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*NaomiMannequeen* · 04-01-2025, 06:07 PM

The offseason is closing in on us, and we are almost at the SMJHL Draft.

Before the real busy season starts, and you're going to be answering scouting messages from every team, it is time to sit back and relax a little. Dreaming about how your life would've looked without hockey.

Written Option: What would your player be doing now, if they hadn't pursued a career in hockey? (250 words min.)

Graphic Option: Show us a picture of your player, doing what they'd do if they weren't a hockey player.

Reward: $500,000, for doing one of the options.

Only current SMJHL Draftable Free Agents (S82 SMJHL Draftees / S83 SHL Draft Class players) are eligible for this bounty.

Deadline: Tuesday, April 8th at 11:59pm PST.

FourFour · 04-01-2025, 08:48 PM

Jordin FourFour III was always a huge fan of law enforcement growing up. When he was not on the ice or in the driveway shooting pucks to get better, he loved to watch Live PD with his father and uncle (whom both played in the league) and envied what those individuals got to do. After a stern talking to early in his life, he realized that not every day would be like that and being a police officer was a career that quickly vanished. Being a pilot was one of those careers that FourFour III really enjoyed later in his life, and even begged his parents to allow him to get his pilot's license to hopefully be able to purchase his own plane and hangar once he had the money to do so. Given the immense danger that came with this profession as opposed to being a commercial pilot, FourFour III was also denied this career choice. While hockey was what was ultimately meant for him, the last career option that ended up being a viable second option in the event his hockey career did not pan out was being a teacher. He loved to coach his fellow players on the ice and teach them about the various techniques they could use to better their games, or off-ice tactics that would be beneficial for the team. FourFour almost enrolled at his local university in pursuit of being a high school gym teacher, but ultimately he did not need to as his career took off in the USHL and brought him to the SMJHL where he now can hopefully make a name for himself. If it does not work out, well he has an option to return to his roots and become a teacher after all.

(295 words)

Durodo · 04-02-2025, 02:13 AM

A life without hockey. For Yu Nishinoya that’s honestly quite the ‚normal‘ life. He had only recently discovered hockey, well, he knew about it for a long time but it really gotten his interest after he happened to be in town as the Season 80 finals were played, catching the fourth game in the series between the Tampa Bay Barracuda and the San Francisco Pride. Somehow Nishinoya was lucky enough to still get a ticket for that game and it was at that moment that he knew he had to play ice hockey.

But that isn’t the point today. It’s all about what would be if that didn’t happen. And that would still sort of be including why he was in town that day. After finishing school and having closed the chapter on playing volleyball, Nishinoya decided that he wanted to see more of the world. Every trip during his high school volleyball years was just filled with excitement. Getting to see new parts of Japan, getting to meet new people. He would try to learn about new cultures, no matter if it was getting to know what sports Americans are heavily into, or getting over his fear of dangerous animals down in Australia. It would be his life goal to see as many countries as possible and along the way he picked up the hobby of fishing! A hobby that was able to be done in practically every part of the world. From a small river down in Brazil all the way to the Mediterrean Sea. And all the different fish he’d catch and release would be just as varied as the people he would be meeting right about now.

If only ice hockey didn’t catch his attention and made him fixate harder on a sport than he had ever done, picking up something that people would imagine isn’t really suitable to his short stature at all.

Word Count: 318

Zag · 04-02-2025, 05:41 PM

Blues · 04-03-2025, 07:34 AM

What would Perry Fields be doing if he wasn't playing hockey? Well, his family comes from a long line of university graduates and Perry did have thoughts of being an investment banker one day. Hi father still works at the local insurance broker office, slaving through the day. His mother, a schoolteacher, loves her job and even suggested to Perry that it might be a good fit for him, were hockey not to work itself out. However, as Fields rose his way through the ranks of elementary, middle, and secondary school, one thing caught his interest: money. Let's be honest - it makes the world go 'round. From the moment that Perry and his brother set up their first little lemondae stand on their frpnt lawn. From the moment that their nieghbour, their first customer rolled up and handed them their very first 5 pound note. That was when Perry realized that he had an appetite for money. And he wanted to learn how to earn more of it. Through secondary school, he took business class after business class. Started up a few small business ventures on the side, while also working part-time at the local shop. This was when he had the idea of looking into investment banking. Why sell physical products when I can instead sell the hope of success? The hope of other companies making me money. No overhead cost, no inventory. Big dreams for a kid from a small town. In an alternate univerise, maybe. But in this one, hockey was the way out.

