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JNH · 08-15-2021, 05:24 PM

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1. Written, 3 TPE, Ups and Downs (150 words min.)

So this was a tough season for everyone in the SHL. Dealing with trolls online, horrible PR from product endorsements, and on top of that all some minor identity fraud to add to the pile. Are these the worst things to happen to your player this season, or did something unimaginably horrible happen? On the flip side, were there any bright spots hidden in the countless nuisances and problems? What good things on and off the ice happened this season for you?

I mean it was definitely a tumultuous season marked by on ice issues but I think there was a silver lining to be found. My gambling addiction meant that I was there to catch a steady pay when Italy captured the Euro Cup. It also meant I was there to feel the pain of my other teams choking away my entire paycheque. But you can’t win if you don’t risk it all - or something like that. Another big bright side of the season was the ability to relax and reconnect with our new additions Timonen, Marner and Boris. I had some long running ties with each but we’d been apart at the SHL level for a long time and it was well overdue to get us all back together under one roof and really back on the same page. I think that showed up with some real good synergy on the ice and it should only get better here.

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

Freaky Friday.. or Monday. Tuesday? Anyhow, I think the finals will be over by Friday barring some kind of Re-sim :grimace: Anyways, I forgot the plot of the movie but there's something about a fortune cookie and now you're in your mom's body! But actually, it's the body of an SHL player, one from Chicago or Buffalo! (If you are on Buffalo or Chicago, you can't be yourself, pick a teammate or opponent). Now that you are them and they are you, what do you do during the big game? Play amazing and turn a scrub into a superstar? Play like a bum and try to help the other team win? Oggle yourself in the mirror? The world is so exciting in a new body...

I’ve woken up and god dammit these aren’t my hands they’re TINY. I stumble over to the mirror only to see the ugly mug of Corey Kennedy staring back at me. For fucks sakes, what did I do to deserve this fate? I wouldn’t wish it upon the worst Steelhawk.

I head down to the practice facility to see that my own body had taken a “personal day” - I could only imagine the disgusting things he was doing. I decided that it was business as usual, so let’s go through a game day routine. Hit the weight room: weak as shit. Went and had a pasta lunch: pooed myself from the gluten. Went for a walk: booed by my own fans. Went home: belongings on the curb and the girlfriend kept the dog.

Safe to say, I won’t be asking Corey to switch bodies ever and I’ve never looked forward to going to bed more than I did in that one day.

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

We're adding 2 teams to the SMJHL this season. Do you think we should keep the current SMJHL playoff format of everyone makes it? Or is it time to just take the best 8 or 12 teams and let em duke it out? Defend your stance.

I had a stance on this but I forget so just gonna absolutely wing this. I think that everyone should make it. Yeah yeah participation ribbons etc. but at the end of the day the SMJHL is a developmental league and you’re dealing with members still trying to latch onto the league. There isn’t much worse that you can do to them other than making the offseason even longer and leaving them with no hockey to play. They didn’t do anything wrong, sure they got drafted to a bad team but that’s just life sometimes. Should be looking to find ways to keep them engaged for as many days as possible, rather than forgetting about them when is convenient for other teams.

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

What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

After their strong debut showing in last years tournament I’d expect the duo of Nham and Sota to have another strong showing this year with Japan. They’ll only have better players and more experience to show for the last year and I know they’ll be hungry to find more success after the Newfoundland win. I’d look for Minamino to really take over the reigns on offense to lead the team with Westbroek and Smeb stepping aside. I’m intrigued to see how Talls does in net as one of the SHLs brightest stars in net. I think he’ll have the chance to really step up and become Japans goalie of the future and to truly burst on the scene in this IIHF tournament. Other than that, I’ll be rooting for my fellow Chicago Syndicate members to do well. International Juke is an animal and I’m sure there’ll be hell to pay for both teams when he’s on the ice. Jules Watt may be making his last exceptional IIHF appearance so I hope he excels.

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13. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

Mat Smith gets my vote for playoff MVP cause the dude was an absolute monster for Chicago and was the reason that they even had a chance to win the cup in the first place. Besides supplying the pre game angsty playlists and getting everyone fired up and just a lil sad, he brought his game on the ice and carried a Chicago team that was often outmatched in shots. That doesn’t happen often, as Chicago is known to take a lot of shots and they even have a role in discord devoted to taking shots, which is prob where Mat got so much practice. So maybe I change my pick to Corey and Juke for taking a lot of shots and potentially training Mat. If not then, then Jules Watt because you can’t underrate his exceptional play on the ice. What exactly did he do? I just said it- he was exceptional. You can’t ask for much more than that and he was so exceptional that he’s now dead and gone like the TI and JT song.

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TRVIA - 3 TPE

Word: SDCore

**Rich** · 08-15-2021, 05:38 PM

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

We're at a point in the SHL where a good chunk of the playerbase played back in the STHS era, and a good chunk has known nothing but FHM. If you're in the latter part of the league you must have heard the horror stories... so: Let's make a hypothetical.

Players who played in both eras: What would have happened if we just had one sim engine? Posture how your career would have gone if we stayed in STHS (sans exploits). Or what if you had created in FHM the whole time? Would things have gone better or worse?

For you FHM babies: What if we were still in Simon T land? Would your career be where it is now? Or would randomness have stunted the dynasties you may or may not have been part of?

My player’s career would have been significantly better had we stayed in STHS. The randomness of STHS is wildly overblown by a lot of people. STHS was generally quite predictable. The individual game results could be a bit on the random side, but regular season standings were still fairly predictable. The random element made playoffs far more variable, and arguably more interesting. That was a bit of a digression. The point is, because coaching has far less influence over a player's performance in STHS, I am very confident my player would have had a better peak of his career. To this point, my player has had only 1 season above a point per game, with 78 points in S58. I think it is likely he doesn’t have as many points in a single season, but overall would have a higher point per season average. Also, his career +/- wouldn’t be comically bad, to the point of probably being unrecoverable, because of how lopsided FHM is.

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11. Podcast, 3 or 4 TPE

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

-How good the PT/mPT prompts were this season

-How good these CW prompts are

-How much of a hunk that SlashACM guy is

-Oh yeah... we should talk about S60 stuff too I guess.. reg season and/or playoffs.

1 person Mini-Pod: 3 TPE for 5 minutes or 4 TPE for 7 Minutes

2 person Mini-Pod: 3 TPE for 6 Minutes or 4 TPE for 8 Minutes

Post the direct link to your podcast.

Spotify link - 11min

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12. 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. The salt special: Do these teams deserve to be here? Or were they gifted a trip to the finals through puck luck and bullshittery?

