03-29-2020, 08:23 PM(This post was last modified: 03-29-2020, 08:23 PM by Gwdjohnson.)
The SMJHL season finally kicks off tomorrow, after we all got our first tastes of FHM in preseason last week. In the 7-game span of preseason, teams got a pretty good look into what to expect, and also who the key contributors are likely to be. How is your team looking ahead of this iconic new season, and who are gonna be the main pieces of your squads?
Task
Written option: Talk about how your team is looking ahead of the coming season. Include 3 players who will be key to the success of the team, plus an explanation why they will be crucial. (150+ words total)
Graphic option: Create a magazine cover style graphic with a headline for the team, plus a render for a key player on your team's squad. Make sure to identify which player the render is supposed to be in the graphic.
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.
03-29-2020, 09:49 PM(This post was last modified: 03-29-2020, 09:55 PM by SAwful.)
The Armada are coming off a very successful preseason and looking strong after falling short in a tough fought first game against the Kraken which resulted in some changes. It should be a very exciting season for what appears to be a well rounded Armada team with good depth and a scoring touch.
A few key players are contributing to that depth and scoring, both rookies and veterans alike.
Rookie Bork Lazer (@Frick_Nasty) has stepped up with a physically imposing defensive game not seen from any other draftee. Hits, blocked shots and grit define his play and his hard work is paying the team dividends. Keep an eye on his development!
Veteran and captain of the Armada, Mitchell van der Heijden (@bluesfan55), walks away from this preseason with the most points on the team. He seems to be zoned in on setting the league ablaze with his superb setup skills and scoring touch. At nearly 2 points per game in the preseason, he should continue to be electric.
Another important piece coming into the season will be Santtu Rasanen (@KenitohMenara). Rasanen lead the team through the preseason in goals and appears to have a hot hand. On any given night keep him on your radar as he's bound to be piling up goals for the Armada by the boat load. Pun intended.
Coming into this I want to highlight one player at each key position (C, W, D) to highlight. These are the three players that I personally believe will have the biggest impact for the Armada this season, and if these three players are all firing on all cylinders during a game I believe that we should win those matches more often that not.
Mitchell van der Heijden - Center: Mitchell van der Heijden (MvdH) is the offensive driver of the Armada's top forward line. During the preseason MvdH had multiple games wherein he scored two goals or more, and was always showing up in the play by play and the box score. MvdH is a big fish in a small pond, and he should be showing up on the stat sheet game after game for the Armada this season. He is the kind of guy who can steal a game for the team and can make highlight reel plays to drive the team to victory night after night.
Stan Hanson - Winger: Stan is an old bull for the Armada. He is a big, physical winger and his ability to go into the corners and against the boards and win puck battles will be invaluable for Anchorage. Stan is the type of player than can turn the tides of a game by laying one big hit or getting a hold of a puck at the perfect time to make a play. Along with MvdH Stan is probably the most potent forward threat that the Armada have, and he will be a problem for all teams, regardless of their quality, in this coming season.
Ulrik Bergstrom - Defense: Bergstrom is an impact player on both ends of the ice. He is an adept passer and has great vision, especially for a defenseman. On the defense he can block shots and his zone play keeps opposing players out of position and unable to get off good shots. Bergstrom's two-hundred foot game is going to be hard for opposing teams to keep up with, and Ulrik will have many games this season where he robs a great chance coming back towards his net to absolute sap the life out of the opposing team.
The Kelwona Knights are looking to be a sexy fuckin' bunch this season. Freshly drafted stallions Justin Keahi and Simon Takshak are going to bring that physical grit to the team. Banging bodies and getting in the dirty areas, that's what those two will do. They'll get it deep and always go hard, the type of players that arena't afraid to stick their noses where they don't belong. Cillian Kavanagh brings a chiseled, veteran look to the team. The elite goalie will be making sure to stop any back door shenanigans, and no one will be able to slip the five hole on him. He'll be expecting to face shot after shot after shot, gobbling up any rebounds that might pop out into those dirty areas. Seriously, look at the Knights to take it all this season. They'll be playing hard every night, looking to score every time.
The Knights are focused and ready for the season at hand. Having a really good preseason is what it is, but its the season that counts. Everyone is on board and ready to battle come puck drop tomorrow night and the rest of S53!
Honestly all teams must or need to improve to keep pace with the leagues best, but right now I don't see any real holes in our game and the LR is bouncing with confidence. We have great leaders and rookies throughout pushing and supporting each other day in day out.
Our captain Adam Scianna @RedCapeDiver is a great team leader and vocal part of our LR, he brings so much to the team, a force on both special teams and logs close to 25 minutes a night in any given game. Never out of position and knows when to activate as we see he never gets caught up ice with a +7 rating!
