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NJBadApple · 01-04-2025, 03:04 PM

I'll forego a massive intro to pump up my word count, but you're about to read my rankings on the top SHL'ers from calendar year 2024! Looking through the off-season posts, it seems like Season 75 through Season 79 were played entirely within 2024... so performances within those five seasons were my metric for grading. Regular season, playoffs, IIHF, awards... all were taken into account for the following rankings. This will be updated each day with the next five players until we get close to the top, then I'll slow it down. Thanks for reading, let's start!

25th. Benson Fiorentini Monarchs

@adamantium
330 Games | 185 Goals | 214 Assists | 399 Points
2x All-Star

The first player on our list spent nearly all of last year playing on Tampa Bay's top line and producing strong numbers prior to being dealt to spend his twilight seasons with Minnesota. He finished Top 10 in league scoring twice during 2024 (Seasons 75 and 76) where he posted an incredible 105 points each time. His performance led to his All-Star selection for each of those seasons. Despite not clinching a Challenge Cup or any IIHF credentials, Fiorentini's multiple ASG selections snuck him onto the list.

24th. M'Baku Olubori Platoon

@hhh81
330 Games | 239 Goals | 204 Assists | 444 Points
1x All-Star, 1x Gold, 1x Bronze

Olubori has spent the entirety of his career playing for Baltimore and will almost certainly go down as one of the best players in franchise history. His 239 goals from 2024 are third among all players in the SHL, despite somehow never winning an individual award. Although not limited to 2024, he's likely to join the exclusive 500-goal club within the next two seasons. His campaign last year was still strong though, posting over a PPG for each of the five seasons, including 109 points in Season 76 leading to an All-Star selection.

23rd. Marton Diehm Renegades

@FaraDian
330 Games | 154 Goals | 284 Assists | 438 Points
1x All-Star, 1x Gold, 2x Bronze

Diehm is one-third of the terrorizing first line of the Texas Renegades, but make no mistake he not a product of the other two. Diehm had an incredible performance over 2024, posting over a PPG for each season and has already achieved that again for Season 80. His 284 assists were tied for second among all SHL players last year, showcasing his unbelievable playmaking skills. Marton was also one of the most prolific two-way players in the league last year despite not winning the Jeff Dar. His 106-point performance in Season 77 led to his lone All-Star selection, although he did notch three medals through IIHF.

22nd. Olof Karsikko Wolfpack

@Accka
174 Games | 91 Wins | 3.73 GAA | .901 SV% | 7 Shutouts
1x Challenge Cup, 1x Anton Razov, 1x IIHF Top Goalie

I would be remiss in my duties of ranking top players if one of the greatest goalies the SHL has ever seen was left off. Although Karsikko could've topped this list for 2022 and 2023, he had yet another strong campaign last year. His numbers continue to tumble with age and regression, but still stayed above the .900 mark for save percentage. To put the cherry on top, he added yet another Challenge Cup to his resume (fourth?) along with snagging Playoffs MVP honors. Nobody overseas was safe either, after taking home the Top Goalie honors from IIHF. Yet another rose for one of the most clutch goaltenders to ever skate.

21st. Anthony Dionne Renegades

@Anthique
252 Games | 162 Wins | 3.18 GAA | .896 SV% | 17 Shutouts
1x All-Star, 3x Gold, 1x Silver, 2x Mike Honcho

You could probably guess by now that Texas is going to have a couple of players on this list, and at 21st we have our second one already and this time between the pipes. Dionne had an outstanding showing this past year, with his 162 wins third among all SHL goalies. Additionally, his 3.18 GAA was third among all starting goalies during that time and his 17 shutouts ranked second. It doesn't hurt to be playing behind one of the best overall teams in 2024, but Dionne holds his own on the international stage as well bringing home three medals - to include three Gold.

20th. Jarrod Lakemore Stampede

@jbay7
330 Games | 196 Goals | 215 Assists | 411 Points
3x All-Star, 1x Silver, 1x Jeff Dar

I've noticed a number of times that Buffalo seems to be that one team that refuses to die and "overperforms" on many occasions, and Lakemore is certainly a catalyst for that. Jarrod Lakemore has spent his whole career with Buffalo and has been impressive to say the least; he finished Top 10 in league scoring three separate seasons (each of his All-Star selections), and even grabbing a Dar along the way. He notched four consecutive 100-point seasons and seems to be close to hitting that mark yet again this season despite missing it back in Season 79. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see Lakemore on this list again for 2025.

