Create Account

S61 Championship Week
#91
(This post was last modified: 10-15-2021, 02:59 PM by bbjygm.)

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Victor Helstrom

Code:
2. Written, 3 TPE, What if...? (150 words min.)
Pick a moment in SHL history to change. It could be something large, an expansion draft, sim engine change, or something smaller, like a trade or team punishment. Change something about this moment in the SHL and explain the impact the difference would make in how the league developed since that moment. (think Butterfly Effect)

The moment in SHL history I would change is the sim engine change. Once we switched over to the new Franchise Hockey Manager sim engine, I would have given Slap McShotty a unique and exclusive update scale of 1 TPE per level for every level with no upper limit. That way, Slap McShotty would currently have an average skill level of almost 69 (nice). Slap McShotty would be a god-level player, stomping on puny opponents and single-handedly winning games and shutting down power plays. He'd have led his team to a Challenge Cup every season since, and HO might even start considering bringing back player injuries just for Slap McShotty to give the rest of the league (including his own team mates) a fighting chance to make any significant impact on the results of the season. He'd be so good that he could serve as his own goalie, pass it to himself across the blue line, and burn holes through the opponent's net.

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Biopic (150 words min.)
You've been contacted by a big film studio who wants to center the next big hockey movie around your career so far! All you need to do is supply a 150+ word explanation about what will be key scenes of moments or games in your career, the cast, and a general timeline of the film as it follows you from team to team, junior to pro. This one is open ended so how you approach it is up to you!

A movie centered on Slap McShotty would be a mix of all genres known to mankind. Slap McShotty would start out as a young boy with his imaginary cartoon friend (Family) who helps him come to terms with his father's mob business (Crime) by investigating (Mystery) under-cover (Spy) using hockey techniques he learned from the immortal form (Fantasy) of the original hockey player (Historical). After maturing, Slap and the immortal hockey player spark up a relationship (Romance) which comes to a grinding halt after Slap discovers the hockey player is actually a cybernetic (Science Fiction) amalgamation of all Slap's childhood pets (Horror) that died under the care of his father while he was at various winter hockey camps. Hell-bent on revenge, the thing wants vengeance on Slap's father (Thriller). Slap chases the thing around the world (Action) on a musical (Musical) adventure (Adventure) to stop the death of his father by putting down his beloved, once-dead pets (Drama). After this epic (Epic) feat involves commandeering the entire armed forces of a small country (War), Slap is exhausted with life and seeks relief. He begins making a parody (Comedy) of this very film (Experimental) which turns into a high-budget porn (Adult) in which everyone is wearing cowboy hats (Western).

PRESENT

Code:
6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Hamilton was not taken to 7 games, Texas enjoyed two series sweeps, which team had the harder path to the final in your opinion?
b. Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness?
c. What is a renegade? What is a steelhawk? Who is Victor Helstrom from the CW trivia?
d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

b. I think that staying good for a decade is pretty impressive. It takes patience and determination to complete a rebuild but it also takes foresight and confidence to maintain a high-level team and avoid having to rebuild in the first place. I'm constantly astounded Hamilton has been dominating so long since I've joined the league.

Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=119534

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3117388

BEYOND

Code:
19. Written, 3 TPE, Pills 150 words min
Love it or hate it, that Pill PT (PT 2) was wild and may I say, genius. You've partnered up with the weird trench coat pill guy to design your own pills, with powers and drawbacks to sell to your fellow SHLers! How do you go about this, do you make really good pills to help your team? Trick Hamilton into taking some really shitty pills with the promise of incredible powers? Or do what I did and make a bunch of insane pills and watch the league go absolutely crazy trying to make sense of what the fuck I'm even talking about? Or just make a bunch of jelly beans?

Here's a list of further pill ideas:
- Near-precognitive levels of anticipation on the ice but can only speak in quotes from the Tranformers movies
- Magnetically attract the puck to your hockey stick at will but only while you're deepthroating a ripe, undamaged banana
- Unparalleled skating speed but you can only see through the eyes of the closest person to your own eyes
- Ability to transfer luck, good or bad, for your team between the regular season and playoffs
- Amplify own stats to always be the best player on the ice at any given time but no one can remember who you are other than "that one person on my/their team"
- Can generate intangible puck illusions at will but you will always be chased around and attacked by a seagull (if unable to attack you, another will find you)
- Ability to read minds at the speed of normal speech but you become face blind

hodOOOOr'hOOOdoooooooor hoooodor hOOdOOORRRR, Hooooooodooooorrrr HoooooddddddddoooooooRRRR

SMJHL Stats || SHL Stats
[Image: YZjkK9Q.png] PORTAL [Image: rwqM7d3.png]
Berserkers Elk Falcons Renegades Germany

Stats Pre-S53 || Stats S53+
[Image: yXVPZSm.png] [Image: updates2.png]
Outlaws Switzerland Wolfpack
S53 All-Star and Richan Trophy Nominee
S60 Jeff Dar Trophy Winner
Never forget
#92

Trivia - Potatoes- 3 TPE
Milestones - 1 TPE

Total - 4 TPE

[Image: badwolf221B42.gif]
[Image: DG0jZcS.png]
#93
(This post was last modified: 10-11-2021, 01:00 PM by trashae.)

PAST

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

dibs on winning

Code:
2. Written, 3 TPE, What if...? (150 words min.)
Pick a moment in SHL history to change. It could be something large, an expansion draft, sim engine change, or something smaller, like a trade or team punishment. Change something about this moment in the SHL and explain the impact the difference would make in how the league developed since that moment. (think Butterfly Effect)

Code:
3. Written, 3 TPE, Draft Kings (150 words min.)
Pick a draft class in the SHL that you believe had the most impact on the SHL. It can be a consensus pick, like S36, 31, or 53, or an off-the-board one (S41?). Explain your reasoning to why this draft class impacted the league; Could be in a good way, or a bad way.

Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Biopic (150 words min.)
You've been contacted by a big film studio who wants to center the next big hockey movie around your career so far! All you need to do is supply a 150+ word explanation about what will be key scenes of moments or games in your career, the cast, and a general timeline of the film as it follows you from team to team, junior to pro. This one is open ended so how you approach it is up to you!



Code:
6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Hamilton was not taken to 7 games, Texas enjoyed two series sweeps, which team had the harder path to the final in your opinion?
b. Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness?
c. What is a renegade? What is a steelhawk? Who is Victor Helstrom from the CW trivia?
d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.



Code:
10. Podcast, 3 or 4 TPE
Record a mini-podcast on any of the below topics!
-The good the bad and the ugly: teams that exceeded expectations, did not meet them, and Winnipeg
-The playoffs played out as expected? Any surprises?
-Trades, the infuriating slap on the wrist Hamilton got to start the season, drafts
-Anything else SHL related you want to talk about really. It helps to write a list of topics to hit before recording and just go over them

1 person Mini-Pod: 3 TPE for 8 minutes or 4 TPE for 10 Minutes
2 person Mini-Pod: 3 TPE for 10 Minutes or 4 TPE for 15 Minutes
Post the direct link to your podcast.

Code:
11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.



Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=119534

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

3 TPE Milestones

Code:
13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)
There has been some discussion on the forums but its always good to hear more opinions: Parity. Going back 6 seasons including this one there have been 4 teams in the finals: Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton, and Texas. If you add New Orleans you can go back 8 seasons. 5 different teams for 8 straight finals. Is this an issue? Does it need to be fixed? Can it even be fixed? I'm interested to hear opinions, approaches, or just doom and gloom on whether you think this will change, or if we will still be talking about the same teams making the finals over and over in 5 seasons.

Code:
14. Written, 3 TPE, Upswing (150 words min.)
What team on the outside looking in do you believe will be the next to break into the playoffs? What team will be the next new team to break into the finals (other than the core 4 listed in the above task)? Who seems to be building and earning at a rate that they will be a scary team in the future? We have already seen some successful rebuilds in Texas, Toronto, and Tampa, and some unsuccessful ones as well. Who is on the right track?

