03-22-2020, 04:20 PMGwdjohnson Wrote: 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
Lockwood:
So let’s get this interview started lol How long have you been a part of the SHL?
Evok
i've been in the SHL for close to three years now. Elizabeth Doyle is currently my second player in this league.
Lockwood Damn for that long wow That’s awesome Okay so want made you get into the SHL, like did you have a friend in it or something like that?
Evok
My coming to SHL is actually kinda funny, in my opinion. Twice a year, we do a Reddit recruitment draft. One in winter and one in summer. Four year ago, i had saved the reddit thread of the league with the intention of checking it out but gave up cause it was looking complicated. Three year ago, i was browsing my saved post and found it again, so i decided why not try it for real. Interestinly enough it end up being at the same time at the yearly reddit recruitment. So i ended up in a reddit draft but not coming in that year post.
Lockwood
That’s actually funny you found it again like what are the odds lol Evok
They arent really high lol, so it's something i like telling to other people. After that i invited many other players in the league directly or indirectly. Lockwood So you brought in a couple guys too ? So I guess last question are you pretty familiar with a lot of guys on here cause you’ve played so long?
Evok
So yeah i know a lot of people around the website, i see some come and go, but i know people especially in my old teams like the New England Wolfpack, the Edmonton Blizzard and the New Orleans Specters. And of course currently Saint Louis Scarecrow and Buffalo Stampede
Lockwood: I’ve heard a lot of teams have changed over the years, like how many teams do you think have relocated over the years
Evok well counting the smjhl its 4, without it's 2
Hello, This is Devin Williams.
I'm here with Kelowna Alumni - David Vent, He is here to answer some questions for us today.
1) As a player, What advice would you give to someone that is trying to make an impression right from day one.
David: I would say just get to know people. Trying to get to know your teammates and management really helps people get to know you. Also making friends and connections is really helpful for later on in your career
2) What number ranking did you go in your first draft, Why do you think you went where you did, and given your career (and a time machine) do you think you'd have gone higher or lower should the draft happen today.
David: oh shit I'm not sure what number but i went in the 4th round. I went there because i wasn't very active and didn't know anyone. Also I wasn't the most active member either so I did not have high tpe. Looking back I think i should of went higher since I'm a 1,000 tpe player and I'm 29th in my class for tpe.
3) Do you feel, during your time with Kelowna, you had much support in order to reach the goals you and the coaching staff had set for you?
David: Kelowna was super support of me. They were always open to hear what i wanted to do and helped as much as they could to get me there. The management was super easy to talk to and was able to give me advice to best help me reach my goals
3a) Do you have any comments for up-and-comers that may not have been included in this brief interview?
David: I just wanna say good luck to Kelowna. I'm always rooting for you guys and I hope to see you guys win it all this season!
Thank-you very much for your time today David, Go Knoots.
David: no problem! Good luck this season! I'll keep my eye on you guys
To me, the best way to form bonds with your teammates is via classic locker-room pranks. As I was planning my first-ever prank as a Raptor (I was trying to get into the coach's office to change his computer's background to a picture of a very scary raptor), someone caught me redhanded. I had to smooth talk him and ask him about his prank experience :
"Hey man, what's the best prank you've seen a player pulled on another in the locker room?"
He answered :
"I watched our Captain, Troy McClure III, load up Scottey Crawfling's, who was our goalie at the time, car full of popcorn, which is a classic, but he raised it a level by throwing in that good cheddar popcorn so Scottey was finding cheese dust everywhere for months."
I thought it was hilarious, so I asked him for further inspiration:
"What's a prank you would really want to see someone pull this year?"
He considered the question for a bit, then finally answered vaguely:
" I'd love to see someone use the puck freezing machine in some way, not sure how, but I think it's a fun one that I haven't figured out how to use yet."
This answer was pretty unsatisfying, so I decided I would pull a prank on him too. To be sure that I would get him good, I asked him cunningly :
"What's a prank your teammates should definitely not try to pull on you because you would absolutely see it coming, and why?"
