obviously not hitting to injure or anything but still giving our all. Then, instead of watching the finals we had a film session from throughout the season, watching some highlights and lowlights before going through one game in great detail to hammer home what we need to improve upon in the offseason. This was also a good opportunity for our incoming young players from the SMJHL that weren't playing in the finals either to join us for some initial team-building activities, get a sense for how things are done down here in Texas.

13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. These are absolutely two of the best goaltenders in the league in Cain and Kryyst - which team has the advantage in net in this series?
I wrote these in the wrong order, so referring forward to the Johnsons battle, in this case NOLA definitely gets the edge. Cain is simply unmatched in key goalie attributes, and he plays up to his skill level in keeping NOLA in games that maybe they shouldn't have been able to compete him. If NOLA is to win the series, Cain will play a huge part in that.

b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?
Well this is a pretty easy one - Gabriel is clearly leaps and bounds better than Darnell. Darnell does actually arguably have the edge defensively, but offensively Gabriel has a huge edge, and he's the better all-around player without a doubt. I look for Gabriel to contribute a fair number of assists to the Hamilton attack this series.

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)
Regular season head-to-heads are certainly an intriguing component of the analysis for forecasting a playoff series. After all, if one team could significantly defeat the other during the regular season, it stands to reason that the winning team either has the personnel or strategy advantage. Still, with such a small sample size in this case I don't think it really makes a significant difference.

d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?
New Orleans is close enough to Texas that I've been before and come away not particularly impressed. I would rather take this chance to go to Canada when I don't have to be playing hockey the whole time. I'd probably check out the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in particular - gotta assume it's less crowded than the NFL Hall of Fame here. There's also the issue of Canada maybe not letting me into the country if it's not for hockey purposes, but that's another story...

EricNCSU · 07-06-2020, 10:52 AM

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

Crows

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

This season went really well for my player. I increased my points from 23 to 33, and really excelled on the defensive side of the ice, going from +9 to +17 and increasing my shot blocks from 58 to 104. I didn't have any goals really, but I hit 7 of the possible 10 milestones, so that was really good. Next season probably won't see too much of a change since I'm capped out on training, but I should see a tiny bit more ice time moving up to 1F so that could help. I led the league in blocked shots for Forwards and hope to garner at least a nomination for Best Two Way Forward, although I likely won't win. I would attribute my success this season to my linemates. Second year Center Grapefruit Lizard had a phenomenal year and I got credited with a lot of assists and pluses because of his play. (155 words)

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13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. These are absolutely two of the best goaltenders in the league in Cain and Kryyst - which team has the advantage in net in this series?

b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)

d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?

A. Kryyst has a slight advantage stats wise, but it's really close. Kryyst did have almost 10 more wins than Cain, but that's not always 100% on the goalie. Hamilton had 8 more wins total over NOLA, so it tracks that Kryyst would have more wins. I think Cain can certainly hold his own in this series. So maybe *slight* advantage to Hamilton but not by much. (70 words)

B. No offense to Darnell, but Gabe is by far the bigger Johnson. 44 points and +35 vs 9 pts and +7. Darnell is certainly more defensive minded with 90 hits and 66 shot blocks versus Gabe's 60 hits and 68 shotblocks. Gabe however is showing a lot of two-way prowess with similar defensive numbers, on top of fantastic offensive stats. Advantage Gabe. (62 words)

C. In this case I would say no since it was only 2 games. If it was a larger sample size, say 5 to 6 games and NOLA had won them all, I think that could be more indicative of how the season series might go but I don't think two games is enough info. (54 words)

D. Obviously gut reaction is immediately New Orleans. The food, the music, the atmosphere just can't be beat. With that said, I've already been to NOLA twice, with a 3rd trip planned, so I would actually take the offer to go to Hamilton. The only place I've been in Canada so far is Montreal and I was there for work. It looks like there's some cool stuff to do in Hamilton including the Airplane Museum, a couple art museums and while I'm up there depending on the time of year I could catch an OHL, CFL or CPL match. That would be a lot of fun. (105 words)

Code:
4. Written - 3 TPE (150 word minimum) S54 IIHF Predictions - with one FHM IIHF season under our belt, we've got a bit more of a sense of how the tournament might play out in the new sim engine. What are your predictions for the S54 IIHF or WJC tournament - how do you think your team will fare this season? Who do you think are the biggest contenders to take home the hardware and why?

