The SHL playoffs are upon us! Write a wild or hot take about this season’s playoffs, even if it’s impossible for it to even happen!

25 words minimum!

You will receive 1 TPE for fulfilling all requirements.

This PT will close Sunday, July 14th at 11:59pm PST. Posts submitted/edited after the deadline will receive 0 tpe.

If you have any questions/concerns, please PM me. Tasks with malicious intent will not be graded.
Graders reserve the right to determine what is malicious. You will not be warned.

This PT is for SHL players and send downs only; it is not for SMJHL Rookies. If your player is S78 or S79, go do the J tasks instead.

Sigs by @Carpy48, @Nokazoa and me

#10 Jani Mänty || Center || Finland || Hamilton Steelhawks
Great Falls Grizzlies Alumni
Hometown: Sonkajärvi, Finland
Height: 6ft 5in || Weight:222 lbs
----SMJHL Regular Season Stats----
5 Seasons | Total - 271 GP | 94 G | 118 A | 212 P | -48 | 385 HIT | 208 SB
4 Seasons | GFG - 264 GP | 92 G | 117 A | 209 P | -47 | 371 HIT | 200 SB
1 Season | ANC - 7 GP | 2 G | 1 A | 3 P | -1 | 14 HIT | 8 SB
----Career moments----
Elected as Captain of Great Falls Grizzlies for Season 75
Season 74 WJC Gold with Team Norden
Elected as Alternate Captain of Great Falls Grizzlies for Season 74
Season 73 WJC Bronze with Team Finland
Season 71 WJC Bronze with Team Finland
Drafted in 73th SHL draft #9 overall by Hamilton Steelhawks
Drafted in 72th SMJHL draft #2 overall by Great Falls Grizzlies
Joined Anchorage Armada as DFA for end of S71

#52 Björn Leppänen || Defence || Finland || Retired
Peak TPE 2225
Texas Renegades Alumni
Vancouver Whalers Alumni
Hometown: Parainen, Finland
Height: 5ft 11in || Weight:183 lbs
----SHL Regular Season Stats----
17 Sesons | TEX - 1026 GP | 147 G | 358 A | 505 P | +169 | 1684 HIT | 1348 SB
----SHL Playoff Stats----
12 Seasons | TEX - 123 GP | 10 G | 53 A | 63 P | +45 | 234 HIT | 168 SB
----SMJHL Regular Season Stats----
2 Seasons | VAN - 100 GP | 4 G | 19 A | 23 P | -21 | 171 HIT | 99 SB
----SMJHL Playoff Stats----
2 Seasons | VAN - 15GP | 1 G | 5 A | 6 P | +2 | 28 HIT | 14 SB
----IIHF Stats----
15 Seasons | FIN - 189 GP | 27 G | 50 A | 77 P | -21 | 364 HIT | 222 SB
----Career moments----
Season 64 IIHF Gold
Season 62 IIHF Gold
Season 62 Challenge Cup
Season 61 IIHF Bronze
Season 60 IIHF Best Defenceman
Season 59 Anton Razov Nominee
Season 59 Challenge Cup
Elected as Alternate Captain of Vancouver Whalers for Season 50
Drafted in 50th SHL draft #31 overall by Texas Renegades
Drafted in 49th SMJHL draft #27 overall by Vancouver Whalers
----Viljami Leppänen || Texas Renegades----
370-122-20 (S56-S63)
Season 62 Challenge Cup
Season 61 Joe McKeil Nominee
Season 61 Cole Reinhart Trophy
Season 59 Challenge Cup
Season 58 Joe McKeil Nominee
Season 58 Presidents Trophy
Season 56 Joe McKeil Award
Season 55 Joe McKeil Nominee
GM for Texas Renegades from S56 to S63
Intermid GM for Texas Renegades, most of the S55
Co-GM for Texas Renegades from S54 to S55
GM for Team Finland for S50 WJC
Co-GM for Team Finland for S49 WJC

My hot take is that there will be no upsets this playoff. In every matchup, the home team will win the series, all the way to the Challenge Cup finals.

      S76 SMJHL DRAFT 3RD OVERALL PICK     
        S77 SHL DRAFT 4TH OVERALL PICK         
                     IIHF TEAM NORWAY                      

My playoff hot take this season is that all upsets will happen, just to counter what @Muerto said. All away teams will win their matchups in 7 games so in reality Calgary will win the cup this season.

I think that we, the Calgary dragons, won’t even have one point scored against us for the entire rest of the season because we’re just that good

Wild take for the SMJHL is that the Maine Timber are gonna go all the way to the finals without losing a game and then lose game 1 in the finals before rebounding and sweeping the rest of the finals

The Super Hot Take for this season's playoffs will be that the team that won the regular season won't make it past quarter-finals. Yes, you read correct. Philadelphia Forge is a false favourite. I will guarantee that.

