04-04-2021, 01:36 AMDollaBill Wrote: Bottom line: I stumbled across the SHL while searching for an NHL GM Sim to join. GM Sims where the only sims I've experienced in the past. I gave this site a chance and enjoyed getting into the progression of my created player. I'm very competitive and became dedicated to seeing him succeed in the game. I'm just now being told that his success as a player in the sim doesn't matter nearly as much as how GMs evaluate me and my contributions as a handler.

I didn't join the SHL to be evaluated as a handler. I joined the SHL for what happens in the sim. I can't believe I'm being viewed as a leper because of it.

I have a lot to reevaluate right now. In the meantime, I feel the SHL rookie guide needs to be vastly amended.

Hey, I was super disappointed after my first SMJHL draft so I get what you're coming from. I was on tilt.

However, I don't want you to misconstrue what people have said. Success as a player in the sim at the J level in your rookie season doesn't matter as much because rookies get uneven levels of playing time and roles on their teams, in addition to the fact that was mentioned before which is that the player build that you'll join the SHL at (~800 TPE) is vastly different than the one you're playing with at ~250 TPE during the J regular season. It's really hard to correlate a good player from a rookie SMJHL season to their entire SHL career.

Once you get to the SHL level, success as a player in the sim obviously matters a lot more to your value but year 1 is less about on-ice success and more about your development as a member overall. To be honest, I had you pegged as a mid-late first round talent. You've written some really strong media pieces and have built up an impressive bank account.

It happens every year, players fall. Some GM's do go safer with their friends who have less TPE however that's not a you problem - that's a them problem. If they're going to potentially handicap their team then let them. Your team steals you in the early second AND gets someone else in the first round who's also first round calibre. Great, now you're set up really well for the future. Toronto had this a couple seasons ago getting SFresh & Tylar who are two of the top earners in their class in the early first & second respectively. They came 2nd in the heaviest division in the league last year.

It's been a long night and my brain isn't working nearly anywhere it should be. I don't know if any of what I wrote makes sense. End of the day, what I'm trying to say is that yes the league has an on & off-ice component. As a known commodity, some GM's favour recreates as inherently safer because you'll know vastly more about them than anything you can gain from a week or so of scouting new prospects. However, this doesn't stand for all GM's (as Keygan's pointed out) & this means literally nothing. You have an entire SHL career ahead of you to read media articles about how 'you're the biggest steal of the S59 draft' and how they 'can't believe you slipped to the 2nd round'. Pretty dope shit.