I think S54 WJC will be similar to S53 with not a lot of changes, however, I would expect that Canada should do better than last season. As one of the typical powerhouses they will probably have a powerful roster to submit and have had a season now to make adjustments. As far as my team, Team USA has been doing a lot of tweaking this off season. Strom has put together an incredible roster and I fully expect us to go deep. We made it to the bronze medal game last season, this season is Gold Medal or Bust! The powerhouses will continue to be the powerhouses in my opinion. USA, Canada, UCORCAL and Sweden should be the front runners. Of course it is more even in the Juniors, so a team could certainly go on a surprise run. That's the fun of the tournament for sure! GO USA! (150 words)

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6. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Occasionally, broadcast networks will bring an active player into the TV coverage of ongoing finals if their team has been eliminated, and that player is often to give unique insights from a current player's perspective. During this NOLA-HAM finals, which SHL player or prospect would be a good addition to the Challenge Cup TV coverage? Why would that player be a good addition to the broadcast team?

Clearly, it has to be Jimmy Wagner. You can see he has a flair for journalism with his writing for the Player's Tribune, and he clearly has his finger on the pulse of the league with his work with the SHN and SJHN. As an LA Prospect, Jimmy would be, we assume, impartial for a match-up between New Orleans and Hamilton. I think Jimmy would have a lot of interesting insight about the SHL as it currently is, as well as the future of the league as he prepares for his own future of a final year in the Juniors and then moving up to the SHL. With Carolina fighting for a spot in the SJHML Finals, Jimmy would also have a great perspective on what it takes to make it that far and the grit and determination of the players on the teams in the finals. It's win or go home time. (153 words)

***Fantobens*** · 07-06-2020, 11:10 AM

1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

To me this season was a disappointment overall. I struggled on the ice as well as the team. I’m not sure why the team was so bad but I know that I will improve through some more training. This season was kind of shell shock for all of Detroit after coming off the best season in SMJHL history, they threw up that stinker. It’s kind of unexplainable but hopefully something that can be fixed in the future. I have faith in the management and coaching. Also the team is full of dedicated players ready to do what’s needed to take the team back to where it was a couple seasons ago. All I can do is improve myself hopefully adding some skill to scoring and positioning will help my team put up better numbers in the future. I feel kind of shitty because my player was so bad I got zero milestones. That very much explains my contribution to the team and not some thing I hope that I can do better in the future. Because if not we will just be worse not to mention all the players we are losing this season. Added on to the players we lost last season and the players we will lose next season it really is going to be a tough time for Detroit. But at least we got a cup.

2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Well, dang. Your team didn't make the finals this season - my condolences to you. Are you and your teammates planning on watching the finals even though you're not in it? If so, what are your watch parties like? If not, are you still following the finals or trying to ignore it completely? What are you and your teammates doing together (if anything) instead of following along? (if you're on Hamilton or New Orleans, or either of the 2 SMJHL teams that soon will be playing in the finals - congrats and sorry :p this one isn't for you!)

We aren’t watching. We don’t care. I honestly couldn’t tell you who is in the SMJHL finals. And I only know who’s in the SHL finals because the question had the teams in it. It’s rough living the life of a loser. I got my four-star cup last season and hopefully will get a champions cup in the future, but obviously this is not it. I’d be rooting for my SHL team to Texas renegades, but they didn’t make the playoffs So I’m not really paying attention. I guess Hamilton is going to win again? I don’t know. I assume some of the guys are getting together to watch it but no thanks. I’ll go do something else. My backyard could probably use a fence maybe. My brother asked me to come over and watch it at his place I’m not feeling it. I know he has some friends on Hamilton so he’s invested but I’m not maybe I’ll get some early sleep in. The off-season is depressing more than it is for me. Most of the time.

