GAMESPEAK FEDERATED HOCKEY LEAGUE NEWSLETTER

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1 GAMESPEAK FEDERATED January 16, 2016 Vol. 6, No. 2 Join the Living FHL Experience and follow us on Twitter and Get Game updates Welcome to the January 2016 Edition of Gamespeak. FHL All Star Rosters are announced (P.1). Congratulations to those teams that have players on the All Star Teams. This issue will also discuss the upcoming FHL Winter Classic (P.3); FHL New Ownership Announcement (P.5); FHL Team Statistics (P.6); FHL Trade Central (P.8); FHL Player of the Month (P.10); and From the Commissioner s Office (P.11)! Enjoy! FHL All Star Teams By Luc Savard For the second year in a row, I get the pleasure to select the All-Star teams. This task, while it may look simple, is pretty hard. There are lots of quality players and each team must be represented. Sometimes, an excellent team does not have as many stars. I am thinking here for example of Kansas City. This is an excellent, well managed team and everyone contributes. Team representation now plays a big role in the selection (unlike in the past). This is obvious when you look at goaltenders. Even lower ranked teams have good goaltenders. Florida Ryan Miller is a perfect example. Some team s stars were not selected because of that as well, and, the fact that there is only three forwards lines. I am thinking here of players such as Jiri Hudler, Semyon Varlamov, and Ryan Johansson. But this is not different of the NHL, even the 2016 NHL All-Star game does not include Sidney Crosby. But do not worry John Scott is not in our All-Star game. Enjoy and have fun, which is all that matters! 1

2 FHL All Star Teams 2

3 FHL 6 th Winter Classic By Chad Pridemore (Assistant Commissioner) VS The 2015 FHL Winter Classic tradition will continue with the Boston Whalers taking on the New York Dolphins at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on January 11th. The league was faced with two venue locations for the Winter Classic this year. The decision was made early on to hold the event at the Phillies home turf but the folks in nearby Hartford, Connecticut started a petition on change.org to try and get the annual classic at the XL Center. The petitioners got over 10,000 votes but the logistical aspects of the event gave the FHL no choice but to hold the Winter Classic in a larger venue. The petition on change.org asked the FHL to consider the XL Center and memories of the old NHL Hartford Whalers that could be revitalized. Could the Boston Whalers have started a movement by passing through Hartford sporting a similar logo of the old Whalers? Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004 and replaced the old Veterans Stadium which was home to both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Eagles until The Bank as they call it in Philly has a capacity of 43,651. The man made rink will be covering Riviera Bermuda Grass on the infield and outfield with a nice HD display board in left field. The weather forecast for the game looks great with temperatures just above the freezing mark with snow flurries possible. This year s Winter Classic should be an exciting matchup between the two teams. Both teams represent the East Division of the Republic conference and could be a preview of what is to come once playoff time rolls around. Could we be witnessing a preview to a Conference Finals showdown? The Boston Whalers will come into the game at the top of the East Division battling against the New York Dolphins. Jamie Benn, third in the FHL scoring leaders starting the New Year, is the leader of the Whalers offense with 19 goals and 14 assists with 33 points coming into January. He is paired with Patrick Kane who has 13 goals and 8 assists with 21 points. 3

4 FHL 6 th Winter Classic cont d P.3 The Dolphins will also have to keep an eye on Jakub Voracek and Tomas Plekanec as they can both pass the puck well and light the lamp. Cory Schneider will most likely start in net for Boston sporting a 2.21 GAA in 24 starts. The eyes of Boston will be on Whalers Manager Doug Shirley s lineup matches at the drop of the puck. The New York Dolphins will be represented by a good mix of goal scorers and passers. The goal scorers of Steven Stamkos, Henrik Sedin, and Cory Perry are at the top of the team for goals as well as assists. Scott Hartnell is starting January with 7 goals and 23 assists, fifth in the FHL for assists. When these four are mixed together on the ice the potential for great goal scoring and passing is very high. The Whalers will be looking at their entire defensive lineup to keep these guys and the Dolphins at bay. The starting six defensemen for the Whalers combine for a defensive rating near the 7.5 mark which should give their offensive line mates a chance to work the puck in the offensive zone and possibly force the Dolphins to start from the neutral zone moving forward at a slower pace. Will we see an even mix of dump and chase versus forward moving hockey or will the Dolphins rely on their top guys to forecheck more on the dump and chase? New York will have the option of starting Antti Niemi or Jaroslav Halak in net. Both net minders have near identical statistics to start the New Year so it could be a game day decision for Manager Cliff Dolgins on who to start in net. The preview of the 2015 FHL Winter Classic is already exciting so we can surely anticipate Citizens Bank Park to be full of excitement when January 11 th arrives. 4

