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S53 SMJHL PT #1 - Learning the Locker Room
#1
(This post was last modified: 03-29-2020, 02:28 AM by Gwdjohnson.)

Being a rookie can be tough--learning to fit in on a new team, finding your way around a new city, adjusting to the standards and expectations of a new league. Having the support and encouragement of your new teammates and other prominent locker room members can make all the difference.

Time for some team bonding!

Task

Written option: Reach out to a veteran in your locker room (either a senddown or an alum) and get to know them a little better. To get full credit, you must ask at least 3 questions (of them, or of their player). There is no word count for this task, but questions should require more than just a yes/no answer. Don't be shy, people will be happy to help you out and answer questions!

Graphic option: Create a magazine cover teasing an interview with you and a veteran player on your team. Must include 2 player renders and your team's logo.

Reward
4 TPE for doing the thing. (Just one, not both.)

Only S53 SMJHL Rookies (S54 SHL Rookies) are eligible for this PT.

Link PBE or NSFL submissions here to get credit for Welfare claims.

You cannot claim TPE for this PT until a post is made in the global claim thread.

Deadline
Sunday March 29th @ 11:59 PM EST

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#2

Thorbjorn Gunnarson decided that it would be pertinent for him to reach out to Jonas Larsen seeing as how he is a fellow Norwegian. He had considered reaching out to a different alumni, Gabriel Johnson, but when Gabriel answered the phone Thorbjorn was only able to hear depressed sobs and screams. He was able to deduce that Gabe was probably in a real bad place emotionally so he just hung up on him, like most everyone else in Gabe's life.

1. Jonas, what is something that I should do in my first week in Anchorage?

I can't tell you what you should do exactly, but I can tell you what I did. First things first I went out and got an apartment. You may consider just hanging out in the team-provided hotel room for a while to save on cash, but trust me it isn't the same. Having a living space to call your own with your own bed, your own food, etc. is something that gives you an instant sense of calm and security that a hotel room can't replicate. After that I would say that you need to go down to the practice rink and get friendly with the staff ASAP. If they know you and you're friendly with them it'll be easier for you to get extra ice time, a nicer locker, etc.

2. What is it like playing in front of the Anchorage home crowd?

Anchorage is something else, man. We don't have the most fans of all the cities out there, but they are passionate as all get out. When that barn gets rocking and the fans are jumping and screaming it's louder than any arena I've ever played in, professional or otherwise. I obviously wasn't on the ice for that Anchorage cup win, but being in the stands with the fans and just taking in that atmosphere it was one of the most profound experiences of my life.

3. What should I expect from the coaching staff in Anchorage?

The coaching staff up there in Alaska is one of the greatest groups of people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. They are patient, but they know when to push and in what direction. They're great at identifying strengths and weaknesses and either shoring up those weaknesses or bolstering those strengths. If you want to be set up for long term success both in the SMJHL and beyond there isn't another group of people I'd rather have in my corner.

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#3

asked @RedCapeDiver some stuff.

1: Would I beat @ImShiny in a fight, given a week to prepare? No weapons, the match takes place in my basement, standard ufc rules apply, but are enforced by a typical nhl ref meaning most if not all of them go uncalled. Shiny is wearing a mall santa suit.

So im going to go off what i have seen of both of you in the locker room.

I'd say you'd come out swinging and flashy
but @ImShiny always seems to come out in the big moments

So id have to say the fight comes down to a decision. and ill give it to you @GeckoeyGecko because your currently on Kelowna and i honestly dont really know who Shiny is

2: The fight is now in shinys basement, does this change the outcome? Also, the mall santa suit is rigged to blow in half an hour if shiny hasnt won by then, but he gets a nerf gun.

