07-22-2020, 12:09 PM(This post was last modified: 07-27-2020, 03:36 AM by Smiley.)
Ready for grading: 3,500 words total
WELCOME to Live From the Citadel, the new Quebec City based talk show that will be covering all things SMJHL and Citadelles. How will this work? At the beginning of each week (typically Monday but timing is off for this week due to the need to create graphics and prepare my idea) I will make this post in the SMJHL Media section, detailing the weekly articles that I'll be writing. Underneath the initial post, I will have all five of the weekly articles outlined with a spot open for when I reply to this topic with that article. I'll be releasing articles every day from Wednesday-Sunday, and then giving myself time to reset on Wednesday and Tuesday. These articles will be between 500-1,000 words each so I don't need to take too much time to accomplish it. Any mentioned users will be tagged, and each day's article will come with it's very own cover art, allowing a visual aid to each story. These covers take me absolutely no time to make, although the jersey swap on the first one was fairly difficult if I'm being frank. I really look forward to undergoing this project, and I hope to see you all later tonight with our debut article; The New Wave: Alexander Roach
Thanks, Max
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents Article #1 - The New Wave: Alexander Roach (@Faelax) Reply - https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid2876105
07-22-2020, 08:10 PM(This post was last modified: 07-26-2020, 12:20 PM by Smiley.)
The New Wave: Alexander Roach Week 1: Article #1 Word Count: 750
It's a whole new world in the Simulation Major Junior Hockey League. With expansion having come and gone and two new franchises, the Quebec City Citadelles and the Nevada Battleborn having risen, there is a whole new landscape for teams to play around within this season. For many players, it's an opportunity at a first start on a whole fresh team where their impact will be something of history. For some though, it's a final shot at redemption. One of these players is Alexander Roach of the Quebec City Citadelles, a player who many assume will be wearing a letter on the young squad this season.
Roach is a fourth year SMJHL player, having spent one season with the Halifax Raiders before they rebranded into the modern day Maine Timber. Roach then moved on to the Citadelles through the expansion draft, being a special conditional player to help the team in their inaugural season. Roach has direct ties to the Citadelles through it's head general manager, and will have a guaranteed first line spot on the team amongst fellow veteran wingers. The big question that many teams are asking though, is if Roach can handle the sudden pressure of being the sole real veteran presence on a roster that will have an overarching rookie mechanic.
One of five forwards returning for a veteran season on the squad, Roach won't be alone in his job. Having players he's seen around the league before will help him adjust to his new role as a leader on the squad, and it won't be long before he is accompanied by hungry new young players. While they may not get the opportunity to slot in on the first line with him, he'll likely share power play and penalty kill time with a few young guys. Most notably, this could be first overall S55 SMJHL draft selection Zdenko Baranek, a talented right winger with an urge to the offensive side. The two could be the perfect couple Quebec City is looking for, and with Roach to act as a mentor, Baranek should develop quite nicely into a franchise forward from the wing.
When looking over Roach's previous performances in the league, we are able to create a pretty solid image of what to expect from the talented center. Roach played a small role for the Raiders in his rookie season, only contributing 14 points, but a solid number for a player who spent most of his season on the third line. His physical game was actually quite strong, especially for a rookie, a demographic that typically consists of timid young boys trying to be men. Moving into his sophomore year though, Roach failed to exceed his numbers from the previous year in a fashionable way. Despite an extra minute and a half of ice time per night, his point total only increased by 2 for a total of 16 on the season. It wasn't until last season with the Maine Timber that we truly saw Roach come into his own, scoring a solid 32 points as a third year player with eighteen minutes a night. The combination of working with higher talented players and more ice time was a strong indicator for his success, and creates the issue many see today.
In terms of production, Roach is expected to take a step back. Moving from a top line position with a solid team and good players around him into a young roster full of uncertainty and a lack of depth, Roach will need to bring his A-game every night in order to plausibly think he could reach a higher standard than his previous 32 point campaign. The jury isn't out on him quite yet, but Roach will have to do a lot in order to prove to the SMJHL, and more importantly the SHL, that he is ready for a position of leadership. We here in Quebec hope to be pleasantly surprised by Roach's performance this season, but won't be abashed if he struggles due to the core around him.