19th. Oskar Scholz pride

@karlssens
330 Games | 187 Goals | 272 Assists | 459 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 2x All-Star, 1x Aidan Richan

Moving into the teens, we see the first of a string of San Francisco players on this list. Scholz is just one part of a lethal arsenal that the Pride seem to ice every single game. While he doesn't quite have the hardware to prove his potency on the ice, his stats speak for themselves; his 459 points are good for 7th among all SHL players last year, while his 272 assists keep him just inside the Top 10 for that time-frame. His 116-point performance during Season 76 gave him a runaway win for the Aidan Richan as the most improved player, and he hasn't looked back since - going well over PPG each season since then.

18th. Philippe-Eko Eel Inferno

@hotdog
330 Games | 72 Goals | 192 Assists | 264 Points
3x All-Star, 1x Bojo Biscuit, 1x IIHF Top Defender

Just inside the Top 20 we have the first defender on the list. Atlanta's top defensemen for the majority of 2024 continually frustrated opponents in every way possible; whether it was generating offense (including a PPG showing in Season 78), blocking show (surpassing 150 each season last year), or playing the physical game and wearing them down - there's no question, Eel is the complete package. Besides being a fantasy stalwart for the past several seasons, he earned three All-Star nods last year in addition to taking home some hardware in both the SHL and IIHF, proving once more his dominance.

17th. Logan Webb pride

@spidey
330 Games | 186 Goals | 254 Assists | 440 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 1x All-Star, 3x Gold, 1x Silver

As stated before, we're going to see a couple of Pride players here before moving on to other teams' stars at this point on the list. Unlike other players on San Francisco, Webb is the youngest of the "higher end" players on the team, but has already posted an incredible punch. He posted over a PPG for the entirety of 2024, with his main breakout performance being just two seasons ago in Season 78. Additionally, he's already taken home four IIHF medals, including three gold. He's likely to blow right past the 100-point mark again this season, and wouldn't be surprised if he ends up way higher on the the 2025 list.

16th. Dominik Winters pride

@39alaska39
330 Games | 182 Goals | 226 Assists | 408 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 1x All-Star, 1x Anton Razov, 1x IIHF Top Forward

The Pride Parade continues as we inch towards the Top 10 on the list, and this time we have yet another "young gun" among the star-studded lineup. Winters had a phenomenal 2024 campaign, posting not just impressive numbers on the scoresheet but also stock-piling some hardware along the way. In addition to being named the playoffs MVP for one of San Francisco's cup runs, he also took home the IIHF Top Forward honors through international play. One can only assume this is the beginning of a long & illustrious career for the young Pride player.

15th. Alexi Piastri Stars

@vbottas17
330 Games | 171 Goals | 257 Assists | 428 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 1x All-Star, 1x Anton Razov, 1x IIHF Top Forward

Sorrry to disappoint all of the San Francisco fans but this article is not specific to your team; we finally depart northern California and head to... southern California. Piastri started his career with Minnesota but started their journey with LA at the very start of 2024, and boy they had quite the year. Posting the same exact awards as Winters, but with slightly higher stats which puts him just one spot ahead - his 105 point performance in Season 78 awarded him his lone All-Star appearance. As Piastri's career begins to wind down into regression territory, he's not quite the offensive dynamo he was this time last year, but the Panthers will need him to continue to produce down in the lineup if they hope to make another playoff run this season and moving forward.

14th. Jack St. Clair Renegades

@CrazyMojito
330 Games | 223 Goals | 263 Assists | 486 Points
2x All-Star, 3x Gold, 1x Bronze

For being somewhat of a "journeyman" during his career so far (playing for three different teams), we have quite the prolific offensive dynamo at 14th. St. Clair has a great year back in 2024, with his goals being 6th and points being 5th among all active SHL'ers during that time. He kicked off the year with two consecutive 100-point performances, which includes his Season 75 total of 71 assists which led the entire league that year. Pair that with four medals from IIHF showings (three gold) along with two All-Star appearances, it's no surprise that multiple teams were climbing over each other to get St. Clair on their roster.