Well fuck, this swings in Shiny;s favor alot. Now gets home field advantage and a nerf gun.
I would have to say Shiny by submission in the 3rd round.
But you put up a good fight Gec

3: from where i sit in my basement, I can see a 'winnie the pooh mini storybook'. the cover features pooh hugging roo. Why do i still remember their names. Anyhow, predict the plotline of said mini storybook. it looks like its probably around 10 pages at most

Im guessing Roo got lost in some shitty forest and Pooh found them. The end


@Gwdjohnson gib bonus tpe or i riot

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#4

As a new player going to a newly moved franchise, I decided to have a conversation with Alex Roach. He's in his second year and was recently drafted into the SHL. He moved to Maine shortly after the teams relocation was announced. I figured since he had spent more time in Maine than I had and he is a fellow center that meeting with him 1 on 1 would benefit me and give me a chance to ask him a few questions.


With the team having just recently moved to Maine, how have you liked the new area and how was the move overall for you?

I've loved Maine since we have gotten here. It reminds me a lot of my home in Minnesota, very similar climate and the people are almost as nice. They are all crazy about hockey too, so I'm looking forward to playing in front of what I can only assume will be a raucous crowd.

This is your second season in the SMJHL, do you have any advice for a new incoming center about the league or getting acclimated to a professional game?

The biggest difference I've found with the professional game is how much more physical it is than high school hockey. Everyone is willing to hit you, everyone finishes their checks, and it wears down on you quick if you aren't prepared for it. You have to make sure you're keeping yourself in top physical form, otherwise you won't make it through the whole season. As far as any advice specific to centers, you gotta get a feel for each individual ref when you're lining up at the faceoff dot. Some will let you get away with more than others, and you gotta take every advantage you can.

The Timber are a young and upcoming team in the middle of a rebuild. How far off do you see this roster from competing for a Four Star Cup and who on this roster are you most excited to have here?

While I would love to compete for the Four Star Cup this year, and who knows what happens when the season starts, I definitely see us being real cup contenders as early as next season. All of the young players we have here are only going to get better. Who am I excited to have here? Sondergard seems like a great guy to have around the locker room so far. Dude is hilarious once you get past his thick Danish accent. You and Danke are going to be fun to have around as well. Competition for the center jobs will be tough, and it should push all of us to really refine our game and push us to be better.

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Thank you @Ragnar  for the Sig!
Previously: Patrick Shepherd (S52 - S64)
#5

PBE PT

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#6

As the young free agent McMahon made his way into the locker room for the first time, he ran across an alumni and former team captain Jean-Paul Boivin. He took a few moments to speak with the veteran about coming into the league before heading off to the equipment room to get his skates sharpened.


1. Are there any things that rookies should work on coming into juniors to help them boost their draft stock?
General Activity. Your potential GMs have ears everywhere. You show up and talk in your LR, that will get back into the scouting channel. So keep trying to give off positive impressions. That said, you don't need to worry about draft position. Do your best and keep updating. You will surpass a lot of your draft class by staying active.

2. Is there anything that should be noted about the managing style in this franchise?
ADM and Jax are great people. Jax will be more hands off right now due to his work, but ADM is doing his best to give his players the tools to succeed. He's also from Hamilton and tries to bring parts of that culture into the LR. Mainly the positive parts. Our management group has ties to TBB, EDM, HAM, and LAP. At least one of the VAN rookies will go there.

3. What is your go to pregame meal?
Jean-Paul Boivin eats poutine with beef gravy from La Poutine over on 109 St NW in Edmonton. It isn't the healthiest but it makes him strong.

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#7
(This post was last modified: 03-22-2020, 07:36 PM by JHS.)

I decided to reach out to my good friend and Maine alumni, @CementHands aka Karl Krashwagen, to see if he could answer some of the burning questions that Konrad Danke had about playing for the Maine Timber franchise.

Konrad: "Krash, I have very important question: on team dinner, what is your favorite food to order?

Krash: "Spaghetti, I love that shit. Could eat it for daysssss."