5 FHL New Ownership Announcement The FHL would like to bid farewell to owner/manager Trader Jeff Murray who retired from FHL citing the need to spend more time with his family. Jeff took over the San Angelo Outlaws from Bill Marr in 2011 and through adroit trades and Evgeni Malkin won the Crystal in ************************************ Exton Igloos Have a New Owner: After a long search, the Igloos have a new owner in Andrew Martin. Martin is a veteran Hockey Sim League player having been involved in APBA (DOS) Hockey leagues since While most of those leagues have faltered, Andrew is still involved in GWMHL and has been for 19 seasons. While deciding whether to pursue another club, he decided that the time is right to try a new league in a new sim (APC). The new owner/gm looks forward to getting to know the club, and working through the intricate strategies of the new system. There is unlikely to be any move for the club until the offseason, although is a rumor that the club may relocate to California. Game history wise, I have been an avid player of board games for many years including APBA Baseball in the 70s, Avalon Hill games (70's-80's), Euro Games (90's-current) and some general computer geekiness. First computer was a TRS-80 Model 1. In high school friends and I made expansions for the Temple of Aphshai that was released by Epyx. Standalone (Upper Reaches of Apshai, Curse of Ra) as well as being bundled with the base game and sold as The Apshai Trilogy. I'm looking forward to many years of enjoyment in the league and look forward to conversing with all of you. avmartin@sonic.net ************************************* 5

6 FHL Team Statistics Hockey is probably the most team oriented sports there is. In Professional Baseball the key matchup is the pitcher and the batter. In Professional Basketball it seems more about 2 on 2 or 3 on 2 (i.e. one team s 2 super stars against the other team s 2 super stars) while everyone else stands around. In Professional Football there is a team element but there seems to be a lot of hot dog type players who stress their individual heroics over the team (ex. remember T.O.). However to have a successful hockey team you ve got to have everyone pulling the same way. Selfish individual show boats don t last too long in the world of professional hockey. That is why Gamespeak is happy to present you with the Team Statistics section. We hope you enjoy this presentation of statistics that celebrates the entire team! The Top Power Play Teams (Power Play % converted): 1. Montreal Canadiens 30.1% 2. McGregor Condors 25.5% 3. New York Dolphins 23.2% 4. Minnesota North Stars 22.8% 5. California Zephyrs 22.4% 6. Rye Seahawks 20.9% 7. Chesapeake Bayhawks 20.9% 8. Cincinnati Swords 20.5% 9. Columbia Lightning 20.4% 10. Quebec Nordiques 20.0% 11. Boston Whalers 19.7% 12. Los Angeles Monarchs 19.5% 13. Detroit Bandits 17.4% 14. Gatineau City Bulldogs 17.1% The Top Penalty Killing Teams (Penalty Kill % stopped): 1. Quebec Nordiques 88.7% 2. Kansas City Ice Twisters 85.4% 3. Cleveland Barons 84.8% 4. Minnesota North Stars 83.3% 5. Cincinnati Swords 83.2% 6. Exton Igloos 82.7% 7. Montreal Canadiens 82.2% 8. Columbia Lightning 81.6% 9. Detroit Bandits 81.0% 10. Rye Seahawks 80.9% 11. Boston Whalers 80.7% 12. Gatineau City Bulldogs 80.4% 13. Chesapeake Bayhawks 80.2% 14. New York Dolphins 80.0% 6