Of course both teams deserve to be there. These were the top teams in their respective conference during the regular season. You might say that makes them the most deserving. You might also say that makes this the most uninteresting possible outcome. In any case, I don’t think there is anyway you can call them undeserving.

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b. Buffalo has been here many times in the past 20 seasons, this is only the second (I think I'm too lazy to check) time for Chicago. Which is more impressive? The continued dominance of Buffalo? Or the solid couple of runs Chicago has made despite the team only being 15 seasons old?

I wouldn’t characterize either as particularly impressive. More impressive though, I would say Chicago. They went through more roster and management turnover than Buffalo did during the offseason. Regardless of whether that turnover appears to be an increase or a decrease in quality, turnover equals uncertainty. I think that makes Chicago more impressive in their performance, even if they did fall short.

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c. Everyone's a critic: Nitpick one thing about either team's logo, jersey, rink design, goal horn, or general site demeanor.

I believe the Buffalo branding and logo are among the best in the league. Chicago, on the other hand, is a bit middle of the pack. Colors are fine, but for me, the logo doesn’t work well on a jersey. I think maybe they could try a version without the team city and name at the bottom of the logo.

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d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

The greatest player to ever play for Buffalo was clearly Tatu Makela. You might think that his career numbers were hardly noteworthy. Yeah, ok, fair enough. However, how many other players do you know that came back into the league as a ghost to haunt another team's roster? None. That’s why he’s the greatest.

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17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

MILESTONES TBD (check back later)

+3 Milestone

Zema · 08-15-2021, 05:40 PM

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

So this was a tough season for everyone in the SHL. Dealing with trolls online, horrible PR from product endorsements, and on top of that all some minor identity fraud to add to the pile. Are these the worst things to happen to your player this season, or did something unimaginably horrible happen? On the flip side, were there any bright spots hidden in the countless nuisances and problems? What good things on and off the ice happened this season for you?

Worst thing that could happen to Alex Oscarsson this season was missing the playoffs, which did not happen. The Pride did still not get up to the level we wanted, but making the playoffs is the very core essence of what we want at this point in time. As for me personally, I had a pretty good year overall despite all the off ice shenanigans. 30 points for a 2nd pairing dman is completely acceptable. Add in a 4th place finish in the shots blocked category, and we are starting to get somewhere with this player.

The off ice stuff that happened was probably the biggest downside. Despite the aforementioned things, Oscarsson had to go through a motivational struggle as the season progressed. When the wins were not coming in, and you had to fight tooth and nail for any inch things were not as fun. But all challenges need to be overcome.

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

Freaky Friday.. or Monday. Tuesday? Anyhow, I think the finals will be over by Friday barring some kind of Re-sim :grimace: Anyways, I forgot the plot of the movie but there's something about a fortune cookie and now you're in your mom's body! But actually, it's the body of an SHL player, one from Chicago or Buffalo! (If you are on Buffalo or Chicago, you can't be yourself, pick a teammate or opponent). Now that you are them and they are you, what do you do during the big game? Play amazing and turn a scrub into a superstar? Play like a bum and try to help the other team win? Oggle yourself in the mirror? The world is so exciting in a new body...

I would become Matt Kholin. An old friend of mine from all the way back in S46. Sadly I did not keep going while he did. Sadly for @Kalakar I would not be helping those pesky Stampeders. They have already won too many titles for what a team should be allowed to do, and so I would try to ruin it. Do everything Kholin wouldn't do, like missing the net and score own goals and take a ton of penalties. I would also start rigging the sim probably. I\d do a ton of things.

Jokes aside, Kalakar is great and so is Matt Kholin. A legendary player and person who when he recreates will be playing with me once again. I wish the dude nothing but the best except for this particular maybe little final that he ended up winning. Journey before destination and all that, but the destination must have been pretty nice.

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

What's your prediction for this season's IIHF tournament? Which teams do you expect to do well (or not well)? Which players?

Sweden are winning the IIHF this year. A young team that is only getting better and better for each season that passes. We have skill, we have power, we have grit, we have speed. But most of all, we have #junipanda as our official mascot. Gunnar Söderberg, HLO, Yxskaft, Svenson Passamus, Bjerg and newly minted Challenge cup champion in Joseph Fantobens.

Add in a debutant through Alex Oscarsson who is playing in this tournament with the already young talents such as Yngve Simonsson and Calvin Hobbes and you have every chance to go far. Still not happy? How about we throw in the goalie pairing we have! A Jobin, considered one of the best goalies in the league together with one of the best up and coming goalies the entire league has in Jon St. Ark.

I don't know what else to say. Sweden are getting that gold, and you will all thank us for it.

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15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

milk

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17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

MILESTONES TBD (check back later)

Claiming 3 TPE

sakrosankt · 08-15-2021, 05:48 PM

1. 3 TPE
On a good note, I am on vacation and having really good time. The bad thing about it is that championshipbweek is due and I am only on mobile, so I have to do all these tasks on my shitty little mobile keyboard. Well, still having a good time here in Mexico, enjoying the beach and Mojito life, trying to ignore the sunburn and doing this on the last day of subnission deadline.
The season overall was a really good one, probably the first with some bigger contribution on the team. I got a lot of assists and we played a really good season. I mean I'm talking about the team that only got beaten out by the later champion Buffal Stampede in the semi finals. So we are arguably the 4th best team in the league, which sounds like a pretty great thing to me.
I played in the second pairing, but got to see a lot of ice time. I hope to have enough words already, as already mentioned, typing on mobile is horrible.

2. 3 TPE
Love the idea of a pokemon league, I am a biv fan of pokemon since I was a child. I even play pokemon at the moment on vacation, nice thing to do to chill on the beach and play some hacks or to kill time on long bus cruises or flights.
I would try to go after the rookie to champ approach like in all the various standard pokemon versions. I started off with choosing my own player - Michael Withecheck - at the beginning of my journey. It's no standard grass, fire or water starter, but a ice and electro type. Not sure if this combo even exists in the game, but that are two of my most favorite types.
While travelling threw the world and training my starter, to get the most powerful creature in the world, of course I try to catch some wild, cool pokemon which help me beat out all the other trainers and arena champs.
There always have to be some fly and water ones for the utilization of the important and different HMs, and a rare dragon type one is also cool. With that setup I'm pretty sure to become the greatest there ever was.

5. 2 TPE
With adding two more teams to the juniors league, I think it is time to revamp the playoff format. It probably already was overdue to change it, but now it really is time. What is even the point in letting all teams into postseason?
Look, I am all in for player development, but getting slaughtered by a good team in series 1 isn't fun at all. Also tthe postseason should be some elite level club where you fight out the championship, not something where all teams gather and try to figure a champion.
In the end you can skip the first round of shootouts and start with the real playoffs right away.