Konrad: "Yes, I agree, anyone who thinks that spaghetti is not god's gift to humanity surely has tastebuds not securely fastened onto their tongues. '
"Okay next question, Krash. Do you believe in Aliens, and if so how well do you think they'd do in the SMJHL?"

Krash: "Well, let me preface this by saying that I am definetly not an alien. I think they would do very well in the SMJHL, especially if they played for the Maine Timber, the greatest team. We're welcoming of all backgrounds, unlike those Newfoundland Berserkers."

Konrad: "Wow, strong words Krash. But I agree, I don't think they even have showers in the Newfie locker rooms, they all smell like feet. Okay, last question: If you could force any 3 SMJHL'ers into a game of skill and deception, say, I dunno, forcing them to draw their perfect day off, which three would you choose, why, and how would they do? "

Krash: "I'm glad you asked this question, Konrad. Firstly, I'd pick you, I feel like you're excellent at drawing and this task would not be stressful in any way, even if you were hacked. Next, I'd pick Kalashnikov. That man is suspicious and I want to see what his perfect day off would be. And 3rd, Steve. Fuck that guy, he should go out the airlock."

Konrad: "Wow, perfect answers, as always its been a pleasure, Krash."




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thanks @suavemente !
#8

I love this task! I obviously asked our captain. He loves us, we love him. I also got very comprehensive respones from him, so thanks for that! You are amazing sve7en!

Is there any chance we will play together on one line, and if so, what do you expect me to do on ice?
"There's a chance. We have an idea of what we want the lines to look like, and we're gonna start with Dwight with us, but I think we might test things out with different rookies on the line with me and Dream in the presesason. With him being such a good distributor and playmaker and my ability to make space, we have a void that can be filled by a dedicated shooter. This person would mostly be looking to play off our positions, making space for me to attack and making the defense focus on their potential to get a one timer. You have those abilities, but it might leave us weak in front of the net, since you don't have the size and strength to screen and harass defensemen."
How does the coach deal with bad performances?
"The staff is really good about that actually, even more so with rookies. It's rarely considered a player's mistake, unless they just failed to execute in the moment. Issues with performance are usually considered a mistake on the leadership side of things where they didn't put people in the best opportunity to succeed."
What's the best place around here to eat, and what type of food would you suggest specifically?
"Carolina is pretty popular for barbecue, and Charlotte is pretty good specifically. You should definitely check out Midwood Smokehouse. Eric Hudson from St. Louis grew up here and recommended it to me once when we were talking. I've been a few times, and took Dream once or twice, we both love it there. The meat is well cooked and their sauce is phenomenal."

Kraken Kraken Kraken Kraken Kraken
Love you sve7en!
Kraken Kraken Kraken Kraken Kraken

Doing a podcast, ask me any question: HERE
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Thanks to @caltroit_red_flames and @sve7en for these amazing sigs!

#9
(This post was last modified: 03-22-2020, 10:18 PM by MyLittleHexx.)

For this task, I asked alumni and former Kelowna front office member @Zoone16 .

The first question asked was what the biggest highlight of your career or time with the SHL has been?
For Zoone, being able to spend his entire career with West Kendall Platoon was one of the best highlights. Honestly I can back this answer, my time with the Platoon was good, even though I [Hexx] was prick during it. The locker room back then was a good bunch of people, and it's always an accomplishment to be able to spend your entire playing career with one team.

The next question focused on who Zoone saw as mentors in the beginning of his SHL time.
EJ & Jenny were the mentors for Zoone.

The final question was: if you could relocate and rebrand one team, SHL or SMJHL, what team would it be and why?
Zoone answered that he would want to rebrand the Carolina Kraken to the Carolina Reapers. He did mention that he would like to see a Montreal expansion team in the SHL, but said that there wasn't any team that he wanted to relocate.