He answered, without skipping a beat :
" The classic choice that I would always see coming is to grab peoples clothes while in they're in the shower. That one would never work against me since I always have an extra set or two stashed around the rink. "
With that, he left. I promptly abandoned my plan of pranking the coach to find all of this guy's hidden clothes. I searched for a good 4 hours without finding anything before a maintenance worker told me that this man was none other than Alex Winters, an alumni who had came for his annual summer visit of his old team's installations. I still searched for a few hours in case the maintenance worker had been paid off, but finally gave up when I saw a framed picture on the wall, which showed Winters' face and the timepan during which he had played for the Raptors.
Colorado Raptors locker room have some great atmosphere and some great players. One of team is Sven Svenson - veteran, who probably will soon be called up to SHL. Today, I asked him few questions to know him and our team better.
Question: You have very big experience in SMJHL. What is the moment from SMJHL that you will remember forever? Your best moment? Svenson: I think the best moment for me is still being drafted. I'll never forget seeing my name called and having @hhh81 invite me to the locker room and get the warm welcome from rest of the team. I skipped in the draft which was frustrating, but I wanted to end up in Colorado, so I was happy how it all worked out.
Question: How you felt when you joined Raptors? Was teammates and coaching stuff friendly and helpful? Svenson: Everyone was really helpful and welcoming when I joined. I had a lot of advices about how to build my player into the archetype I wanted and as the season went on, it was really fun to discuss our results with the group.
Question: As a veteran - is there any advice for a newbie like me? Svenson: My advice is to take it all in stride and just keep having fun. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and it will all work out.
Question: If you would have a chance to play forever in SMJHL and never get called up - would you do it? And why? Svenson: No! I do want to move up to the big league at some point, but I am happy staying down in the SMJHL for a long time. I want to win a cup with the Raptors for my teammates and GM!
Question: Which thing you will miss the most from Raptors teammates, locker room or SMJHL by itself when you will be on SHL? Svenson: I'll miss the most playing with fresh face rookies and the experience of seeing them develop on the ice. I plan to stick around the LR as an alumni and continue to help the team however I can.
Thank you, @LordBirdman , for answering to questions and helping me with answering to questions!
1) What do you like most about being a co-GM?
2) What advice can you give to a rookie just joining this league?
3) What are your expectations for the Carolina Kraken this season?
1) I love being able to be hands on with a team and getting new members accustomed and excited for the SHL is really satisfying for me. To see a new member get off their feet and really get the hang of the league and become a star is awesome and it's one of the best feelings as a GM.
2) Earn at your own pace. Not everyone is going to earn every single TPE they can. Don't beat yourself up for missing some and do what makes the league fun for YOU. Don't do so much that you burn yourself out. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
3) After losing so much of our team to callups, I expect us to struggle out of the gate. However, with the size of our rookie class, if everyone does their part in earning TPE and progressing their player, we should only get better and we should have a pretty solid squad towards the end of this season and going into next.
Being lucky enough to have a strong Alumni presence in Carolina, I decided to take current Tampa Bay center Michael Fitted out for some steaks and learn a little bit about his time in Carolina.
Dwight: How was your SMJHL draft/SMJHL experience?
Michael: I was taken on waivers for SMJHL draft, I joined late. But.....found the greatest home in fuckong Montreal and Carolina.
Dwight: What are some differences between the SHL and SMJHL; do you have a preference between the two?
Micheal: Gonna find out real soon if SHL comradery is as good as it was here, but I'll let you know once my first season is done!
Dwight: What's your favorite beverage or vice to unwind with?
Michael: Water/coffee/alcohol/can we put LSD in these drinks?
Dwight: I'm sure we can put whatever we want in those drinks, thanks for giving me insight in to the brotherhood that is the Carolina Kraken.
Decided to catch 2nd season Forward, Santtu Rasanen (@KenitohMenara ) , after a practice one day. He is the most vocal 2nd season player we have on the roster so wanted to get his opinion on a few tips on how to fit into the lifestyle of the SMJHL and in particular being part of the Armada.
1) What are your suggestions on the best things to do in Anchorage?
Honestly? Take the nature tours. I know it sounds stupid but I didn't know anything about Anchorage before I stepped off the plane. My linemates took me around the place and I was amazed by all the nature that was here. The northern lights tour is something I'll never forget. Alaska is a beautiful state with a lot of amazing things to see. You can plot out great running routes just about anywhere as well.