7. 3 TPE
Ok, I am a baby in this league and know nothing else than FHM. Since I joined it's the same engine and it sounds like most users appreciate it. The balance and power levels are set, and it's hard to grow into a dynasty like Buffalo or Hamilton are. They are the teams to beat, and FaHM acknowledgea their high TPE players and levels.
If this was SHTS or however it was called, would there be any difference? Buffalo is a force for over 20 seasons now? This also includes the old engine times. There might have been some randomness, but somehow, at the same time there wasn't.
I think Atlanta Inferno and especially the player Micheal Withecheck would not have profited from keeping the old sim. Randomness normally isn't a friend of high tpe players, as it rather dunks on them. With the new sim, we have clear levels of play.
One thing that could have affected the career of Withecheck in an early phase is the introduction of the new tpe scaling. Just when he reached a stage where he hit a good level to contribute, the scale changed and made it easier for lower tpe level players to start at solid ratings and bring good performances early on.

15. CW Trivia 3 TPE
Verified

17. Milestones 3 TPE
3 TPE

Zombiewolf · 08-15-2021, 05:49 PM

1. Written, 3 TPE, Ups and Downs (150 words min.)
So this was a tough season for everyone in the SHL. Dealing with trolls online, horrible PR from product endorsements, and on top of that all some minor identity fraud to add to the pile. Are these the worst things to happen to your player this season, or did something unimaginably horrible happen? On the flip side, were there any bright spots hidden in the countless nuisances and problems? What good things on and off the ice happened this season for you?

I honestly do not think a lot of bad things happened to Jaska Seppala of the Buffalo Stampede. Sure there was the identity fraud and the product endorsement blunder but after Jaska Seppala helped the Buffalo Stampede rally together and come back from a 1-3 deficit to win their fourth Challenge Cup the whole city came together and helped him out. They basically forgave him for the product endorsement, he did not know any better, which boosted his morale up. They also helped him as much as he could with his ID fraud. Jaska Seppala got ahead of it before anything bad could truly happen. And then on top of all that he got to raise the cup! Truly nothing better could have happened for Jaska Seppala, maybe he could have kept his goal production up but I am not sure how sustainable that truly was. The next stop for him to help out Finland in the annual IIHF tournament.

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3. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Freaky Friday.. or Monday. Tuesday? Anyhow, I think the finals will be over by Friday barring some kind of Re-sim :grimace: Anyways, I forgot the plot of the movie but there's something about a fortune cookie and now you're in your mom's body! But actually, it's the body of an SHL player, one from Chicago or Buffalo! (If you are on Buffalo or Chicago, you can't be yourself, pick a teammate or opponent). Now that you are them and they are you, what do you do during the big game? Play amazing and turn a scrub into a superstar? Play like a bum and try to help the other team win? Oggle yourself in the mirror? The world is so exciting in a new body...

I am Jaska Seppala of the Buffalo Stampede so I obviously cannot choose him so I will choose someone else. The person that I will choose to be is Steve Harrington of the Buffalo Stampede. As we all know, Steve Harrington is very shy to shoot the puck, always has been. So I will chose to switch with him to help boost his confidence in front of the net. I will do this during game seven. My plan is to score as many goals as I can, that seems like a good plan, so a hat trick? This way I let him take some of the glory. It will be great. I will wake up as Steve Harrington and go through the Jaska Seppala playoff ritual of sleeping in till game time and just bang out shot after shot until eventually some of them go in. The Stampede will raise the cup and everyone will be happy, because the underdog finally gets a win during the FHM era. The end.

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12. 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. The salt special: Do these teams deserve to be here? Or were they gifted a trip to the finals through puck luck and bullshittery?

I absolutely think both teams deserve to be there. Since Wannabefinn took over as GM he has made Buffalo relevant in practically every season he has been GM, no matter the amount of expansion drafts come Buffalo’s way. Chicago has also done a great job building a killer team. They are very good and deserve to be in the finals

b. Buffalo has been here many times in the past 20 seasons, this is only the second (I think I'm too lazy to check) time for Chicago. Which is more impressive? The continued dominance of Buffalo? Or the solid couple of runs Chicago has made despite the team only being 15 seasons old?

This is not a slight against Chicago but I think Buffalo’s continued dominance is more impressive than Chicago’s runs. The Stamede have made the playoffs a bunch of times and have been in the finals a bunch of times. The Stampede management have been able to retool the team multiple times and have managed to avoid a huge rebuild across 20 seasons or so.

c. Everyone's a critic: Nitpick one thing about either team's logo, jersey, rink design, goal horn, or general site demeanor.
I would say one big think that I would nitpick about the Buffalo Stampede is the fact that they reside in the god awful city of Buffalo, New York. I honestly cannot believe their players do not stage a protest so they can relocate away from that city. Nothing is good about the city.

d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

The best player to have ever played for the Buffalo Stampede is Alex Metzler. Alex Metzler is a defender who has the most games played for Buffalo, the most points scored, the most assists with 573, the next closest is Hippo with 374, and the most shots blocked with over 1500 shots blocked, the next best is Charles Walker with over 1200. I think that makes him the best player. In a few seasons, Monkey D. Luffy I imagine he easily takes over as the best player to have ever played.

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15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Ragnar

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17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

Milestones +3

Total: 16

Thank you Brandon, Fish, GeckoeyGecko, Karey, Kit, takethehorizon, and Ragnar for the sigs!
[Image: Pw202QP.jpeg]

Player Page || Update page

ByrdeMan · 08-15-2021, 05:56 PM

1.
Okabe had a good season on the ice this year, some could even say the new expansion revitalized his career for at least another 3 seasons. However off the ice his age is starting to catch up to him. There's only so much time skipping a man can do before his brain reaches its limits. For Okabe its getting about that time where every time he time skips he forgets all previous skips and lives on like he hasn't yet time skipped. This was only noticed by him by using a whiteboard to keep writing on when jumping back. Thus hes been limiting the amount of time hes been doing it. A good thing that has happened however was Okabe got married and got a new dog. A dog that hopes will stick by his side for the rest of his career and the majority of his life remaining. Okabe is excited for what the future holds.
[157 words]

4.
Welcome to the SHL
Where we make the rules as we go
Got a contract offer from Kelowna
They got slapped with a straight up no
Signed with my pals in Newfoundland
Where we get meme sigs with pasta brand
Zerks are 2 time FHM Champions
Other teams around the league were kinda lame
The majority actually pretty tame
One things for sure
Being on the zerks
and beating up them jerks
Might even crack a bottle of perks
That's a joke of course
But nothing gonna stop this team
Everyone else just gonna have to keep it to the dream.