The playoff format we need, no, we deserve. 10 ice rinks put together and all playoff teams competing at once in an all-out, last team standing battle royale! All you need to do to eliminate your opponent is flip them over the bench or the glass. SHL playoffs, brother.

Matviy Cajabi || RW || SMJHL - Anchorage Armada (22nd overall, S75)
                                          SHL -  Edmonton Blizzard (13th overall, S76) 
Age: 20
Birthplace: Kramatorsk, Ukraine
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200 lbs
Number: 9 ------------------------------------------------------------
Career Statistics:
SMJHL Regular Season:
S75 Armada | 66 GP | 15 G | 34 A | 49 P | +17 |   2 PPP | 20 PIM | 119 H
S76 Armada | 66 GP | 14 G | 23 A | 37 P |  -21 | 14 PPP | 25 PIM |   94 H
S77 Timber  | 66 GP | 43 G | 50 A | 93 P | +46 | 19 PPP | 46 PIM | 143 H 
S78  Timber 

Hot take: every matchup is going to be an upset. I want to see the lowest seed win the championship because why not. And hell, while we're at it, a goalie scores a hat trick and gets playoff mvp.

My hot take for this playoff season is there will be one or two ‘’cinderella teams’’ that no one thinks that they will go far, but they will and will surprise everyone in the forum.

C | S77 | Sam Volta | CHI | Canada ----------------------------------------------------------------- Height: 5'11" Weight: 165 lbs Number: 3 Birthplace: Montreal, Canada S76 J Draft: San Diego Tidal (Round 1, 18th Overall) S77 SHL Draft: Chicago Syndicate (Round 1, 3rd Overall) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Career Statistics SMJHL Regular Season S76 - SDT | 66 GP | 27 G | 44 A | 71 PTS S77 - SDT | 66 GP | 19 G | 34 A | 53 PTS S78 - SDT/NBB | 64 GP | 25 G | 41 A | 66 PTS S79 - COL | 66 GP | 27 G | 41 A | 68 PTS Total | 262 GP | 98 G | 160 A | 258 PTS ----------------------------------------------------------------- SMJHL Playoffs S76 | 5 GP | 4 G | 4 A | 8 PTS S77 | 5 GP | 5 G | 1 A | 6 PTS S78 | 6 GP | 2 G | 3 A | 5 PTS S79 | 21 GP | 11 G | 11 A | 22 PTS Total | 37 GP | 22 G | 19 A | 41 PTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- SHL Regular Season S80 - CHI | 0 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 PTS Total | 0 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 PTS ----------------------------------------------------------------- SHL Playoffs S80 | 0 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 PTS Total | 0 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 PTS

My hot take is that the tyrannical HO without discussion or explanation will change the playoff format TODAY to 1-8, 2-7, 3-6, 4-5 only 2 hours before lines are due. The only exception is division winners are guaranteed top 2 seed. Overall people will be happy for the change, except for one group. This would mean Atlanta and Baltimore would play in the first round. Again.

@hotdog @micool132

M'Baku Olubori || #81 || RW

Drafted 4th overall in S64 SMJHL Draft by Regina

Drafted 95th overall in S65 SHL Draft by Baltimore

Won S68 Ryan Jesster Trophy (Rookie of the Year)

Cassius Darrow || #81 || RD
-------------------------------------------
SMJHL Stats:
S44 - S46 || COL  || GP: 150 || G: 15 || A: 85 || P: 100 || +/-: +1 || SB: 195
S47 - S55 || BUF  || GP: X || G: X || A: X || P: X || +/-: X || SB: X
S56 - S63 || SEA  || GP: 0 || G: 0 || A: 0 || P: 0 || +/-: 0 || SB: 0
-------------------------------------------
Drafted 8th overall in S44 SMJHL Draft to Colorado
Co-Winner of S44 Zach Miller Trophy
Drafted 4th overall in S45 SHL Draft to Buffalo
Named S45 & S46 Captain of the Colorado Raptors
3-time Challenge Cup Champion (S46, S48, S55)
Named Assistant Captain of Buffalo Stampede S53-S55
Drafted 1st overall S56 Expansion Draft by Seattle
Named Captain of the Seattle Argonauts in S56
Bojo Biscuit Winner S57, S58

Baltimore Platoon GM || S64 - present

SHL Executioner || S62 - S65
SHL Awards Committee || S57 - S66
SHL Historian Committee || S53 - S64
SHL Head Office || S60 - S61
SMJHL Awards Head || S48 - S57
Colorado Raptors GM || S48 - S53
Colorado Raptors Co-GM || S47
Team Germany Federation Head || S44 - S46
SMJHL HO Member - S45-S46
SMJHL Head Office Intern - S44 

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Thank you karey, OrbitingDeath Ragnar, and sköldpaddor for sigs! 

