I don’t really think the redistribution will make much of a difference. There will probably be some small differences, but I think teams being more familiar with coaching strategies will be more important. We saw some teams figure it out a bit later than others, but eventually the standings looked more or less how people expected. The playoff and non-playoff teams have been pretty static for a while. I don’t see much changing. I think that New Orleans will be better, but again, more due to having a season of FHM experience under their belt. The only wildcard, to me, is San Francisco. They have a good enough roster to make the playoffs. Maybe they could be the team that will see improvements from changing up some builds. Their team is starting to age, so they need to get in gear and figure something out. I don’t think we’ll see much change in who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t, otherwise.



Flacko Lagerfield has a solid chance at some awards this season, and wouldn’t be a bad pick for the future. However, he should start to slow down at his age.I don’t know that he’ll be able to repeat that performance in the future. I think Emiko Spector could have a decent shot at some award winning seasons in the future. Edmonton has a system in place that really seems to work well for goaltenders. Spector was already one of the best goalies this season, and is still young with plenty of time to develop. I’d bet that with Edmonton’s defensive system, Spector will have a handful of McBride nominations, with a good shot at winning.



I think much like with the SHL, team roster strength will be the best indicator of how the team will do. Obviously teams like the USA and Canada are going to be quite strong. We could see those two teams dominate the group stage. I hope it isn’t too lopsided. That is no fun for anyone. I think the Czechs will also be good, as I know they’ve built a good group over time. I wish I was a little more familiar with the rest of the IIHF rosters, but I don’t really know who else will be strong. I’d really like to see the tournament come down to USA vs Canada in the final game. Like I said, I think they’re the two best teams, and I think it would be a fun game to watch. It’s also a bit selfish, because my player is American, although I don’t know if he’ll be on the roster this season or not.



S53 CW podcast 2 people, 8+ minutes.



I think the clear answer is Tony Pepperoni. He has been a monster for Edmonton. The thing that surprises me the most, is his shooting percentage isn’t even that good at 7.3% He could easily have 1 or 2 more goals added to his 20 points in 16 games. If Edmonton wins, he’s got to be the playoff MVP.


If this was real hockey, I think the answer is speed and acceleration. This is a video game, though. Simulating real hockey and winning in a video game are not the same at all. No other team has a roster like Hamilton, which is odd. I still go speed and acceleration though. It doesn’t make sense to me that a team so significantly disadvantaged in skating ability should be as good as they are.


Going just from playoff stats, I want Tony Pepperoni, Barrett Blackwood, and Hercules Rockefeller at forward. All three play well on both ends of the ice. Pepperoni obviously being the best offensively. On defense, I want Tor Tuck and Brady McIntyre. The two veteran mainstays on Edmonton’s blue line. Both are great in their own zone, and can provide some offense if needed. Lastly, Tommy Tuck at goalie. The decorated veteran in his final season is showing he still has some juice with a 0.951 save percentage splitting time with Spector.


In my experience, this question seems to come down to two things. Whether you’ve lived and extended period of time in a place where it snows a lot, and whether or not you like snow based activities. I have lived in places that snow heavily for most of life, and I don’t do anything that requires snow, like skiing or snowmobiling. I hate the snow. It is a pain in the ass. It makes driving a real chore. Snow removal sucks, even just a little. Snow can eat shit.