Code:
15. Written, 2 TPE, The yearly IIHF task (100 words min.)
Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC if you care about that more. Will there be surprises? Will any players make their country proud? Who's gonna suck? Be bold!

Code:
18. Written, 2 TPE, Baby come back 100 words min
If you had the power to bring back one user to the SHL, who would it be? We're talking full activity, balls to the wall. They could be a banned user, user gone inactive, or someone who's around but doesn't really fuck with SHL anymore. Pick your user and why you want them back that badly? Did you love them, or do you just want to watch the league burn?

Code:
19. Written, 3 TPE, Pills 150 words min
Love it or hate it, that Pill PT (PT 2) was wild and may I say, genius. You've partnered up with the weird trench coat pill guy to design your own pills, with powers and drawbacks to sell to your fellow SHLers! How do you go about this, do you make really good pills to help your team? Trick Hamilton into taking some really shitty pills with the promise of incredible powers? Or do what I did and make a bunch of insane pills and watch the league go absolutely crazy trying to make sense of what the fuck I'm even talking about? Or just make a bunch of jelly beans?

Code:
20. Written, 3 TPE, Pulling a Jordan 150 words min
This is for you folks in multiple sim sports leagues. Pick your player from another league and translate them to the SHL. Which player attributes from your sport would translate to hockey? Design a full player page for them based on the player page of your other league and discuss how they would perform in a season. Would they be godlike? Shitty? You can pull a switcheroo and discuss your SHL player playing in the other sport as well.

Code:
21. Written, 2 TPE, Feed my back (its hungry) 100 words min
It's been 2 seasons now and I can always use constructive criticism. What have I done right regarding PTs? What have I done wrong? Was I doing something the wrong way and fixed it? Was I doing something the right way and fuck it up? Do I even deserve 8 mil a season? Any and all thoughts are welcome EXCEPT malicious posts. Do not attack me, or my work. If you have a problem with it, explain why. Don't just say it sucks and its stupid.


#94
(This post was last modified: 10-14-2021, 01:08 PM by 3lewsers.)

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below.
Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

beetlejuice +3


Code:
2. Written, 3 TPE, What if...? (150 words min.)

Pick a moment in SHL history to change. It could be something large, an
expansion draft, sim engine change, or something smaller, like a trade
or team punishment. Change something about this moment in the SHL and
explain the impact the difference would make in how the league developed
since that moment. (think Butterfly Effect)

ISFL Affiliate PT +3


Code:
4. Written, 3 TPE, Biopic (150 words min.)

You've been contacted by a big film studio who wants to center the next big hockey movie around your career so far! All you need to do is supply a 150+ word explanation about what will be key scenes of moments or
games in your career, the cast, and a general timeline of the film as it follows you from team to team, junior to pro. This one is open ended so how you approach it is up to you!

The movie version of my career will not be very uplifting. Think "The Wrestler" without the redeeming qualities. The film focuses on my intense training that seems to be for naught. There is a promising began as I began my career in Newfoundland, but it is all downhill from there. From failing to win the Four Star Cup to playing on the worst team in the league, this biopic pulls no punches. There are many cameos in the picture, from old teammates to current GMs. There is no silver lining in this one; it is pure unadulterated misery. There is an abrupt ending which leaves the audience guessing what happens next. Does Dwayne continue to struggle throughout the rest of his career, or does he ever find a groove. It is pretty much the Sopranos ending, but viewers have a pretty good idea which way to lean. The smart money goes against Gretzky, who is statistically bankrupt. So, the irony is wonderful.


Code:
6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be
50+ words.

a. Hamilton was not taken to 7 games, Texas enjoyed two series sweeps, which team had the harder path to the final in your opinion?

b. Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the
season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally
achieve greatness?

c. What is a renegade? What is a steelhawk? Who is Victor Helstrom from the CW trivia?

d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

a. Hamilton obviously had the harder path. When you sweep two series like the Texas Renegades did, there is not much you can learn from that. If can give you a false sense of security that you cannot be beat. You also have less ideas of what to work on as a team because it feels like you did no wrong.

b. It is much harder to stay good for a decade than is to rebuild. You must remember that every team is trying their best to improve and to be able to continue to win despite the efforts of the other franchises is an amazing feat. While rebuilding from nothing is rewarding, I would much rather stay on top.

c. Many people think a renegade is a hero, but in reality, they are a traitor. I am not sure if anyone knows what a steelhawk is. It is a mystery of modern folklore. And as far as Victor Helstrom goes, he was an offensive defenseman of Swedish descent, but beyond that, not much is known about him.

d. The best player to play for either team is Aaron Wilson. He is the GOAT. A consistent superstar for many seasons, Wilson is head and shoulders above the rest. He can do it all. No matter what the team needs, he is there to deliver. A big hit, a timely goal. You name it. He does it. End of story.


Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=119534

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the
person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

Milestones +1


Code:
15. Written, 2 TPE, The yearly IIHF task (100 words min.)

Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC if you
care about that more. Will there be surprises? Will any players make
their country proud? Who's gonna suck? Be bold!

The WJC is off to a fun start, and there are a number of story lines. However, this article is about predictions. So, let's get to it...
As the round robin reached the halfway point, Finland is the current points leader, and Young Guns has yet to register a point. They are at the opposite ends of the WJC spectrum.

I believe that when the dust settles, UCORCAL will take home the Gold Medal.
Sweden will lose the finals and get Silver, while British Isles & World will battle it out for Bronze, with World taking it.

Young Guns will end pointless, with a -70 goal differential.

[Image: U9GyyHt.jpg]
#95
(This post was last modified: 10-16-2021, 01:38 PM by boom.)

1. Trivia word: helstrom

Quote:2. Written, 3 TPE, What if...? (150 words min.)

Pick a moment in SHL history to change. It could be something large, an expansion draft, sim engine change, or something smaller, like a trade or team punishment. Change something about this moment in the SHL and explain the impact the difference would make in how the league developed since that moment. (think Butterfly Effect)


It's Game 7 of the S55 SHL finals between Buffalo and New Orleans. Both teams have been given the night off to test tactics, with visions of the Challenge Cup dancing in their heads. Even though Buffalo won Game 6 6-1, the next morning's rubber match is a tightly-fought battle and it goes to overtime tied 2-2. In the extra frame, Specters forward Nicholas Williams gets a breakaway, but is robbed by Stampede goalie Elizabeth Doyle. Buffalo goes on to win the game and the championship, but it's not until after the game that the drama really starts. New Orleans is revealed to have submitted a roster with eight of nine forwards having the Aggressive Forechecker role, and five of six defensemen having the Two-Way Defenseman role. While this was after a similar incident with the Goon role had already led to a rule change limiting the number of these "special" roles that could be used, this sparked a huge debate over player agency and GM freedom versus HO regulation of strategies. This fight was bad enough in a series that NOLA lost, but in an alternate universe where Doyle doesn't stop that breakaway it could have been nuclear. As well, if these strategies aren't outlawed, who knows how the next few seasons would have played out? The meta would have further dropped to this, and perhaps we might have even looked into changing engines again if it ruined parity.

Quote:3. Written, 3 TPE, Draft Kings (150 words min.)

Pick a draft class in the SHL that you believe had the most impact on the SHL. It can be a consensus pick, like S36, 31, or 53, or an off-the-board one (S41?). Explain your reasoning to why this draft class impacted the league; Could be in a good way, or a bad way.


I think S53 will end up being one of the most significant classes in the league when it's all said and done. First off, the draft class has produced several 2000 TPE players already with more likely on the way, and several players are already racking up significant accolades. However, the true impact of this class has to come through their off-ice contributions to management and other areas, particularly through the first-gen players. @roastpuff is the IIHF commissioner and helping to make it an event people get excited about. @sve7en and @Faelax give us the weekly scoop on league happenings through their podcast and 7 does a great job as the Events Team head to make our drafts cool. In management, Sve7en, @mastersheep, @LordBirdman, @reid, @Nhamlet, @juke, @EricNCSU, @Zomp, and myself are all users who have been and/or currently are GMs for a wide variety of teams, driving activity in locker rooms and turning out winning rosters. Reid, @Patty and I help(ed) keep the league going with our tenures in HO, and @Zombiewolf does a great job as updating head. In addition to being one of the best rosters on the ice, we've gotten high-level people into so many positions, to the extent where at one point over 1/4 of the SMJHL GMs were S53 first-generation players. I don't know if there's any other class that can claim to have produced this many on- and off-ice gems, and I'm looking forward to our peak year. Go S53!