The man with the large pads Cillian Kavanagh @takethehorizon is the best goalie I've ever seen play. Poised and confident and why not? The guy is amazing at stopping pucks shown in his 0,940 sv% accompanied with a minuscule GAA of 1,81. He will be relied upon heavily as the go to guy and and I have no doubt he will deliver!
In my opinion both C-Ethan Duncan @mastersheep and LW-Jaska Seppala @Zombiewolf both will have their roles to play here to our road of success. Both posting identical numbers with 3 goals a piece and 6 points shows the depth the Knights have! A sound 2 way centerman and a force on the PK, averaging over 2 minutes on the PK per games. Ethan can shut you down offensively and hurt you on the scoreboard.
As for Jaska he is already establishing himself as the guy on the powerplay. Picking up half his points in that regard with 1 goal and 2 assists. He is going to put up some big numbers out there on the pp and that will benefit the team for sure and see a top PP in the SMJHL.
Justin Keahl. Simon Takshak. The bang bros. The goon squad. Those motherfuckers. Hopefully, thats what they get called. As it stands, however, they havent been pulling their rather hefty weight all too well as of late. Simon in particular is all too often a pylon on the ice, sometimes even seeming scared of committing to his hits.
Goddammit, why did the knights draft these two?
Simon is going to need to step his game up over the course of the season. If so, he and Keahl can terrorize enemy teams, who will have nightmares of Simon T coming in to wreck their season.
As for the rest of the knights? They're in a good spot. Captains Adam Scianna and Jaska Seppala will keep up their strong play on both sides of the ice, while Cillian Kavanagh will stop anything he can see - and by god i hope he can see everything or my next piece is gonna be about why we should buyout Simon Takshak.
Three players that will be critical to the success of Detroit this season will be A. Jobin, Thor Odinson and Jack Kanoff. In this list I've included two goalies as there is a significant likelihood that the backup, Odinson will spend time on the ice throughout the season to relieve and rest Jobin. While Odinson is a relatively unknown prospect, Jobin has had a good amount of time to settle in and get familiar with the rest of the team on and off the ice. Although Odinson, the prospect out of Norway has seemingly been signed out of nowhere, and with limited time on ice in the preseason, the team is expecting him to bring a second big body presence to the net. Jack Kanoff will be looking to make a big impact in his second season in the juniors, the attacking defender figured to play a large role on both ends of the ice in the upcoming season.
The Kelowna Knights are looking to have a terrific year, We've had some great games, a couple close ones ( lost by 1 goal with a couple minutes left 2 times! )
and will definitely be bringing a strong presence into this year.
Devin Williams - The promising rookie, the bottom-paired D-man, and the newest addition to the D-corps looks to have a breakout year and improve every
chance he can get. Already proving himself to be dedicated to his craft, and the team, he has put in hours to fine tune his skillset and instill a sense of
accomplishment and pride not only in his own eyes, but in that of the coaching staff as well.
Adam Scianna - A true team leader and a great player, The top paired d-man for Kelowna. He's a great mentor to his newer teammates, and always quick to speak up
about performances from his team, and recognizes when someone has a good game and let's them know. Definitely captain material, and even better friend material.
Cillian Kavanagh - The Brick Wall (I just made that up, someone let me know if it sticks? ) Kelownas new #1 Goal Tender, Crispy on the outside and warm and soft
on the inside, exactly what you'd want from a goalie. Definely someone you'd take a bullet for (Or a puck if you're being realistic) His postion as the goalie
and also having the A on his sweater, you know he means business and will always be a mentor for everyone who needs it. He's a beaut, enough said.
Even after coming off of a championship season, sending multiple defenders to the majors, and losing the team's first pick, the Anaheim Outlaws are poised for an excellent regular season - in no small part because of the following players!
Alex Petrenko @traphag is effectively our last veteran defender on the team - and he's stepped up to the plate as our leader effortlessly this season as us newbies learn the ropes. I've the fortune of being paired with him as the first pair (as a rookie, scarily enough). He has a clear veteran presence in the locker room and gives the lot of us pointers on positioning and subtle tips on choosing a body versus poke check specific to players he's played against in the past. Obviously he's helped me work on my passing skills too!
Next up is Separa Borro @Lyezech , our second-year goalie from Canada. I don't need to do much explaining for Borro, as plenty of others have already done so in media spots. But with Strom likely moving up to the pros in the next season or two, Separa has made a seamless adjustment to being our future number one and shown up with a fantastic save and goals against average in the pre-season.
There are plenty more that I think play an important role in our success this season, like our alternate captain Ethan Price and FA sign-on James LeBlond, but I think I'll name our captain Rhys Pritchard @notoriousTRON as having a slight edge - after all, he was named and announced as captain for a reason! He has a clear high-level vision of the rink and obviously has the wherewithal to find the open man (even if they're out of sight) so that our primary scorers can send it home. Rhys is very present in the locker room and serves as the ultimate level head for our team when rookies like me get a little too uppity.