13th. Erik Bergmark Platoon

@NYR73
330 Games | 219 Goals | 280 Assists | 499 Points
3x All-Star, 1x Gold, 2x Bronze

We have our second Baltimore "all time great" on this list with the next player. Bergmark's performance from June 2023 to June of 2024 might be one of the greatest stretches in recent SHL history, but sadly we must cover just January-December of last year. Regardless, his 499 points put him 3rd among all SHL skaters during last calendar year, which included three consecutive 100-point campaigns from Seasons 75 through 77. Although each of those seasons earned him an All-Star selection, it's a bit stunning that he didn't lead the league in any majority category during that stretch or nab any individual awards.

12th. Johnny Wagner-Svenson Barracuda

@AgentSmith630
330 Games | 202 Goals | 284 Assists | 486 Points
1x All-Star

Speaking of victims to their competition, we have the best example of this on the entire list at 12th. Johnny could likely take home honors for the most "consistently consistent" high-end player in the league for 2024. His 284 assists are 2nd among the entire league during that stretch, and his 486 points put him in a tie for 5th place in that category as well. If Wagner-Svenson had taken home some hardware - in any sort of fashion - he would've likely rocketed up this list. His numbers and consistency alone place him ahead of many other with individual awards.

11th. Willow Soderberg-Snooks Panthers

@Reno
330 Games | 75 Goals | 209 Assists | 284 Points
1x Challenge Cup, 2x All-Star, 1x Gold, 1x Bronze, 1x Scott Stevens

As we inch higher & higher, the rankings at this point became pretty cloudy and was hard to really choose one player over another. Simply put; Willow had an incredible 2024, most notably topped off by a wild campaign in Season 75 that saw them take home the Scott Stevens award, their lone Challenge Cup, and even be nominated for the Playoff's MVP during that stretch. She led all defenders in 2024 in points, coming dangerously close to a PPG run over those five seasons... all the while being a defensive stalwart, with over 100 blocks and 60 hits each season between SFP and LAP. Well deserved.

10th. Tony Soprano Forge

@gurbs
330 Games | 228 Goals | 231 Assists | 459 Points
3x All-Star, 1x Gold, 1x Bronze, 1x Jeff Dar, 1x Aidan Richan

Here we are - inside the Top 10 for 2024! Soprano's career had been mediocre at best heading into Season 77, when he decided to drop three consecutive 100-point seasons and start rocketing up the list of ultra-superstars in the SHL. Despite just three seasons of high-end performance, his 228 goals are 4th among the entire league last year. He's nailed down three All-Star nods since he exploded on to the scene, and even grabbed a Sarmad Khan nomination back in Season 78... which was after securing the Jeff Dar and Aidan Richan in Season 77. Throw two IIHF medals on top of it all, and it becomes clear why Soprano locked down his spot as the 10th best player in the SHL last year.

9th. Max Carnage Barracuda

@Sizz
330 Games | 184 Goals | 235 Assists | 419 Points
2x All-Star, 1x Jay MacDonald, 1x Sergei Karpotsov, 1x Sarmad Khan, 1x Ron Mexico, 1x Aidan Richan

Ladies & gentlemen we are inside the Top 10 for best players of 2024. Much like Soprano, Carnage had a relatively tame start to 2024 before deciding to live up to him name in Season 78. His performance stands as one of the greatest single-season performances in FHM history, providing a clean sweep of all major offensive awards for that season. In the final two seasons of last year, Carnage posted a mind-numbing 106 goals and 120 assists for 226 points in just 132 games. While he didn't quite have the longevity of impact throughout the entire calendar year, his explosion onto the scene is nearly unprecedented.

8th. Toasty Soderberg-Snooks pride

@Toast
330 Games | 58 Goals | 188 Assists | 246 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 2x All-Star, 1x Gold, 2x Bronze, 2x Scott Stevens

Spoiler alert; this is the highest ranked defender on our list. Toasty had a 2024 for the ages as far as defensemen goes, being completely showered in awards and high-octane performances. One could assume they were a product of a star-studded San Francisco lineup - as showcased earlier in the list - but make no mistake that Toasty was the best defender in the SHL last year. In addition to taking home Top Defender honors twice, they were also nominated for Most Improved two seasons ago and just last season grabbed a nomination for Best Defensive Defender. If you combine their success in the SHL, IIHF, individual awards, offensive & defensive stats... there's no more debate, Toasty held the line better than anyone else.