Quote:Prompt 6.b: Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness?


I would argue that staying good for a long time is more difficult. Over the past few seasons, we've seen teams such as San Francisco, Tampa and Baltimore become good in a short period of time by blowing up the entire team for picks and young players and starting over with a young core whose primes will all align to build a super-team. Hamilton, meanwhile, has continually drafted, developed and acquired players to keep their dynasty going for the entire lifetime of FHM so far.

12: Milestones +3 TPE

Quote:13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)

There has been some discussion on the forums but its always good to hear more opinions: Parity. Going back 6 seasons including this one there have been 4 teams in the finals: Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton, and Texas. If you add New Orleans you can go back 8 seasons. 5 different teams for 8 straight finals. Is this an issue? Does it need to be fixed? Can it even be fixed? I'm interested to hear opinions, approaches, or just doom and gloom on whether you think this will change, or if we will still be talking about the same teams making the finals over and over in 5 seasons.


Parity is a very interesting topic and I don't think there's necessarily an easy solution here. One of the leaders in figuring out the "meta" of the sim has unsurprisingly been Hamilton, to the point where when I looked at the tactics before Round 2 this season, almost every team who made it to the final 8 was running some variant of the Hamilton strategy with almost the same sliders and only minor changes to the global tactics. It's tough to really create parity in a league where money doesn't necessarily mean as much because the top players don't necessarily get paid commensurate to their talent level. Players with high TPE and comfortable bank accounts are fine to take less money to help get better players on the margins elsewhere, and I can't say that Edmonton isn't part of that as well. I think it might get to the point where the only ways to enforce parity will either be to instill an even harsher salary cap structure that isn't linear (perhaps, say, a 7 or 8 million dollar minimum for players over 1800-1900 TPE), reducing the salary cap to force teams to make difficult decisions, or even switching engines to a new one that stops testing.

TPE: 14 + trivia/16

[Image: vd5hdkM.png][Image: 8cjeXrB.png]
[Image: XigYVPM.png]
[Image: umZ0HLG.png][Image: VGl3CB4.png]
#96
(This post was last modified: 10-17-2021, 03:25 AM by Z-Whiz.)

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

QUACKGASM

Code:
11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

As someone who didn’t watch any of the finals, it’s extremely hard to know who was the best player. I go to the index and click on the games and it doesn’t show me who scored the goals. How am I supposed to say which player was the best? I’m not going to watch the replays. If I had a vote, the MVP would go to whoever allows me to see the goals and assists in single games, instead of just the playoff totals. Since I can only go off the totals, I’ll guess that Theo Morgan was the best player during this series. He had the most goals and 2nd most assists in the playoffs, so I’m sure he performed the best in the finals too. The best players always play the best in the big games, right? So that’s my vote. Theo Morgan for MVP of the Finals.

Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

Milestones - 2 TPE

Code:
13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)
There has been some discussion on the forums but its always good to hear more opinions: Parity. Going back 6 seasons including this one there have been 4 teams in the finals: Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton, and Texas. If you add New Orleans you can go back 8 seasons. 5 different teams for 8 straight finals. Is this an issue? Does it need to be fixed? Can it even be fixed? I'm interested to hear opinions, approaches, or just doom and gloom on whether you think this will change, or if we will still be talking about the same teams making the finals over and over in 5 seasons.

I’ve only been in the league 5ish seasons and while I love the league, it does feel like there’s a “we have no chance” from 90% of the teams. While having a dominate team is cool for those on that team, I don’t think it’s necessarily good for the league. FA’s who want to win will lean more towards the winning teams, so they don’t ever have to rebuild. I don’t know enough about the sim engine to know if it’s a straight up TPE thing or a strategy thing. I assume it’s a TPE thing as other teams would just copy the meta for strategy. I know the league has tried lowering the salary cap to try and distribute the wealth across the league. That didn’t really work. I know the league also modified the earning scale to make lower TPE players better, but that also doesn’t appear to have worked. The only other thing I can think of is make regression more extreme, but seeing as how the league is in 60+ seasons, that would ruin all new players who have goals of “breaking records” since players wouldn’t be able to play as long as they currently do. Perhaps lower the salary cap even more? That’s all I can really suggest without completely changing the history of the league.

Code:
14. Written, 3 TPE, Upswing (150 words min.)
What team on the outside looking in do you believe will be the next to break into the playoffs? What team will be the next new team to break into the finals (other than the core 4 listed in the above task)? Who seems to be building and earning at a rate that they will be a scary team in the future? We have already seen some successful rebuilds in Texas, Toronto, and Tampa, and some unsuccessful ones as well. Who is on the right track?

Look, I’m on Atlanta, and I’m a big ATL homer. I’ve bragged about us and tooted our horn in pretty much every PT and CW I could. But I really do believe in this team. We’re definitely a few seasons away from our peak, but we have the #3 TPE player in S58 (Michael Withecheck), the #5 and #7 players in a very small S57 class (Pablo Salvatici and Anton Mihailov), the #2 and #20 in S58 (Puddles O’Duck and Pavel Jeziak), and the #24 and #25 in S59 (Jack Nishimori and Evgeni Petrov). While Jack and Evgeni are lower on the ranking list, the S59 class is huge and both players should make a very good impact. Evegeni is the goalie of the future and will be a stud in front of all these very young defenders. This is a very solid base for the next 5-8 seasons. We will likely need a FA signing or two, but I have complete confidence in hotdog and glutes in getting it done. We’ve been able to sign players like Dick Clapper and Bobby Sharp, so as long as the locker room remains amazing, we’ll keep em coming.

Code:
18. Written, 2 TPE, Baby come back 100 words min
If you had the power to bring back one user to the SHL, who would it be? We're talking full activity, balls to the wall. They could be a banned user, user gone inactive, or someone who's around but doesn't really fuck with SHL anymore. Pick your user and why you want them back that badly? Did you love them, or do you just want to watch the league burn?

If I had the power to bring back one user to the SHL it would be my current/former GM, @hotdog. I mention current and former, because he is still technically my GM, but he’s also gone randomly missing the last couple of days. Sure, I visit the locker less frequently these days, but I expect him to be in the locker room 24/7. That’s his job as a GM. I would love to bring him back to being active cuz he’s a great GM (don’t tell him I said that) and a really cool dude. I like hotdog so much that I changed how I fold paper in half. I used to always fold paper the hamburger way, but I’ve switched to the hotdog way. I may have to reconsider this life altering decision. Stay posted…


Code:
21. Written, 2 TPE, Feed my back (its hungry) 100 words min
It's been 2 seasons now and I can always use constructive criticism. What have I done right regarding PTs? What have I done wrong? Was I doing something the wrong way and fixed it? Was I doing something the right way and fuck it up? Do I even deserve 8 mil a season? Any and all thoughts are welcome EXCEPT malicious posts. Do not attack me, or my work. If you have a problem with it, explain why. Don't just say it sucks and its stupid.

I have been having a lot of fun with the PTs since you took over. The “normal” version of PTs are repetitive and boring, in my opinion. I have a PT pass in my other league, however, I’ve stepped down from the role that provides that, so I will have the option of choosing between the ISFL PTs and the SHL PTs. It feels like a no brainer to me to chose which one to write and which on to affiliate. In case that sentence wasn’t obvious enough, I will be doing the SHL PTs and affiliating it to the ISFL. You keep it fun and (mostly) light-hearted. Your PTs allow for creativity instead of vomiting words on a computer to get to 150 words. Haters gonna hate. Keep up the good work,  Slash.