Sven Holmberg

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Player Page | Update Page





#10

Just as I was walking out of the Prospera Place arena gym, an alert flashed on my phone about this PT thread. Wouldn't you have it, I walked face to face with an "X" Kelowna great, D-Clint Eastwood @Clint Eastwood Already have seen him a couple times around but never had the courage to approach him until now! I asked if had time in his busy schedule if he would do me the honor to fulfill this task.

Q-1- Thanks a lot for doing this and taking the time out of your day, so what season did you start your great career in?

I joined at the S34 trade deadline (afterwards) so that was towards the end of the season. That was early May in 2017. I think May 5th. That's a guess though.

Q-2-S34 to S52 long 18 season career, which was your best/favorite highlight of your career?

Winning a gold medal with the U.S was pretty hype. I forget which season we won the gold medal but "Trella" and "Duder" were in charge of the team at the time and they're two of my closer friends on the site so sharing a gold medal with them was pretty sweet.

Q-3- Nice accomplishment, congrats on the Gold medal, lastly any advice to give a new user/player beginning their careers?

Just have fun with it. Don't overly worry about earning the most TPE possible. I'd do play by plays for the TPE (and money too I believe) and they were like a school assignment.
if you want to be a top earner, just don't burn yourself out. Also avoid any and all drama if possible. Just view it for entertainment. Try and stay out of it though.

There you have it, a Knights alumni, #74 a great stay at home d-man, a US gold medalist Mr. Clint Eastwood. Thank you very much for your time and effort today.

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#11

RabidspongeYesterday at 4:39 PM
1) As a rebuilding SMJHL team, what are some tips you could give to keep spirits up as the season goes for the new Draftees?
2) How excited do you feel to have so many new faces in the locker room and some general SHL advice you could give? (money earning, TPE tasks, community engagement)
3) What would be some realistic goals as a new player for personal expectations?


FaelaxYesterday at 5:29 PM
1. The one thing to remember when you are playing on a rebuilding team is that the best days are still ahead of you. You have to start from the bottom in order to reach the top and lift the cup. Working your way through what could be a down year or two will be worth it in the end.

2. Maine was already a fairly young team, and we got much younger with the addition of some great talent at the last draft. I'm so excited to see all these new faces grow up as hockey players and I hope we get lift the Four Star Cup before we all leave. As far as advice, creating media pieces is very important, as you need money to keep the training coming, since training is the easiest way to pump up your TPE.

3. At the end of the day, your biggest competitor is yourself. The goal is to do better than you did the day before.

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#12

Just a few days after being drafted, new Outlaw Emilia Bergman reached out to former Outlaw Colin Gibbles and current captain Rhys Pritchard for their opinions on adjusting to the SHL/SMJHL. She also asked a few more questions regarding their own draft, surprises, and her own most recent class.

1. What was your first reaction to being sent to a team named the "Anaheim Outlaws?"
Colin Gibbles (CG): "My first reaction was excitement. When I was drafted in the onset of S45, Anaheim was 1 of 2 brand new expansion teams so I was really stoked to get in on the ground floor of a new franchise. I was apprehensive about how active I would be in the league but I really took to the LR after being drafted."
Rhys Pritchard (RP): "Well I had never followed SMJHL or heard of the Anaheim Outlaws so my first reaction to being drafted here was I immediately felt like I was ready to steal something. Like a Four Star Cup. Which we then did last year!"

2. What was the most difficult part about adjusting to the SMJHL (or SHL in general)?
RP: "Well hockey is hockey. The bigger adjustments for me were off the ice. The time change is rough because it's harder to talk to my family back home and I can't find a good cup of tea to save my life around here."

3. How did your first experience with the Outlaws differ from, say, your first SHL locker room?
CG: "My first experience with the Outlaws was a complete tonal difference from getting drafted to Minnesota. Anaheim was full of brand new faces and we had a lot of people finding their legs in the SHL. The Chiefs LR was more relaxed in ways but also felt on a different level. I had 2 other Outlaws drafted to the same team which helped but it was a lot of unfamiliar faces that took some time to adapt to."