3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
It has been publicized a decent amount on this site but Hamilton prospect Andrei Kostitsyn's brother Sergei appears to be missing. Does anybody know where Sergei? What have you done/what can you do to help Andrei track down his brother?

I don’t know what this is I’m not going to lie, but I need more tpe. I would start by canvassing the neighborhood where he lived. Ask if people have seen him and whatnot. Maybe file a police police report. Maybe leave a trail of vodka shots for him to follow like e.t. Usually when someone is missing for an extended time they turn up dead. And if the first 48 taught me anything, his killer probably won’t be found because it’s been longer than 48 hours. I wish the best to his family and if there is anything I can do to help feel free to reach out.

5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Which player from the Steelhawks or Specters has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame when their playing days are up? Make the case for that player's HOF bid.

Easy answer for me. Flacco Lagerfield. The guy has really done it all. Presidents trophy’s, individual awards, mvp, multi time all star. Now since joining the steel hawks, nothing but championships and scoring titles. He carried the barracuda to a presidents trophy and a finals appearance, without top tier support. Plus he’s an ok guy I guess.
I think another champions cup this season could seal the deal. Probably a first ballot in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, there are others in this series that will definitely be in the hall of fame, but none as deserving to me as flacco lagerfield.

7. Written, 3 TPE
Write a sonnet about an SHL-related topic. Be sure to follow the proper ABAB-CDCD-EFEF-GG rhyme structure or your HS English (or equivalent any-language Writing teacher) will track you down and give you a failing grade.

Sit right down and I’ll tell you a tale
About a devious club of hockey men
Relax kick up your feet and grab an ale
Here’s the story my friend

There was a team from Hamilton
They had many great players you see
They were so very masculine
Though lacking in TPE

They cheat the league yelled
It’s against the spirit of the game
One by one those teams were shelled
They all came up lame

Their sites are set, they have tactic Kung fu
While everyone screams, Hamilton fuck you!

16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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 word: fanto

Mika_Kandinsky · 07-06-2020, 11:21 AM

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

Mika played really well this season. It would have been nice to get some higher point totals, but overall his game continued to improve for the team. With 43 points in 50 games, it was definitely a fairly successful individual season for Mika. But he sets the bar high for himself so he wants to be at a point per game or better. His game rating is an excellent 77 for the season. Right now his defensive game is looking much better than his offensive game, so his offense is where he’s going to have to improve the most in the offseason. As his linemates start to get better and more adjusted to the league, it can be expected that Mika’s numbers are going to go up as well. It’s still such a young line that has a lot of potential. One specific area of his game that needs to improve is him getting more shots on net. I think that would go a long way to improving his offensive game.

Code:
2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Well, dang. Your team didn't make the finals this season - my condolences to you. Are you and your teammates planning on watching the finals even though you're not in it? If so, what are your watch parties like? If not, are you still following the finals or trying to ignore it completely? What are you and your teammates doing together (if anything) instead of following along? (if you're on Hamilton or New Orleans, or either of the 2 SMJHL teams that soon will be playing in the finals - congrats and sorry :p this one isn't for you!)

Mika isn’t really paying too close attention to the finals. He is very focused on his own game and wants to go into the next season as strongly as possible. So, he’s taking some time off at the beginning of his offseason to get a little relaxing in and then he’s going to start training rigorously for next season. He would rather be playing than watching so watching other teams compete for the cup isn’t of particular interest to him. His focus remains to make it to the playoffs himself and start competing for the championship soon with Toronto. I think the whole team overall is really interested in what is going on internally with the team right now. A lot of players are about to be called up to Toronto so it’s an exciting time for everyone there. I think that’s been the focus of the offseason so far and the team’s attention has not really been on the rest of the league or the playoffs. The upcoming draft is of much interest to the team. The team is focused on trying to improve and get better in order to get into the playoffs next season.