[Image: puddlesoduck2.gif]
#97
(This post was last modified: 10-17-2021, 03:22 PM by the5urreal.)

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

moist Victor Helstrom

Code:
6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Hamilton was not taken to 7 games, Texas enjoyed two series sweeps, which team had the harder path to the final in your opinion?
b. Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness?
c. What is a renegade? What is a steelhawk? Who is Victor Helstrom from the CW trivia?
d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

a. The Hamilton Steelhawks’ road to the finals was definitely tougher than that of the Texas Renegades. Not only did Hamilton face a higher seed in every round, but those teams were also arguably better. Texas enjoyed two sweeps for a reason - they faced the #16 seed in the first round and the underdog #9 seed in the conference finals. Hamilton easily handled to #13, #4, and #3 seeds and were obviously the better team. (74 words)
b. I haven’t been around the SHL for long, so my opinion doesn’t mean much, however, I think the Texas Renegades rebuilding is much more impressive. It’s clear the rules have been bent in Hamilton’s way more than once, so they certainly didn’t maintain this success on their own. Regardless, Hamilton is still the better team and more successful franchise. (59 words)
c. I don't think a renegade makes a whole lot of sense as a mascot for Texas in the literal sense of the term (basically a traitor). A steelhawk is a thrill ride or appears to be just a made up bird. Not sure if Victor Helstrom has some other sort of significance outside of being a d-man created back in season 15, but that’s all I know. (67 words)
d. Record keeping isn’t the greatest, so I’m going to talk about current players. Hamilton is obviously stacked, having two living legends in Theo Morgan and Aaron Wilson. It’s hard to choose between the two as they have both managed to be very successful over a long period. Texas is less of an offensive powerhouse than Hamilton and doesn't have a consistent presence in the top 10 list of scorers each season. That said, Alexander Wachter has been as consistent as they come atop Texas’s leading scorers over the past six seasons. He hasn’t been around as long as Morgan or Wilson but is certainly building an HOF resume. (108 words)

Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

+3 TPE


Code:
13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)
There has been some discussion on the forums but its always good to hear more opinions: Parity. Going back 6 seasons including this one there have been 4 teams in the finals: Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton, and Texas. If you add New Orleans you can go back 8 seasons. 5 different teams for 8 straight finals. Is this an issue? Does it need to be fixed? Can it even be fixed? I'm interested to hear opinions, approaches, or just doom and gloom on whether you think this will change, or if we will still be talking about the same teams making the finals over and over in 5 seasons.

I’ve been in the SHL, the only sim league I’ve ever been in, for a total of two seasons. I don’t know how this is handled in other sim leagues or if it is even an issue outside of the SHL. That said, knowing now how contracts work and the bonds that are formed among the people on each team, it does not surprise me that this is a problem. I don’t think there are any easy ways to “fix” it either. Creating a rule that would add a maximum amount of time a player could spend on any one team could see lots of backlash, and if that player isn’t willing to leave the team, it is easy for them to just quit or become inactive. Any rule would need to be pretty complex in nature and penalties for players who do not follow the rule or become inactive would need to be strict to at least deter players from quitting if they were forced to change teams or go through free agency. I don’t see this changing any time soon. (182 words)

Code:
14. Written, 3 TPE, Upswing (150 words min.)
What team on the outside looking in do you believe will be the next to break into the playoffs? What team will be the next new team to break into the finals (other than the core 4 listed in the above task)? Who seems to be building and earning at a rate that they will be a scary team in the future? We have already seen some successful rebuilds in Texas, Toronto, and Tampa, and some unsuccessful ones as well. Who is on the right track?

I may be a homer, but I am really liking what I see in New Orleans. The prospect pool is pretty deep and Joe Kurczewski, the Specters GM, is not afraid to make trades in order to improve the team. New Orleans far exceeded expectations this past season, and that trend should continue over the next two or three seasons before the Specters are in a serious position to compete. With 13 players over 1,000 TPE (3 of which are over 1,500) and others on the brink and still improving, there is already a great and well established core. Throw in true rookie Tomas Zadina (S61) and prospects Sabarro Torretta (S59), Atticus Hale (S61), Conner Tanner (S61), and Giannis Kroustis (S61) - the future is bright here. There are some less than active, possibly fully inactive, prospects including Season 60 second overall pick Duncan the Walrus that may sting and add gaps that need to be filled, but I don’t doubt that Joe is fully capable of handling that. (170 words)

[Image: the5urrealshl.gif]

[Image: 9TttCL9.png][Image: n25g4JC.png][Image: P0OHsLJ.png][Image: DS1jqys.png][Image: M98Qi4H.png]
[Image: KOKeZZJ.png]
#98
(This post was last modified: 10-13-2021, 08:18 AM by tweedledunn.)

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.
otto


Code:
7. Graphic, 2 TPE, This one's for Seymour
Design a championship ring for either team. Yeah you can use the ring site.
[Image: SkpfFDu.png]


Code:
8. Graphic, 3 TPE, Zine
Create a magazine cover that highlights either a player in the finals or a standout player from the regular season.
[Image: iMJEWc0.png]


Code:
9. Graphic, 3 TPE, Nashville moment
Design a Challenge Cup/Four Star Cup Championship banner for one of the teams in the finals, like those which appear on the side of the site.
[Image: IdvOjvU.png]


Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.
Claim 3


Code:
15. Written, 2 TPE, The yearly IIHF task (100 words min.)
Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC if you care about that more. Will there be surprises? Will any players make their country proud? Who's gonna suck? Be bold!
120 words

My bold predictions for the IIHF this season are as follows. To start, Norway is going home with the gold. With my mad lad Gonzo Gobbledygook coming on board with his 425 SMJHL build to wreck everyone's mocks without shame. First place losers taking home the silver medal I am going to guess goes to Finland. Why? because if you swap out that F at the start with a W you have Winland. Finally, the copper will be won by Canada. I heard through the grapevine that Canadians invented hockey so I think they will have a leg up and squeak out a medal. Vorian Atreides will have the most points because Dune comes out in a couple of weeks.

[Image: fm4oNHu.png]    Aurora  norway  Raptors     [Image: YHC5qMO.png]
[Image: 47986_s.gif]



#99
(This post was last modified: 10-13-2021, 04:13 PM by leviadan.)

1. Trivia -- 3 TPE

Victor Helstrom.

barn


2. What if? -- 3 TPE

The Season 58 SHL semi-finals is maybe one of easiest "what if" situations to think about for me. Both Texas and Toronto lost in game 7s to Hamilton and Buffalo respectively. I think it's interesting if either of these outcomes flip, but it's probably the most interesting if somehow both of them flipped. For me, if Toronto or Texas makes it in S58 and goes up against either of Hamilton or Buffalo... realistically they probably lose that season. Both teams were still on the upswing at that point and pretty clear underdogs.

That said, if by some stroke of luck both TOR and TEX get their game 7 wins, what an interesting final that would be. Not only would we get two new finals teams that hadn't been in a long time, but you get a crazily even series between two hot teams. I think a TOR / TEX final in S58 would have been really unexpected and very exciting for people to watch. Especially for those who were already tired of BUF / HAM finals, of which we had many at that point-- and would go on to have more since. 


6. Grab Bag -- 4 TPE

a) This one is tough for me, but I actually think TEX had an easier path overall, but TEX also had the most competitive series. Hamilton was pretty clearly the favourite to make it to the finals out of the East and there was a slim chance of anyone stopping them. That said BUF and BAP are two amazing teams, and even though they were clear favourites against each those are two tough teams to play. Texas was certainly not a sure bet to come out of the West, and Chicago is such a close team skill wise that it was a huge coin toss of a series. I think of all the series in the playoffs this season, that one had the most unpredictable outcome. So I think overall TEX's road was easier with exception of the one huge hurdle to clear. HAM on the other hand, had a slow steady incline of tougher teams, but they were never in much danger of losing.

b) For me, building from the bottom and reaching the peak is more impressive. In a non-simulated league, I think Hamilton's run would definitely be the more impressive feat, but given the simulation and the fact that there's no real money or real life stakes involved, players can take less money or earn less TPE to play with their friends. In that sense if you have a super close community of long time players like they do, you can almost always find people that are willing to fill out the roster exactly as it needs to be to compete.

