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PremierBromanov · 02-08-2021, 11:51 AM

The Tampa Bay Barracuda are getting pumped the same way any floridian would get jazzed for an event: By ignoring COVID protocols. The pregame routine starts with a big ole shrimp boil, which i realize is probably more of a cajun thing but I'm just running with it at this point because Floridians have no culture beyond the lovely cuban transplants in a few of their cities. After a solid stuffing with the boil, its time to smoke a few cigars and drink martinis, because we're classy up in this bitch and no team can stop us from doing what we want. The strong do what they will and the weak endure what they must. Speaking of must, it gets pretty musty in that locker room, so best hold your breath if you arent used to stagnant boy soup. It's like a got-damned 80s porno in there. Buncha buck-ass naked dudes walking around comparing sticks and saying weird dialogue no human being would ever say. Because we arent human beings, we are Cudas.

ViN · 02-08-2021, 12:10 PM

***sköldpaddor*** · 02-08-2021, 12:18 PM

I for one am deeply wounded that the pandemic has infiltrated my fake hockey universe. I had pretended up until now that this fake hockey world was immune to this thing that has been trying to ruin my life, but alas, it seems I must now confront it here, even in my pretend hockey. Because we do not have the exciting noise of the fans to bolster our spirits and help us get hyped for our games, Gunnar has taken it upon himself to create a hype playlist before every single game, and if it's okayed by the rest of the team, blasts it as loud as possible in the locker room prior to game time. He also goes out of his way to send his teammates pump up songs when they are all on their way to the arena so they can start feeling absolutely amped before they even arrive for the game. It is a sad thing to not have fans, but Gunnar is doing his best to use music to make up for it.

hewasajazzman · 02-08-2021, 12:19 PM

there is not too much that you can do to replace the energy of the crowd, the chants of the fans at home are like no other. it can easily turn the tide of a close game when you know the whole room is behind you in what you are doing. as a close knit group, the rage have always been there for each other but knew that whatever we came up with would have to be very fan involved, because without them we are nothing. so before games we have set aside some time to video chat with randomly selected fans. small groups of the people on the team will call in to whatever fan they are assigned and have a little conversation about the upcoming game, how the season is going and what the future of it holds, things like that. it will never hold a candle to the rumbling of your building from your fans but there is a connection on a more personal level and you can see it means a lot to the fans. its a good way to pull yourself out of that sort of rigid game day mind set, going in to the game with a sort of clarity.

JT3 · 02-08-2021, 12:45 PM

Unfortunately due to Covid, the Raptors haven't been able to have fans in the arena so far during Blanchet's tenure with the team. It's not how he imagined himself playing his junior hockey career, but so far the team has been able to deal with it. The boys usually do a good job of getting each other fired up. Last season, captain Jed Mosley Jr. was usually a good bet to rally the team, and Ruggs McOoooh is another guy that would keep the boys focused despite the unusual circumstances. Usually home ice is a big advantage, having the energy of a crowd to feed off can really give a team a big boost. Personally I think it just requires me to be more focused and keep my head in it at all times. And while the home ice advantage is somewhat nullified outside of last change (and less travel), the same can be said for most other teams as well, so it balances out in the end.

Credits to OrbitingDeath, Tweedle, Incite, Wasty, and Slothfacekilla for sigs!

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Kierkan · 02-08-2021, 01:01 PM

Playing in Prospera Place hasn't been the same since the pandemic started. The Knights feed off the energy of our devoted fans, and we've been forced to improvise for the upcoming season. During the off-season, we sent a message to all of our season ticket holders to send in a picture of themselves. We've got cardboard cutouts of our most loyal Knights plopped in their usual seats. Before each game this season, we've prepared a small montage of various clips sent in by our fans. We want to keep the fans engaged, even though they can't be here to scream their lungs out in person. We've also increased our backstage media presence in forms of interviews, and silly little shorts. We're hoping to show a side of the players that the fans might not normally get to see! These are trying times for everybody. Mental Health awareness is a high priority, and we're going to be working closely with Interior Health throughout the season. We're all on the same team!

Z-Whiz · 02-08-2021, 01:05 PM

To be honest, I do not think there is anything that the players or coaches can do to replace the energy that the fans bring in week in, week out. Sure we can try to supplement the energy with pump up music and rally speeches, but at the end of the day, it’s just not the same. The fans are truly missed in the stadiums and it makes the grind of the season just that much harder. Now, don’t get me wrong, we are professionals so we are always up for every game, but the fans really do provide that little extra boost to push you over the top. When you are playing at such a high level, the margins are thin. The aura of hope when your team is on a power play or the raucous cheering when you clear the puck to kill a penalty can give you that extra 1-2% that separates you from your opponent. I for one can’t want for the fans to be back.