4. Speaking on drafts - anyone from your class that surprised you?
(GM SpartanGibbles): "Well the S46 SHL class is the biggest in history but there were tons of surprises. From the Outlaws we drafted Segi at 70th OV and he then went on the be drafted high in the first round. Plenty of top tier talents also decided to retire or went Inactive after only a few seasons. Another unusual case was Jerry Mander who decided to retire as a SMJHL player after playing 5 seasons for Anaheim and swapping from Forward to Defense midway through their playing career."
RP: "I think there are a couple. One of them is in the locker room with us. Strom was picked in like the 4th round or something like that in what was considered a shallow class. So for him to be on the career trajectory that he's on is a testament to his work ethic. He went from 4th rounder in the SMJHL draft to 6th overall in the SHL and looks like one of the best goalie prospects out there."

5. What about this most recent SMJHL draft class? (stipulated to Pritchard only: can't choose current Outlaws!)
CG/SG: "This class is an unusual one in that it's the first one to be completely after the STHS era. The J draft is also much harder to nail down as many players are brand new to the league. There are some obvious recreates that hold high value but just as when I was Anaheim GM, I am more interested in the First Gens like yourself. Some that have really stood out other than you in my experiences are Daniel Laforest, AJ Patella, and William Lockwood."
RP: "The honest answer is that I just don't know a lot about these guys yet. If I had to pick a non-Outlaw I'd say that I've been hearing Daniel Laforest's name a lot as someone who could do some big things. But he was taken at 7th overall so I don't think you can call him a surprise"

Thanks a ton to both @SpartanGibbles and @notoriousTRON for offering their insight and time!

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Thanks @Amidships!
#13

Richard Majors got to sit down with Elizabeth Doyle (@evok) and ask her a couple of questions on what he should expect making the move from New Jersey out to St. Louis and being a professional for the first time.

RM: Elizabeth, How is it living and working in St. Louis? Is it easy to get around and have things to do during the down time?

ED: I came from Galway in Ireland, it's a much more smaller town than St-Louis is so i always find something to do during my downtime. There's so many places to explore!

RM: Interesting, Are the fans easy going? Am I going to get bombarded with boos if I let in an early goal or are they going to have my back and understand the early mistakes?

ED: The fans can be kind of hardcore, but they are amazing. There's some night last year where i was just getting shelled but I holded on thanks to them. As long as you don't let in a goal from the Falcons, you should be good to not get booed too much.

RM: Finally, what is the one thing you wish you knew before you started playing in St. Louis? The one thing that would have made your life so much easier, that you would have liked to have gone back and told your rookie self.

ED: Don't give up, keep going, you'll reach your potential over time. I saw too many of my fellow player give up and almost gave up myself. It's more for you than for me honestly but I think it's also good for everyone in the league. In case of doubt, talk with a veteran and they'll help you out a hundred percent of the time.

RM: Elizabeth, thank you for helping me get to know you and the city a little better.
#14

I decided to talk to Eko Van Otter to get some insight into the locker room in Anchorage. Heres what I asked him:

1. What is your advice on getting along with the guys in the locker room? 
2. What are the best spots to hang out after a game in Anchorage? 
3. What is your favorite story from our locker room?

And here were his responses:

1. I would say just be present! Our locker room is the most active in the whole league so there's always something going on. Ask for help, ask for advice, send pictures of your dogs, talk about something completely random - doesn't matter, you'll get responses no matter what you want to talk about! 
2. I don't really hang out at local bars I just go off into the woods and hang out with the moose, it's not for everybody but it's my personal preference in terms of local friends. 
3. Ahhhhh damn so many to pick from. More of a theme than a story but I'll say my favorite is how much support we have for and how much we rally behind SHL Legend Cameron Carter II.

I am definitely excited about the love for each other we have and the way I've been welcomed into the locker room already. Also super stoked to hang out with some moose post game.

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#15

NSFL welfare

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