Thank you for tuning in tonight to our debut episode of "Live From the Citadel"! I'm so happy to get this series going, and more excited to announce that we may be featuring other users as writers throughout the coming weeks! I want this to be a platform of team spirit and canon talk, and I'm very happy to have the support of my team mates at this time. Thanks again, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Building a Franchise: Oisin Fletcher Week 1: Article #2 Word Count: 750
Many consider fighting the odds that are at play when building an elite level hockey franchise to be completely weighted in the favor of budgetary balancing and geographic intrigue, but for one man, the world was wide enough. Oisin Fletcher, who makes up half of the inaugural managerial team for the SMJHL's expansion Quebec City Citadelles undertook this burden earlier this week when he began setting up the core that would build the foundation and history of his franchise for years to come. With not only the expansion draft, but also the entry draft to worry about, Fletcher had a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders and voices in his ear as he went about the difficult task of forming a competitive roster from what many call the "scraps" of the SMJHL. Through careful selection and a future forward plan though, Fletcher may just have found his sweet spot.
The first matter of business was acquiring a player of which the team could be built around. For the Citadelles, this player came in the form of Alexander Roach, veteran Maine Timber center and a strong two way player who displayed excellent leadership qualities both on an off the ice. It was a no brainer for Fletcher and the Citadelles, and with a talented group of wingers to surround him, Roach would do just fine. The veteran foundation of the team was quickly built up through the expansion draft as he added an additional center to fill out the second line role in Sven Gunnar, and obtaining the talented Ryan Rieley to take on the heralded first line forward role alongside Roach. Fletcher had a clear plan heading into the expansion draft; load up on offensive talent and let the rest of the roster settle in over the next year through a diverse and dedicated young rookie group.
It worked out perfectly. The draft came and went, and the Citadelles, who had previously been a roster full of holes, were suddenly chock full of players on both the offensive and defensive side of the game. With the major issue of no goaltender heading into the draft, Fletcher was quick to use his third round selection on a fine young goaltending prospect in David Danielson, who will be a key part of the plan moving forward. First overall selection Zdenko Baranek could find first line minutes alongside Rieley and Roach this season, making for a deadly first line and giving Baranek the opportunity to play at a high level right from the get go. When filling out his defensive core, Fletcher made shot after shot, scooping up stalwart young defensemen left and right. First off the board was Jasper Maximov at 20th overall, and then only four picks later his second d-man in Teylora Petrov joined the team. Fletcher would go through the next few rounds selecting the remainder of his defensive pieces, and preparing himself for the coming season.
There are still a tremendous amount of questions left unanswered as the season begins tonight at 4pm EDT though. The Citadelles will face a tough campaign on the backs of a small veteran group and major rookie presence, and many are wondering if the harsh Quebec City media will do more harm than good to the expansion franchise. Fletcher doesn't seem all too concerned about the prospect of an aggresive media market in Quebec though, and has said he has full faith in his team to live up to the standards of the people of the province of Quebec. There will be a ton of time for Fletcher to prove himself regardless though as the GM has just entered a multi-year contract with the team. Allowing him the space to flesh out his new rookie roster will create great opportunity for him to flourish under the pressure and bring something truly beautiful to Quebec City.
Thank you for reading another episode of "Live From the Citadel"! These are so much fun to write, and it's really neat in my opinion to do little mini articles like this. Writing a couple hundred words a day has been pretty good for my creative brain, so I don't forsee myself burning out from this article series any time soon. I did want to open this up to anyone who might want an article written about them next week, the media series does not need to be completely specific to Quebec City! I'd love to talk about all your players sometime in this coming week!
Maximum Security: Max Goodman Week 1: Article #3 Word Count: 650
It wasn't the start Max Goodman was looking for, but sometimes things just go like that. After being selected in the 4th round by the Quebec City Citadelles, Goodman has gone about making a name for himself not only amongst his team mates in Quebec City, but around the league. Known for his outgoing personality when it comes to the media, it came as no surprise that Goodman was more than willing to speak with us about preseason, the locker room, and the recent announcement of his addition to the league's player ran Head Office board.
Goodman opened preseason playing all three games for the Citadelles, finding nearly twenty minutes of ice time and putting up a solid defensive performance. Questions have begun to be asked though after Goodman only registered a single assist between the three campaigns, and currently hosts a negative plus/minus rating of -1. If you ignore the lackluster offensive contributions, we can quickly see that Goodman is shaping up to be a fantastic defenseman. With five hits and nine shots blocked in three games, his defensive game is at top notch calibre already, and that's only playing from the second line. The introduction of more minutes with better line mates could be a game changer for the strong Canadian prospect who looks to put up a strong enough performance this season to play under the Team Canada WJC roster this coming offseason. We spoke with him about this in our interview.