With a record of 2-4-1 during the preseason, the Vancouver Whalers finished the preseason on a positive note with a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Raptors. Heading into regular season, the Whalers don't necessarily look like cup contenders; however, the team is going to play with passion and intensity. Being counted out early has made the team hungry for wins and is driving us to try to prove doubters wrong. This will certainly be no easy feat, especially with rookies expected to come up big this season, but the team is looking competitive. Key players in the team staying in the race include veterans François Breton and Sven Yxskaft, as well as rookie goaltender Cal Covid coming up big.
François Breton is one of the oldest veterans on the team and his offensive abilities are needed to score big goals when they matter. Breton certainly showed that he could this preseason as he had 3 goals and 6 assists, totaling for 9 points. The team certainly needs his skill and veteran leadership.
Another veteran on the team, Sven Yxskaft is the rock on the blueline with rookie defensemen Ryosuke Sato and Slimey Snail. Yxskaft had an amazing preseason with 2 goals and 7 assists. He also lead the team defensively which will be needed to shutdown the bigger guys on the other teams.
Although he is a rookie, Cal Covid needs to step up big this season. He already had glimpses of success during the preseason but needs to remain consistent throughout. Hopefully the defense core can help give him a break from time to time.
Win or lose, we will be supporting each other throughout the season. Watch out as we may be able to make some noise.
There's going to be a lot of pressure this season to repeat the success the Outlaws saw last season. After a Championship campaign which saw several departures to the SHL, the retooled Anaheim roster includes several new talents that should be up to the test of the attempted repeat season.
It takes a village to be a successful team, but let's focus on some key elements that will make this possible:
Alex Petrenko - The only real blue line veteran on this re-stocked roster, Alex is going to need to lead the way for younger talents like Emilia Bergman, Yompy Stearf and Andreas Stacks. There could be a fair amount of inexperience in this corp of Defense, which may require Petrenko to play flawless hockey most of this season. He looks up to the task.
Rhys Pritchard - The Captain winger played solid this pre-season, and will need to lead by example much more to accomplish the back to back feats. The UK Phenom has been seen providing tips to the rookie forwards Adriano Ippolito and Etan Merauk this pre-season, a good sign he's embraced his leadership role.
Separa Borro - The league knows all about Strom Chamberlain, perhaps the best the SMJHL has to offer between the pipes. What will matter is what Borro brings to the game when he gets the call. The Canadian butterfly style goalie has excellent positioning, and reads plays well. He's known for controlling rebounds quite well, which may be of tremendous importance this season with the inexperienced blue line in front of him. To have a player of Borro's caliber be your second option behind a top goaltender like Chamberlain, it's obvious this roster has an excellent chance to steal games from its netminders.
Our team still has work to do. We are underdogs going into the season. Players need to keep training. By the end of the season we will be ready to make impact and fight for the cup. We have a lot of rookies, so we just need the time to grow. I think that the most important player on-ice and off-ice both is going to be Jimmy Wagner. He’s just a beast. He really deserves the credit for all the off-ice work he’s doing. And his skating? Incredible.
Another important player is going to be Velveteen Dream. He creates a great dynamic duo with Jimmy Wagner in the offense. He is a star center of our team. You know he’s good, when he wears number one. He is also a defensive beast, he can do it all.
And last but not least is our goalie Frans Eller. In the pre-season he showed his ability to steal games. He saved us a lot on many occassions, and it’s great to have a goalie, that can hold your team, when it’s not performing well.
There are many more guys I can mention going into the season, but I think you will hear about these three the most.
Colorado Raptors will enter this season as a completely different bread! ''From nothing to something'' - that could be their moto. Raptors had pretty average pre-season, but after updates they will be ready to be a title contenders for sure. All their players will be needed on upcoming season, but who of them will play the bigest roles?
Samat Beibitzhanov - @Duff101
It's no brainer that goalie always have a big role on his team. Specially, if goalie are 450 TPE capped goalie at SMJHL. Fella will enjoy last few seasons on SMJHL and this will be his biggest season yet. He need to prove that he can help team at any moment.
Henrik Lundqvist Jr. - @FreakinAnime
Center position player from Sweden. Another one 450 TPE capped player who spends on SMJHL his last seasons. In his hands will be a lot - very important face-offs, different situations on ice. As a leader of this team, he will have a lot of things to prove. If he will not have that power to control this car, he will probably sit on backseats. There is a lot on him!
Bradley Barkov - @MarlinManiac4
Goalie, offense and defense. Bradley Barkov is best defender for Raptors at this moment. He is 350 TPE capped defender and he will play big role for Raptors this season. He will be main defender, which means that he will need to handle defense and help a lot new defenders, if they fail or make mistakes. He needs to be a good mentor for new defenders aswell.
Colorado Raptors are good team and they are ready for new season. I think every player for this team is needed and will be a key to success, but these three players already have needed experience, TPE and that chance to be leaders at this moment!
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