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*CptSquall* · 08-04-2023, 12:24 PM

The Simulation Hockey League has now entered its 72nd season. Meaning 71 cups have been fought for and won. I'd wager we are nearing or have reached 1000 players over that time. Including all those who created and dipped. However in all 71 seasons so far, nobody in the SHL. Not a single team in the big league's history has a team won 3 cups in a row. The purist definition of a Dynasty is a threepeat, full stop. None of this garbage about 3 in 6 seasons or anything.

But, this achievement has been seen not once, not twice, but 3 times in the SMJHL. Which blows my mind as players only stay down for 4 or 5 seasons and only 4 for the last while. The rate of roster turnover is seen as being a special factor as well as the low cap of builds. On the surface this would lend itself to the theory that winning back to back cups would be rare to say nothing about a dynasty. Which brings me here. To show you all, lets wind back the clock to S40 and present to you all the first dynasty on the site.

Following their back to back cups in S31 and 32, the Kelowna Knights had spent the S30s on the downward curve. This is common now and was back then too. Teams would build up, win cups or have very deep runs, then reach the other end of the bell curve. Having bottomed out in S37 and missed the playoffs back when only 2 teams missed, S38 would be the beginning of another climb. The Knights managed to finish 3rd that season, but were bounced in 6 by the Montreal Milita. S39 would see a minor backslide, being the last ones into the playoffs and also being swept by rival Vancouver in round 1.

Setting us up for S40. The mood in Kelowna was a mix of excitement and frustration. I know because I was there. We thought we were better last season than we played, so everyone had a chip on their shoulder. Joining us from the S40 Draft was the Legendary Kata Vilde, goaltender famously for the Calgary Dragons. We had few picks. The Knights started off 2-2 before winning their next 5 and never really looking back. Finishing the 50 game season with a record of 34-16-0 for 68 points and on top of the league. Scoring was lead by Daddy Mack with 24 goals and 48 points. That may seem low but you have to remember. Back then being point per game was like getting 90 or 100 points is now. For reference, the league leader that season was DeMaricus Smyth of the St. Louis Scarecrows with 25 goals and 57 points. He was 1 of only 4 players with 50+ points.

Back to the Knights. Finishing in the top 2 back then was worth a 1st round bye. Letting the gang celebrate and watch with hunger for who fate sent us in round 2. That would turn out to be the Colorado Mammoths (Now Raptors). They shocked Kelowna by winning game 1 4-3 in Overtime. The Knights would win the next 2 before Colorado could tie the series. Game 5 was a 3-2 OT victory for the Knights and set the stage for game 6. In spite of the fact that the Mammoths barely made the playoffs, they beat the Halifax Raiders in round 1 and played the best team in the league to the tune of 6 1 goal games. Hell of a team. But then Kelowna moved onto the 4 Star Cup Finals against the Detroit Falcons. In spite of Detroit being a fantastic team, Kelowna had everything they needed to get over the hump. A Strong season, a good mix of future legends, and even the adversity from a tight series. The Knights swept the Falcons and, in spite of a couple 1 goal games, it did not feel that close. Jacob Dorty lead them with 16 points in their 10 games. Future Hall of Famer Mikhail Lokitonov had 13 after coming over from the Prince George Firebirds. Even Richard Physt, who scored 4 goals in 150 regular season games managed 2 on 4 shots in 10 games. Damien Blackfyre was a rockstar between the pipes as well.

S41 was to be a different ride. Gone were some of the stronger players that made names for themselves and some changes were made. The defending champs finished 25-16-9 for 59 points, good for 4th in the league. Jacob Dorty continued his breakout from the playoffs by finishing with 51 points. Daddy Mack was 2nd with 50. S41 saw the emergence of legend Xavier Paquette. Rookie Darren McCarty was a stud in his role, replacing Richard Physt but playing the same style with more offensive upside. Finally, Kata Vilde took over the starting role from the set to age out Blackfyre. Finishing 4th meant a longer road to the cup. Drawing the Detroit Falcons in round 1 was sure to be a hell of a series. But we would see another sweep featuring 2 3-2 OT wins for the Knights and a wild 10-5 win in Detroit. Setting Kelowna up for round 2 against St. Louis. The Crows had finished 2nd in the J but could not stand up to Kelowna who swept them too. The cup final was to be played against the 3rd place Montreal Militia, who went to a 7 game war with Colorado before beating 1st place Vancouver in 5. These 2 teams would wage a 7 game war featuring 5 1 goal games and each team trading 5-2 wins, including the cup winning game 7 in Montreal for Kelowna. Iam Essellemm lead the way with 22 points in 15 games. Rookie Darren McCarty had 5! goals from the back end including 2 game winners. Finally Legend Kata Vilde was HUGE in net. His .882 SV% was 3rd best in the playoffs. (Getting a .900 was rare back then too. Best goalie Walter Hobbs had a .905).

Now S42. Teams had won 2 cups in a row before. Many times in fact. Also Kelowna was not picking many players. With only 2 picks in the massive draft of 9 rounds and, as we have seen, only 5 picks in 3 seasons. Oliver Dahl and Tommy Dawson were the new kids. Additionally many of the players from before were long gone now. No more Dorty, or Essellemm. Daddy Mack was back to leading the team, but only with 45 points. But this team still had Vilde too and finished with a stunning record of 35-13-2 for 72 points. THEY WERENT EVEN 1st! But they were good enough for 2nd which meant another bye.

This set the champs up for a 2nd round date with the Anchorage Armada (Used to be the Prince George Firebirds.) It was a brutal sweep featuring featuring wins of 7-1. 5-2, 3-1, and capped by a 4-0 shutout. Putting Kelowna back in the finals against the Vancouver Whalers, who again finished 1st. 2 titanic teams facing off at the top of the mountain. 3 of these 6 games went to overtime. Including game 6 where the cup was won.

Alltimer announcer and colour man for Kelowna John Slack had the honour of calling the legendary moment at Prospera Place, home of the Knights.

"Moore dumps it into the Knights Zone as the Whalers make the change. Svensson grabs it. Sends it up to Savage and here come the Knights. To Gardiner. Back to Savage. Setting the cycle. Savage, to Svensson, to Gardiner! OH MY GODS! THEY'VE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE! THE KELOWNA KNIGHTS HAVE WON THE 4 STAR CUP! WE HAVE WITNESSED HISTORY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"

Of course Daddy Mack lead the scoring with 15 points in those 10 games. But nobody scored a bigger, more memorable goal than Ryan Gardiner's onetimer to make history. Kata Vilde was a ridiculous cheat code running a .915 SV% to set up such a moment.

For those who want WAY MORE information on these 3 past seasons. Or even just the way the league seemed back during the STHS era, go to this link here: https://simulationhockey.com/games/smjhl/

*CptSquall* · 08-13-2023, 06:11 PM

Approved, +5 TPE to @CptSquall

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