For Texas, you have to sell people on the program and give them a reason to want to stay. That's way harder when you can't, like in the NHL, pay them a lot of money or pitch them on how great the city is. People have to be willing to let their simulated player toil on a bottom feeding team in the hopes that it will turn around one day. To me, that's a way tougher task than to continually bring new people into a winning program.

c) A renegade is a cool cowboy probably with a sweet horse and maybe a pistol. Also a renegade drinks from cactuses and goes outside of the law to protect people and do what's right. I don't know what a steel hawk is. It's a stupid bird that probably can't even fly if it's made of steel. Only the worst birds can't fly and I have no doubt in my mind that a steel hawk would be a terrible junk bird. Absolutely a D tier land-bound bird. Who is Helstrom? I have no idea. I bojo box'd them and it looks like someone that played for MTL, WPG, and MIN. Only 7 seasons too? Short career on three unrelated teams? No idea why they're being brought up! Weird!

d) I don't know if he's the best player right now, but for me he is, and I always want to take opportunities to shout out our captain Andreas Kvalheim. Just an absolutely lethal player, a stand up person, and a champion through and through. To be as incredible of a player as he is and put up with slugging it out at the bottom of the league for that many seasons, on the thin hope that the work of management would pay off? I'm just really grateful for that. We definitely don't win the cup without him, and for his sake I'm thrilled that the gamble paid off.


12. Milestones -- 3 TPE

Linked here!


13. Parity -- 3 TPE

I'm not sure how fixable this is? I mean obviously it CAN be done, Texas is a team that came from the total bottom of the league to competing, making the finals, and winning a cup. They're a newcomer to that crowd of repeat finalists, so obviously it's possible to build a team that can get it done and compete with these powerhouses, but it's hard. It clearly takes a lot of luck and a lot of things going right, because if you're a team like HAM and BUF you can pitch everyone on how good you are and how you'll continue to be good. Free agents and draftees want to go to and play for winning clubs, and once you're one of them it gets a little easier to stay there.

I'm not sure what the solution is to that, because the nature of it being a simulated league means that there's not really any real life stakes or incentives to... not just go to a team where you'll win right away. You really just need to get lucky in finding guys that believe in the team and don't mind toiling away at the bottom of the standings for a while. And even then, it doesn't always pan out. Or if one of your top guys decides they've had enough and asks to be shipped to a contender, it can be super hard to replace them. I tend to think it's a behemoth task to build a winner in this league, and while it is definitely not easy to continue to be a winner for a long period of time, I still think it's a little easier than building a champion from the ground up.



CW Progress: 16/16

[Image: pin1_1.gif?ex=661a1734&is=6607a234&hm=b8...1bf5caed8&]
(This post was last modified: 10-12-2021, 02:04 AM by natedoeshockey.)

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

patyatime Victor Helstrom

Code:
2. Written, 3 TPE, What if...? (150 words min.)
Pick a moment in SHL history to change. It could be something large, an expansion draft, sim engine change, or something smaller, like a trade or team punishment. Change something about this moment in the SHL and explain the impact the difference would make in how the league developed since that moment. (think Butterfly Effect)

What if the Chicago Syndicate had beaten the Texas Renegades in the second round of this season's playoffs? There is a pretty good chance that they would have gone on to also beat the Edmonton Blizzard, much like the Texas Renegades did, and the finals would have become the Chicago Syndicate versus the Hamilton Steelhawks. The Chicago Syndicate, in my opinion, had the potential to be a match-up nightmare against the Hamilton Steelhawks. . . much more so than the Texas Renegades were, as evidenced by the Hamilton Steelhawks sweeping the Texas Renegades. It could have, potentially, changed the course of Simulation Hockey League history by giving the Chicago Syndicate another cup. I am not quite sure of the butterfly effect this would have, if any. Perhaps it slightly alters a draft pick scenario that somehow drastically alters the future of one or multiple franchises in the Simulation Hockey Leagye? Maybe it adds fuel to some sort of rivalry within the league? I guess we will never know, since it did not happen.

Code:
3. Written, 3 TPE, Draft Kings (150 words min.)
Pick a draft class in the SHL that you believe had the most impact on the SHL. It can be a consensus pick, like S36, 31, or 53, or an off-the-board one (S41?). Explain your reasoning to why this draft class impacted the league; Could be in a good way, or a bad way.

This question is quite a simple one for me to answer: clearly, the draft class that has had the most impact on the Simulation Hockey League is season 53. Now you might be saying "Wow, Nate, that is a consensus pick right there. Will you not please explain yourself a bit for us?" Okay, surely. That is the draft class that my J GM in Carolina, the man behind Hockey Talk Tonight, Mr. Muscleshirt himself, the great and powerful @sve7en was drafted in. "Alright Nate, that is cool and all, but what does that have to do anything?" I am so glad you asked that question, because I can explain that, too. It is because he drafted my player, Patya Perevalov. Patya is the future of the SHL. Sure, Patya is still in juniors for a few seasons, but he is striving to be the greatest Russian born player that this league has ever seen. He is a generational talent, and he will make believers out of everyone.

Code:
6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Hamilton was not taken to 7 games, Texas enjoyed two series sweeps, which team had the harder path to the final in your opinion?
b. Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness?
c. What is a renegade? What is a steelhawk? Who is Victor Helstrom from the CW trivia?
d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

a. The Hamilton Steelhawks had the harder path to the final, in my opinion. The answer for this is quite simple: they had to play more good teams than the Texas Renegades. Sure, the Texas Renegades had to play the Chicago Syndicate, but the Hamilton Steelhawks had to play the Buffalo Stampede and, arguably the second best team in the SHL this season, the Baltimore Platoon.
b. Similar to the first answer, I am going to go with the Hamilton Steelhawks on this one, and say that it is more impressive to stay good for a decade than complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness. I know that greatness through a rebuild is always the goal though seldom achieved, but rebuilding is a normal part of most sports. I would say any sport, but Tom Brady and Lewis Hamilton have to exist and mess it up for everyone else (though I could see an argument against Hamilton but a team is more than just a driver). Specifically, Tom Brady is considered the GOAT because he has been a winner for such a long time, similarly to what Hamilton has done.
c. A Renegade is whatever Jay-Z and Eminem rapped about that one time, many years ago. I will be honest with you: I have no idea what the hell a Steelhawk is, and can only assume it is some sort of metal bird. Google, however, tells me it is a rollercoaster. I guess it is up to you to decide. Victor Helstrom is Victor Hedman's adopted brother.
d. For best player, I am going to go ahead and give the nod to Theo Morgan over Aaron Wilson. Both of them have been consistent for quite a while now, but I think Morgan has just been a tiny bit better overall. Morgan factors in for huge point production year in and year out, regular season and playoffs, just like Wilson, but again, just seems slightly better in terms of shot blocking and hitting. I could really go either way on this, or even bring up VDH.

Code:
11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

For series MVP, I am going to go with Mitchell van der Heijden. VDH was a complete and total beast in game 1, and tallied 2 goals and 1 assist for a +3 rating. In game 2, he added another assist to his totals. In game 3, the beast once again awoke from his slumber, and he added another goal and yet another assist. He was held without a point in the 4th and final game, but the damage was already done. VDH finished the series with 6 points in 4 games, and I do not really think I need to explain myself any further when I say that he absolutely deserves the finals series mvp for his performance on the ice.

Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=119534

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

Patya Perevalov Milestones Claim

Code:
21. Written, 2 TPE, Feed my back (its hungry) 100 words min
It's been 2 seasons now and I can always use constructive criticism. What have I done right regarding PTs? What have I done wrong? Was I doing something the wrong way and fixed it? Was I doing something the right way and fuck it up? Do I even deserve 8 mil a season? Any and all thoughts are welcome EXCEPT malicious posts. Do not attack me, or my work. If you have a problem with it, explain why. Don't just say it sucks and its stupid.