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

S54 IIHF Predictions - with one FHM IIHF season under our belt, we've got a bit more of a sense of how the tournament might play out in the new sim engine. What are your predictions for the S54 IIHF or WJC tournament - how do you think your team will fare this season? Who do you think are the biggest contenders to take home the hardware and why?

I think the S54 IIHF tournament should be a really good tournament this season. Team Russia is continuing to improve and I think they have a solid chance at medalling this year after a disappointing end to their tournament last year. Of course, the USA is always a beast in the IIHF and I expect them to go far in the tournament. Great Britain as well always has a strong showing and could upset USA. It would be nice to see Russia find their way to a medal again. They were able to do it recently in the last tournament under SimonT. The change to FHM has been particularly hard on teams that aren’t super deep with high TPE players. The sim engine really rewards deep talent pools compared to SimonT. So as Russia continues to grow its talent, they should be able to start being competitive again in the newer engine.

Code:
5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Which player from the Steelhawks or Specters has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame when their playing days are up? Make the case for that player's HOF bid.

I think the Steelhawks Robert Phelps has a strong case for the Hall of Fame, and if the Steelhawks win the cup this playoffs, I could see him being a shoe in. Phelps has been a point scoring machine every season and in every international tournament he has played in since his days in the SMJHL. He started off a little bit slower in his career but always found ways to put points on the board. Over the course of his career 1,124 Phelps has 1,041 points. Close to a ppg over the course of his career, he should have a clear shot at making the Hall of Fame.

Code:
13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. These are absolutely two of the best goaltenders in the league in Cain and Kryyst - which team has the advantage in net in this series?

b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)

d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?

a: I think Aleister Cain has the advantage in this playoff matchup. He has such a solid team in front of him and he’s sitting at 1,800 tpe making him an absolute beast in net. I think he had a rough regular season compared to what he should have had, but I think he’s going to bring it in the final series.

b: I think it’s pretty easy to say that HAM’s Gabriel Johnson is the better Johnson in the league. He his a great passer ending up with 36 assist this season compared to Darnell’s 8 assists. On top of that, Gabriel Johnson logs more minutes and has 20 point better game rating than his rival. My vote goes to Gabriel Johnson and it’s not close.

c: I think head to head matchups in the regular season do tell a lot and can be predictive in the playoffs. If a team has another team’s number, whether it be because their play style is a counter to the others or just certain players play well against the other team’s defense or goalie, it makes a big difference. I think NOLA will have the edge in the finals because I think Hamilton is a team that NOLA just plays well against.

d: If I’m getting an all expense paid trip to NOLA or Hamilton, I’m going with NOLA. I’d eat as much seafood as I can and drink as much as I can stand while listening to some great local music. I’ve never been to NOLA and would love to go. I’d be trying to party as much as possible and sleep as little as possible to accomplish all the partying. I’d also tour around and see the sites and different neighborhoods. Maybe take some trips out in the Bayou. I think it would be a pretty great trip.

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

tpeez

**.bojo** · 07-06-2020, 11:31 AM

3:
Hamilton propsect Andrew Kostitsyn's brother Sergei is missing. For the 2 people who care in the entire world, this is critical earth shattering news. Sergei, as we all know, was born deaf mute and blind. Only knowing an existence of pain and suffering, Andrei put some hockey pads on Sergei and used him as a goalie. Eventually one of the pucks hit in just the right exact place that all of his senses came rushing in at once. He panicked and ran off into the woods, where he was raised by jackrabbits. That's where Sergei got his speed, and learned to put up points. But now he's missing again. Mister Fluffybottoms of the jackrabbit tribe says he hasn't called or carroted with us in years. Vegas police eventually called saying he was shooting hoops with Dennis Rodman. All good. I stood by the phone to help find him, where's my reward. Give me TPE.

