TASK ONE: You’re the coach of one of the teams in the playoffs! At least you’d like to think you are. Come up with a new set of lines for one of the teams eliminated in the playoffs, and explain why you made the choices you did. Must be at least 150 words.

Its very simple. If I were the coach of the Calgary Dragons, I would’ve made the switch in net from an ineffective Hunter Wong to our goalie of the future in Richard C. Hocolate. Granted, I don’t know how Hocolate would have faired, but recent SHL history has shown us that a different player between the pipes can do wonders for a team. In games 1-3 against Texas, Wong was a paltry 0-3 with only an 84% save percentage with a 4.67 Goals Allowed Average. There is no way that that gets you a Challenge Cup in the SHL, much less a win in these playoffs. Wong wasn’t too great against Seattle too, so it really seemed like a change in goal was just what the Dragons needed. Esa definitely tweaked the lines to get Calgary shooting more and starting to play much better after the first two games, but with no help in goal, they were swept.
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TASK TWO: Who is your choice for the unsung hero of the S36 playoffs up to this point? Must be at least 150 words and include at least two statistics in support.

He’s not getting the notoriety that some of his teammates are on the their killer run so far, but Texas Renegades defenseman Lord Vader is my pick for the ‘unsung hero’ of the playoffs so far. The Texas Defense as a whole is getting rave reviews as they have done an amazing job at shutting down offensive juggernauts in Winnipeg and Calgary, each team with a player in the Top 2 in scoring this season. Winston Windsor is getting some individual accolades as well, but its Vader who’s been amazing. He’s rocking a plus 5, while adding 8 assists in 10 games along the way. He’s been a shot blocking monster, as he’s put his body in front of 20 shots so far. Lord Vader is also hitting everything that moves, as he’s registered 32 hits so far. As the New England Wolfpack come to town to face off in the finals, it’ll be Vader that’s looked to to tame the pack.
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TASK THREE: Who has the edge, New England or Texas? What (or who) will be the biggest factor for one team to triumph over the other? Must be at least 150 words.

What a difficult question to answer. When it comes down to it, This is a crazy even matchup on paper. Both teams are playing amazing hockey right now. While Texas has relied heavily on their top few forwards, I think New England has more depth in their forward lines. When it comes down to the defensive side of things, I think Texas has the better defense core, though not by much. While Laukkanen has been amazing in goal for years now, Pel is playing like a psychopath and has been just as good, if not better. So who wins? I have no idea. Honestly, this whole series is going to come down to who wins the matchup between the New England Offense versus the Texas Defense. Texas will score a few goals, but how many will New England score? If they solve the Renegades defensive puzzle, they’ll win the series. But if not? They’ll end up like the Jets and the Dragons
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TASK FOUR: The SHL is hosting a charity event including members of both teams from a series during this postseason. Describe how this teamwork event would go in a minimum of 150 words. Must include three player names from each team, the name of a charity and at least one activity.

The SHL, in partnership with “Henry’s Handshakes”, a charity that promotes youth hockey and sportsmanship in lower income communitites, is announcing a fundraising event the day before Game 1 of the Challenge Cup finals. Players from the Renegades and the Wolfpack will play a charity street hockey game where local children from the community will get to play alongside their favorite stars. Representing the Renegades will be Conklin Owen, Geoffrey Allen, and Adam Kaiser as they take on the trio of Patrikov Bure, Jasper Clayton, and Brett Kennedy. The players will host a small skills clinic before playing a short, 15 minute game, followed by an autograph session for each child. There will be drink on hand, and the child that shows the most sportsmanship during his session will receive 4 tickets to Game One of the SHL Finals! So come on down to the plaza in front of the arena and play tomorrow!
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