2) Favorite NHL Player growing up and why?
It might be a bit cliche but Teemu Selanne. The finest player (in my opinion) Finland has ever produced and also one of the best goal scorers ever to play the game. He was just such an electric talent that it no matter where he went, he would light the lamp. Just watching his highlights are fun!
3) Whats your opinion on the management at Anchorage and how could I get on their good side the best?
The GM and the head coach are good people. Friendly people too. They run a tight ship (heh) with the Armada and they give plain and honest advice. Want to get on their good side? Work hard! Do your training, make sure updates are on time and do the extra tasks for TPE. They can direct your development but only if you get the TPE up. Also, and this is just a regular thing, don't be an ass about things
Thanks a ton Santtu for showing me the ropes and giving me some great tips!
Recently got the chance to sit down and chat with Vancouver Whaler's left winger William Hartmann (@"thecanadiancanuck"). Got the opportunity to ask him a couple of questions about the league and other things.
How would you describe the Vancouver Whalers as a team, its locker room, and its management?
I think there’s a lot to like here in Vancouver. The team has a pretty good mix of veterans and alumni from previous seasons as well as several active rookies, and the locker room is really popping so far. The GMs did a great job of finding talent in this last draft class and I think we can really surprise some people this season with the rookies as they keep developing.
What would you say is your favourite moment so far in the SMJHL?
It would probably be the day when I was drafted 7th overall by Vancouver. I had gotten a little bit of buzz, but most of the SMJHL mock drafts had me going somewhere in the second round. The Whalers didn’t have a second-round pick, so while I had talked to them as part of the pre-draft interview process I wasn’t expecting to actually end up there. I am a lifelong Canucks fan, so it was a dream to be taken by the team from the same city I grew up cheering for. It’s also been great to prove that their decision to select me at 7th overall was the right one.
What's your advice for me as a rookie in the SMJHL?
Honestly, just have fun with it and enjoy the ride. The nice part about being a rookie is that you get a lot of TPE that you can put straight into stats and watch your player visibly improve throughout the season. Interact with your fellow rookies in the rookie class Discord too - some of them will probably end up becoming your teammates! Everyone boosts each other up on draft day and is congratulating each other when they get picked, and it’s a really fun time.
Lightning Round Favourite breakfast cereal?
I’d say Froot Loops, because colours.
Best show you've ever watched?
Easily Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The actors are basically playing themselves as characters so the acting is really good, and the writing is great. They handle serious topics well too.
Would you rather play goalie with skater's equipment or be a skater with goalie's equipment?
I think I’d prefer to be a skater with goalie equipment. We’ve got some guys with really hard shots in the J, and I don’t want to be guarding the net with skater pads for those.
Thanks William Hartmann (@"thecanadiancanuck") for answering these questions!
I asked former Kraken and current Dragons LW prospect Joseph Weston some questions about his run in juniors, the draft, and memorable experiences:
Friedland: What is the highlight of your SMJHL/SHL career thus far?
Weston: There's been some great moments that make it hard to choose, but winning back to back Four Star Cups was an amazing experience that's hard to top
Frieland: Cool man, well said - Second question: if you could rebrand the Carolina Kraken, what would you change their name to? What colours would you use for their uniforms? - or have the kraken perfected the "look" with their black and orange?
Weston: I think the name is fantastic, I wouldn't change that one. My only thought might be changing around the coloring of the uniforms, but even those are great in my eyes too
Definitely stick with the black and orange though
Friedland: Well, Those uniforms are synoymous with the winning culture for sure! - One more question: When you were drafted to the big leagues, did it go as you'd hoped/planned - Did you get drafted sooner or later than expected?
Weston: Oh man, it went better than I could've hoped for. Esa and I talked a ton prior to the draft and we both knew I had to end up in Calgary which is a whole story on it's own. We planned on them traded up to grab me in the draft if I was still there at 11, but then on draft day they also managed to grab Alexei Rykov at 12 right after me. I was thrilled at being able to take the ice with one of my favorite Kraken teammates in the big leagues
03-25-2020, 06:06 PM(This post was last modified: 03-25-2020, 06:07 PM by Skeleton Party.)