8:
[Image: unknown.png]

9:

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16:
HoldMeCloserTinyPenis

JSS · 07-06-2020, 11:58 AM

Code:
11. Graphic, 3 TPE

Design a Challenge Cup/Four Star Cup Championship banner for one of the teams in the finals, like those which appear on the side of the site.

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

Code: JSS

Zaitsev · 07-06-2020, 12:31 PM

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

My 2nd season in the SMJHL was very good in my opinion. My rookie year was ok, but nothing special. Playing a larger role in Carolina was fantastic and gave me many more opportunities. I put up 31 points in 41 games. 18 goals which put me at T-6 for goals in league. Combine that with the fact that I had a 9 game suspension, which is almost 20% of the season, and it becomes even more impressive. I think next season will be even more impressive from a personal standpoint. Currently, in the playoffs with Carolina I'm leading the team in points as we're up 2-0 in the Cup finals. With potentially 2 more Junior seasons in front of me I think Kwame Dakari will make people realize he should've been taken a little earlier in the SHL draft. My goal for my junior career would be to lead the SMJHL in goals for sure and potentially be points leader.

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
S54 IIHF Predictions - with one FHM IIHF season under our belt, we've got a bit more of a sense of how the tournament might play out in the new sim engine. What are your predictions for the S54 IIHF or WJC tournament - how do you think your team will fare this season? Who do you think are the biggest contenders to take home the hardware and why?

I'll be suiting up in the World Junior Champioship for the 2nd time representing Sweden. This time I am slated just like mentioned above with Carolina, as a much more key role than my first time around. We finished well last time but couldn't quite lock it down, I think we're going to be even stronger this time. Rikard Hammaerberg is a big reason why. Playing on Anaheim, he led the Cup finalists in points this season with 44 (13g, 31a). Sven Svensson had a strong season with Colorado as well, putting up 38 points. On the back end we have players like Sven Yxskaft and Ulrik Bergstrom. In net, we're hoping for a big performance out of Jerry Huuveri, who had a bit of an up and down season in Colorado while playing the role of a platoon for the Raptors. These are just a few of the players who I believe will stand out but many more are up and down the roster and I think Sweden will take gold this time around.

Code:
6. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Occasionally, broadcast networks will bring an active player into the TV coverage of ongoing finals if their team has been eliminated, and that player is often to give unique insights from a current player's perspective. During this NOLA-HAM finals, which SHL player or prospect would be a good addition to the Challenge Cup TV coverage? Why would that player be a good addition to the broadcast team?

I believe bringing in Kwame Dakari would be a great choice. Dakari is currently in the finals of the SMJHL with the Carolina Kraken, but more importantly for this, he's also a recent draft pick of the New Orleans Specters. Dakari I believe and I think many would agree at this point, could be considered one of the biggest steals of the last draft. Dakari can share some draft stories, some interactions he's had with players on the Specters roster and also share what's going on in the SMJHL finals to help the SHL fans be more aware of how things are going in the developmental league that may not always get some love. On top of that, being of African heritage and born in Ghana, during the current political climate it's always great to get a face on TV to help show the diversity in our game hopefully if younger generations of children can see players like Kwame playing professionally it will encourage them to pick up a stick and play.

Code:
16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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.

Word - Dakari

reid · 07-06-2020, 12:45 PM

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

Reid had a bit of a rough season in S54 following his excellent S53. Last season, he scored 40 points and was 9th overall in points, and 2nd overall in assists. As an aspiring set up man, this was awesome! However, this season was a bit of a let down stats wise. He did get slightly more playing time, and got a chance to play on Detroit's top line for part of the season. He did have a great givaway/takeaway ratio, and his FO% was well into the 50's, which was awesome, but offensively, it would have been nice to have a better season for his last in the J's. This dip in production can probably be attributed to the lackluster season Detroit had as a whole, as everyone had a down season, and the team struggled because of it. Next season may be rough for Reid as well, as he will be going up to the Winnipeg Jets. Playing with a bunch of much higher TPE players will not prove fruitful statistically, but he is excited to get his SHL career started. [184 words]

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3. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

It has been publicized a decent amount on this site but Hamilton prospect Andrei Kostitsyn's brother Sergei appears to be missing. Does anybody know where Sergei? What have you done/what can you do to help Andrei track down his brother?