Ronniewalker · 04-03-2025, 08:24 AM

Since an early age Rondellus-Ringo Raamat has been somewhat divided in his interest and passion for both hockey and music. Most of his free time apart from school and homework over the years has been spent either at hockey practices or practicing various musical instruments. His father is an amateur musician and so little Rondellus-Ringo had plenty of different musical instruments to toy with ever since he was a little boy and thus he also developed an interest in various forms of music at an early age. At home he had access to and nowadays he can quite proficiently play the piano, guitar and bass guitar. On the living room wall at home when growing up they also had an old zither that was actually built by his great-grandfather once upon a time and as he grew, Rondellus-Ringo also learned to play it very well. At his former drummer grandfather's summer cottage he also had access to a full drum kit which was his very favorite instrument even since he was tall enough to stand up on his toes and reach hitting the drums and cymbals as loudly as he could. Thanks to all these opportunities, he has grown up loving music in its many forms and enjoys playing whatever instruments that he comes across, whether alone at home or elsewhere in the world. Ever since he was in kindergarten he has been rallying his playmates to form 'bands' to help him bring his imagined musical endeavors to life, even if just mouthing the instruments and playing rhythm by slapping his legs and belly :D It would probably not be wrong to assume that this great interest would surely have led to a career in music as well, if not for his burgeoning career in hockey that we are witnessing. Perhaps one day when his hockey career winds down, he will again turn his attention in this direction. But for now, hockey takes center stage for Rondellus-Ringo as he aspires to joining the SMJHL to fulfill his dream of SHL fame.

cozydior · 04-03-2025, 02:57 PM

Growing up in a small town in France, Louis's parents owned a boulangerie (bakery). All throughout his childhood and early teens, his parents encouraged him to practice the art of baking and one day take over the family business. However Louis only had an eye on one thing in life, hockey. But for story's sake lets say he gave up his dreams to pursue hockey. At the age of 18, Louis was given a big responsibility in the bakery, he was promoted to pastry chef. Over time Louis would learn the ropes and began to hone his craft of making some of france's most delicious croissant. Years later Louis would be invited to the country's capital, Paris, to participate in the international croissant making gala, where he would go head to head against some of the globe's most talented pastry chefs. During the competition, Louis managed to finish in second place, which was a huge achievement for a boy from a small town. After finishing with the competition, Louis headed back to his home town of Aix-en-Provence where when he arrived he was treated like a local celebrity for his achievements in Paris. All this is what could have been if Louis Fontaine hadn't decided to put his full focus towards hockey and pursue a career as a professional player. Only time will tell to see what awaits this young frenchmen in the big leagues, but for now all Louis Fontaine can do is hope that his dreams can come true.

(251 Words)

Rokkat · 04-04-2025, 08:13 PM

As a child Jumbose yearned for the mines...
If his hockey career never took off Chitters would have gone into the business of mining new homes in the Seattle underground, or perhaps dig deeper for weird green glowing rocks...

Arkz · 04-05-2025, 12:21 AM

For Matteo St. Ark, it is difficult to imagine a life without hockey. As the son of a long-timed and sometimes-flamed professional player, hockey was just always something going on in Matteo’s life. It was omnipresent, from the day that he was born. But with that birthright comes the heavy weight of expectation. When you are the son of a professional player, the expectation is that you would follow in his footsteps and achieve heights at least comparable to the father.

If Matteo had decided that he did not want to take on that burden, he would instead do something on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. While his life has been dictated by the demands of athletics, Matteo has always had deep respect for academics, especially for kids as they grow. If he was not to pursue the professional hockey dream, Matteo would instead pursued teaching in his native country of Sweden. Being able to give back and help nurture the future to grow has always been an interest for Matteo, and he is somewhat fascinated by academic subjects he could not devote real time to growing up because of his athletic commitments. If he decided to give up this crazy dream of making a professional hockey team roster, he would instead commit to continuing his education, getting his certificates and becoming a teacher instead. Sometimes, on long bus rides to and from games, he imagines what that quiet and simple life would be like. He wouldn’t give up this chance at hockey stardom for anything, but sometimes he wonders “what if?”