7th. Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz Panthers

@Zerg
259 Games | 173 Wins | 3.17 GAA | .903 SV% | 12 Shutouts
2x Challenge Cup, 2x All-Star, 1x John McBride, 1x Mike Honcho, 1x Anton Razov

Who forgot goalies were included on this list? First off I hate you for making me copy & paste this name so many times, so you're now referred to as "GB". It's hard to secure your place an elite goaltender in the SHL but GB did exactly that & then some. His SV% sat atop the entire SHL last year, while his 173 wins and 3.17 GAA were second among all eligible goaltenders for this list. Given the competition GB had during 2024 his trophy case is overly impressive, even taking home Playoffs MVP during their cup in Season 78 (not to mention being nominated for it back in Season 75). GB's ability to stop pucks has frustrated opponents almost as much as his name has frustrated the team's tailors.

6th. Derek Martin Panthers

@Frenchie
330 Games | 225 Goals | 284 Assists | 509 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 4x All-Star, 1x Gold, 2x Bronze

While the parade of individual awards continue to pile up as we near the top of the list, we take a brief break to appreciate the most consistent player of 2024. Martin was the lone player in the SHL this past year to receive the All-Star nod in 4 out of the 5 eligible seasons. Additionally, his 284 assists tied for 2nd and his 509 points were 3rd among all SHL players during that time as well. All of this was accomplished while playing premier minutes against the toughest opponents the league has to offer, even helping the Panthers bring home two cups in the process; not to mention his performance in IIHF to top it all off. Combine all of that and you see why Martin sits so high on the list.

5th. Cale Salad
@KaleSalad
330 Games | 174 Goals | 281 Assists | 455 Points
1x All-Star, 3x Gold, 1x Silver, 1x Sergei Karpotsov, 1x Sarmad Khan, 1x Ron Mexico, 1x IIHF Top Defender

Nearing the podium! Cale has a 2024 to remember, and has had quite the career trajectory to match it. Not only was able to stockpile plenty of hardware during those five seasons, he transitioned to defense before the start of Season 79... all the while maintaining his 455 points inside the Top 10 for SHL players during last year. Although he only earned one All-Star nod last year, his Season 77 was a stands head & shoulders above many performances during 2024 as he took home three individual awards including League MVP. Even more impressive, his first season in IIHF on the blue line he took home honors as the Top Defender internationally.

4th. Chris Valentine Renegades

@downer
330 Games | 185 Goals | 265 Assists | 450 Points
3x All-Star, 1x Jay MacDonald, 1x Sergei Karpotsov, 1x Sarmad Khan, 1x Ron Mexico

While Salad had a career that saw him transition to the blue line, here's a case of the opposite direction. Valentine's 2024 started as a defender before becoming Texas' 1C in Season 76... and he never looked back. Between Seasons 77 and 79, he amassed a shocking 330 points in just 198 games. Last year he was the only player in the SHL to lead the league at least once in Goals, Assists, and Points (not all in one season, but at least once during those five seasons). He finished Top 10 in scoring three of five seasons, and even earned an Anton Razov nomination in Season 77 despite not winning the cup. It's taken several seasons and movement to offense, but Valentine has firmly established himself as a top-shelf talent.

THE PODIUM

Congrats to everyone who made it on the list! It took quite a bit of time to get everything together and to finally rank everyone; I wanted it to be firm but fair in terms of impact + longevity, across both the SHL (regular season + playoffs), IIHF, and individual awards. As we step onto the podium for the top three players from last year, I can say with complete honesty that during my "ranking" I had each one of these three at #1 at some point. The line is just so thin that each of them deserve the top spot, but one just squeaked ahead of the others based on how I ranked everyone else. Again, congrats to everyone who made it - now on to the podium!

[Image: BBQKJKL.png]

@RAmenAmen
279 Games | 214 Wins | 2.89 GAA | .902 SV% | 21 Shutouts
2x Challenge Cup, 3x All-Star, 2x John McBride, 2x Mike Honcho, 1x Anton Razov

When you look back in the SHL archives, you're going to have a hard time stringing together a five-season stretch better than what the Pride goalie just completed in 2024. Time's performance last year could go down as one of the best goaltending stretches in SHL history (wish I had the time & resources to actually see where it stands); most goaltenders fail to achieve in their career what he just did in five short seasons. While the Pride were just teeming with elite players (as demonstrated by this list), there's still something serious to be said about what he just accomplished and the absolute domination of opponents between the pipes; GB was his closest competition and was still a country mile behind. Time's wins, GAA, and shutouts sat atop all SHL goaltenders during 2024, while his SV% was second to GB (and only by .001%). He lost a total of 65 games last calendar year - averaging out to just 13 games a season. He's also the only goaltender to surpass 50 post-season wins, take home the John McBride multiple times, and receive three All-Star nominations during that stretch. Need I say more? Justin Time arrived in San Francisco just in time; give the man his roses, then give him some more.