7 Top Teams with most Shots on Goal Against per game (SA) 1. Columbia Lightning Florida Everblades New York Dolphins Quebec Nordiques Los Angeles Monarchs McGregor Condors California Zephyrs Rye Seahawks Spokane Bombers Toledo Goaldiggers Kansas City Ice Twisters Montreal Canadiens 29.5 Top Teams in PIM per game 1. Quebec Nordiques Cincinnati Swords Florida Everblades Columbia Lightning Spokane Bombers Montreal Canadiens Chesapeake Bayhawks New York Dolphins Exton Igloos Minnesota North Stars McGregor Condors California Zephyrs 8.7 Top Teams with most hits on opposing players per game: 1. Quebec Nordiques Chesapeake Bayhawks Exton Igloos Detroit Bandits Cleveland Barons Rye Seahawks Cincinnati Swords Spokane Bombers Gatineau City Bulldogs California Zephyrs New York Dolphins Boston Whalers 23.5 Top Shoot Out Teams (SOW) 1. Los Angeles Monarchs 6 2. Rye Seahawks 5 3. McGregor Condors 5 9 other teams tied with 3. Top Fighting Teams in number of Total Fights 1. Toledo Goaldiggers Cincinnati Swords Los Angeles Monarchs Florida Everblades 7 7

8 FHL Trade Central By Chad Pridemore (Assistant Commissioner) Here are all the trades to date for this season in the FHL. As usual, we have had quite an active season. Enjoy. 8

9 FHL Trade Central cont d P.8 9

10 FHL Trade Central cont d P.9 FHL Player(s) of the Month Bill Kay's Montreal Canadians is in 2 nd place in the East Division with a record of with 50 points. Montreal Defenseman Keith Yandle has led the way in December with 1 goal and 11 assists earning him the defensive player of the month. He is also a First Team All Star representing the Republic Conference. Wayne Pulley's Chesapeake Bay Hawks Nick Foligno led all FHL skaters with 6 goals, 12 assists and 18 points and a +/- of +11. This also vaulted him into first place in the FHL in points with 53. He was named FHL forward of the month for December. He is also a First Team All Star representing the National Conference. The Florida Everblades, despite their last place standing in the East division, are an amazing on the road in December. Goaltender Ryan Miller is a huge part of this allowing only 9 goals in 7 games played. This amounts to a 1.27 GAA with 231 saves and a save PCT in December to win him Goalie of the month honors. He was named 3 rd Team FHL All Star for the Republic Conference. 10

11 From the Commissioner s Office: Could this be the year when a Canadian team finally busts through and wins the coveted Crystal? There is a certain rightness to this after all hockey is Canada s game. Chad Pridemore (Assistant Commissioner) posed this question in Gamespeak Vol. 5, No. 5 in his article Will Canada ever win the Crystal? I think we have a candidate the Quebec Nordiques. Their success starts with their #1 defense in the FHL. How does Shea Weber, P.K. Subban, and Duncan Keith trio sound off to start? But wait there is more! Andrei Markov, and Dion Phaneuf (who isn t even starting) could be #1 defensive pair on some teams. Plus they got some defensive prospects like Jared Tinordi waiting in the wings. FHL Schedule: Block 4 Start January 15. Block 4 Deadline to complete games and export February 7 (Sunday) at 7 PM EST. They also got offense too. Jonathan Toews has been leading the way for Quebec in December with 6 goals and 11 assists for 17 points and a +/- of a whopping +14 for honorable mention and made first team FHL All Star. Rick Nash who starts on LW joins Toews as an FHL first team All Star. Jiri Hudler who did not make the FHL All Star team is having a fantastic year. Last but not least Carey Price is in net. Nuff said! Plus they are the most physical team in the FHL leading in team categories most hits, and PIM. The high team PIM doesn t hurt them since they lead the FHL in team penalty killing at 88.7%. Of course I thought this last year and they got eliminated after their 1 st round bye 4-1 by the California Zephyrs. But that was under different leadership. Pat Crew will be under pressure this year to get it done and bring the Crystal to Canada! 11