Hey, Slash. We may not know each other super well (or at all lol), but that is okay, and we can be friends anyway. I have really enjoyed the PTs for this being my first season in the SHL. My favorites, by far, were the snacks mPT and the Pill PT, and I'm sorry that some people used the latter to attack you. I mean I love some good shit talk (there was some in one of my J PTs), but I never mean it to be ACTUALLY malicious, and I try to reflect that in the way that I write it by being outlandish and, generally, pretty dumb. Anyhoo, the snacks mPT was great because I am a snack lord and very much enjoy the artform that is snacking. I loved the Pill PT because the league has made me dive back into my ability to write creatively, and anything that gives me another opportunity to do that is good fun in my book. Also, anything that gives me more opportunity to play a slightly naive Russian who sucks at English is cool. I do not think you have done anything wrong. I do not have enough previous experience to comment on whether you used to do something wrong and then fixed it, or used to do something right and then fucked it up. I think you deserve to be paid fairly for what you do, because I know that coming up with prompts is not as easy as some people might think it is. I appreciate the work that you do, and the league would not be the same without you. <3

Lore: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
[Image: 65011_s.gif]
[Image: Eo2nBCt.png]   [Image: HKi05IH.png]   [Image: gs89eGV.png]
(This post was last modified: 10-13-2021, 03:45 PM by Muerto.)

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

mando

3. Written, 3 TPE, Draft Kings (150 words min.)
Pick a draft class in the SHL that you believe had the most impact on the SHL. It can be a consensus pick, like S36, 31, or 53, or an off-the-board one (S41?). Explain your reasoning to why this draft class impacted the league; Could be in a good way, or a bad way.


I'm going to highlight the S20 SHL Draft as being impactful in many ways. This was the first ever Reddit Draft, and it showcased a huge influx of over 100 players signed up in the couple days before the draft. This was huge for the league as at the time there were only 6 teams in the SMJHL and some of those teams were having a hard time filling an entire roster, after several disappointing Drafts in the few seasons leading up to that one. It was a chaotic couple of days, from my view I was GM of Kelowna at the time and there were so many new prospects signed up that it was literally impossible to have a meaningful scouting conversation with all of them! Several HoF players came out of this draft, but more importantly, it showed us that using social media, specifically Reddit, to garner interest in the league was a viable way to recruit. Since then, there have been several expansions and instead of a 6 team J League and a 12 team SHL, it is 14 and 20, so the growth of the league which began with this Draft has been great. It also was the beginning of a new attitude about how people interact with each other, and became more inclusive and welcoming and less toxic as people became less accepting of bullying and harassment, which has also been hugely important to retaining members who keep the SHL a fun place to hang out!

(~250 words)

4. Written, 3 TPE, Biopic (150 words min.)
You've been contacted by a big film studio who wants to center the next big hockey movie around your career so far! All you need to do is supply a 150+ word explanation about what will be key scenes of moments or games in your career, the cast, and a general timeline of the film as it follows you from team to team, junior to pro. This one is open ended so how you approach it is up to you!


The Baby Yoda Show continues on from the end of Mandalorian Season 2 and follows young Grogu's adventures. First, he is taken by Sekai Wollker to Earth and they go to Anaheim to blend in with all the other weird characters at Disneyland. After 1 season there, the Empire is getting close to finding them as Darth Talls destroys the Anaheim franchise, so they escape together to the wilds of Montana, hoping to hide out in the emptiness. Sekai Wollker leaves the show after season 2 so Grogu must make new friends, in particular a gang of Grizzlies, and he comes into his own as a star player to lead the Grizzlies to back-to-back championships. The season 4 is highlighted by a defeat of the Dark SIde of the force that is the Vancouver Whalers. Everyone rejoices but no ewoks because they are stupid. After that, he is adopted by a family of Dragons ... from here things start getting a bit crazy but as Grogu learns to use the force more and more, he eventually becomes the greatest SHL player in history! Compelling TV and sure to be a ratings smash!

6.b. Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness?

It is easy to say Fuck Hamilton because they were in a position at the time of the engine switch to be that dominant team, and it seems like they've been on top forever, but I don't want to disparage their accomplishments and say it was by accident. Obviously they are doing things right, and even when players leave, they seem to always be able to replace them with equal or greater parts. When you're on top, everyone is gunning for you, and even though they don't win every season, it does seem like they are always the team to beat. It won't last forever as other teams are catching up in terms of understanding FHM and knowing what needs to be done, but I have to give them props for being able to continuously play at a high level with a strong roster.


12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 16 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.
MILESTONES TBD (check back later)


Claim +3



14. Written, 3 TPE, Upswing (150 words min.)
What team on the outside looking in do you believe will be the next to break into the playoffs? What team will be the next new team to break into the finals (other than the core 4 listed in the above task)? Who seems to be building and earning at a rate that they will be a scary team in the future? We have already seen some successful rebuilds in Texas, Toronto, and Tampa, and some unsuccessful ones as well. Who is on the right track?



Let's have a look at the 4 teams that missed the playoffs and see what their status is:

1. Winnipeg Aurora : Obviously I have a soft spot for this team but after several seasons of basically stagnant play and not seeing much improvement, Ace took over the GM role and made the decision to tear it down and do a full-on rebuild. The team holds a number of impressive prospects and draft picks and look to be in a good position to put a contending team together ... but might be 4-5 seasons away from seeing the results. WIll be interesting to watch!

2. Manhattan Rage : This team made some big moves over the last couple seasons to stock their cupboards with prospects and picks and now they wait patiently for those players to develop and start moving up. They've got a few big earners from the late 50's early 60's drafts but, again, might take a few seasons for them to really hit their stride, but they look like a team that could have a real contending window in the mid to late 60's

3. Montreal Patriotes : They have a few really strong players but unfortunately the roster is largely mid-tier or lower earning players at the moment. As an expansion team with a new GM in just their 3rd season, the team could go either direction in the next few seasons, whether they look to move those good players for youth, or try to make some moves to bolster the squad now and become more competitive. The jury is out on this one for now as we wait and see what the plan is!

4. New Orleans Specters : This is the team which looks most ready to make the jump into the playoffs, they have a bunch of high-earning late S50's prospects on the roster who are already passing 1K TPE, and several more in the pipeline ready to take over as their regressing players age out. They have been patient after a few dreadful showings but remained committed to a genuine rebuild and should now start seeing the results. I think they could easily jump ahead of some teams in the west as soon as next season, and with a lot of youth all hitting their peak at similar times, could be very scary indeed!

[Image: draft-aa.png?ex=6623d02e&is=66115b2e&hm=...6f7f7fe7e&]


Grizzlies     S76 SMJHL DRAFT 3RD OVERALL PICK     Grizzlies


(This post was last modified: 10-12-2021, 05:23 AM by Salming.)

1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification word: Borje

4. Written, 3 TPE, Biopic (150 words min.)
You've been contacted by a big film studio who wants to center the next big hockey movie around your career so far! All you need to do is supply a 150+ word explanation about what will be key scenes of moments or games in your career, the cast, and a general timeline of the film as it follows you from team to team, junior to pro. This one is open ended so how you approach it is up to you!


The movie would begin from Finland and follow my first years as an amateur in Finland. I would dominate there and then decide to try my luck in the North America as a professional junior player because I was too good in Finland. I would grind my way out of 4th line in Quebec City Citadelles to become one of the most important two-way wingers in the organisation during four seasons. Our story in Quebec City would end up in championships party. Then chapter three would be about my international achievements. I am two-time World Junior Gold Medalist and there would be cool scenes about how Team Finland would end a long drought and win Sweden in a final with a dominant effort and repeat the championship next season. After that movie would come to an end soon because I would move to Seattle to play with Argonauts. Camera crew would follow my first year against adults and after that future would be open...

Words 164

12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.