It is going to be an amazing story line when Montreal comes out the gate swinging to win the cup. They did not even make the playoffs but they are gonna win it all.

Luca Pane (Pa-nEh) || #20 || RW || 2048 TPE Peak ||  S68 -
S68 SMJHL 11th Overall - St Louis Scarecrows
Birthplace: Milan, Italy
Height: 5'-11"
Weight: 178 lbs
Shoots: Right
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Trophy Case


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Jean-Locke Zidane || #8 || D || 1393 TPE Peak || Retired || S57 - S68
S57 SMJHL 1st Overall - St Louis Scarecrows
S58 Traded to Anchorage Armada At Start of Season
S58 SHL 36th Overall - New Orleans Specters
Birthplace: Amiens, France
Height: 6'-4"
Weight: 227lbs
Shoots: Left
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Trophy Case
S58 SMJHL Alexis Metzler Nom

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Nicholas Williams || #73 || LW / C || 1839 TPE Peak || Retired  ||  S42 - S57
S42 SMJHL 41st Overall Pick - St. Louis Scarecrows
S43 SHL 22nd Overall Pick - Winnipeg Jets
Birthplace: Detroit, MI, USA
Height: 6'-2"
Weight: 207lbs
Shoots: Right
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Personal Milestones
First Career SMJHL Goal: S42 Game # 3 (First SMJHL Game)
First Career SMJHL Hat-Trick: S42 Game # 145
Named Co-GM of Team USA S42 WJC
Named to Team USA WJC Roster S42
Won Gold S42 WJC Team USA as Co-GM and Player
Named Captain of the St. Louis Scarecrows S43
S43 Led SMJHL Left Wingers in Scoring
S43 Led Scarecrows in Scoring
Named Co-GM of Team USA S43 WJC
Named Captain of Team USA S43 WJC
Won Silver with Team USA S43 WJC
S44 Four Star Cup Champion STL
S44 Challenge Cup Champion WIN
First Career SHL Goal: S44 Playoffs Finals Game #6 (First SHL Game)
S46 Signed as a Free Agent to New Orleans
S50 Won Gold With USA
S51 Won Gold With USA
S54 Challenge Cup NOLA

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Trophy Case


S43 Ronan O’Keefe Trophy (SMJHL)
S43 Brandon Holmes Trophy (SMJHL)
S43 Raymond Lindsay Trophy (SMJHL / shared)
S44 Ronan O'Keefe Trophy (SMJHL)
S44 Brodie Witzel Trophy (SMJHL)
S44 Challenge Cup - Winnipeg
S46 Cole Reinhart Trophy - New Orleans
S51 Presidents' Trophy - New Orleans
S51 Ron Mexico Nom
S54 Anton Razov Nom
S54 Cole Reinhart Trophy - New Orleans
S54 Challenge Cup - New Orleans
S55 Cole Reinhart Trophy - New Orleans

Team Awards

S42 Marian Potoczny Award - Best Two Way Forward (STL)
S43 Kanye Summers Award - Reg Season MVP (STL)
S43 Bradley Wiggles Award - Best Forward (STL)
S43 Jarkko Kallestrom Award - Playoff MVP (STL)
S44 Bradley Wiggles Award - Best Forward (STL)
S44 Michael Haan Award - Most Dedicated (STL)
S44 Kanye Summers Award - Reg Season MVP (STL)
S48 Lifeless Littleton Award - Most Dedicated (NOLA)

S49 Lifeless Littleton Award - Most Dedicated (NOLA)
S50 Lifeless Littleton Award - Most Dedicated (NOLA)
S57 Retired



RIP Dangel #AD26  |  RIP TDZ

My hot take is that Frisco will revert to their choking ways and LAP will win the cup, with the other half of the hot take being that Philly is overrated and BAP will come out of the East.

My playoff hot take is that San Francisco and Philadelphia face eachother in the cup game. After the first period, Philadelphia leads 2-0. However, an asteroid hits the San Francisco locker room, putting the entire team out of the game. Philadelphia urges the refs to stop the game, but out comes Montreal, who said they will play on behalf of San Francisco. Philadelphia is very scared and cries to the refs once again. However, after a period, they realize its easier than they thought, taking a swift 21-0 lead. They realize this will be easier than they thought. Its the 3rd period with 1:30 to go and Borje Samuelson clutches tf up and scores 27 goals back to back, winning the game 27-25.

NOLA will be swept in the first round. If they’ve proven anything it’s that they choke late in the season when the games matter!

Hot take is that you are all in for the surprise of your life in the J. St-Louis Scarecrows are about to steal the show and win it all. Biggest upset in modern SHL history (FHM8). Go Crows!