matt · 04-05-2025, 06:32 PM

Joe Schmoe was always going to be doing something on or around the ice, but, growing up, he didn't always dream of being a hockey player specifically. Whenever the local lake froze over in the winter, he'd go out there with his friends, but he often didn't bring a hockey stick; he brought a camera. Film, digital, video, it never really mattered. He would take whatever was closest at hand and get out there to document every moment that he could of the local lake hockey scene. If he hadn't been asked to fill in for one of the regulars who was out sick one day, he'd still be doing that at whatever level he could get to, whether that's peewee hockey or the NHL. Higher skill level play obviously heightens the possibility of capturing a cinematic moment, but the core emotions of the game don't change, and that's what Joe has always wanted to capture. The playmaker's grin after threading a pass through three defenders to connect for a goal. The exhaustion back on the bench after an overlong shift. The team celly after a one-timer slammed home. The crushing defeat of giving up a goal in the final minute. Photos that capture the highs and lows of putting everything you've got into the sport were always Joe's goal, much more than getting the perfect shot of the perfect shot. This attachment to the energy of the game is what pulled him all the way in once he started playing it, but it would still be there if he didn't play, and he would still be rinkside, chasing those highs and lows.

(273 words)

TheWoZy · 04-05-2025, 08:44 PM

If Caline DeBine had not pursued his hockey career, then he would be probably working as a barista. He never had any other dream besides playing hockey for the rest of his life but he loves making coffee, that's he only other talent. His parents bought a espresso machine when he was a kid While other kids were playing video games, Caline was in the kitchen, frothing milk and perfecting his latte art. He would always be on YouTube and Tiktok to watch tutorial on making a tulip, heart and swan on the latte. He would probably enter a barista competition and win the tournament. He will still be competitive even it is not a sport. Then he would open his own coffee shop. It would be located close to the Patriotes arena so the players could get their hot drink before training or their match. If the coffee shop is a success, then he would probably open more shop near SHL and SMJHL teams arena. His dream would be to make a hot drink to every hockey player and get their autograph. Even if Caline DeBine wouldn't pursue hockey, he would still be a fan of the sport and would help the players and the communities.

*jeffie43* · Yesterday, 04:52 PM

[Image: greed_pt.png?ex=67f42fbf&is=67f2de3f&hm=...y=lossless]

Nour is pretty hot ngl

bfan8475 · Yesterday, 05:50 PM

If Helmfried Kunkel wasn't pursuing a career in hockey, he would most likely working for his dad's construction company most likely as an executive or manager. Helmfried wasn't that good at other sports so you could cross out the chance at trying out other sports. His dad who played soccer growing up realized that he was never going to be able to play in a top league, so he quit soccer to join his father's construction company. The company was started by Helmfried's grandfather decades ago and, under his father's management, had grown quickly throughout Germany. While Helmfried knew nothing about construction, his father had always promised him that he would show him the ropes if he ever joined his company, just like his father did to him. His dad would've started him out as a project manager and managing job sites while slowly increasing his responsibility. The goal would be for Helmfried to eventually join his father as a COO or CFO before eventually taking over the company when his father retires. When Helmfried was younger, his dad would frequently bring him to his job and let him see what he was working on. While his father pushed him hard to be successful at sports, he always found a way to somewhat involve Helmfried into his job in case he ended up wanting to join. While the job doesn't have the glitz and glamor of being a professional hockey player, Helmfried has always been lucky enough to have a backup plan set up for him if he ever couldn't cut it in hockey.

Astro · Today, 01:51 AM

***Scrufdaddy*** · Today, 02:37 AM

Written Option:
Before pursuing a career in hockey, Dana Katherine Celly was on track to become a medical doctor and a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She puts a lot of faith in science and scientific reasoning so she would probably serve as an effective foil to another highly skilled agent who has more of an open mind to the paranormal. They would be an unstoppable team when it comes to hunting down unexplainable mysteries because her skepticism would keep ground them in reality.

Her decision to become a special agent instead of a practicing medical doctor would have been motivated by the desire to distinguish herself in her career. This directly parallels her on ice history leading up to this SMJHL draft. She could have just focused on scoring goals, but she branched out to utilities like face-offs and screening to become an invaluable roster cornerstone. And when she formed a team with her partner at the bureau, she pushed him to be the best he could be, which again mirrors her on ice tendencies.

I think ultimately, she is lucky that she didn't end up in that field because she would always find herself in danger. Of course hockey comes with its own risks, but at least she can reasonably assess and control the situation. In her alternate reality, she would have to deal with aliens, cryptids, ghosts, and even shadowy government cover ups. She would have face-offs with Satan and have to fight through a screen over the truth to score a goal on her cases. At the end of the day, the truth is out there, but so are lies.

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