Sergei is definitely around somewhere, he is just living it up and partying. I would check one of the SHL finals teams cities: New Orleans. That is a notorious party city, and word has it that Sergei has been blackout drunk at Mardis Gras for the last 5 years in a row. What his brother Andrei should do is go down to New Orleans, put on his best drag outfit, and create a tinder profile. He can swipe until he finds and matches with his brother Sergei and trick him into meeting up for a drink. Then they will finally be reunited. [102 words]

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5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Which player from the Steelhawks or Specters has a great chance to make the Hall of Fame when their playing days are up? Make the case for that player's HOF bid.

As much as it pains me to say it, Flacko Lagerfield should be a lock for the HOF. Some would say that he should even be a first ballot player. While Lagerfield doesn't have the longevity of a HOF lock as of yet, his career has been excellent so far. 2 Khan's, 2 Karpostov's, and a Mexico so far, with more hardware to surely follow this season. He also has made 5 combined all star teams so far, and another first team nom is likely coming. He has had two record setting seasons to start the FHM era - including an eye opening 84 points in S54. If @JSS can stick around for a few more seasons, he will be sure to get his name into the hall. [127 words]

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8. Written (150 words min.) or Graphic, 3 TPE

With only one champion in the SHL and the SMJHL per season, that means the other 26 teams came up just a bit short (or a lot short). Team owners know that fans can get frustrated by shortcomings, so they're always trying to keep optimism high in the fan base. Written option: give an excerpt from an ousted team's owner's press conference at the end of the season focusing on the team's bright future or however they can keep fans' optimism high. Graphic option: the team has rented a billboard in town with an inspiring message to fans to keep optimism high; show the billboard (must include team logo and whatever the optimistic message is).

[Image: unknown.png?width=683&height=595]

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13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)

d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?

b. This is the easiest question on the list. Since no one would actually believe that Gabe is good, the automatic answer is Darnell Johnson in NOLA. Gabe may have him beat in basically every stat, but he is also Gabe, so that disqualifies him from actually winning anything. Plus, if the two drop the gloves in the series, Darnell is a lock to win that fight. [66 words]
c. No, regular season stats do not accurately forecast playoff matchups. Team's probably do not change their tactics often in the regular season, but in the playoffs, they have lots of time to prepare and test specific tactics for countering the opposing team. With Hamilton, it is obvious that they do not have a TPE advantage in the league, but they are beating the league with superior tactics and testing. For that reason, I think Hamilton and their strategic advantage will be more telling in this series. [86 words]
d. I would easily take the trip to Hamilton, as New Orleans is stinky. Hamilton is really close to Toronto, one of the more expensive places in Canada. I would make SDCore to pay my uber to Toronto and go to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Wayne Gretzky's restaurant, and maybe even get myself down to Niagra Falls for some wine and sight seeing. [63 words]

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16. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is now 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 word: Detroit

*slothfacekilla* · 07-06-2020, 01:10 PM

Task 1 (3 TPE): PBE Welfare PT

Task 2 (3 TPE):

Code:
1. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

Reflection on your season - how did your player fare on the ice this season? Did you meet or surpass your individual player goals or did you come up short? Whether you excelled or disappointed - what can you attribute that to? What will you try to do better next season?

My player had a solid but uninspiring season if I am being as harsh as possible. As the person with the most TPE on the Specters I hoped to hit a point per game production for the first time in my career, but I ended up with only 45 points in 50 games. I feel like part of it could be that the East had so many punching bags that it sucked a ton of point production to that conference. As I understand it, the amount of goals per season are capped at a certain number, so if only so many goals are available to all teams then a majority are going to go to the side with the weaker schedule. I think I even hit 45 or 46 points in STHS a couple seasons ago, so this wouldn't even the best season of my career sadly! Hopefully after a couple tweaks in the offseason I can be a bit more productive next season, and hit that point per game pace. I'll probably focus on a couple skating areas and hopefully that helps every area of my game.