[Image: jCbxpM6.png]

@Rich
330 Games | 254 Goals | 302 Assists | 556 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 3x All-Star, 1x Jay MacDonald, 1x Sergei Karpotsov, 1x Sarmad Khan, 1x Ron Mexico

While the Panthers were quite as loaded as San Francisco, they had more than their fair share of exceptional talent led by number two on the list. Prpich was nearly a one-man wrecking ball this past year as he piled up more goals, assists, and points than any other player in the SHL. His Season 75 performance of 130-points was the best single-season performance last year, where he provided a clean sweep of the offensive individual awards. He was one of only four players to lead the league in goals, and the only player in the entire league to have four consecutive 100-point seasons. His 86 points in the playoffs (somehow) ranks second among all post-season performers during that time frame, leading LA towards capturing their two cups this past year. Prpich may have finished second on the list, but he will easily go down as one of the greatest players in not just LAP history, but likely the entire league.

[Image: kmVRImd.png]

@lore
330 Games | 244 Goals | 283 Assists | 527 Points
2x Challenge Cup, 3x All-Star, 1x Gold, 2x Bronze, 2x Jay MacDonald, 1x Sergei Karpotsov, 1x Sarmad Khan, 1x Ron Mexico, 1x IIHF Top Forward

As I was making this list, one thing became abundantly clear - all things lead back to San Francisco. Hargreeves' 2024 stood head & shoulders above everyone else, and where do you even begin? In addition to all of the accolades he ACTUALLY won, he was additionally nominated for another Khan, Mexico, Dar, and Richan; had he taken home the last two, he literally would've won every player-based award he's eligible for. His goals and assists were 2nd and assists were 3rd among all SHL players; he was the only one to lead the league in goals and - by extension - win the MacDonald more than once this past year. Internationally he took home three medals, including Top Forward honors in Season 77. His 71 points in IIHF and his 109 (!!!) SHL playoff points both led the league during those five seasons, despite the Pride being swept in Season 75 and him only posting four points - MEANING - he put up a mind-numbing 105 points in just 73 playoff games the last four seasons. Blame the depth, blame the TPE, blame the division. Pick your liking, but there is no question - Viktor Hargreeves was the single most dominant and decorated player in 2024. All hail the king.

Code:
Words: 3700 + tons of research + couple of simple graphics

READY FOR GRADING!

**bbjygm** · 01-04-2025, 03:11 PM

Texas represent!

***luke*** · 01-04-2025, 03:25 PM

Accka the goat!

***Anthique*** · 01-04-2025, 05:57 PM

Almost top 20 nice!

Renegades

hhh81 · 01-04-2025, 11:29 PM

Love to see some recognition for Baku!

NJBadApple · 01-05-2025, 03:05 PM

Updated through 15th!

spidey · 01-05-2025, 03:26 PM

Thank you for the mention.

***Alaska*** · 01-05-2025, 10:07 PM

Honored to be among such an elite group of players!

Alex Winters (retired)
Matej Winters (retired)
Dominik Winters
S45 Jesster Trophy Winner
Challenge Cup Winning Goal Club: S52

NJBadApple · 01-06-2025, 10:40 PM

Updated to number 10! I'll post the remaining 9 three at a time; last update will be Thursday.

***Reno*** · 01-06-2025, 10:47 PM

just outside the top 10 but ill take 11th

vbottas17 · 01-07-2025, 12:54 AM

Nice! Thanks for the mention.

***Seany148*** · 01-07-2025, 02:25 AM

my goat Mojito <3

***CapnCooper*** · 01-07-2025, 09:26 AM

Great media! Was looking forward to this one coming out!
Looking forward to reading as more names are released!

***KaleSalad*** · 01-07-2025, 01:02 PM

TONY! glad to see a Philly player in the top 10!

*gurbs* · 01-07-2025, 01:28 PM

Woohooo go Tony! Appreciate the love- maybe it was the Gabagool working after all.

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