S61 Milestones +3 TPE

13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)
There has been some discussion on the forums but its always good to hear more opinions: Parity. Going back 6 seasons including this one there have been 4 teams in the finals: Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton, and Texas. If you add New Orleans you can go back 8 seasons. 5 different teams for 8 straight finals. Is this an issue? Does it need to be fixed? Can it even be fixed? I'm interested to hear opinions, approaches, or just doom and gloom on whether you think this will change, or if we will still be talking about the same teams making the finals over and over in 5 seasons.


I don't see a problem. In fact, I enjoy the current situation even though I play in Seattle. Why? Because if you somehow manage to beat one of the four powerhouses Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton or Texas, a win would feel amazing and really rewarding. Beating those teams wouldn't feel so good if there would be some kind of adjustments which would make a competition more balanced. I think time will fix the "problem" and there will be more good teams. There are right now just many organisations who are just re-building towards success and I am sure in the future those four teams won't be as successful as they are now. I believe that Seattle, Tampa Bay, Edmonton, Minnesota, Atlanta and Montreal for example will be stronger soon and challenge those model organisations. At the moment we just need to be patient and let the time to do its work. Like I said, I believe kindly that competition will be tougher in the near future and more people will enjoy championships finals.

Words 172

15. Written, 2 TPE, The yearly IIHF task (100 words min.)
Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC if you care about that more. Will there be surprises? Will any players make their country proud? Who's gonna suck? Be bold!


Like always, I expect big nations to succeed. Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russia and USA are powerhouses which should dominate IIHF event year after year because hockey culture is there something else than in for example in Japan, Great Britain, Ireland, Austria, Norway or Latvia. Czechs are a dark horse for me because my ex-teammate from Argonauts mr. Michael Scarn can carry them to everything. I also expect that Germany's hockey will continue its rising. They were already good last time and are lead by Kanoff in the attack. From Nordic countries I expect that Finland will be much stronger this year. They lost on quarter-finals last time against Japan but future is going to be bright. When it comes to Russia, I expect the same. They are way too big hockey nation to underperform again which means everything lower than achieving a spot in the finals.

Words 146


21. Written, 2 TPE, Feed my back (its hungry) 100 words min
It's been 2 seasons now and I can always use constructive criticism. What have I done right regarding PTs? What have I done wrong? Was I doing something the wrong way and fixed it? Was I doing something the right way and fuck it up? Do I even deserve 8 mil a season? Any and all thoughts are welcome EXCEPT malicious posts. Do not attack me, or my work. If you have a problem with it, explain why. Don't just say it sucks and its stupid.


The recent change where a user can choose from two different opinions is excellent. Before that in my opinion tasks were too far from virtual hockey and for us non-English speakers you used words which were not so common and I was needed to use a lot of dictionary for example to understand what the task would be and what I should write. It is easier to understand immediately what is the instruction from the tasks which are related to SHL hockey, teams and players. In those previous tasks I feel you used too complicated language and also that's why they were frustrated tasks but now situation is much better.

Words 110

+16 TPE, thank you

[Image: salming.png]

Quote:1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

It's Victor Helstrom

Quote:12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread.php?tid=119534

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

My Milestones

Quote:6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Hamilton was not taken to 7 games, Texas enjoyed two series sweeps, which team had the harder path to the final in your opinion?
b. Almost ten seasons ago, in S53, Hamilton enjoyed a 40 win season while Texas mustered a measly 9 wins. Now these two teams sit atop the season standings, and the playoff standings. Which is more impressive, to stay good for a decade, or to complete the rebuild and finally achieve greatness?
c. What is a renegade? What is a steelhawk? Who is Victor Helstrom from the CW trivia?
d. Who is the best player to play for either team? Is it a current player? Retired? Traded? Make your case.

a. I think Hamilton had the rougher road to the Finals. The Eastern Conference is stronger than the West currently in my opinion, and t have to face teams like Buffalo and Baltimore, two teams who excelled in the regular season, is not easy. I think the fact that Hamilton had such an easy time defeating the Renegades proves that everyone they faced along the way is tougher.

b. I would absolutely think that in the context of the league as it stands, and in the current sim engine, that building a team from the ground up is a much bigger accomplishment. Things like Free Agency and trading with rebuilders can keep a top team relevant for much longer than they might otherwise be.

c. A Renegade is obviously an amazing song by the band Styx that came out in 1979. A Steelhawk is obviously a knockoff steel type Pokémon, it probably can't even fly considering the size and weight it would have. Victor Helstrom, I'm not sure who he is but he sounds like he'd be Van Helsing's long lost cousin or something

d. I think a player that is severely underrated that is likely the best player to play for either franchise is White Goodman. He was a staple in Texas for a time, winning them a cup in Season 59 and solidifying the rebuild that they had started several seasons previous into a championship team. Goodman now is the backbone of the growing Patriotes and hopes to repeat the same success there.

Quote:13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)
There has been some discussion on the forums but its always good to hear more opinions: Parity. Going back 6 seasons including this one there have been 4 teams in the finals: Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton, and Texas. If you add New Orleans you can go back 8 seasons. 5 different teams for 8 straight finals. Is this an issue? Does it need to be fixed? Can it even be fixed? I'm interested to hear opinions, approaches, or just doom and gloom on whether you think this will change, or if we will still be talking about the same teams making the finals over and over in 5 seasons.

I think this is an easy one for me. I don't think the system, or the sim engine is broken, I believe there is a fundamental difference in how players build one specific teams, where players in free agency go, and general managers that make good or bad moves depending on the situation their specific team is in. Another topic to bring up is the instability some GM spots have had over the seasons. Many teams seem to have a turnover of about 10 seasons in terms of management, some less, some more. I think instability turns players, users, off to wanting to be on a team that may or may not have a specific path they've chosen, or that may have their plan uprooted by a change in management. The majority of the teams who have been consistent in the playoffs/finals have a solid grasp of player builds, have the locker room behind them, high morale, and solid management. It's hard to look at anything beyond that.

Quote:19. Written, 3 TPE, Pills 150 words min
Love it or hate it, that Pill PT (PT 2) was wild and may I say, genius. You've partnered up with the weird trench coat pill guy to design your own pills, with powers and drawbacks to sell to your fellow SHLers! How do you go about this, do you make really good pills to help your team? Trick Hamilton into taking some really shitty pills with the promise of incredible powers? Or do what I did and make a bunch of insane pills and watch the league go absolutely crazy trying to make sense of what the fuck I'm even talking about? Or just make a bunch of jelly beans?

Ok so this one is going to be a lot of fun so thank you Slash for putting this on the list of CW tasks. I would create a bunch of jelly beans that give powers without drawbacks, BUT there would also be ones that give no powers and have only drawbacks, and they look identical, so we have beanboozled, SHL edition.

Green: Lime Flavor - Increases your players reaction time five-fold
Green: Apple Flavor - Reduces your players reaction time five-fold

Blue: Berry Flavor - Allows your player to read minds
Blue: Cotton Candy Flavor - Allows every other player to read your mind

Yellow: Lemon Flavor - Allows the player to blink short distances, taking the puck with them
Yellow: Banana Flavor - Randomly rewinds time several seconds, placing you in a more compromised position

Red: Raspberry Flavor - Allows a power up shot, increasing the power dramatically after a short time (Think limit break)
Red: Watermelon Flavor - Causes a chance to "critically miss" a shot, breaking the players stick

Once you eat a jellybean of a flavor, you cannot gain powers from that color again, you're stuck with what you get.









(This post was last modified: 10-17-2021, 07:49 PM by charlieconway.)

Quote:1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification: parksaeroyi


Quote:11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)
Welp, you waited until the last day to grind out your CW and the CC finals are longggggggg over by now. congrats to [TEAM], woo! Reflecting back on the series, who gets your vote for series MVP? Make the case why this player deserves it over any other.

This one is always a difficult question to answer because from what I can tell we don't have access to the individual scores of the finals games.