[Applause in background as a camera zooms in to Cal sitting at a desk on a TV set]
Cal: Welcome back to Quarantine Quips with Cal Covid (fake television chuckle). Haha alright settle down settle down. Next up we have a guest who is an alumni of a team that is near and dear to my heart, mostly because they just gave me millions of money. Recently graduated from the Vancouver Whalers, please welcome White Goodman!
[Losing Horn from The Price is Right plays]
Cal: Haha fire that sound guy am I right?
[Cal gives finger guns to Goodman as he walks across the stage]
Cal: Howdy howdy howdy, how are you tonight White?
Goodman, visibly confused: Uh…good, it’s good to be here.
Cal: It sure is, chief! So tell me White, you know, I’m brand new here and all, and I just don’t quite have a feel for the city…so what’s the atmosphere like playing here in Vancouver?
Goodman: It’s pretty cool. The Alumni help out a lot. The thing with the SMJHL is the turnover rate is high. Between the SMJHL draft and the SHL draft and call ups, there’s always a lot of movement and the average player stays in the J about 3 seasons. So having people like the Alumni around keeps the activity going, and the fun stories flowing.
Cal: Cool…cool. I’ve noticed there’s a lot of alumni lurking around the locker room, and they seem to have plenty of stories to tell. Speaking of stories, what is your fondest memory of playing in Vancouver?
Goodman: Here I will go to the very night I was drafted to Vancouver. I had been in the locker room maybe 10 minutes. We had a user whose name I forget now but he targeted me right off the bat. His exact words we “Hey Jayhawk, more like Gayhawk.“ I didn’t think much of it to be honest. I was an SHL co-Gm, just came off of being a co-GM and GM in the SMJHL so guys like this were a dime a dozen, the locker room however erupted and all hell basically broke loose. The guy said he would write and release a manifesto of everything in the locker room and so on and so on. In the end nothing happened on his end other than disappear into obscurity lol. It was by far my fondest memory. I started something huge by just being drafted.
Cal: Whoa-ho spicy! I’ve had nations shut their borders and come up with emergency plans to keep me out, but I don’t know of a Covid Manifesto! You got a leg up on me there! Now, from that story it seems like everyone is pretty close knit. It’s pretty daunting to me, as a rookie, to come up with interesting things to say when I don’t know a whole lot about the league. Do you have any advice for a rookie who is trying to learn more about this league?
Goodman: When I was new to SHL someone told just write about anything hockey. Make it up and in time everything will come together. So I did just that. I made stuff up about my players back story, things that happened in the Locker room even though it never did. Or had a different take on certain things. In time. You learn the people on site and you develop relationships that allow you to have a certain persona with other people and everyone knows it’s in good fun…. Unless it’s not meant to be.
Cal: Awesome, awesome, just focus on me. I’m pretty good at that. While you’re dealing out dank advice nugs, is there anything you learned while playing in the SMJHL that you wish you had known at the beginning of your stint?
Goodman: When I first created in SHL I had no idea what I was doing and I listened a lot to people who were veterans. The second time around I built Goodman more to what I had learned and my results were so much better. I realized the importance of a balanced build over a specialized build. Made a world of difference.
Cal: Incredible advice. Maybe I shouldn’t have dumped all my energy into learning Mental Toughness. Just kidding! I’m good at everything because I do steroids.
[A crash comes from backstage, where an audible “FUCK” is yelled]
Cal: Haha! Interns hitting the sauce early tonight! Speaking of that…final question. Vodka in the waterbottle, yes or no?
Goodman: As a goalie, Vodka, all the time. Not reason not to. Even the refs will take a swig here and there.
Cal: Haha that’s a relief. I haven’t had a drop of water since One Direction broke up. Alright Mr. Goodman, I want to thank you for coming on Quarantine Quips! We’re gonna hear from our sponsors real quick. Be right back!
[Camera awkwardly stays on Cal for about 10 seconds, sound completely silent, then the first 2 notes of Losing Horn plays before cutting to black]
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