[102 words]

6.
My prediction for the IIHF tournament this season is that Japan will likely go to the finals once again because outstanding coaching from our new fed heads. However it won't be as easy as last season. Both Canada and Finland look like super strong powerhouses this year. Calling both those teams an underdog would also be an insult. However knowing that Japan still has the better coaching I truly believe that they will become repeat gold medalist. The player I think who will be player of the tournament will be Monkey D. Luffy, though his head is against his homeland right now, you can't deny that his player is still one of the greatest players of all time. The worse player of the tournament also comes from team Japan, that player being Rintarou Okabe. Okabe is old and since his new training regiment hasn't been the same from the Center position but that is where he is playing, look for him to put up some very bad performances this tournament.

[170 words]

12
a.
I'm not one to be salty towards these teams, both built teams similarly with only some minor differences in their methods. I do think there was some luck involved however I do not think it helped these teams enough to be the only factor. I think both teams are built strong and they proved it with their season record. They 100% deserve to be in the spot they are in and everyone else just has to catch up.
[70 Words]

b.
Though much can be said about Chicago's breakout and continued success in 15 seasons I think the more impressive feat is Buffalo's consistency in not only making it to the playoffs but making it to the finals numerous times. The only hurdle is finishing where they sometimes lack but I think this year they will be able to pull it off and bring the championship back to Buffalo.
[68 Words]

c.
I'm not going to pick on site demeanor because everyone in the SHL is an asshole. However I will critique their logos. For Chicago I just think there is way to much going on in the logo they have to be considered a hockey logo and for Buffalo if you look closely at the outside yellow circle in their logo there are landings at each point if you do a perpendicular line vertically and horizontally across the center.
[78 Words]

d.
For Buffalo my pick for best player would have to go to their Captain, Monkey D. Luffy, although not leading on the leaderboard for the past couple of seasons his history of a Game 7 OT GWG for the challenge cup plus an MVP and other countless Buffalo records that he has broken and is still broken makes it an easy choice. For Chicago their best player is Martin Westbroek, hes good and thats all I really know.
[78 words]

15.
vacuum

marco999 · 08-15-2021, 06:07 PM

1 - +3 TPE

It was a pretty difficult season all around for Kaapo Kampainen, both on and off the ice. Obviously he had troubles off the ice much like every player in the SHL and the SMJHL, both he also struggled a fair bit on the ice as well. While Kaapo never was an offensive machine, he was pretty disappointed with his offensive statistics in his rookie season with the Edmonton Blizzard. Scoring goals has always been an issue for him and it was the case once again, scoring only nine regular season goals. We're pretty far away from his S59 World Junior Championship performance. However, looking at the good side of his first major league season, Kaapo was really excited to finally win a playoff series, after two straight first round exits in his final two junior post season trips. He added three goals in ten playoff games, which is a good sign and something the Blizzard management is looking forward to. Kaapo is hard at work to come back even stronger next season.

5. + 2 TPE

It's actually something that I've given some thoughts during the offseason as the SMJHL has probably the weirdest playoff format you could get. With now 14 teams, it gets more difficult to make a playoff format that makes sense because let's be honest, a 14-team league is kinda weird. I think the best thing you could do would be to take the eight best teams in the league and put them in the playoffs. However, the SMJHL being a developmental league, it wouldn't be beneficial to only have basically half the league in the playoff each year. Not everyone makes the playoffs in the SHL and everyone should be able to experience the playoffs at some point. I think the best format is 8 teams so it doesn't get too complicated, but it could lead to some issues with the SMJHL being a developmental league.

12 c. + 1 TPE
I've told this before, I believe it was in CW actually, but I really don't like the Chicago Syndicate yellow. It makes me think of the Nashville Predators mustard yellow jersey and that was the ugliest jersey I've ever seen. Yellow works in other sports (see Borussia Dortmund), but it just feels weird in hockey. Let's hope they don't wear their alternate jersey too often!

13. + 2 TPE
The Buffalo Stampede won cup, again. Obviously there are a lot of good players on their team so it can be hard to pick a series MVP. I think my case for series MVP is Aron Hernadivic. He pretty much won the game 2 for Buffalo with two goals, he was clearly the MVP of that game. He pretty much had a point in every game in the series, even in losses. He never gave up and gave it his all for the Stampede. He also had some insane playoffs leading up to the finals. I know it doesn't really matter, but his remarkable performance deserves to be noticed.

15. CW Trivia

+3 TPE Verification word: kaapo

16. + 2 TPE

I've never really talked with Luke aside for a brief interaction regarding old STHS stats so we would need to get to know each other better. Since we have a lot of money and we would need to trust each other, I'm willing to bring him skydiving . We would scream questions to each other and it would be really fun. I think it'd be a good bonding experience. After that, we'd go on top of a skyscraper and use it a driving range to practice our golf swings. What a good way to have a nice time, blasting golf balls in the streets full of poor peasants below. I don't know Luke, so I can't tell if it would go well, but I'd enjoy it!

17. Milestones

+3 TPE - S60 Milestones

Total: 16 TPE

GoonerBear · 08-15-2021, 06:20 PM

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

Freaky Friday.. or Monday. Tuesday? Anyhow, I think the finals will be over by Friday barring some kind of Re-sim :grimace: Anyways, I forgot the plot of the movie but there's something about a fortune cookie and now you're in your mom's body! But actually, it's the body of an SHL player, one from Chicago or Buffalo! (If you are on Buffalo or Chicago, you can't be yourself, pick a teammate or opponent). Now that you are them and they are you, what do you do during the big game? Play amazing and turn a scrub into a superstar? Play like a bum and try to help the other team win? Oggle yourself in the mirror? The world is so exciting in a new body...

I awaken in Aron Hernadivic's body and I am loving it! ...Until I remember there's probably no way I can steer it like Aron can. Despite the Manhattan Rage organization passing along the knowledge of our in-state rivalry with the Buffalo Stampede, I would have to do my best to not arouse suspicion and to not incur Aron's wrath afterward. Even so, my best would probably be...mediocre at best, carried mostly by the body's physical prowess and condition as opposed to my skill and coordination. Just because the body has muscle memory doesn't mean I can control it. It would likely not end well, with a superstar appearing very mortal in the Challenge Cup Finals. Stampede fans look on in disgust and disappointment as I miss opportunities, overplay and overestimate my new physical abilities, and maybe accidentally get myself (and by myself, I mean myself in this new body) injured in some way that needs surgery. Wouldn't be fun, even if the boss would slip me a bonus for hobbling a major rival.

(173)

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

We're at a point in the SHL where a good chunk of the playerbase played back in the STHS era, and a good chunk has known nothing but FHM. If you're in the latter part of the league you must have heard the horror stories... so: Let's make a hypothetical. 