Code:
188 Words

Task 3 (3 TPE):

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4. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)

S54 IIHF Predictions - with one FHM IIHF season under our belt, we've got a bit more of a sense of how the tournament might play out in the new sim engine. What are your predictions for the S54 IIHF or WJC tournament - how do you think your team will fare this season? Who do you think are the biggest contenders to take home the hardware and why?

I think the biggest contenders in the IIHF are still the two big juggernauts of TPE: the United States and Canada. With the switch to FHM it only amplifies the skill discrepancy just based on pure activity on the site. It only makes sense these two countries should be the strongest. I do think that team Great Britain still has a great chance to grab a medal again though. I am hoping of a silver this go around, but I wasn't angry at the bronze last season. We did not have a ton of top players regressing this last season, so I think our offense only got stronger this season after being a great asset last tournament. I think it will help too that my player switched to a pure center, so hopefully that helps GB's possession numbers. And our defenders have always been our strong suit. I think we only got stronger there as well and boast one of the best groups of the tournament. It will be tough, but we can definitely hang with the US and Canada at the top.

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183 words

Task 4 (4 TPE):

Code:
13. Written, up to 4 TPE Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. These are absolutely two of the best goaltenders in the league in Cain and Kryyst - which team has the advantage in net in this series?

b. There are two Johnsons in this series - Gabriel (HAM) and Darnell (NOLA). In fact, the two used to host the Johnson & Johnson Podcast together, but they're now on the ice as bitter rivals. Which team has the better Johnson?

c. The Specters won both regular season matchups, but Hamilton finished with better team stats overall. Do regular season head-to-heads provide an accurate forecast for a playoff series? (answer predictively if it hasn't happened yet; reactively if it has.)

d. If SDCore offered you an all-expenses paid week-long vacation to either New Orleans or Hamilton, which city would you choose to go to? (tough choice I know lol.) How would you spend your time there?

a. I have to go with our goalie Cain with the advantage in net. After a rough first half to the season he has really turned it on and he has been a big reason we have made it this far. I expect him to steal a few games for us in the finals while we shock a lot of people on the site. Cain is going to have to be a magician and I think he has it in him. (80 words)
b. It is obvious to everyone I'm sure, but Darnell is definitely the best of the two. First of all, he plays for the New Orleans Specters so that's a huge plus over Gabriel right there. Also, look at the penalty minutes between the two this season. Gabriel had almost double the minutes as Darnell. How can you be valuable to your team when you're in the penalty box? Easy math. Gabriel had twice as many giveaways as Darnell and put up 30 less hits than Darnell. Seems like Darnell has this defense thing locked down, sorry Gabe. (97 words)
c. Since the Specters won both head to head matches this regular season then I am going to say they are a great way to forecast a playoff series. Anything that makes it seem like New Orleans will win is good to me. In actuality, I know the coaches in Hamilton are pretty obsessive about test simming and I know that probably only gets more intense in the playoffs. So I think you can really throw out the regular season results since this is a whole new beast. (87 words)
d. This is an easy choice, I would be in New Orleans in a heartbeat. I have been there, so I know that it is already pretty fun. But I'm sure most cities are more fun than Hamilton, so that isn't saying much. But New Orleans has a lot to offer. I would hit up a bunch of bars of course, and I would try to catch as much live music as I could. That was my favorite part last time. I would also try to find the best places to eat and stuff myself. (94 words)

Task 5 (technically 4 tpe):

Code:
12. Podcast, 4 TPE

Record a mini-podcast on any of the below topics!

- Highlights of the S54 season (on or off the ice)

- S54 playoff round-up

- S54 Challenge Cup/Four Star Cup finals Breakdown

- S55 predictions

2 person Mini-Pod: 4 TPE for 8 Minutes

Post the direct link to your podcast.

Podcast Link Here - podcast with TDZ enjoy this beauty

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