But I don't even need to know how scoring went to know the answer is Aaron Wilson. Not only is he one of the highest TPE players on the Cup winner, and a proven performer in the playoffs and overall, but it is my understanding that aaronwilson the user is the person that runs the testing for the Steelhawks. So much of success in this league comes from how the teams are able to make the most of the sim engine, so it’s hard to pick anyone else.



Quote:12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

Claim post (+3 TPE)


Quote:13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)
There has been some discussion on the forums but its always good to hear more opinions: Parity. Going back 6 seasons including this one there have been 4 teams in the finals: Buffalo, Chicago, Hamilton, and Texas. If you add New Orleans you can go back 8 seasons. 5 different teams for 8 straight finals. Is this an issue? Does it need to be fixed? Can it even be fixed? I'm interested to hear opinions, approaches, or just doom and gloom on whether you think this will change, or if we will still be talking about the same teams making the finals over and over in 5 seasons.

Not only do I think it's a problem, but I think it's going to continue. As for why, there is always an incentive as a player to move to a successful team. As a result, you wind up with teams that achieve success being able to replicate that success.

I have no hope that anyone else is going to be successful in the next few seasons. Buffalo and Hamilton will make the semifinals for sure, and Texas and Chicago have the best chance in the west. These teams all have talented players, draft well, and from what I can tell, they all have active locker rooms. Most importantly, they know how to get the most out of their players from an engine standpoint.

That last point is so important. There is so much more than just stacking players with high TPEs: case in point, Toronto. We’ve had a high total TPE the last few seasons but haven’t been diligent with testing and tactics.. as a result, it’s been first round exits if we even make the playoffs at all. That’s with an active locker room and (IMO) good drafting.

I think this puts the league in a terrible spot, and something’s gotta give, because it's killing my passion and probably the passion of many others.



Quote:14. Written, 3 TPE, Upswing (150 words min.)
What team on the outside looking in do you believe will be the next to break into the playoffs? What team will be the next new team to break into the finals (other than the core 4 listed in the above task)? Who seems to be building and earning at a rate that they will be a scary team in the future? We have already seen some successful rebuilds in Texas, Toronto, and Tampa, and some unsuccessful ones as well. Who is on the right track?

I don't think any new teams will be breaking into the finals. Tampa Bay is building successfully, but it's hard to achieve success without experiencing success, paradoxically. The teams that win the most always have the best chance at picking up the best free agents, and they tend to draft well in the first place.

I think a lot of it depends on how Tampa Bay can figure out the ins-and-outs of the engine. Maybe if one of Buffalo or Hamilton drops off, then they can pick up the perennial contender status lost by the Stampede or Steelhawks.

I do take issue with calling Toronto a successful rebuild. Sure, we've put together a group of like minded people that have been dedicated the last few seasons to improving our players, and thus the team, but is that really what defines success? I think that's a question that can be answered differently by different people. We haven’t won a Challenge Cup, and aside from one season where we lost in the conference finals to Buffalo in Game 7 OT, we haven’t even come close.



Quote:21. Written, 2 TPE, Feed my back (its hungry) 100 words min
It's been 2 seasons now and I can always use constructive criticism. What have I done right regarding PTs? What have I done wrong? Was I doing something the wrong way and fixed it? Was I doing something the right way and fuck it up? Do I even deserve 8 mil a season? Any and all thoughts are welcome EXCEPT malicious posts. Do not attack me, or my work. If you have a problem with it, explain why. Don't just say it sucks and its stupid.

I very much appreciate having multiple questions to answer in PTs. If you're not feeling one of them, you can just go for the other, rather than racking your brain trying to figure out something that works for your the one that's stumping you.

As for if you're worth the 8 mil per season... the whole point of money in this kind of hobby is to give people an incentive to contribute to the health of the league. As PT Head, you're helping with something that is at the core of player participation, and as such I'd say you earn every digital penny.

[Image: 9ZNnX19.png]


Canada | Player Page | Grizzlies | Player Updates | Inferno
(This post was last modified: 10-12-2021, 10:21 AM by DarkCanuck29.)

1. CW TRIVIA, +3 TPE max
Verification Word: Dark

4. Biopic, +3 TPE
Although still early in Duncan Mackenzie’s career, there are still several key story beats that would have to be included in the Biopic. It would all start pre-SMJHL draft, quickly cutting between interviews with various teams, before moving to the draft proper. There, the surprise selection by Kelowna would feature. I think the first season would be done in a montage of trying hard, but ultimately struggling. Then the interviews for the SHL draft would occur, quickly cutting between semi-interested teams before finally settling on the conversation with The Calgary franchise. Then the moving would hit its act 2 climax as the draft occurs and both Calgary and Mackenzie anxiously await the 18th overall pick before he finally becomes a Dragon. The third act would cover his latest season in Kelowna, fighting for the team points lead with Satoro Gojo and trying to provide some locker room leadership. The film would then end with Kelowna’s elimination from the playoffs with some dangling story hooks allowing a sequel to occur.

12. Milestones, +3 TPE
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3117653

13. Parody, +3 TPE
For myself, of course I would like to see a larger variety of teams reaching the finals. I don’t think anybody really wants to spend their career with no hope of having a realistic shot at possibly one day winning a championship. That being said, the GMs of the teams on the outside have to stop losing trades to the top teams. There is nothing stopping these other teams from drafting better and doing what they need to do to keep their best players. Calgary is a fine example of this. They have Kept their good players in place through their rebuild, which have allowed them to continue to be competitive while slowly bringing in the next generation. S60 saw them make 3 first round picks and acquire J scoring phenom Alexis Saint-Michel, all while making the 3rd round of the playoffs and sweeping their rivals Edmonton. It is possible to get back to the top, but it will take a real effort from everyone to get there.

14. Upswing, +3 TPE
I think there is only one real answer to this question and it is clearly the Calgary Dragons. While moving into a phase of focusing on the future, Calgary has maintained a competitive roster, allowing them to keep their outrageously good locker room atmosphere and winning culture. While this is going on, they are adding a large number of high quality prospects who are steadily progressing and will be hitting the SHL slightly offset, allowing a seamless transition between the old and new guard. This past offseason, the Dragons traded for Alexis Saint-Michel, a scoring beast and the holder of just about every important Vancouver Whalers record. He is ready to hit the SHL for S62. On top of this addition, the Dragons selected three studs in the First Round alone: Grogu Mandosson, Darwin Koff, and Duncan Mackenzie. Each of these has been a max TPE earner and shows no sign of slowing down. They will be ready sometime around season 63 or 64 and will provide that “next wave” of support to the superb core that Calgary already has.

15. The yearly IIHF task, +2 TPE, 
For this year’s IIHF tournament I think that once again Japan will dominate. They are so talented and so deep, that nobody else has quite outdone them in terms of quality of play. That said, I do think Austria will surprise this year. They have some good talent they have added recently and a large group who are coming up through the ranks. Look for them to make a huge splash in 2 or 3 tournaments from now. In terms of individual Players, I think we will see Sam Michaud make a big impact this year. I also believe Esa Parmborg will shock the world when he devours an entire foot long chicken parm sandwich in between shifts and then proceeds to score a highlight real goal while his face is still covered in marinara.

18. Baby come back, +2 TPE
I’ve only been part of the league for a few months now, so I can’t say there are too many people I have known who have left, but there is one obvious one that sticks out to me: Emiko. Tragically, she recently passed away, but during her time with the Kelowna Knights she won everyone over with her infectious attitude and happy go lucky nature. I enjoyed having her on the team and her departing has left a hole in the Kelowna LR.  It is definitely a darker paragraph, and not quite the funny, tongue in cheek style of writing I prefer, but she is definitely someone who should be recognized, especially as she was known by a large number of members around here.

[Image: %3E%5Balign=center%5D]
Aurora Winnipeg Aurora Aurora




Users browsing this thread:
1 Guest(s)




Navigation

 

Extra Menu

 

About us

The Simulation Hockey League is a free online forums based sim league where you create your own fantasy hockey player. Join today and create your player, become a GM, get drafted, sign contracts, make trades and compete against hundreds of players from around the world.