Players who played in both eras: What would have happened if we just had one sim engine? Posture how your career would have gone if we stayed in STHS (sans exploits). Or what if you had created in FHM the whole time? Would things have gone better or worse? 

For you FHM babies: What if we were still in Simon T land? Would your career be where it is now? Or would randomness have stunted the dynasties you may or may not have been part of?

I had a player in each of the SimonT and FHM Eras. Reginald MacIntyre was created in the SimonT Era. If MacIntyre was in FHM the whole time, he would have not had near as many opportunities to have had seasons like he had the season he was up for the Bojo Biscuit in S51. If we had the knowledge we do now, perhaps I would have built him better to play and compete in the ways required from the blue line to produce and contend for awards in his time. Things probably would have gotten worse if I had built him the exact same way I did throughout his career, as a defensive defenseman/stay-at-home defenseman. The hard truth in this league is you have to rack up points and make offense happen to make it and have a hope for seeing your name on trophies, even if you are great at defense and limiting scoring opportunities. I would have probably adjusted and built him different accordingly. Or pulled the trigger on making him offensive much sooner than I did. I would have done the same if I could go back 3+ years in real time and advise myself on how to make him.

(204)

Code:
12. 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. The salt special: Do these teams deserve to be here? Or were they gifted a trip to the finals through puck luck and bullshittery?

b. Buffalo has been here many times in the past 20 seasons, this is only the second (I think I'm too lazy to check) time for Chicago. Which is more impressive? The continued dominance of Buffalo? Or the solid couple of runs Chicago has made despite the team only being 15 seasons old?

c. Everyone's a critic: Nitpick one thing about either team's logo, jersey, rink design, goal horn, or general site demeanor.

d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

a) These teams got here on pure bullshit because the sim hates us, but not enough to shove onto us another Hamilton-Buffalo final. Chicago used to be in that territory where they were hard-up on luck, especially the seasons where they were under Manhattan's thumb in the postseason. Now that they've nabbed a couple, they're in the "hate 'em" category. (59)
b) Buffalo's continued dominance is more impressive. While they've had more time, most teams typically have to rebuild once, maybe twice in the span of the Stampede's run. Nothing against expansion Chicago building up into a now two-time Cup winner. We'll just have to see down the line if they have a similar perpetual presence now that they have this run under their belts. (63)
c) Has anyone from outside of Buffalo seen anyone from Buffalo? How can we know Buffalo exists? Have you ever been to Buffalo? Do you know someone who's in Buffalo? If you have been or you do know someone, you're one of THEM. If you have not and do not, how can you know the place really exists if you've never been and don't know anyone from there? (67)
d) The best player in Chicago's history is Corey Kennedy. The league has thought highly of him in his career, and the team does as well. While others own more in Chicago team awards, Kennedy has quite the collection of SHL hardware, scooping up an Aidan Richan, two Damian Littletons, and a Scott Stevens. No one else has more hardware from the League. (62)

Code:
15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

paytheline

Code:
17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

MILESTONES TBD (check back later)

+3 TPE claimed

Memento Mori · 08-15-2021, 06:21 PM

ISFL Affiliate PT +3 TPE

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

Pokemon! Everyone loves em, and if you don't, you didn't have a childhood. Or adulthood. Anyways, let's imagine all SHL and SMJHL players are now pokemon. Assemble your team! On top of that, what is your strategy to navigate the POKESHL? Try to get the strongest pokemon and become champion? Catch all of the possible players and complete your pokedex? UwU Breed them? Catch low level juniors players and train them? Or become a gym leader, helping others on their path to greatness? I'd love to hear your approach.

I was a real nerdge who used to play Pokémon competitively, and I'd hopefully incorporate some of that knowledge into my strategy to dominate in the POKESHL. All the stuff filthy casuals neglect like IVs, EVs, natures, movesets are crucial and I'd take advantage of some people not being pro gamers and knowing their way round these concepts. Catching my friends, GMs, teammates etc. and battling with them would be cool - I would love and treasure Simon forever if he was one of my Pokémon - but realistically I'd probably be a bit more of a tryhard and try and build an effective, balanced team with good synergy. My goal would be to be the strongest trainer possible, and while I'd almost definitely fall short my POKESHL career would surely be a lot more successful than my SHL career. I'd have to breed my mons for better IVs, though, and breeding SHL members together is a very uncomfortable idea. (160 words)

+3 TPE

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

Freaky Friday.. or Monday. Tuesday? Anyhow, I think the finals will be over by Friday barring some kind of Re-sim :grimace: Anyways, I forgot the plot of the movie but there's something about a fortune cookie and now you're in your mom's body! But actually, it's the body of an SHL player, one from Chicago or Buffalo! (If you are on Buffalo or Chicago, you can't be yourself, pick a teammate or opponent). Now that you are them and they are you, what do you do during the big game? Play amazing and turn a scrub into a superstar? Play like a bum and try to help the other team win? Oggle yourself in the mirror? The world is so exciting in a new body...

If I could swap bodies with any player competing in this season's SHL finals, it'd be Lime's player: Steve "The Hair" Harrington. I'd like to think that during the game I'd play like him, cutting inside from the left wing, scoring goals, assisting my teammates, winking at the enamoured women sitting in the front row - you know, typical Steve Harrington stuff. It'd be incredibly poor form of me to try and throw the game in order to help a particular team win, and I have friends on both teams so I have no reason to do that. The only question is whether Jay Sink in Steve Harrington's body could perform the role effectively. As an SMJHL send down, Sink only has 425 applied TPE and isn't used to a body so quick and agile, that handles and distributes the puck so well. It's possible, then, that I'd accidentally help the other team win. If that did happen, though, at least every lady in the crowd would be queueing up to help cheer Steve up. (174 words)

+3 TPE

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

We're adding 2 teams to the SMJHL this season. Do you think we should keep the current SMJHL playoff format of everyone makes it? Or is it time to just take the best 8 or 12 teams and let em duke it out? Defend your stance.

As you'll know, the SMJHL playoffs are best of 7. As the underdog needs to win four less-than-fifty-percent matchups, this makes upsets relatively unlikely. Because of this, I think we can relatively safely allow every SMJHL team to make the playoffs. If the format was best of 1, or best of 3, I'd disagree because I think it'd be dumb for a team that had accumulated a huge regular season win total to be eliminated after one game. But it's quite difficult to lose a playoff series to a weaker team at the moment, especially if that team is significantly weaker. As a result, I think we could continue to allow every SMJHL team to make the playoffs without there being any big negatives, and the rookies can enjoy playing in the playoffs. (133 words)

+2 TPE

Code:
16. slash's secret bonus prompt SHHHHHH. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Luke let you keep the money you stole from him in the heist, and won't tell the authorities. But you have to take him on a wonderful date using the money. How does your evening go? What dining and activities do you have in store for good ol' Lukey boy?