So Max, the season is finally under way and your team had a pretty solid start for an expansion franchise. How do you feel about the rest of the coming season? You know, I was apprehensive at the start, what with a young team and all, but I've been pleasantly surprised day after day by how much of a family this group already feels like. We skipped over the expansion team blues and have gone straight into being a competitive unit.
Sounds awesome, what do you have to say about your offensive game this preseason so far? Haha, well obviously it hasn't been where I intended it to be. I've always been a great offensive contributor to my team and it's a little odd adjusting to a role where I'll be playing a smaller role in that regard. I want to try and focus on using the puck more in the other end and really improve my two way game.
Who's been one of the hardest working guys on your team so far this season? Honestly I would have to say Tres Sombreros, he's been killing it out there. Three points in three game and one of the positive plus minus players on our team, plus just really showing his leadership qualities out on the ice. The guy is a class act, and I'm really excited to be taking on this season alongside him.
What are you going to do to ensure your place on the Team Canada WJC roster this coming season?
[i]Yeah, I mean there's lots of work I can do to make myself a better candidate, but in the end it really just comes down to what the management need. Obviously as a young guy, only being seventeen years old, there isn't a ton that I can directly do to influence what happens, but I want them to know that I'll be working my ass off every night on the ice."
And so that concludes the third article of the week for "Live From the Citadel"! Thank you for another episode, we're going to be heading into the end of the week soon and I'm pretty excited to talk about these next two young rookies tomorrow and Sunday. We have a great class of guys here, and I love talking about their players. Once again, thank you, and let's have a good first week!
With the 50th Overall selection in the S55 SMJHL Entry Draft, the Quebec City Citadelles proudly select Zach Dolphin...
With the 54th Overall selection in the S55 SMJHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Raptors proudly select Josh Dolphin...
The two names rung the crowd with an odd energy surrounding them. It was as if all at once, everyone in attendance of the draft knew that something had just been created. A deep seated, brotherly rivalry that would span years and be a true showcase of the two brother's talents as the Raptors and Citadelles prime to face off in Quebec City's inaugural season. The Dolphin twins were something of a wonder heading into this draft, as many figured they would fall into a second tier of family ties following the great Petrov family that swept the draft class.
And so it brings us to Zach Dolphin, one of the players who will go to make up the inaugural Citadelles roster. Zach has a proven track record of success at high levels, but has no experience playing amongst future stars like the SMJHL so offers the opportunity to do. The added pressures of being on an expansion team and having to play a bigger role, along with playing apart from his brother for the first time in his career will go to make this a rough season for the young forward, but his eyes are still set on success.
With both the Raptors and the Citadelles having played seven games each in their preseason campaigns, we're able to sit down and take a look at the two players, even with the small sample size offered. Coming in with just shy of ten minutes a night for the Citadelles, Zach has been a consistent depth contributor, putting up a goal and an assist while mostly focusing on the defensive and physical aspects of his game, registering five hits and twelve shots blocked for a great and rounded two way game the likes of a Jonathan Toews or Patrice Bergeron. Meanwhile, his brother Josh has struggled to find his footing amongst the talented Raptors roster, playing just over five minutes a night from the fourth line and failing to put up a point thus far. He hasn't been completely devoid from the score sheet though, with two hits and three shots blocked.
At first glance, it's no question that Zach has beat his brother out of the gate in order to take the "lead" of their interpersonal competitions. With barely any games played in the SMJHL in their career and none of them being in the regular season, it's hard to judge just yet if the youngsters will remain on their current trajectories or if we will see one take a sudden leap into stardom that we have seen many times before. Zach will play an important role on the Citadelles moving forward as there is currently limitless room to grow as a young player, while Josh may struggle to find his place amongst the Raptors over the rest of the season before breaking into a top six role next year. However these two players pan out, we know that we'll be watching them continuously as the season progresses and evaluating their continued brotherly fight.
And that concludes the fourth article! Fifth coming soon!
Minding His Space: David Danielson Week 1: Article #5 Word Count: 600
Goaltender. It's a word that makes hockey parents everywhere cringe as they imagine the idea that someday their kid might decide they want to be win, and it's hard to escape the thoughts of hundreds of extra dollars in more expensive equipment that constantly needs to be replaced as a child grows. For those that love the position though, there really is no other option, and a life as a goaltender is the only way to go. One of these players is David Danielson, a young SMJHL player who was recently selected in the third round of the SMJHL Entry Draft by the Quebec City Citadelles to take on the role of their inaugural starter, a position many young goaltenders have massive jealousy over.