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charlieconway · 02-08-2021, 01:09 PM

Quote:Written task: It’s time for another exciting season of SHL Hockey, unfortunately, with COVID still running around fans still aren’t allowed in the arena. Without the cheering it does seem a bit empty for gameday. Since fans aren't allowed in SHL arenas this season, how are you and your teammates getting pumped prior to the game to replace the energy the fans give you? (150+ words)

This may indeed be a royal waste of money, but in the interest of maintaining hype for the S58 season, the Toronto North Stars have decided to invest insane amounts of money and manpower into holographic imagery.
For just $99.99, fans of the North Stars have been able to, over the course of the offseason, head to a supported Future Shop location and have their body and movement scanned into a program that then replicates them above a seat in Toronto’s arena. This allows the team to feel like they’re playing in front of a packed stadium while still not having to worry about spreading a deadly pandemic.
In order to have fun, some of the players have gone through the process themselves in various stages of undress. So if you’ve ever caught a North Stars game and spotted Adam Barron dancing around in his birthday suit in the stands… honestly that might not be a hologram, that’s just how he prepares for the games.

Spartan · 02-08-2021, 01:11 PM

Empty arenas. We've all had our experiences with them, from the SMJHL to the SHL, to also every other sport in the world. While the arenas don't look much different between practices and games, there are still small things that are done by the home team as well as in our locker rooms that make games feel different from practices. And the first and biggest thing that hasn't changed much is a gameday routine. Everyone and every team has their own gameday schedule, from picking out an outfit, to making their way to the arena, taping up sticks, talking strategy and even just walking to the rink to sit on the bench for a few minutes. These small things on a day you have a game just makes the experience feel more like a game. Stadium announcers and the effects folks also do really well to pump in some crowd noise, make the usual announcements, and even play some music and play songs during breaks - just like any regular game, but without fans. Would be cool if we could have limited attendance soon though since their energy just can't be replicated.

*fishy* · 02-08-2021, 01:21 PM

Here at the Buffalo Stampede, we don't get too hyped up unless its for major rivalry games such as those against Hamilton or Chicago, or lesser rivalry games such as those against New Orleans or Calgary. Although, it's kind of hard to call our games against New Orleans and Calgary rivalries when uh they've never really beaten us and are both kind of irrelevant at this point. We at the Buffalo Stampede know that the season is a marathon not a sprint, and so we act like LeBron James, conserving our energy until we get into the playoffs, where we get hyped up and usually punch above our weight class. Throughout the regular season we tend to be pretty mellow, typically smoking before, during, and after every game courtesy of our top defender, Augustus Wang. Wang invented the SHLs premier kush company, SHLKush.com, and thus sponsors all the Buffalo players and management staff with free kush before every game. For other individuals, if they use the code #WANG21 at checkout they too can be mellow like Buffalo during the regular season.

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*slothfacekilla* · 02-08-2021, 01:24 PM

In Los Angeles you have to do your best to tune out the fans anyways, so them not being there doesn't really affect me too much I'll admit. We all still will get pumped up for our games the same ways that we always did, listening to music and doing our usual routines before the games. It does feel kind of weird to take the ice to no fans but we are usually still a bit pumped up. I have noticed that some players on the Panthers have been doing more facetiming with loved ones and friends during the pandemic though. So you can add that to the list of things that keep us going I guess, we probably wouldn't be able to get the energy going overall without the support of the people around us (even if it is through a computer or phone screen). So we will just keep turning up the music in the dressing room a bit louder (I guess we do not have to worry about anyone hearing it) and focus a bit more through our support systems to get through this weird upcoming season with no fans. Hopefully the fans will still be able to enjoy the games and we can slowly let them back into the arenas soon.

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***DrunkenTeddy*** · 02-08-2021, 01:35 PM

Cardboard cutouts of celebs and a huge banner Smile

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Z0REM · 02-08-2021, 01:44 PM

New York is a shell of its former self but if there is one thing we have that other people understand is a plethora of fantatic fans who will do anything to see the team. Management has come up with several was for fans to get in on the action of games. 1. During locker room dress ups they wheel in several TVs so people can see us getting dressed all the way to walking out on the ice. With different zoom links you can switch screen to see your favorite players. As an extra revenue source, people can pay to be unmuted on the video call otherwise its free to anyone who just wants to see some of the action. 2. On the jumbo screen we have set up cameras that let people watch from different angles. For an exorbitant sum of money you can have a screen set up on your season ticket seat so its like you are there (for extra we ship mini AC units to the households to simulate the cold). 3. We have started having some immune nights where we let people who have a record of vaccination come and buy tickets to attend in person. Overall this has kept us engages with the fans and hyped during the season.

Credit to Vulfzilla for the awesome render pic

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