Now I don't know Luke well enough to know where he's from IRL, but as his player has played in Vancouver, San Francisco and Manhattan I imagine he's not seen all the delights that the United Kingdom has to offer. And, as someone from across the pond, he probably has a romanticised view of our little island. I'd fly him out to London, business class, with a bottle of champagne on ice to get him all loose before the date. Once there, in a move that'd flatter any visitor, I'd take him for dinner and drinks in the Sky Garden, and get him as drunk as he likes. I'm far too classy to suggest what might happen later that evening.

+2 TPE

Code:
17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

Milestones post +3 TPE

Spartan · 08-15-2021, 06:29 PM

1. Written, 3 TPE, Ups and Downs (150 words min.)
So this was a tough season for everyone in the SHL. Dealing with trolls online, horrible PR from product endorsements, and on top of that all some minor identity fraud to add to the pile. Are these the worst things to happen to your player this season, or did something unimaginably horrible happen? On the flip side, were there any bright spots hidden in the countless nuisances and problems? What good things on and off the ice happened this season for you?

I’ve kept a bit of a low profile this season, so I haven’t really followed much of the issues the league has had to deal with. Newfoundland was sort of in their own world this season, winning an absurd amount of games, and eventually the championship. That’d definitely have to be the highlight of my season, along with my 5 goal game against the Maine Timber in the playoffs. I’ve always tried to get hyped for the playoffs, and being able to score 5 in a single game was definitely an amazing experience. As for the “worst” thing to happen this season, there really isn’t anything worthy of that title. Perhaps the saddest parts are getting called up to the SHL, leaving behind my juniors team that I’ve enjoyed being on for the past 3-4 seasons. I was also traded from the Inferno to the Blizzard, so it’s sad leaving behind the friends in Atlanta. But I’m excited to be part of Edmonton and play in the pros!

2. Written, 3 TPE (150 words min.)
Pokemon! Everyone loves em, and if you don't, you didn't have a childhood. Or adulthood. Anyways, let's imagine all SHL and SMJHL players are now pokemon. Assemble your team! On top of that, what is your strategy to navigate the POKESHL? Try to get the strongest pokemon and become champion? Catch all of the possible players and complete your pokedex? UwU Breed them? Catch low level juniors players and train them? Or become a gym leader, helping others on their path to greatness? I'd love to hear your approach.

I think as this past season showed, the Berserkers squad had everything a team needed to dominate the SMJHL. I’d probably just pick a combination of that same squad to be my team in pokeshl. Leon would be the pokemon that is useless all season, just to dominate in the elite 4. Ric Charlesworth would be the best pokemon on the team, with AllBran right behind. Ham/Juke as the trainer, Ash equivalent. If you made Juke Misty, then Ty would be the Togepi that cried all the time. But ya we’d have accomplished our goal of becoming champions of the region, since we won the 4 star cup. We’re simply too good. Breeding them is kinda sus, I don’t think I want to do that at all. Low level junior players would be a bit of a pain to develop, I would never want to do that. Gym leader, also probably not. Maybe Elite 4 since Playoff Leon is ELITE.

4. Written, 3 TPE (60 words min.)
Ugh, poetry is so 17th century, we're ditching that prompt. Earlier in the season I had you flex your songwriting in an SHL style parody, but this time you don't have a song to lean on. You're writing your very own diss track about something SHL related. A player, A team, A GM, anything. You can write a diss track about CW if you want.

Here are the rules: At least 12 lines (and at least 60 words total) but if you wanna do more go for it. I'm not laying out a specific rhyme scheme but there has to be rhyme in it. Be creative! This prompt is not for everyone, if you have a problem with it there are like 15 other prompts I made for ya. NOTE: THIS IS ALL IN JEST; ANYTHING OVERLY MEAN OR MALICIOUS WILL NOT BE GRADED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Oh, the Maine Timber
Mr. Leon got nice and limber
He stepped on the ice
Exterminated them like mice

Chop Chop Chop
There was no puck their goalie could stop
All Leon had to do was shoot the puck
There was always a gap, wider than a truck

Toast was crying on the bench
Leon skated by and called him an ugly wench
At the end of the day, the Newfies won
Maine Timber - you’re Leon’s son

5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
We're adding 2 teams to the SMJHL this season. Do you think we should keep the current SMJHL playoff format of everyone makes it? Or is it time to just take the best 8 or 12 teams and let em duke it out? Defend your stance.

I think you should keep the current playoff format. The VHL eliminates the worst 4 teams (they have 12), and they’ve had to deal with the pushback from the teams eliminated about getting bored in the offseason. While their offseasons would likely be pretty long anyways, from being sent out of playoffs quickly, at least they get a taste of playoff action. It’d also dissuade the worst teams from full tanking if they think they have a chance to beat out a team in a major upset. It’s small chances, but if it’s there, the GM’s should at least put some effort towards making it happen.

17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=117979&pid=3086546#pid3086546
+3

15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Gatorade

+3
+3
+3
+2
+3
+3
Total: 17 (Max of 16)

Jorec · 08-15-2021, 06:31 PM

1. Written, 3 TPE, Ups and Downs (150 words min.)
So this was a tough season for everyone in the SHL. Dealing with trolls online, horrible PR from product endorsements, and on top of that all some minor identity fraud to add to the pile. Are these the worst things to happen to your player this season, or did something unimaginably horrible happen? On the flip side, were there any bright spots hidden in the countless nuisances and problems? What good things on and off the ice happened this season for you?

This was a downer season to say the least. If it could go wrong, it did go wrong. Starting off with just an entirely underperforming roster. The hope had been that our veteran leadership could get it done but the complete opposite happened. We didn't even sniff the play-offs for more then a moment. We barely strung a few wins in a row together. Hell, most of us seemingly had our worst seasons ever. Then our entire management moved onto other things. Can't say I blame them but it was still a big blow given that I had just been re-signed for another three years. Luckily though, there is an upside, we have a great crop of prospects in the pipeline and our new management looks to be pretty awesome. Next season will hopefully signal that improvement as we shift regimes and move onto a new era for the Winnipeg Aurora.

151 words

5. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
We're adding 2 teams to the SMJHL this season. Do you think we should keep the current SMJHL playoff format of everyone makes it? Or is it time to just take the best 8 or 12 teams and let em duke it out? Defend your stance.

As much as I'd love to say that we should make them battle it out and only let in the top eight. I think it's much healthier for the league to let everyone have the fun and excitement of the play-offs and the chance to win the Cup. A lot of these players are new to the league and giving them the maximum amount of excitment possible means a higher retention rate overall. Hopefully then they make friends in the community and want to stay when they inevitably end up missing the play-offs a full time in the big league.