Danielson may not have expected to be a starter heading into this draft, but the position hasn't stopped him for even a second. Built up by a strong preseason stint thus far, Danielson has been a solid member of the Citadelles roster and will quickly grow into his role within the team. Posting a record of 2-2-1 over his first five games between the posts, Danielson has been a player the Citadelles can rely upon to be consistent night in and night out. With a 3.10 GAA and .910 SV% amongst his first five games, Danielson is one of the premier goaltenders in the league this season, finishing in the top half of all eligible netminders for both categories. While he does have a slightly smaller sample size as compared to other goaltenders due to him sharing time wtih free agent pick up Mat Smith, it is unquestionable that during these games Danielson has one hundred percent lived up to his selection. Being a third round draft pick is not something to be ashamed of when it comes to the SMJHL, and Danielson is quickly proving he was worth it.
With a long and hard season ahead of him, there will certainly need to be progress made before Danielson can really expect to lead the team from between the pipes. With hard competition and the eventual dream of playoffs on the horizon, it will by no means be an easy job for the young netminder. But, defended by top notch players such as Max Goodman, Jasper Maximov and Teylora Petrov, he should be able to due it with a lot of growth happening around him as well. Many see the SMJHL as a league where offensive players develop at a much faster rate than their goaltending counterparts, and for this reason we could see Danielson slightly regress towards the end of the season before returning strong as ever for his sophomore campaign. It is still yet to be seen if Danielson will choke hold the starter position from his current cohort in Smith, but for now Danielson is the obvious choice moving forward.
Regardless of what his future with the Citadelles holds, Danielson is a shoe in to be a top calibre goaltender amongst the league for years to come. The American born goaltender has stated that he doesn't plan to be going anywhere anytime soon, and that he has big plans within the league.
And so that concludes the first week of "Live From the Citadel"! The second thread is already up with the articles announced, meaning that there is no need to wait a whole week just to know what happens! The first article will be posted on Wednesday, and as the season progresses we will get more in depth with our articles! Thanks for a great first week, I'm really excited for another!
Smiley![[Image: Live-From-The-Citadel-1.png]](https://i.ibb.co/4sSGKTV/Live-From-The-Citadel-1.png)
![[Image: 62048_s.gif]](https://signavatar.com/62048_s.gif)
![[Image: quebeccity.png]](https://simulationhockey.com/images/quebeccity.png)
![[Image: kcP9WEd.png]](https://i.imgur.com/kcP9WEd.png)
![[Image: DNLeeu0.png]](https://i.imgur.com/DNLeeu0.png)
![[Image: Citadel-Magazine-Cover-1.png]](https://i.ibb.co/xj07bHP/Citadel-Magazine-Cover-1.png)
![[Image: Citadel-Magazine-Cover-2.png]](https://i.ibb.co/L55dPdN/Citadel-Magazine-Cover-2.png)
![[Image: Citadel-Magazine-Cover-3.png]](https://i.ibb.co/1byyZBM/Citadel-Magazine-Cover-3.png)
![[Image: 60133_s.gif]](https://signavatar.com/60133_s.gif)
![[Image: W3cWGCN.png]](https://i.imgur.com/W3cWGCN.png)
![[Image: 3XEVZeB.png]](https://i.imgur.com/3XEVZeB.png)
![[Image: Faelax.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Faelax.gif)
![[Image: aroach.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/aroach.gif)
![[Image: vhY18i8.png]](http://i.imgur.com/vhY18i8.png)
![[Image: Evok.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Evok.gif)
![[Image: merha.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/merha.gif)
![[Image: cG4eDd7.png]](https://i.imgur.com/cG4eDd7.png)
![[Image: engishl.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/engishl.gif)
![[Image: Oats.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Oats.gif)
![[Image: 401.png]](https://s15.postimg.cc/snkmv5pmj/401.png)
![[Image: S42cup1.png]](https://s33.postimg.cc/byjza26z3/S42cup1.png)
![[Image: r-Wt4-AB350oooo.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/TwGddFcM/r-Wt4-AB350oooo.png)
![[Image: WuTGq5J.png]](https://i.imgur.com/WuTGq5J.png)
![[Image: XUMDqMO.png]](https://i.imgur.com/XUMDqMO.png)
![[Image: Keven.gif]](https://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/Keven.gif)