100 words.

9. Graphic, 3 TPE
Create a magazine cover that highlights either a player in the finals or a standout player from the regular season.

10. 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.

15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Bloop

16. slash's secret bonus prompt SHHHHHH. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)
Luke let you keep the money you stole from him in the heist, and won't tell the authorities. But you have to take him on a wonderful date using the money. How does your evening go? What dining and activities do you have in store for good ol' Lukey boy?

If I'm gonna take him out with my hard stolen money, then I'm going to make it romantic as fuck. I'm talking going all the way on it. First, a visit to the most expensive taco truck you've ever been too. I'm talking classy as fuck. The type of place that puts gold leaf on their burrito. Then we're going for a moonlit walk along the river before finishing it off in a rented trailer. Double wide baby. Gonna make sure theres a brand new kind waterbed in there and everything. Then we pop a little bit of America's fanciest bubbly and see where the rest of the night takes us.

111 words.

16 TPE.

***SDCore*** · 08-15-2021, 06:35 PM

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

So this was a tough season for everyone in the SHL. Dealing with trolls online, horrible PR from product endorsements, and on top of that all some minor identity fraud to add to the pile. Are these the worst things to happen to your player this season, or did something unimaginably horrible happen? On the flip side, were there any bright spots hidden in the countless nuisances and problems? What good things on and off the ice happened this season for you?

For Corey Kennedy, losing the Challenge Cup was devastating, but it wasn't even the worst thing that happened to me this season. You see, I had a real personal event that was a legit tragedy to me. Luckily, I had my good friend Gunnar Soderberg close, so he could help me get through it. I didn't tell anyone else, because it was too hard, but now that the off season is over, I am ready to open up and let people know what happened. It may not seem like a big deal to anyone else but to me this was really sad. When I first moved to the states to play hockey, I brought my gear and my best friend. My best friend was my hunting dog Saoirse, a giant Irish Wolfhound, and she was my companion for a long time, longer than their typical life span. Well sadly, it was her time to leave this world and I lost my rock and my best friend. That was hard on me, but it's time to heal from it.

Code:
12. 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.

[code]a. The salt special: Do these teams deserve to be here? Or were they gifted a trip to the finals through puck luck and bullshittery?

Both teams definitely deserve to be there, as they were the best two teams in their conferences for the entire season. Did they get some luck, yes, but so do all the teams who get to the championships. That is pretty standard for any team who gets to a cup final. You have to be lucky to be good and both of these teams are both lucky and good.

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b. Buffalo has been here many times in the past 20 seasons, this is only the second (I think I'm too lazy to check) time for Chicago. Which is more impressive? The continued dominance of Buffalo? Or the solid couple of runs Chicago has made despite the team only being 15 seasons old?

I think they are both really impressive. Buffalo has been gold standard for teams for the entire time I have been on the site. As for Chicago, they took some time to get to this point, but this is a culmination of what they were building towards. So I think they are both really impressive for their own reasons.

Code:
c. Everyone's a critic: Nitpick one thing about either team's logo, jersey, rink design, goal horn, or general site demeanor.

Good 4 u is the best goal horn in the league, so there is nothing to complain about there. If anything I would say that there is a bit of a impression that both of these teams have a culture, wether good or bad, but it keeps people active and in the league, so however they are precieved they are both good for the league.

Code:
d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

The best player to play for Chicago is currently on Chicago, it is Martjin Westbroek. He is the 1Center on the Chicago Syndicate and has been the player who takes over the team every season. If you need a big moment, goal, or play, Chicago can always count on Westy. When he retires, he will no doubt be the best player the Syndicate has ever iced.

[/code]

Code:
Code:

15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

oranges

Code:
17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

MILESTONES TBD (check back later)

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3086483

PBE PT Claim +3

3+4+3+3+3 = 16

Nerio · 08-15-2021, 06:40 PM

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

Freaky Friday.. or Monday. Tuesday? Anyhow, I think the finals will be over by Friday barring some kind of Re-sim :grimace: Anyways, I forgot the plot of the movie but there's something about a fortune cookie and now you're in your mom's body! But actually, it's the body of an SHL player, one from Chicago or Buffalo! (If you are on Buffalo or Chicago, you can't be yourself, pick a teammate or opponent). Now that you are them and they are you, what do you do during the big game? Play amazing and turn a scrub into a superstar? Play like a bum and try to help the other team win? Oggle yourself in the mirror? The world is so exciting in a new body...

As an ex-buffalo player, I've been the body of a number of the stampeders (that's what we secretly call each other but I'm not supposed to say that). So obviously, I was bored during the playoffs this season, sitting on my couch not wanting to go out for just another round of golf, so instead I decided to penetrate Monkey D Luffy with a D of my own if you know what I'm saying. So I got to see a lot of my old friends in the locker room by being deep inside him, and of course I got to play a little more hockey and wow. I didn't know how good it would be to play while being such a supreme physical specimen. It was indeed the easiest hockey of my life. But I didn't go too hard, I had to make sure no one would be suspicious of me, so that my penetration infiltration went unnoticed.

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

We're at a point in the SHL where a good chunk of the playerbase played back in the STHS era, and a good chunk has known nothing but FHM. If you're in the latter part of the league you must have heard the horror stories... so: Let's make a hypothetical. 

Players who played in both eras: What would have happened if we just had one sim engine? Posture how your career would have gone if we stayed in STHS (sans exploits). Or what if you had created in FHM the whole time? Would things have gone better or worse? 

For you FHM babies: What if we were still in Simon T land? Would your career be where it is now? Or would randomness have stunted the dynasties you may or may not have been part of?

I think most of my career wouldn't be super different regardless of the engine. I guess perhaps I could have accumulated more points if we swapped to FHM a few seasons prior, since I kind of peaked and started regressions pretty early in the FHM era if I remember correctly. One thing I have kind of speculated on is how the actual team success would have worked. To some degree, it did seem like our team benefitted from the swap in some ways, like the rich got richer kind of thing, but we kept getting cucked by HAM every playoffs in a way that made it seem like a foregone conclusion. So I wonder if STHS variability would have made things different and made it more of a coin flip rather than a one sided rivalry. But who knows. All in all, the swap has been beneficial in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to the viewing experience and in general a slightly higher scoring sim (though the goal normalization can go to hell).

Code:
12. 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. The salt special: Do these teams deserve to be here? Or were they gifted a trip to the finals through puck luck and bullshittery?

b. Buffalo has been here many times in the past 20 seasons, this is only the second (I think I'm too lazy to check) time for Chicago. Which is more impressive? The continued dominance of Buffalo? Or the solid couple of runs Chicago has made despite the team only being 15 seasons old?

c. Everyone's a critic: Nitpick one thing about either team's logo, jersey, rink design, goal horn, or general site demeanor.

d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

a: Both teams deserve to be here, as they've been in this position for so many seasons due to good management and dedicated players that stick with it and grow. There is some consideration towards the new playoff format giving them easier pathways to the finals, but at the same time it generally results in more matchups having to happen so even if a matchup is lopsided, you'd rather not risk it.
b: I don't really think I can say one is more impressive than the other. Buffalo's constant streak of finals and conf finals visits is insane. Chicago stepping up and starting to get over the great lakes hump is also representative of an up and coming team that is starting to solidify their spot at the top of the league. Especially when you consider that they were a recent expansion team.
c: Okay so I don't wanna be that guy but to be honest, I never really liked one thing about each team's branding. For Buffalo, the logo has always seemed kind of meh and bleh to me. Like okay it's a buffalo head, why does every buffalo team feel the need to make a buffalo their mascot? And with chicago, the team name is just awkward and doesn't roll off the tongue. Like I know a syndicate is a group of people, but it's just a weird thing to conceptualize.
d: Bobby Sharp. Just kidding. I would say the best player is probably Viktor Marius from Buffalo. He dominated well prior and well after the "prime" of most people. He put up insane offensive numbers while being an incredible dangerous threat physically as well. Marius is the ideal player in all respects, and is what most power forwards strive to be.

Code:
15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

taco

Code:
16. slash's secret bonus prompt SHHHHHH. Written, 2 TPE (100 words min.)

Well first of all, Luke is a super classy NHL mascot, and as such I would only treat him to the finest food obviously, but I would do it in the most special place. A top the lands of Grittyville, there is a mountain that overlooks the entirety of the village. On that mountain there is a perch that has the most beautiful view. I would set up a nice little blanket and picnic basket containing food from the finest chefs in the lands. When it comes to his tastes, the bloodier the better, so all of the finest meats. We would also have a grill so that we could cook together, and matching chopsticks so that we could feed each other.

Code:
17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

MILESTONES TBD (check back later)

+2
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3086555

Cobbenstein · 08-15-2021, 06:47 PM

Mistake. Ignore please.

Aephino · 08-15-2021, 06:49 PM

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE (60 words min.)

Ugh, poetry is so 17th century, we're ditching that prompt. Earlier in the season I had you flex your songwriting in an SHL style parody, but this time you don't have a song to lean on. You're writing your very own diss track about something SHL related. A player, A team, A GM, anything. You can write a diss track about CW if you want.

Here are the rules: At least 12 lines (and at least 60 words total) but if you wanna do more go for it. I'm not laying out a specific rhyme scheme but there has to be rhyme in it. Be creative! This prompt is not for everyone, if you have a problem with it there are like 15 other prompts I made for ya. NOTE: THIS IS ALL IN JEST; ANYTHING OVERLY MEAN OR MALICIOUS WILL NOT BE GRADED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Imagine being Buffalo or Hamilton
You're always at the top
You can't have fun or breathe or chill
Or else you'll get the chop

Imagine being Baltimore or Toronto
Just trying to be seen
Trying new things to get success
But you'll end up being green

Imagine being on Texas
Now that's a team on the up-and-up
The perfect mix of fun and competitive
It's time to win another cup

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

We're at a point in the SHL where a good chunk of the playerbase played back in the STHS era, and a good chunk has known nothing but FHM. If you're in the latter part of the league you must have heard the horror stories... so: Let's make a hypothetical.

Players who played in both eras: What would have happened if we just had one sim engine? Posture how your career would have gone if we stayed in STHS (sans exploits). Or what if you had created in FHM the whole time? Would things have gone better or worse?

For you FHM babies: What if we were still in Simon T land? Would your career be where it is now? Or would randomness have stunted the dynasties you may or may not have been part of?

I got one full season in STHS before we made the switch to FHM. There are a few big questions to ask, but honestly I don't know if things would be better or worse. The first season with Detroit, we had the most points in regular season, but I think just got unlucky in playoffs. My player was the Top Rookie in the SMJHL and my build seemed to be working great. Then we switched to FHM and I was worried I wouldn't get the same production. Then it turns out FHM fuckin loved the power forward build and I dunked on the league in my sophomore year. Fast forward to my rookie season in SHL, and I won Top Rookie again! So, I think if we were in Simon or FHM, my player career would be comparable and I would be having good output regardless. However, I think winning cups seemed to be a whole lot flukier in Simon than FHM. I heard horror stories of just blowouts or comebacks where worse players somehow played better in the sim. So I would not want to go back and trade away my Four Star Cup, Challenge Cup, and IIHF Gold Medal just to roll the dice and hope my team gets lucky when it really matters.

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12. 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. The salt special: Do these teams deserve to be here? Or were they gifted a trip to the finals through puck luck and bullshittery?

b. Buffalo has been here many times in the past 20 seasons, this is only the second (I think I'm too lazy to check) time for Chicago. Which is more impressive? The continued dominance of Buffalo? Or the solid couple of runs Chicago has made despite the team only being 15 seasons old?

c. Everyone's a critic: Nitpick one thing about either team's logo, jersey, rink design, goal horn, or general site demeanor.

d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

a. Buffalo certainly does. It always sucks having the most points in the regular season and not going on to win the Cup, or let alone not making the finals! Chicago... I think got a little lucky. On a different day, Texas could have beaten them. Obviously we lost in 5 games, but three of them were by one goal. Unbelievable.

b. Definitely Buffalo. On one hand, it is great that we are seeing more parity with teams like Texas and Chicago making these deep runs. However, continued success comes from a great set of managers and coaches, and the team as a whole. The players come and go, so the people who make the team successful are sometimes the real superstars.

c. I think Buffalo could have a more fun logo. With all the great logos in the league these days, I feel like Buffalo's is just a little dated. It looks like it would fit in better with a different sport, like soccer. Then again, I don't really like the Chicago logo. I think yellow and black is a good color combo, but the logo could use a revamp. It doesn't feel like a sports logo, let alone a hockey logo. Cool on its own, but not a good fit for Chicago.

d. I can't think of Buffalo without thinking of Monkey D Luffy. First of all, it's just a GOAT name. It's classic. It's iconic. Buffalo's success starts with a great leader and that's Monkey for sure. Then for seasons and seasons he backed it up consistently as one of the best players in the league. Maybe I haven't been around long enough to see other great players, but Monkey has to be up there for me.

CW TRIVIA LINK

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15. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

verification: zipper

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17. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

MILESTONES TBD (check back later)

3 TPE

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